I was wondering how come there are tons of air intake setups available for Firebirds after '92. I have a '92 Firebird V-6 3.1L and can't seem to find an affordable aftermarket cold air intake. I've heard of some people modifying the stock intakes with hole drilling and performance air filters. Has anyone tried this? How was it done specifically? Any leads on an affordable aftermarket replacement?

 

you can make one for like 45 dollars. there are a few tech articles, or you can
make one that looks like mine. just use a bigger filter. i have been told by
several knowledgable people that mine is too small. to make it i followed one
of the tech articles on the main page. i retained the stock "acordian" hose and
clamp, bought a 90* 3" PVC elbow from ho0me depot, without a knuckle on one
side (or cut it off) and then a 9"X3" pice of PVC pipe and a 3" rubber joint piece
to connect the pvc to the stock MAF. then of course clamps to fit it all. then i
got a 3.25 inch wide K&N filter (go with a 9" cone) from vatozone and clamped
it down. it all works realy well.

 

Thanks Xophertony for the great pic of your intake! I read the article you refered to and was wondering if I should go the extra step and get the tube fabricated at the exahust shop as the article recommends. Are you having any issues with melting or odor with the pvc? I hate to make one in pvc just for a trial fit or have stabillity issues just to end up making the steel pipe. By the way yours turned out nicely! What else do you have going on in that V6 motor set-up? It looks sweet!!
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Thanks Xophertony for the great pic of your intake! I read the article you refered to and was wondering if I should go the extra step and get the tube fabricated at the exahust shop as the article recommends. Are you having any issues with melting or odor with the pvc? I hate to make one in pvc just for a trial fit or have stabillity issues just to end up making the steel pipe. By the way yours turned out nicely! What else do you have going on in that V6 motor set-up? It looks sweet!!

 

Now that I've actually looked at the existing intake, it looks like it can simply be fitted with a K&N instead of the stock air can. However the MAT (manifold air temp.) is installed / part of the air canister that needs removed. I recently got the car and it looks to have had many emissions sealed off. I'm not sure how it would really affect anything if it were removed all together with the air can. Obviously I would want to run as big a K&N as would fit in the newly created space right?

 

is that what your stock intake looks like? yeah, just shove a K&N on there. mine was insanely crazy. i have a small pic of the stock setup. it goes to that flat bit and then under the coolant hose and gets restrictive then into the can. you have no MAF. your car is MAP. so my instructions would be wrong anyway. i would retain the stock piece except with a cone. a 9" cone would be fine, but bigger is better. plus it looks cool.

as for what else i have done... not much. i purchased the car with a 10K mile old rebuilt motor. 50K on rebuild now. prior owner told me it had an "aggressive Cam" but i think he lied. i have deleted all emmissions except EGR (i just did the smog pump today). i have done the intake of course. hypertech 53K Volt coil, mostly just tuneup stuff. alot of engine bay clearing. i like an empty bay. i have a 4th gen coolant reservoir i want to put in as well. (hides it under the battery). most of my $$$ are in suspension and steering. which has been almost completly rebuilt to "better then stock". it just looks "intense" becasue of the huge coil wires.. it's mostly stock though. there is a complete list in my signature, which i will attach to this post.

right now this car is more fun to drive then my GTA. becasue of the handling. this thing handles like a slot car. my GTA does not.... but in a few months that will change the GTA gets all the engine mods. i have had it about 7 months and it's got headers allready. SFCs are coming soon, PBR rear brakes, i've got a set of "LS1" brakes about a foot from me for the fronts (well, half a set), etc... anyway. it is going to be a fun summer of spending way too much money on my babbies....

EDIT* this attached image of the BONE STOCK 2.8 engine bay was what it looked like when i got her home.

 

Cool, that's how my plug wires look too! I've actually got a few tie wraps (one off the back of the alternator bracket, one off the engine hoist on the drivers side) that pulls those front plug wires closer to the motor...

So you picked up another V6? Still got the T/a?

 

no no. same 2.8.... the picture of the stock 2.8 is the one i have always had, just an OOOLLLLDDD picture i dug up. i still have my GTA, and i recently re-aquired my 2.8 bird, from a friend who was suposed to buy it and then lost his job. he had the car (parked with no tags) for around 3 months, then i came by with my dads car trailer and hauled it home (no plates, not risking a ticket+tow) and got it DEQed (smog checked) and licensed yesterday. my friend only put 10 miles on it before the tags expired and he parked it... it just sat...

sitting has further worsened the failing IAC, but once i fix that and put a new clutch in it (this one is going downhill... i can sense it ) it will be good as new.

what about you tom? find your roller yet?

 

I do believe there is indeed a MAT sensor installed in the factory air can. It appears that it can be removed from the can and re-installed somewhere in the stock intake tube near the new filter I plan to install.

 

Mass Airflow Sensor MAF. not MAT. all thirdgen MPFI v6s have a MAT so far as i know.

 

The MAP is usually mounted to the firewall or cowl. The MAF is used on '89 and earlier models - so this wouldn't apply to my '92. This leaves the MAT sensor which is what should be installed in my air intake filter can. Right?

 

correct. As long as it is somewhere along the intake path you should be all set.

 

THANKS guys for all your help!!!