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starting from the top, I bought another members 87 iroc that had a T ram on it, with the idea of swapping intakes to get the SLP intake for my current car. Now that I have bought that car, got it running with an HSR, and it's a complete driver, I now can get to gathering the last of the pieces I need for my car.
My car is a 1992 Z28 L98 auto 1LE car. It's white on grey with 163k on the clock and runs very well for what it is. Prior to me buying the car it had a set of hooker 2055's, a 2800 stall converter, shift kit, and 3.73's put in it. The car runs fantastic and pulls great until the thing runs out of breath at 4500 due to the stock intake.
I have decided to do kind of an SLP catalog build so to speak, I want the car to look and feel like it as dropped off at SLP in the 90's and had them treat it to all of the best parts they had.
So far I have gathered
- complete SLP T ram intake
- cruise / TV cable kit for T ram
- thermostat housing / belt gaurd
- NOS SLP 1 3/4 headers w/o air tubes
- NOS 2OTL catback
- SLP throttle body top plate (not a genuine SLP one)
- SLP third gen ZR1 wheels (had the rears widened)
- SLP Dana 44 3.92
- SLP dual cold air intake
im sure there will be more there I will find that I am forgetting.
Now now I am working on deciding what throttle body, injectors and tune to run with it.
I plan on leaving the motor virtually stock for now. I'm going to throw a set of 1.6 rockers on it for the gain in lift since it's easy. I would like to send the TB out to have it bored to 52mm to keep the factory look if I can, but am not completely against an aftermarket TB as I work with aluminum by trade and could easily make an aftermarket one almost appear stock. Injectors is a question I'm having. Do I go stock? LT1? South Bay? Bosch? TPIS?
Last edited by charlie6178; 07-05-2021 at 04:12 PM.
Injector height is critical with these manifolds. Your car is a speed density car and can be reflashed easily, so just need to find the right guy to dyno tune then street tune it. I still say you should do a head and cam swap, the intake wont make much of a difference with out at least a cam. SLP used aluminum D port Corvette heads and a cam that specced closely to what is in the other car. You will see a slight gain, just trying to save you some time and money.
Yeah I saw the injector height VS gaskets in the instructions that came with the kit. I don't have enough knowledge about the spay patterns, size, and fuel pressure to run. My experience is with LS1 stuff. Virtually stock injectors and everything is at 58psi all the time and a modern spay pattern. I know the factory injectors that are in my car are super undesirable. I'm wondering if I need to bump up to like a 22 or 24 # injector with the bolt ons, or if I am better off going with a 19 # with a more modern spray pattern like the Bosch gen 3 injector.
I'm going to leave the motor essentially stock for now. When I do decide it needs more motor I think will just buy a complete new ZZ6 long block from GM. I really am not starving for more power with the car, I just want it all for the cool factor, the story that goes with the T rams, and the SLP old school badass theme. Being all period correct and all the tuff parts. and don't get me wrong I'm not making it 100% only factory SLP parts as I have done a few other mods to the car that I would call very tasteful mods. I did grey corbeau GTS ll seats, some really clean made-4-you products wire looms, a nice aluminum SW water pump, nothing crazy that couldn't be undone later but it definitely makes it nice.
I'm going to leave the motor essentially stock for now. When I do decide it needs more motor I think will just buy a complete new ZZ6 long block from GM. I really am not starving for more power with the car, I just want it all for the cool factor, the story that goes with the T rams, and the SLP old school badass theme. Being all period correct and all the tuff parts. and don't get me wrong I'm not making it 100% only factory SLP parts as I have done a few other mods to the car that I would call very tasteful mods. I did grey corbeau GTS ll seats, some really clean made-4-you products wire looms, a nice aluminum SW water pump, nothing crazy that couldn't be undone later but it definitely makes it nice.
I've wanted one of these intakes for YEARS, the timing has just never been right the two or three times one has come up for sale and seems like one hasn't popped up for sale for a long time now. Seems to always be right after I've made another major purchase. If I could just go back in time and buy one from Summit...
Keep an eye out for the SLP specific Dana 44 differential. That will be hard to find, still kick myself for not buying one when they dumped them for 1500.00 each with choice of gear sets.
Keep an eye out for the SLP specific Dana 44 differential. That will be hard to find, still kick myself for not buying one when they dumped them for 1500.00 each with choice of gear sets.
I paid a few bucks more than that but I bought a low mile used 3.92 geared SLP Dana 44 for the car that's going in at the same time with all of the intake and header pieces! I have been looking around for one of the SLP torque arms they made for the 4th gen cars in the early 2000's but haven't had much luck finding it
Nice! Your building a very interesting 3rd gen. Have you thought about buying a 91 red formula and building a Fire Hawk clone? Seems like your almost there.
Nice! Your building a very interesting 3rd gen. Have you thought about buying a 91 red formula and building a Fire Hawk clone? Seems like your almost there.
just like everybody else on this forum, I think the 91-92 hawk is the baddest thing this side of the sun, but I personally like the look of the camaros over the birds, so I pretty much want to turn my 1LE into what SLP would have build if they did a camaro how they did the hawks. Aside from the ZF6... I will be using an LT1 style T56 for the ease of conversion and having twice the gearbox haha. I do have a set of firehawk wheels for the car if I ever get bored of the widened ZR1's I got from you dave. I even have a virgin standard 400 bore Rodeck 350+ water block for a hawk motor build later on down the road
just like everybody else on this forum, I think the 91-92 hawk is the baddest thing this side of the sun, but I personally like the look of the camaros over the birds, so I pretty much want to turn my 1LE into what SLP would have build if they did a camaro how they did the hawks. Aside from the ZF6... I will be using an LT1 style T56 for the ease of conversion and having twice the gearbox haha. I do have a set of firehawk wheels for the car if I ever get bored of the widened ZR1's I got from you dave. I even have a virgin standard 400 bore Rodeck 350+ water block for a hawk motor build later on down the road
X2 I still have a 90 Formula 350 that I've been thinking about adding 91-92 frt bumper and kind of cloning a Hawk (wouldn't be my first hawk clone I did my 99 T/A but that was easy) I just have too many F-body's (is there such a thing?) I have only ever seen 1 T-Ram on a car at a show I'd grab one if they ever popped up, So I have decided on SR the next best thing. So the rest of us will just watch yours getting built Charlie
just like everybody else on this forum, I think the 91-92 hawk is the baddest thing this side of the sun, but I personally like the look of the camaros over the birds, so I pretty much want to turn my 1LE into what SLP would have build if they did a camaro how they did the hawks. Aside from the ZF6... I will be using an LT1 style T56 for the ease of conversion and having twice the gearbox haha. I do have a set of firehawk wheels for the car if I ever get bored of the widened ZR1's I got from you dave. I even have a virgin standard 400 bore Rodeck 350+ water block for a hawk motor build later on down the road
Also the FireHawk used the Corvette Aluminum Heads. So with that in mind. Get some good used set of Vette Heads and the LPE 219 Cam and have fun.
Not to worry gentleman, I build cylinder heads for a living. It's getting a set of aluminum heads. and yeah the brakes were junk, pulling them off now to get this thing all wire bushed up and ready to paint.
I cant tell from picture about the lower control arm mounts mine had 3 sets of holes how many did this have?
I'm still inquiring om having the intake 3d scanned, I sent some pics out to a place this AM I am afraid of what that'd cost - yikes!
T-top350 do you have any availability on that? you seen very resourceful
Last edited by zman1969; 10-02-2018 at 10:19 AM.
Reason: added pic
I miss the T ram.... I had 3 back in the day(early 90s) SLP made much money from me lol..
The only part of the intake that sucked was the TV cable mount for the 700r4/4L60 it is not sturdy but the ultimate cure was a manual trans..... which really made that intake work !!!!!
I am thinking just to start I am going to use the stock injectors and TB and get it rolling with the stock tune, even if it falls on its face up in the RPM, I will have it tuned after I get it on the road and sort out all of the little things. I know my injector and TB and stock tune work just fine as it is. I just hate making a ton of changes all at once. I'm going to just make baby steps.
Charlie, your computer is going to really struggle with the new intake. It would be a different story if you had a MAF setup. I would suggest buying some tuner tuner software and burning your own chips.
So things have finally slowed down with the other project and it’s drivable, so while we recoupe some funds, it’s time to work on the 1LE again. I’ve cleaned everything all up and gotten all of the parts out and inventoried and gaskets and fittings all ready to go. I’m planning on pulling the car apart this coming week to get the intake, exhaust, headers, and Dana all installed.
I am going to do the headers and exhaust first, then yard the intake off it for sure. I can’t decide whether I’m going to put a cat on it or not yet. I have the wrong flange on the mid pipe so I’ll have to cut that anyways.
i also will need to figure out something for a coil mount. The stock bracket will hit the side tank on the intake, ill either have to cut and move it back, or make a new bracket. I haven’t figured out what my plan of attack will be there just yet. I believe the firehawk had a large cap hei in it correct???
also I am looking for info on how the map sensor is supposed to be mounted on the t ram as well.
It's been 8hrs man, where's the pic of those pipes all polished up like chrome?
Yes, coil in cap distributor, Corvette or 85-86 style. I would imagine you could use the V6/TBI map sensor mount to hang it on the cowl tab. Not sure if there's a reason GM mounted it to the plenum, shorter tube more accurate or faster response? Idk, but that's one possibility.
Easy man! I got a scotch brite pad out for the tailpipes! I’ll shoot you a text tomorrow for ideas Tony! Between my Nova that had an unexpected push of forward progress and buying that Z03, I haven’t had much time to put towards the 92, so now I have the other three at good stopping points so I can focus on the T ram. I can’t wait to hear the car run with all the new parts.
finally had some time today to get the car apart and get started. Got the TPI intake completely off the car, and was able to set the T ram on the car for the first mock up to start seeing how the parts are going to all fit. I’m hoping to have it fired within the next 2-3 weeks.
figure I would post a couple pics of the car too in the thread so everybody can see what is going on. I had the SLP ZR1’s widened last summer and fell in love with the look!
I pulled the top off the t ram started mocking more things up. I am definitely going to reuse the factory coil mount, I am just going to have to cut it and move part of it back about 3/4 of an inch. I also changed a few of the ways dave had some of the vacuum lines running. I think I’m going to also bend up hardlines for it. I’ve never been a fan of the look of the steel braided lines and or the red and blue fittings, so steel hardlines it will be! I also need to figure out how I’m going to mount the map sensor still. I need to get a little further up the mock up process before I make it to that decision but I’m hoping I can use the stock TPI mount, and ad an L to it and sandwich it between the coil and mount just as the EGR solenoid is.
I will definitely post pics of the coil bracket. It really should be simple. Tony sent me pics of how the firehawks mounted the map sendsor and that was just a pair of zip ties to the harness. I’ll use that method if i absolutely have to, but would much rather mount it solid. I can take more pics of the intake as wel. Another thing I have noticed is that the “special T ram adjustable fuel pressure regulator” really is just a stock TPI block with a -6an adapter on one end, a plug on one end, and an adapter to the fuel rail cast into the intake. I have a spare TPI one, im going to pull it apart and take measurements and pics side by side but I’m 99% sure that’s what they did there. I’m going to really go hard on this project this week upcoming.
If you do away with the egr solenoid is there enough room to make a bracket that would sandwich between the coil brackets ?
I’m hoping to use another egr solenoid bracket and sandwich it the opposite direction. I need to get the lower manifold cleaned up, bolted down and sealed up first, then get the coil mount dialed in and bolt the upper intake plenum on it and plug the map in so I can see how much room I have to stretch the wires
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so when this intake was installed on Dave’s blue iroc, it used the oil pressure port of the top rear of the block for the oil pressure sending unit, and they had to grind the back of the intake for clearance. It was a little thin on the sealing area, and my 92 doesn’t have an oil pressure sending unit up there, so I decided to weld it up, machine it back down, and texture the new aluminum to look as close to the cast finish that it had new. It’s not perfect now but it does the job and it will seal a lot better
Looks great! The factory did use a square head pipe plug on the china wall that sticks up a bit. Guessing you are using a flush allen pipe plug for clearance?
Thanks guys, yes it did have a square head plug in it, I pulled that out and swapped it for an allen plug, and drove it in flush. I’m hoping I can the lower intake on and sealed up this weekend!
Charlie, looking at my hack job for clearencing the oil pressure sensor is painful. All I had at the time was a drill and and dremel and was in a hurry to get the intake on and running. Fantastic job welding that back up! Have to ask, where are you putting the sensor for the oil sensor gauge now? The "adjustable" FPR didnt come with the T-Ram, I bought that from TPIS back in like 1997, it was a POS and the vacumn port snapped off while UN-packaging. I was in a hurry and JB welded it back on. The billet part that bolts to the intake is SLP, the adjustable cover, was not.
Charlie, looking at my hack job for clearencing the oil pressure sensor is painful. All I had at the time was a drill and and dremel and was in a hurry to get the intake on and running. Fantastic job welding that back up! Have to ask, where are you putting the sensor for the oil sensor gauge now? The "adjustable" FPR didnt come with the T-Ram, I bought that from TPIS back in like 1997, it was a POS and the vacumn port snapped off while UN-packaging. I was in a hurry and JB welded it back on. The billet part that bolts to the intake is SLP, the adjustable cover, was not.
hey dave! Hope all is well! The 92 has the oil pressure sensor down on the bottom by the oil filter, so the top port is just plugged off. The weld repair maybe took me an hour if that including cleaning, welding, machining, and retexturing it. No big deal! I actually changed that fitting when I put the stealth ram on your blue car. I saw it just last week, it’s tucked away for the winter in a heated shop between a pair of chevelle convertibles.
09-01-2018, 03:51 PM
