My car throwing a code 34 again, gotta stop buying those used MAF sensors. The film inside it is very wrinkled again, the idle is sometimes slightly erratic too. I also noticed the exuast is very white sometimes, you can turn the car off then on again and then the exhuast looks normal. My intermiediate pipe (which the warranty expired last month) has a massive hole in it rigt before the muffler. I plan getting 2 oxy sensors and a knocke sensor as well. this is on an 87 firebird engine in an 85 body.

I built this car from nothing, I had this therory that i f i replaced everthing with new stuff, i would have something comparable to a new car. quite the falacy, everything new is breaking already (e-brake cables, brake shoes, valve springs, hood supports).

Anyhow I'm here to raise a very common discussion about custom air-induction set-ups.

The idea I've been toying with and doing a few searches for is;

Having the MAF directly infront of the TB, a short piece of tube with the MAT sensor installed and a conical k&n in front.

There is ~12-13" of space between the TB and the fan. The setup has to be sloped down or else it'll be crushed by the hood.

I measured the MAF to be ~5" note i took these measurements after i put the maf back in so it's not completly accurate.

I am trying to avoid >30* bends, as to not restrict air-flow

I have no idea on the measuremnts of the K/N filter.

I have seen a pic of this on here before that i can't find but i believe it was in a camaro.

On a recent post about pouring water into the intake someone mentioned an import, a puddle, an air dam directing air/water into an open element causing bent rods. I wonder if i need to worry.

I have no air-dam but plan to fix that too in this round of repairs/mods. I can get one out-of-province for $125, but I'm thinkingabout fabricating something myself.

It seems to be popular opinion that the air box between the TB and the maf is 100% usless. I would think that if it wasn't nessesary it wouldn't be there. I am tempted to just but the conical air filter in place of the air can and keeping that stuff. But I am a minimalist (I have a hudge pile of perfect left over parts from parts-cars I want to throw out) so freeing up some room sounds great to me.

I know i'm not the first to bring this up and know i won't be the first to do it.

I would like to hear about how to get the oval shaped tb to the cricular MAF, If it maters if the MAT is before or after the MAF.

I can see maybe using the exisiting oval rubber piece, cutting it down enough to have room for MAT and to br clamped arounf the circular MAF.

But this setup would be mashed down by the hood.

It just occured to me the filter would be directly behind the rad fan, which is pulling hot air through the rad into directly into the filter. cold air is better.

BUT having the engine breath through several bends and and 5 feet of tubing can't be good either.

imagine drinking a milkshake through a 5 foot loop-de-loop straw.

Hey maybe thats the purpose of the air-box. If there was resevior of milkshake halfway up the 5 foot straw it would be easier for me to drink. But then the idea of sensors at the bottom of the straw telling me the temp and volume of milksake wouldn't be very accurate.


Comments, ideas?

 

as long as the surface of the tubing/exhaust pipe/pvc pipe is smooth, there really wont be that much a difference between 3' of it & 10' of it. (you're making me have flashbacks to my fluid dynamics course 9yrs ago) it's the coefficient of frictio of the material against the air that you need to worry about. The legnth of the airway will affect the force of the air when a) it hits the MAF & b) when it actually gets passed the throttle body. Having a ram air type intake will help keep up the air flow and register cooler at the MAF. Yes the longer the pipe will effect it, however, even a 90* turn, if kept to a min of 1 shouldn't have that great a restriction.

 

After driving through several puddles today (SPRING IS HERE!!!!!!!) and thinking about this, I would feel better if the open element filter was in the present location of the air box.
I don't want to need to be cleaning it every day it rains also.

That flexy induction hose isn't very smooth inside.

I realized another problem with the CAI tube that goes to the valve cover.

I wonder (all other things being equal) how much of a diff i'd see between running pvc to the air can area or just dropping the filter in with the existing plumbing.

I'm now thinking of just going with the later. Anyone have a p/n for k&n that will work like that?. The K&N website is no help here.

I need a new airfilter, so i should make my mind up soon. I suppose either way I'll need the K&N cone anyhow.

I think it's best i go that way, and possibly relocate the mat, get a new one too it's only $14 at the dealership.

that way i can get my car running normaly again, then make that k&n modification.

But lets keep this thread going anyhow, I bet with spring here and all the tax returns coming to people this topic is going to be poping up more.

 

LOL, I had the same theory, except in my case the theory is working for me. My car just keeps getting faster and better and I keep getting more milage out of my engine. I also have far fewer repair bills and I have only had to take my car to the shop once this year, as oppossed to 18 times the first 2 years I had my car.



The length of the CAI should not have much to do with the amount of air flow going through assuming that the diameter of the intakes are equall. Look at it this way:


You have a 72 oz. slurrpy (My favorite) and you have 2 straws to drink it from.

One straw is 5mm in diameter straight and the other straw is a 5mm diameter crazy straw with lots of curves.


You get the same amount of Slurrpy coming from the cup to your mouth at the same speed, but with the crazy straw, it just takes longer for the slurrpy to reach you.

 

The white smoke has me asking one thing -

Have you done a compression check, and thought of perhaps a BHG (blown head gasket)?

 

I have your ride.
Here's what I did & it is very effective.
Check out pic of the hokey air inlet set up.
I use several items to get desired effect of better air entry & boy does it work very well.

BECAUSE I BOUGHT A CAMARO CAI SET UP COMPLETE THAT IS RESTORED AND AVAILABLE INCLUDING AIR FILTERS & THE BOTTOM PIECE THAT HAS AIR FILTERS AND HOSE TO THROTTLE BODY. IN MINT CONDITION
That item is restored and it looks brand new & shiny correct as if from dealer. It goes up on ebay later on after I finish restoring this house I bought & the next one I buy (then back to retirement!). I'll send ya a pic of Camaro version CAI if anyone like to purchase. Top & Bottom piece, air TB hose, air filters, not cut up, restored.

I'll have to include other pics of other items I used for my Firebird air entry set up.
I found the 90* bend from throttle body at a swap meet & paid one dollar for it.
I used 3" flex dryer hose to mate the MAS to 90* bend.
BOY DOES IT LOOK HOEKY!
YET IT WORKS SUPERB.
How I know?
I was made to change back to the plastic box from MAS to the factory flex hose to TB. I can feel lack of power from air blockage.
What else I did....
I have the MAS in factory location using the factory bend from air box.
My airbox lid I took a heat gun to it & made it flat. I have a spare original lid to be used for CA smog testing, too.
I also lowered my passenger side headlight cover to gain more air flow to the air box lid.
I also cut into the underside of hood to make into a air scoop. This is quite effective.
I ain't done yet.
I found again at wrecking yard or swap meet (not sure) a 90* bend in hard plastic and I have that under front fender. Thru the fender I used my old 1975 Opel Fuel Injector Sport Wagon Flex Air Hose, to bring the air from under bumper to the FRONT of the air box (behind the radiator support).
Meaning, I am feeding fresh air from under bumper to infront of the air box, in that empty cavitiy area. I have the top lid, acting as a scoop to be fed fresh air from behind the headlight door.
How I know this works?
My K & N filter for FIRST TIME IS DIRTY!
By going back to the air silencer box (factory) I am ramming so much air into the narrow transistion air box, it gets backed up by that narrow passage & creates an air dam, thus I can feel lose of full on power.
This is how I solved my lack of air to engine. Having a 3.4 I need to push more air thru the air entry for better top end high speed power.
Rain problems & puddles? NONE
NONE of the water gets into the filter as none of the air is injected directly into the air box.
I plan on cutting top of my headlight door to see if that helps out better, yet the underside of my hood insulation is quite "changed" since I allowed more air entry under the hood in that area.
I'll show ya more butchered pics if ya like of how I did the hood cutting & my lower air scoop idea.
This really worked for me.
Suck in hot engine compartment air
GOT TO BE KIDDING WRONG! YA LOOSE HP THAT WAY!!!!
ALWAYS FEED OUTSIDE AIR TO ENGINE
NEVER HOT ENGINE COMPARTMENT AIR
PS Have ya cleared the ECM of codes cause ya changed the MAS?
How I know ya need to?
CAUSE I DIDN'T AND THAT CAUSED ME LOTS OF PROBLEMS, TOO!
See my "BUCK THIS THREAD!"