I have been learning about building my motor based on reading the LIngenfelter book. I finally got the complete superram intake and have been attempting to install it. I am this close to ripping the whole bastard off and tossing into the trash, or more probably selling it to some other unsuspecting soul who thinks he could use it. It took me about 4 days (working at night after work) to get the f****** runners on, removing the valve covers, removing two rockers. Now with the Plenum Ive got 10 out of 16 bolts on and cannot get on the other 6. These are the two most inner ones (one on each side) and the two back ones on each side. Im halfway tempted to tighten everything up like it is and try it, but its almost certain I will get a runner to plenum leak.

Most likely I will pull the whole SOB off and have studs welded to the runners, drill out the holes in the plenum and attach the plenum to the runners with nuts inside the plenum. This seems the only logical thing to do to me

If I have to change something I will still have to pull the valve covers, two rockers, readjust the valves on those two rockers. If I have to do that very often I'll chuck it too. Seems like the genuises at LPE could have engineered the installation alittle better, a lot better.

This suckers only carries air right??? Use some hi temp copper rtv and it shouldn't leak. Stuff works mircals when the right way is impossiable. SealAll is nice too but gets to hard. Nasty Indian Headgasket stuff would work also but what a mess crap that stuff is.

Matt

yeah they aren't much fun.....

I'll be your unsuspecting soul...

Get a ratcheting wrench, it's a MUST for the install.

Slot the screws. Make sure everything is super loose as you tighten it up, like only a thread or 2 once you get them started, then tighten things down evenly, this includes both runners and plenum.

I had no problems at all when I installed mine, I mean none, but then again I did install it on the motor when the motor was on a stand and not in the engine bay, I hope I never have to take it off.

couldnt you take the plentum and runners off of the intake, bolt them all together and then drop the runners and plentum which is bolted to getther on the intake. then just bolt the bottem runners to the intake?

Uhhhhhhh no.

sorry didnt know, just a guess. i dont know much or anything aboutthe super ram, just a guess to see if that would work.

The install will get much easier after doing it a few times. The ratchet is very nice, but you can get by with a nice 1/4" wrench. Slotting the bolts are a must.

This is probably the single best article on what needs to be done to the SR prior to installing it:

http://home.sprynet.com/~ragtop88/SRTips.htm

Key Tips:

1) Slot the bolts.
2) Drill out the runner/plenum holes in the runners with a 5/16" drill bit.
3) Run a tap through all of the holes in the plenum.

If you do all those things then it's is rather easy with the right tools. Don't forget to seal the threads on the bolts that go into the plenum (lid and from the runners).

The ratchet wrench helped a bit. It could only be used on 4 out of the 16 runner to plenum bolts due to the closeness of the bolt head to other stuff. I got all the bolts on except the two very inner ones. I did slot the bolts, but just could not get the bolt up under there. I left two of them on top of the intake that fell off my finger and coulnd't get them out. Might try a magnet. Got all the other runner to plenum bolts tightened up, put two bolts in from the top with RTV to seal those two inner bolt holes. Put the plenum lid on, turns out one bolt hole is stripped, put rtv on it and going to try it that way. Used rtv on plenum lid gasket, didn't use thread sealer on plenum lid bolts. I guess I should take that plenum lid back off and helicoil that one bolt, then put them back on with thread sealer. What kind is good. At least the plenum lid is easy to get off and on.

The runners have to be rotated into the area where they bolt to the base, which they could not be while bolted to the plenum.

Im thinking when and if, I ever take it off it would really make things easy to have studs welded to the runners. Then you could just set the plenum down on them and put nuts on inside the plenum. Would be super easy.

Every day I get a little farther, I work all day and only have a few hours to work on my car in the evening. Today adjusted the two valves where I had to take the rockers off, went fairly smoothly. Got drives valve cover on OK, now for the passenger side valve cover. Holy crap, challenging is and understatement. May have to remove Air condition compressor and more, AIR is defintely in the way. Im seriously looking into having the runners modified if I ever do take it off again so that you can use a long bolt going into a housing for the four bolts under the center of each pair of runners, Like the SLP. This would eliminate removing the valve covers, rockers, readjusting the valves etc.. LOoks pretty badass, hope it runs the same

Whew! Got the other valve cover one, hooked everything else up and fired her up. No check engine lights, timing right on 6 deg btdc. I thought for sure Id have a leake in the plenum lid maybe, had one stripped bolt that I RTVed. Thought maybe Id have a leak in plenum to runner connection due to those two bolts I couldn't get in, farthes one in on each side. She runs great, except the idle is ridiculously high, like 1500 rpm. Idle adjustment is all the way in on TB. Wonder why? I guess I wil try the idle adjustment procedure, but I tried this one time before with a new TB and it did nothing. Also TB position is apparently farther back because I couldn't adjust the TV cable in far enough. I ended up putting some spacers on the end of the TV cable after the little plastic deal to pull it out to where it ratcheted out with the adjustment. High idle is distracting but I guess it wont hurt for racing. Now I just need to get the new tranny in so I car race and kick some butt
weeee

I haven't installed my SR yet but after reading a lot of complaints on here about what a PITA it is I decided to modify mine. I tapped & installed helicoils in the four inner holes in the runners, and drilled out the matching four tapped holes in the plenum. This way I can install the inner four screws from the top. I'll use loctite to keep them from coming loose. You can do this at home and avoid the hassle & cost of having studs installed, plus button head screws will disrupt air flow a lot less than a large stud and nut. Rich at Cruzin Performance told me this is how he does all the SR's he installs. I'll also use socket head screws on the runners at the intake, with a long ball-end allen wrench to tighten them from different angles like a swivel socket. I hope this lets me get around the rockers. I'm also going to use RTV on it to help everything seal - after the porting I'll have to make generic gaskets anyway, so hopefully between the two it won't leak. One of these days...

Larry - I have a buddy with a converted LT-1 intake with fuel rails and all for cheap!!! The LT-1 intake will make more power anyways if you are interested! And, it's a breeze to install !

Let me know.

Mike (1bad91Z)

LOL, not this debate again

Larry I feel your pain bro. Believe me, I was cursing during the install of mine a few months back and I had to do it twice in a week.

For the inner screws I slotted the ends but I also used a magnetic retriever to hold the screw near the hole then used my finger to align it. Much easier than trying to hold it between two fingers while lying across your engine with one ear pinned to a valve cover!

I tapped the runners, and used 3/8-fine thread cap head bolts to attach the plenum to the runners, from the inside. No problem there, and other than removing the 2 rockers, really wasn't too bad. If the lid bolts don't all go in, just install the screws a few threads first, and then snug them down. That should do it! You're almost there.

Yes, I got it on, but there is a vacuum leak apparently. RPMs are around 1200. REdid one stripped bolt int he plenum lid and sealed the plenum bolts, helped a little, about 1100rpm. I am pretty sure the problem is the plenum to the runners. Just recieved new gaskets today and am going to redo that over the weekend. Thats not too bad, but sure would hate to take the runners off again right now.

Larry, when I first installed my SR I had the same issues you did and I ended up pinching a runner gasket which created my own vaccuum leak.

Best advice I can offer is switching the lower runner bolts to a Allen key bolt.
It was easier to fit them in and it was easier to get a long Allen key in the as opposed to a ratchet with an extension and a socket.

Good luck with the install! It'll pay off in the end!

I forgot to follow this up. I took off the plenum and used new plenum to runner gaskets. While off I retightened all runner to base bolts (except the two under the runners on each side of cours) and found one completly loose, and several a little loose. RTVd both sides of plenum to runner gaskets (Probable overkill) and RTVd outsido of plenum lid gasket (Previously had RTVd underside of gasket. Also while off, redid the two inner most plenum to runner bolts (I had put the bolts in from the top and sealed them with rtv the first time, just to plug the holes). I did as was suggested somewhere, drilled them out and tapped them and put larger bolts in from the top.

FINALLY after all that, it idles perfect, 600-650 in park. I think the loose bolts were the major culprit. Ive never had a vacuum leak before, althought Ive never installed superram intake before.

Runs great, haven't really been able to test it yet because of my tranny. Shifts ok at normal speeds, wont shift at WOT unless you let off the gas. I guess clutches are toast. Have a TH350 ready to put in. Doing the SLP headers now, then tranny, then as someone said on here "Let the *** kicking begin" hahah.

Larry, wanna race? j/k

Anywho, are you going to have the headers and tranny finished in time for the gathering?

Mike

I should have the headers on by this weekend. Not sure about the tranny, Ive got everything, tranny, adapter kit, cooler. I have a friend who has a lift and I want to do it at his shop and get him to help me, don't know when he will be available. But I'll definitely be at the gathering

Id love to race you. Im itching to get back to the track. Havent been since summer out at Sealy. It's fun to race faster cars too (now not a pro street car or something). It's like playing tennis with someone better than you, even if you don't win its fun and it pulls you up to their level a little. Im hoping for low 13s with this setup. The best I ran in the 1/8 was 8.68 with 1.9x 60' time, which Im told translates into mid 13s in the 1/4. That was before Superram (plenum and runners), 24lb injectors, chip by me, SLP headers, and TH350 with 2600-2800 stall converter.

Hopefully we could get together with you and maybe Texas LT1 (I think hes the guy who said "let the *** kicking begin") and some others out at HRP in January.

Lets do it :rockon:

We'll see. I'm still waiting on a 12 bolt before I go to the track. My 10 bolt doesnt have a chance in hell holding up to the kind of torque my motor makes.

Larry, what are running for a cam?

Stock cam for now. I have already purchased a LPE 219 cam and some crane valve springs with titanium inserts. Im saving my pennies and plan on doing cam, Heads (AFR 190 or 195) and roller rockers next summer. I hope to do some racing the end of December and January with the new setup this year. Racing in the summer here is brutal with the heat. The winter time is great. Last year was the first year I raced in the winter and the first time I went out I ran .2 better with the same setup, in the 1/8 mile. Car seems to love the cool weather.

Mike, I dont see how you can resist taking that beast to the track with all youve got in it. It should scream.

It does scream! However, I fear the rear end is on borrowed time and I still need to be able to drive it until I get the money for the Moser 12-bolt. I cant afford the new rear right now and I dont want the car to be down and undrivable (cant afford to take the chance). I'm currently re-organizing my shop (doing some build outs of walls etc..) and I frequently need the car moved arround.

Maybe at the gathering I'll take you for a ride if you want?

you should have done the canm now, so you don't have to redo the intake. anyway, you'd have better luck with the right tools/ I used a flexable extension with thte right socket. good luck.

I want a ride at the gathering

this thred is a good defense y myself and all my friends sold our supers for mini-rams :-) if you drive your car a ton, a long way from home, it is easy to work on out on the road....

Man, Sounds like your car is coming together nicely larry. Too bad i can't say the same for mine. I'm gonna try to finish mine up this winter after exams this month. Then i'll tune it and run it at the track and decide whether to part this project out and start a new one on a Supra.

Well, after its all done, and the headaches forgot, and it looks and runs great, I guess its worth it. I sure could recommend some simple design changes to make the installation easier though.


thanks for your help on this

Congrats Larry! Lookin good. Keep us posted when you get some timeslips.

Congrats Larry, lookin' AWESOME !!

And now for the heads / cam / and tranny swap!

It's a never ending project!

I call mine the money pit!

See ya at the gathering.

Mike

AHhhhhhhh seeing that nicely painted engine bay makes me want to pull my motor tommorow and get it cleaned up enought o get it painted...

lookin good tho, it is a royal PIA to install but it does work well to keep some of that LTR torque and still give ya highend...

I Love Superram!!!

I hate super-ram too. Im considering a cam change which might include a change to the fastener type used to attach the plenum to the runners when I put it back together.

http://outlawperformance.com/images/...-30-03 (8).JPG

Dont be hater during the holidays!:nono: