I know this has been covered before. But please bare with me.

This is a cold air intake a friend of mine and I are looking at making. the stock air box will be removed. The PVC pipe will go between the rad and the front of the car. The rad will be moved back a little to alow for room.

Its just in theory right now.

My concern is too many bends.

Thoughts?

 

Ok, I guess it passes with all y'all.

The plan shal be set in motion.

 

I wouldnt use pvc pipe at all. It tends to melt under high heat. I used exhaust pipe for mine and had it custom made. As far as the design goes...I'm not sure about how it would look or fit in a firebird. Not familiar with birds. I used an LT1 elbow and routed it down inside the fender well. I had tocut out the spare battery tray.

 

Thanks for the info. BTW very tidy job with your intake.

However, I am not too sure if the PVC would melt as there are plastic and rubber components in the same location as the PVC pipe would go.

Even the MAF sensor itself is in a plastic assembly, right beside the rad.

I appreciate the warnings and will keep them in mind.

 

Thats fine...I've tried the pvc route thats why I mentioned it. After a while mine would lose its shape because of the heat. Maybe my pvc wasnt thick enough, I dont know.

 

Ah, thanks. Warping is something I had not thought of.

Where did you get the parts to make your intake?

 

I went to a local exhaust shop and had my friend build the piping. It's 3 1/2". The elbow is an LT1 elbow from summit racing. I paid 80 dollars for it. Cost me 125 total.

 

why do u have 2 batts

 

A 4" pipe ...

( Click to enlarge )

 

I assume you are talking to me? I never said I had two batterys...

 

And if youre talking to me, the two red rectangles are ment to be the front of the car on either side of the rad.

 

spare battery tray. doesnt this mean 2

 

Nope...my 85Z28 has a battery tray on each side of the car. Now it only has one cuz my cold air intake filter goes thru the hole and down by the fender well.

 

all 3rdgens have two.

on camaros, the battery is on the passenger side infront of the wheel well.. the emmissions equipment is on the drivers side infront of the wheel well.

on firebirds, the battery is on the drivers side side infront of the wheel well.. the emmissions equipment is on the passenger side infront of the wheel well.

 

except on 91 and 92s that i have seen i own a 91 camaro rs with the battery on the drivers side and my brother has a 87 with it on the passenger side guess it depends on the year and engine options ...

 

So has anyone else tried using PVC piping for an air untake like mine and experienced issues like warping, melting, cracking etc?

The exhaust piping is a good idea.

 

Ditto on the PVC warping for me... I even lost a $40 filter because of it! PVC warped, which lossened the hose clamps from the MAF, off goes PVC and filter. I've used mandrel bent metal tubing ever since on all of my cars' CAIs. Here's the one on my '86 T.A.

 

I note that those with warping PVC pipes so far are all TPI V8's, I am pretty sure I remember these guys have a tendancy to get pretty warm, hence people's desire to look for a dual fan system to cool it.

Not to mention.. bigger engine, more heat.

Anyone with a little 2.8er hiding in the corner of the engine compartment with a custom intake made of PVC?

Reason I am askin is because PVC is a cheaper option so far and I am a little tight on money.

Mind you if it happens that PVC simply warps then I will wait til money arrives in the future.

Thanks for all the information btw. :}

 

Another question is how thick were the walls of the PVC you guys with the warping issues using?

Was it pretty thin, or more hefty stuff?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bnoon
[B]Ditto on the PVC warping for me... I even lost a $40 filter because of it! PVC warped, which lossened the hose clamps from the MAF, off goes PVC and filter. I've used mandrel bent metal tubing ever since on all of my cars' CAIs.

Oh yeah...I forgot about that. If I wasnt opening my hood almost everyday when I tried the pvc idea, I woulda lost stuff too. You may try a thick walled pvc pipe and keep an eye on it. Not too many thicker walled ones look good in my opinion tho. Some of them are even fiberglass. However, when I did the pvc thing I was checking it after every time I parked the car after a ride out. Any car gets pretty hot under the hood. Also, I have the stock electric single fan for my engine. Its a 406. Throws a lot of heat. Fan keeps it plenty cool. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

 

FYI thick wall PVC is called Schedule 80 or just sch 80. Has anybody tired abs pipe, like the stuff used for household sewer pipe. It should be a little better.

But i think the best stuff and cheapest to use would be schedule 80 or sch 80 cpvc. Which is thick-walled conduit. Its made to be stronger, last longer and take higher temps.

 

Thanks what I was thinking of. I found some black thick PVC pipe in RONA.

Looks like it will be about 20$ for the piping I need.

 

I have never seen the battery on the drivers side of any 3rdgen. Assembly robot must have been drunk.

 

Actually, Camaros have the battery located on the passenger side, while Firebirds have the battery on the driver's side.

Lucky the little robber **** plugging the hole most use for running amp power wire is on the same side as the battery in each case.

My battery in my firebird is on the driver side, while my friend Mike's battery in his 91 Camaro RS is on the passenger side.

I know as I installed a stereo in both.

 

Actually early 'birds have them on the passenger's side, hence the confusion many people have about battery trays.

 

20.00 for pvc hmm i had mine made out of stainles for a cup of cofee

 

bought my '88 bird with the battery on the passenger side, black cylinder on the drivers. Still sittin there

 

Thats a pretty good price.

How did you manage that?