I've been looking on these boards for a while now and have seen lots of different ways to add ram air to a TBI car. So I will share what I'm going use in case anyone else is interested. This setup is CHEAP and will look stock to the Ford guys. I am using the airbox from a 2.8 v6 Camaro ( Firebirds use a different setup, which can be used for them )which I think is similar to the TPI unit. I went to the junkyard and got the complete airbox from one car, I got a stock single snorkel base from another, and then walked back to the truck section and got the taller truck air cleaner lid ( these vary in height, I saw one in a 70's Blazer that looked like it held a 5" tall element! ). I then put the aircleaner together and stuck the airbox on with the its rubber hose. I took it to parts counter, said it was one unit, and paid $12 for it! I am going to add the 2nd snorkel to my air cleaner ( with the hot air hole blocked but the flapper valve still funtioning ) and hook it up to the airbox ( which will be gutted ), and add the taller lid and K&N filter. It seems like this will all work together well, and all the tricks for TPI ram air now work for your car too. I haven't actually put the parts in yet ( my cars previous owner cleverly hid some front end damage from me ) so I can't say if the their are any snags to work out ( their are probably a few ), but I will send in a complete tech article when I'm finished. Hope this helps someone out there go a little faster!

 

Oops! Posted it twice, my bad.

 

If I had a camaro, I'd get a fiberglass cowl hook and an open elemet air cleaner.

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-Tas
'89 Formula WS-6

305, TBI, auto, 14x3 chrome flat based open element with K&N, Milodon 160* thermo, functional Formula hood, cross-flow Flowmaster, '99z28 rear pipes and tips....

To be installed eventually far far far into the future: Yours if the price is right and I don't have to ship :
Hooker 1-5/8" 50 state legal headers, Dynomax 3" I pipe (PN 44063 and 43248), Catco 3" cat, and injector spacer.

Super GRK_Taz World
F-Body Dual Exaust
EFI & Intake Options
AOL IM: superGRtaz

 

Yeah, I agree, that is the best way, but it isn't cheap and you'll never convince anyone that your car is stock.

 

whats the airbox look like for the 2.8 ??

------------------
1988 Sport Coupe 305 TBI
K&N
Flowmaster exhaust


Daily driver:
1988 K1500 5.7 4x4 shortbed flowmaster cat-back gutted cat.
AOL: RyanNH84

 

It looks alot like the TPI airbox, it draws air from in front of the the radiator. Only Camaros use this part, it just replaces that black plastic piece around the hood latch. If you go to junkyards to find one, look at the base closely because they seem to be cracked alot. Hope this helps.

 

hmmm I've never seen that...time for a trip to the junkyard

 

the airbox for the 2.8 is pretty much the same as the 5.0 and 5.7 TPI airboxes. I've been working on a ram air system for the 4bbl and TBI cars for a while now, seems everytime I get a chance something comes up and it gets put on a back burner. I have no plans for it to look like a stock setup, optimum performance is my goal. Most components will be hand made, I have to use the airbox off a 9C1 Caprice as a mold for the base, but that's about it. When I do get it finished, I'll post. I plan to use either a composite material, or aluminum. Either just plain in design, or w/ a bowtie or the poncho sign and maybe CID. It's all put together in my head, but getting the time to create it has been my problem.

Anthony

------------------
previous ride: 87 Camaro LT
350, A4.Comp Cams 268H, Edelbrock Preformer intake, Hedman Headers and y-pipe, gutted cat, No AIR/smog pump. 14x3" Open element K&N, Q-jet w/ D hanger and DA rods, adjusted AV spring tension and quick can.

Current ride: 1992 Camaro RS, K&N, Flowmaster, 305, T5, Black, T-tops, 76k miles.

 

Post pictures when your done, I'd like to see that. I plan to post a tech article with pics if I ever get mine done.

 

that sounds pretty neat. Please post pics or a diagram when your done.

 

I will post pics/diagrams/instructions when I get one built and tested. I have no plans to "sell" it.. I think it should be a free mod, kinda repayment for all the help I've gotten from fellow 3rdgenners.. when I get it all done, i'll write up detailed instructions, some CAD drawings, and pictures.

Anthony

p.s RSRag, where in TX r u from?

 

Pearland

 

Update: Factory style snorkel from another TBI aircleaner is too long to connect to airbox and allow for engine movement. A shorter one is needed or if you don't mind losing the flapper cut down the stock one.

 

I have already done this same mod

http://zedzone.my100megs.com/Cars/19...0/image12.html

http://zedzone.my100megs.com/Cars/19...00/image6.html

------------------
Mark
1989 Iroc Convertible, T5, Ram Air, 3.42's, 3" exhaust with 24"x3" Boom Tubes, Hypertech Chip and 160 stat
Homepage http://www.zedzome.org

 

Now that I got my Camaro going, I think It's time for modification. I think I'll do this first before the TBI spacer....
thanks for the idea...specialy the picture from 2Repou
thanks...

 

Hey 2REPOU, you thought of my idea before me! I guess great minds think alike! Your 'vert is nice, so does that setup work well, I haven't actually put mine in yet.

 

Someone sent me pics of this last year sometime and I kept meaning to do it. His had one problem though, he hadn't retained the thermac so his engine took forever to warm up. I finally did it and did it using the thermac. I like how mine looks, you can see the pics at photopoint. Here's the address http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...a=12723619&f=0

Excuse the pics, I took them while it was raining. As you can see, I retained the thermac in the second snorkel. The second snorkel is from an 87 monte carlo I found that it was wider and was less restrictive than the ones on the camaros or birds. I just had to trim it down a little bit. The only restriction is the airbox itself, which I gutted, I'm going to try to work a 4th gen one in there though.

If you have any questions, drop me an email since I barely ever get on the boards anymore.

Later,
Mike

------------------
1989 RS.. 355, Hypereutectic pistons, double roller cam, double roller timing chain, accel wires, blue streak cap and rotor, rapidfire plugs, chevy caprice 350 chip, 200* fan switch, 3 angle valve job, 3 inch cat-back exhaust, 3 core radiator, 3.73 gearing with POSI.

 

I recently got another idea about the thermac on the second snorkel. I seems possible to put a fitting in the manifold to allow the second snorkel to only work when needed. Floor it, and it opens, kind of like cowl induction but sneakier.

 

All you have to do is just block off the hole that would normally lead down to the hot air. That way when you close both thermac's the engine is only drawing the warm air from the original thermac. It'll warm up in like 20 minutes. after that everything will work fine...

Later,
Mike

------------------
1989 RS.. 355, Hypereutectic pistons, double roller cam, double roller timing chain, accel wires, blue streak cap and rotor, rapidfire plugs, chevy caprice 350 chip, 200* fan switch, 3 angle valve job, 3 inch cat-back exhaust, 3 core radiator, 3.73 gearing with POSI.

 

why not just have no thermac on the second snorkel ?

------------------
1988 Sport Coupe 305 TBI
K&N
Flowmaster exhaust


Daily driver:
1988 K1500 5.7 4x4 shortbed flowmaster cat-back gutted cat.
AOL: RyanNH84

 

ok so im gonna assume that you can also use a K&N setup for a TPI car and get even more of a gain.looks like a pretty cool setup to me.i posted about doing that a while back but nobody responded to it,but now that i know that it works im definetely gonna do it,but make it more of a ram air pointing at my open element so its not sucking totally hot air.

------------------
-1991 camaro rs,dark red metallic,t-tops,stock 15inch rims
-stock L03 305,TH700R4,2.73's,only mod for now is a Flowmaster 80 series replacement muffler.
-best 1/4 mile times:16.2@84/2.37 60ft

 

The reason that you wouldn't want to run without a thermac on the second snorkel is because your engine warm up time will become really long and the computer will almost never go into closed loop. If you were doing this setup on a carbureted car, I would say to go ahead and do it without the thermac, but since the computer needs to enter closed loop for efficiency and environmental reasons, it is better to have the thermac.


91rscruiser, are you using an open element already? if you are, then I would say to not bother with the setup, instead pull the rubber seal out from the back of the hood, that will let a ton of cool air into the car. then you don't need to bother with the K&N TPI setup. I'm not too familiar with the K&N setup for the TPI's though, so I'll have to check it out

later, Mike

------------------
1989 RS.. 355, Hypereutectic pistons, double roller cam, double roller timing chain, accel wires, blue streak cap and rotor, rapidfire plugs, chevy caprice 350 chip, 200* fan switch, 3 angle valve job, 3 inch cat-back exhaust, 3 core radiator, 3.73 gearing with POSI.

 

Okay, we're all pretty much in agreement that this setup is good. So lets add a new problem to the mix, what STB would work best, one for TBI, or because of the forward snorkel, a TPI unit? None of the cars in the links have braces. If this gets answered we should all be set

 

well i would think that you would still have to use a TBI STB,because if im correct the TPI STB wont clear the air cleaner.it needs to be triangulated in order to go around the air cleaner.and i imagine that for the front tube on the TBI brace you would just have to bend the air intake tube under it to make it clear.what does everyone else think?


------------------
-1991 camaro rs,dark red metallic,t-tops,stock 15inch rims
-stock L03 305,TH700R4,2.73's,only mod for now is a Flowmaster 80 series replacement muffler.
-best 1/4 mile times:16.2@84/2.37 60ft

 

You've stumbled upon my dilemma. I have the 3-point Edelbrock TBI STB (modified to a 4-point). So this design won't work for me. I think a Firebird TPI cold air setup will work. But this requires me to relocate my battery.
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/topdownso...hotos%26.src=p h%26.view=t

[This message has been edited by lonsal (edited August 14, 2001).]

 

If anybody has an STB in their car that appears to have alot of front clearance for a stock aircleaner, please post some close-up pics and tell us who makes it. Thanks.

 

ok, I gotta admit, STB is getting away from me now... whats that stand for again?

damn I feel dumb

Mike

 

Strut Tower Brace.

If you get a flex hose for the TPI inlet, you should see no problem in putting a STB on there.

-ws6formula-

 

I bought the 2.8 box but my hood will not close. I have a fiberglass hood out of a 82ish camaro.

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91 Camaro LO3 RS 5-spd
Open air element, 16in Chrm IROC-Z wheels, dual 30in chrm exhaust tips, Z-28 wing,ACCEL 8mm wires w/cap n rotor, K&N filter, flowmaster, headers in near future. dual fans.

 

Hey guys, why don't you just use the tpi air filters(like a tpi equiped car, two in the front), then you could just make a cover or bonnet (for lack of a better word) like the cold air package for tbi equiped trucks, that would completely do away with the air cleaner asm. Just a thought!

 

Hey, go to my post on STB's on the suspension board. Their are measurements on their that should help all of us.

 

hows it coming?? anymore word?

------------------
1988 Sport Coupe 305 TBI
K&N
Flowmaster exhaust


Daily driver:
1988 K1500 5.7 4x4 shortbed flowmaster cat-back gutted cat.
AOL: RyanNH84

 

Still not sure about a STB, but their are some that look promising. Most 2pt. ones look like they fit, but since my car is a 'vert, a 3pt. stiffening the cowl would be nice . An Edelbrock brace looks like it drops down in front, doesn't look like it would fit. Haven't started adding the stuff. A/C in southern Texas is more important ( fixed and converted it !).

 

you know what else would be neat...make a dual snorkel and put the TBI airbox on too...BTW I'm going to junk yard tomorrow to look for parts to make your idea...great post

------------------
1988 Sport Coupe 305 TBI
K&N
Flowmaster exhaust


Daily driver:
1988 K1500 5.7 4x4 shortbed flowmaster cat-back gutted cat.
AOL: RyanNH84

 

There are so many posiblities for the cold air tbi!!! There are soo many ways to get cold are for the tbi I have yet to be satisfied. I can never be set on one way of getting cold air becuase there are soo many!!

 

Problem solved. Take your hood off and use a open element filter. Problem solved.

 

wow went to the junk yard today saw a ton of airboxes...although I would have thought the airbox was bigger..are the airboxes for the 6's smaller then the 8s ?

------------------
1988 Sport Coupe 305 TBI
K&N
Flowmaster 80


Daily driver:
1988 K1500 5.7 4x4 shortbed flowmaster cat-back gutted cat.
AOL: RyanNH84