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I think I'm going to attempt to fabricate some aluminum venting tube into some form of cold air induction, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to where the best place to run the tubes to draw fresh(er) air would be.
I'd love to make use of the vents in the front of the hood, although as I understand it they're more for show instead of function, and I'm loathe to cut into the underside of my hood without knowing if I'm actually doing something that will actually work.
Years ago I had a Civic that I installed a good cold air intake on which curved down and pulled cooler air from below the engine. I was contemplating something similar, but I wasn't sure how the air dam would affect air flow, or if having an open tube that could suck in bugs/sand, etc would be a good idea. The filter element on my Civic's intake was mounted on the end of the intake, so air was already filtered as it entered the intake tube. Granted I do have a filter at the far end, but I don't want to wind up with a bunch of dead bugs and grit filling up the housing and choking the air flow.
The only other option I came up with was like what my F150 has. There's a factory cut hole into the driver's side wheel well and the intake fits directly into that hole and draws from the cooler air. However I'm even less inclined to cut into my wheel wells than I am to cut into my hood.
Has anyone here done anything like I described above on their car, or some other method I haven't thought of yet? If I'm going to deviate from stock, I want to make sure I do it properly.
Awesome, just what I needed to know, thanks! That's a really nice looking engine bay you've got going on there. Hopefully someday my 85's engine will look that gorgeous.
I just collected my GTA at the weekend and the previous owner has fitted air pipes at the front on the left (as you see it from the front like the picture above) that run from the splitter to under the air intake.
Apologies if this is a standard thing as I'm a complete newby to Firebirds/Trans am.
Don't know whether you have TBI or TPI engine, but I fabricated a dual snorkel air cleaner for my TBI engine from two standard TBI air cleaner assemblies. Had to relocate the coolant recovery tank as well.
Scottydawg, any chance you can post some additional photos from below? I really like that concept, I'm curious how it's set up with the air dam and whether there's anything to keep it from sucking in bugs. I've found quite a few 6-legged casualties even on my air dam, I'm just curious if there's anything designed to keep them from collecting on my air filter since there obviously is no such thing as a bug-free zone on any part of the front end.
Originally Posted by rt66er
Don't know whether you have TBI or TPI engine, but I fabricated a dual snorkel air cleaner for my TBI engine from two standard TBI air cleaner assemblies. Had to relocate the coolant recovery tank as well.
Did you just cut the snorkels off the assemblies and bolt them into place? That's a nice-looking setup, how do they draw air from the outside once your hood is down? I was considering something like that initially, but I don't have much of an air gap anywhere between my hood and bumper except for right around the hood release, but that's still maybe 1/2 inch wide at best.
Scottydawg, any chance you can post some additional photos from below? I really like that concept, I'm curious how it's set up with the air dam and whether there's anything to keep it from sucking in bugs. I've found quite a few 6-legged casualties even on my air dam, I'm just curious if there's anything designed to keep them from collecting on my air filter since there obviously is no such thing as a bug-free zone on any part of the front end.
Did you just cut the snorkels off the assemblies and bolt them into place? That's a nice-looking setup, how do they draw air from the outside once your hood is down? I was considering something like that initially, but I don't have much of an air gap anywhere between my hood and bumper except for right around the hood release, but that's still maybe 1/2 inch wide at best.
Yes, I "combined" two air cleaner assemblies into one. Cut the snorkel off one and, after cutting a hole in the proper place, riveted the snorkel on there. The air intake tube is just a drivers' side tube turned over, cut and riveted together. It draws air from outside the engine compartment, between the hood and radiator support. Compared to the single snorkel stock setup, it doubles the volume of air available without just sucking in hot, under hood air.
The only bad part of using the single snorkel to build a dual, is the size of the snorkels. The HO cars used a stamped snorkel about twice the size. Some other GM applications used the larger snorkels into the 80's. Trouble of course is adapting the larger snorkels to a duct, since the standard round ducts won't fit the oval snorkels. A person could cut back the single snorkels closer to the aircleaner to increase the capacity... Sorry, just babbling.
The only bad part of using the single snorkel to build a dual, is the size of the snorkels. The HO cars used a stamped snorkel about twice the size. Some other GM applications used the larger snorkels into the 80's. Trouble of course is adapting the larger snorkels to a duct, since the standard round ducts won't fit the oval snorkels. A person could cut back the single snorkels closer to the aircleaner to increase the capacity... Sorry, just babbling.
Snorkel. Snorkel snorkel snorkel snorkel snorkel.
I agree. If it were anything more than headers/exhaust on an otherwise stock LO3, I wouldn't have bothered. I looked at trying to do just what you suggested and may still try someday.
Keep in mind that air flow through 1 larger diameter tube will flow better than through 2 smaller diameter tubes (depending on the size of the large and the size of the smaller of course). In simplified terms, the friction along the walls is what causes the restriction, and the area inside a circle increases exponentially (Pi R squared and all) as the diameter gets bigger, while the walls only increase by a power of one (circumference is 2 Pi R). Like I said, it all depends on how big you go with the duals versus one big one. Duals will help you if you need a smaller diameter for ground clearance like above, though.
Hi, I did the same thing as RT66. Went th the bone yard and got another air cleaner, took off one snorkel, cut a hole and riveted the second snorkel on the base. I did see a difference with the two snorkels as opposed to
the single one. There is a different engine tone also.
You still can find this type of air cleaner in the bone yard, it was popular on many of the 80's GM cars.
Hi, I did the same thing as RT66. Went th the bone yard and got another air cleaner, took off one snorkel, cut a hole and riveted the second snorkel on the base. I did see a difference with the two snorkels as opposed to
the single one. There is a different engine tone also.
You still can find this type of air cleaner in the bone yard, it was popular on many of the 80's GM cars.
Louis
Yeah, yours is the one I copied... I went one step further and gutted the snorkels (with the headers, the thermac valves weren't connected to anything anyway) to help a little more.
Hi, I did the same thing as RT66. Went th the bone yard and got another air cleaner, took off one snorkel, cut a hole and riveted the second snorkel on the base. I did see a difference with the two snorkels as opposed to
the single one. There is a different engine tone also.
You still can find this type of air cleaner in the bone yard, it was popular on many of the 80's GM cars.
Louis
And those plastic connecting hoses will hold up much better than the ones that came with the factory HO setup. Nice work.
I went one step further and gutted the snorkels (with the headers, the thermac valves weren't connected to anything anyway) to help a little more. 
