HOW TO: INSTALLING A FREE FLOWING INTAKE ON YOUR MPFI V6 FIREBIRD

this article is for firebirds. camaro guys have a way better option. see DALE's article HERE

well, another request. I received a PM today from a member asking me a few basic questions about how to build the simple PVC/ABS intakes allot of us have done. A quick search found a few "look at me" posts, including mine from a while back, but no in depth guide. So I am going to make one. Not so much to help anyone, but just because I like to hear my fingers hit the keys.

PARTS LIST you will need the following
1X piece of 3” diameter plumbing pipe. Usually made of ABS plastic approximately 9”-15" in length. I would get 18” worth and cut to length later.
1X 3” 90* bend. One side with a flange, one side without.
1X 3” rubber hose coupler. Approximately 4” in length. MAF CARS ONLY
1X cone air filter. The opening must be 3” on the inside diameter, or you will have to stretch it like I did. Bad idea. I would get a 6”-9” cone length not the 4” one i got. Everyone says mine is too small. I may replace it one of these days.
4X hose clamps big enough to go around your rubber hose coupler.
1X 3” 45* bend, again with no flange on one side. MAP CARS ONLY

First things first. Your current intake on your MPFI V6 should look like THIS:

If it looks like this you are done


PART ONE - remove the factory intake.
1. pop the little dust cover off of the top of the air filter canister. There should be a nut in there. Loosen it and remove.

2. On the back side, facing the passenger cabin should be a two wire plug, this is your Intake Air Temperature sensor, MAP cars may not have this in this location (someone correct me if i am wrong). Remove the plug from the sensor.

3. The Mass Air Flow sensor is in line between the Air canister and the funny box thing. Loosen the hose clamps holding the MAF to it's neighbors. There should be a three wire plug, unplug it.

4. Using caution not to drop the MAF on the ground remove the air can by lifting up and to the passenger side.

5. Remove the MAF and set aside.

6. Using the appropriate size wrench; remove the Air Temperature Sensor from the air canister. Set aside.

7. Remove the two bolts that hold the radiator top piece down, they also hold the bracket for the funny box thing. Remove the hose clamp holding the funny box thing to the flex hose that connects to the TB. Remove funny box thing. Kick it down your driveway, you can run over it when we are done.

8. OPTIONAL, but recommended. Remove the bolts holding down your charcoal canister, remove from here and re-locate to somewhere else. I had mine hanging inside the fender well for a while. Or at least move it over further. To aid in this you may remove the bolts holding it's mounting plate down and remove the mounting plate as well.

PART TWO – installation of new less restrictive intake.

1a. MAF CARS: take your air filter and clamp it to your MAF with one of the hose clamps.

1b. MAP CARS: take your air filter and clamp it to your 45* elbow with one of the hose clamps. Clamp it to the flange less side

2. Take the 90* elbow and stick it into the rubber flex hose sticking off the front of your TB. Stick the non flanged end in. tighten it down with a hose clamp.

3. Place the air filter where you would like it to sit. Measure with a tape measure the distance between the end of the air filter assembly and the end of the flange on the 90* elbow. Add 4” and cut the ABS pipe to that length.

4. Insert the ABS pipe in the flange on the end of the 90* elbow. Insert the other end in the rubber hose joint or 45* elbow. Is it to long? Cut more off until it fits.

5. Once it is all fit together take it back apart. Measure the width of the Air intake temperature sensor, and drill a hole anywhere in your intake after the filter and install the sensor. Seal with RTV. This sensor really can go anywhere. I put mine in the middle of the ABS pipe. You could also place it in the end of the air filter if you really want too.

6. You will want to use a file or sandpaper to remove any rough edges on the plastic pipes, may even want to go as far as angling all the edges to remove any hard walls (think "porting" but for the pipe edges). I recommend sealing the ABS pieces together with ABS pipe glue or RTV or something. I used black RTV.

7. You don't want this thing flopping everywhere, use a zip tie or two to hold it to one of the holes on your fan shroud. Or you can re-bend that bracket that held your funny-box thing to hold the pipe. Whatever. I used the bracket for a while and eventually decided to remove it.

this concludes your baisic "stage one" intake. despite what some may say this WILL allow a greater flow capacity. weather or not your engine will utilize the increased flow is not for me to say. this intake is meant for a daily driver. it is not prety.

"stage two". if you want to go the extra mile and make it look good (and spend more $$$) you can take the ABS pieces to an exhaust shop and have them weld together a metal version out of exhaust tubing and mandrel bends. this will cost some dough, but will look WAY better once it is painted or powdercoated. you may even get them to match an o2 bung to the air temp sensor. that would be kind of cool.




this is what the Air Tempature sensor looks like.



here is a shot of the mounting plate for the airbox and charcol canister. i recomend removing this.

 

some more photos of the stock intake setup.

 

i think u should add in that if the person has a camaro with the dual snorkle airbox that they should not to this mod,considering that airbox is a real cold air type airbox and flows tons more air then the v6 can use naturally aspirated.

 

your right, it should be added. i'll dig up a picture.

thanks

 

Stock air box on a V6 out flows the engines need anyways... so basically bro I ask... what is the point? It is not for performance and no offense it looks rather home depot. I am not hating I am asking for real.


I hope the Ziptie is a temporary fix for the intake too....

 

I can not imagine the stock intake, with all it's bends and changes of airspace size is as little of a restriction as the one I built.

but if you are convinced of that (i certainly have no dyno evidence that mine is better) I will give you another reason. it looks better, it sounds better, it is easier to take apart to perform maintinace on other parts of the car (one hose clamp and a zip tie as oposed to 6 bolts).

I also think it keeps the air cooler. here is my (limited and curcumstantial) evidence. before I put this intake on my engine ran at 220* when warm in the summer (stock fan turn on temp). after this intake and NO OTHER MODS it dropped to 180-200*, only hitting 220 after sitting in traffic for a while.

i assume this is due to the air getting from the filter to the plenum quicker, thus reducing the time in the engine bay for the air to warm. Also, the Home Depot plumbing pipe is thicker then the stock plastic, making it better at insulating the airt from hot engine bay tempatures.

Keep in mind all of this is my Opinion. I am not a scientist, I am not a mechanic. i don't have a 3.4 under 14LBs of boost, I am just a guy with a 2.8L that dynoed 120HP-152TQ at the wheels, and is capable of getting some prety decent mialage. be that becasue of my mods or in spite of them is not for me to say.

EDIT*
zip-tie is permanent. with how often i have it off working on somthing i found it was the best way. i encourage others to find somthing better, then post up so i can rip it off.

EDIT**
you know the intakes on the 2.8s are completly different from the one on your formula right? the one on my GTA kicks *** in stock form.

 

Okay.
Well first off, the stock 2.8 liter air box assembly, as restrictive as it sounds is actually more than enough for that engine.

Second, The concept of cold air is a great idea but you need two things.... cold air and velocity, neither which you really gained.

For cold air you have the filter sitting in the corner where it is still hot. A true cold air, the filter is outside the engine bay either via fender or under and inside the front facia.

As for velocity, you have alot of turbulance in your set up. You have too many couplers and ridges so the flow of velocity is not straight. So the air is basically hitting 5 differents walls in return is slowing it down you know?

As for the Zip tie... that is straight up jerry rigged. Try and make some sort of bracket. Take pride in your engine bay bro, it shows what kind of mechanic you are.

I am not trying to bust your *****, I know it seems as if I am, but the reality is, is that I will be impressed if you saw 1hp to the wheels. It looks like a hack job. The reason I am being so bold about this is, people who have V6's will do anything to get some performance and they should not try this at home.

I am honestly not trying to hate on you, I have nothing against you so do NOT take all this personally.

As for the formula ducting... it is okay but I have a carb with a 360* filter.

 

this is not a cold air intake. no where have i said that. also, my 350's stock manifold were plenty enough for it's exhaust flow, but low and behold i felt quite a differenc ewith them installed.

as oposed to the stock setup with it's gentle changes in direction. i agree there are a few lips in my setup, i actulay went the extra mile and hit them with a file to smooth them out a bit... should probably include that in the write-up

meh... it suits my needs. but like i said before i encourage others to do somthing different.

 

i guess it matter what air intake system u have the earlier ones only had one snorkeler and one air damn in the grill. What i have in my 88 is a double front air damn and snorkeler which does do the job on it's own but i haven't seen how a single one differs i would think it does.

So for the single ones this could be somewhat of a upgrade unless u grab the later intake.

Also if your looking for better cold air induction a throttle body bypass works better for cooling sown air since it isn't heating up your throttle body.

But u guys probably already know all of this.

 

Thanks a lot Xophertony, I think I know what I have to do now. Your explanations really were a lot of help.Hey what do you think about these intakes, they are for 91-92 Birds, I'm thinking about buying one well I was before I read this thread but I'm still curious to see what you guys think, are they any good? I was reading the comment feedback and they are really good except for a few bad ones of course, it looks like a good intake, tell me what you think.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PONTI...QQcmdZViewItem

 

i don't know if youre v6 is the same as mine, but on my 2.8 that would directly interfear with my upper radiator hose. it is also designed to work on the speed density TPI cars so there is no place for a MAF (not an issue for you, you are SD right?) and the intake will be too short, it will not reach all the way back to the plenum.

EDIT* it is also $50+ !!!!
does it come with the filter? if so is it a K&N or some cheapo paper filter? unless it's a big K&N you can make one cheaper.