I have a question regarding the older style air intake (the ones on the tpi and older 2.8 v6). I recently purchased a used one to put on my 1992 rs, 3.1 v6 to do away with the single snorkel intake. The one I purchased is off of a 1986 tpi. My question is: are the air cleaner temp sensors the same/interchangeable? I think this is called an iat sensor on mine. The one that screws into the air cleaner housing. The problem is that I can't seem to get the one out of the tpi intake I purchased. I am wondering if they are the same kind/part#, etc. and that I can just use the one in the tpi intake, or do I need to figure out a way to remove it and use my existing 3.1 v6 sensor.
Thanks for your help.........I've posted a long time ago and was very pleased.

 

This is the 'dual snorkel intake'...............

 

They should be the same, or at least function the same. Check with your dealer if nothing else, they can pull it up in the computer and compare part numbers for you.

 

http://www.expressautoparts.com shows the '86 V8 TPI as having a MAT (manifold air temp) sensor part number of WT3000 (borg-warner). For a '92 3.1, the MAT sensor has part #WT382 (also Borg-Warner). So, I guess not- although my first intuition was to say "yes, they're the same". Tonight, I'll see if my '86 GM book talks of any differences. Luckily, in '86, the 2.8 also used the WT382 MAT sensor.

IAT (intake air temp) and MAT sensors do the same thing, except the sensor was called "IAT" starting in '93... that's all.

Oh- hey, you don't "have to" have that sensor in the air box, by the way! As long as the sensor's near the incoming air, it'll work correctly. You could hang your original sensor in front of your radiator so it dangles by the air filters, and your car would be fine. You just don't want the sensor to pick up the heat of the engine. So technically, you could leave the TPI's sensor "stuck" in the dual-snorkel, and have your MPFI sensor hooked up and wire-tied to the air filter area. Later, you could try to remove the TPI sensor. I'll see what my book says tonight.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

i did some research thru the link tomp had for the express parts place. this is what i found: 1992 3.1 v6-air cleaner temp sensor (part #ec431, ec433-borg warner); mat sensor (part #wt382-borg warner).
1986 z28: air charge temp sensor (part #wt382-borg warner); air cleaner temp sensor (part #ec420-borg warner)
1986 2.8 v6: air charge temp sensor (part #wt382-borg warner); air cleaner temp sensor (part #ec420-borg warner); mat sensor (part #wt382).
looks like the three share the same mat sensor, and the 1986 z28 and 2.8 v6 have the same air cleaner sensor.
I would like to know though...........are the mat, air intake charge temp, and air temp sensors the same thing, just known by different names; or all they all really a different type of sensor. i am assuming this, but they all seem to do the same thing. maybe the resistance is different?

 

Air charge temp and air cleaner temp and MAT should all be the same sensor... I don't know of any other sensor on the f-body that measures the temperature of air. In fact, I can only think of three other temp sensors, and they all have to do with coolant (computer's CoolantTempSensor, fan switch, and dashboard gauge/light). I have to run home during lunch, I'll scribble down the resistance table of the V8 TPI's MAT sensor, and see if it compares exactly to the V6's. My intuition says its the same, and your last search seems to say it's the same (air charge temp sensor).

Yay! My right ear just opened up... damn cold; I blew my nose too hard and plugged my ears up.

Hehe, anyway, here's my chart for the V6 MAT temperature/resistance data.. I'll see if the V8 MAT uses the same: (Scroll down to see table)

<table BORDER=3 CELLSPACING=3 CELLPADDING=3 >
<tr><td>Temp F</td><td>Temp C</td><td>Ohms</td></tr>
<tr><td>210</td><td>100</td><td>185</td></tr>
<tr><td>160</td><td>70</td><td>450</td></tr>
<tr><td>100</td><td>38</td><td>1,600</td></tr>
<tr><td>70</td><td>20</td><td>3,400</td></tr>
<tr><td>40</td><td>4</td><td>7,500</td></tr>
<tr><td>20</td><td>-7</td><td>13,500</td></tr>
<tr><td>0</td><td>-18</td><td>25,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>-40</td><td>-40</td><td>100,700</td></tr>
</table>


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

I've got the info... yes, the sensor's resistances are the same. My GM service manual had MAT tables for the 2.8 MPFI, and the 5.0/5.7 MPFI engines (different sections of the book). Both had the same chart, the one I just posted, for the MAT resistances.

I also scanned thru the chapter on "port injection operation" in the V8 section... the only temperature sensors mentioned were the MAT and CTS. Nothing about an air charge sensor, or an air filter box sensor. Looks like the MAT is the only one! I don't know where express auto got those other names from... maybe they're "common names"? Like, how the rear axleshaft bearings are misnamed "rear wheel bearings"?


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

i did this swap a few months ago with a dual snorkel setup i found in a junkyard, didnt have any problems switching out any parts and i can feel a gain in HP and throttle response, the only thing i had to do was splice the wires on the sensor to make it longer so it could reach all the way to the sensor hole since its so much farther away, still works though, havent had any problems since.

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91 Blue RS with ASCD SS hood w/hood pins, Flowmaster 80 series w/3 inch dual exhaust, K&N, Hypertech Power Chip, Bosch Platinum wires and plugs, rebuilt transmission with shift kit.

Soon to be added:
Z28 spoiler.(to compliment the ram air hood)
New paint.(black with orange stripes)
A 3.4L V6.(WOOHOO!!)

Official Kills:
80something Monte Carlo SS(had 5 people in it)
New Civic(Blew him away)
Ford Splash(Souped up somehow, he was chirpin every shift)
Late 90's Crustang

 

Hey all...........Thanks for the responses. This is by far the best board I have found.
Anyway......I went ahead and did the install before checking for your last posts. Took a little longer than expected, but worth the time. After getting into it, I found that my radiator and condensor were packed full of trash and such.......had to break out the hose and get that out of the way. I have found no drawbacks at all. I used the existing sensor that I could not remove and lengthened the wires from the old one..........NO CODES.........I used a piece of black air duct hose that I found at the auto parts store to fill in the gap from the t.b. and the air intake. I was able to get one with a large enough diam. to slide over the stock rubber duct and just enough to slide over the air intake inlet. This will do for the time being until I can come up with something else.
I have to agree with the last post. It gave the car a little more kick in the pants. I'm sure that if I gutted the air box there might be some more noticeable gains, but for now I am satisfied. I also did the t.b. bypass by just looping a heater hose around as I've read about.
Guess it's time to start saving up for my new cat and muffler and finding time to redo my headliner. Wish they had kept the same kind that they used in the 1973 camaro that I used to have. Unfortunately,I had to sell it a few years ago.
Kinda hard to do with a family and all.
Sorry for the long post and thanks again for the replies.