I got this idea. Instead of paying a hundred and change for custom cold air, i'm gonna cut the price drastically.

Like this:

-Cut out stock intake up to the semi-flexible plastic tube that leads about a foot into the engine

-Pick up one of those steel intake tubes they have for civics in any autoparts store, cut it, and tighten it into the remaining stock intake.

-Attach my K&N to the end and... abracadabra-> open element intake.

-Replace 12lb fuel pump with a 14lb one - to make sure im not getting 'too much air' for the available fuel.

Anyone done anything like this? I imagine getting results typical to cold air, especially if I get a lower temp thermostat. What everyone think bout this idea?

P.S. - I can see this setup working even better if in the future I drop 500 bucks on a ram air replica scooped hood. (somewhat for the air increase - which would be blowing directly into the open element k&n, but mostly for the bad-*** look itd give my 1991 firebird)

 

All ya end up doing is sucking in hot engine compartment air.
No gain, probably loose HP

 

that's why I call it hotair induction ....no flame intended D stroy H8 ...cus Ive thought about doing it before to .

 

You have got to BLOCK off that area, to keep the hot air outta the filter to the engine. And get more cool air to that area.
It is a challenge (for us Firebird owners).
All I did to my 1985 was take teh air cleaner lid, apply heat gun, flatten the air inlet (make it stand straight out).
I then lowered the pass. side headlight and raised the hood bump stop to keep the pass side hood open at the headlight.
My K & N finally got dirty.
The best source of air is lowest bumper height, feeding air into a tube into the center of the Air cleaner can (bottom entry).
BUt that is a royal PIA.
Mine does ok.
I have other ideas, too.

 

Ok, what if i cut the tubing to make it as long as possible toward the front of the hood? The guy whose idea it is has a lot of experience with cars, and he said hes done it before, so maybe I explained it somewhat wrong.

 

I can ONLY offer this.
Machinist friend has racing ricers next door.
Saw a Honda set up.
Had BIG air scoop at the headlight.
I asked, how did it do.
we lost power.
WHAT????
We got more RAMMED AIR FROM THE GROUND EFFECTS BUMPER set up we had and higher speeds, too.
Aerodynamics.
Our 3rd gens are so SLIPPERY in the air that you get more effective ram air results by feeding air from off the ground, as it is forced in, better, at that point.
It is NOT the old days.
PS
FACTORY air scooped cars from the 60's, were worthless. They ONLY decreased under hood temps, better.
The front end (headlight area under the hood) FORCED air over the hood, to be bundled/tumbling up at the windshield base.
IF YA NOTICE, airscoops on "those old muscle cars (drag racing NOW)" are BIG HONKING MAILBOX set ups.
They catch air "higher" off the hood.
UNLESS you design a specific air cleaner set up to suck in/receive air from windshield base.
My 1974 Corvette has that factory designed feature. And it works very well.
So will my 1967 Camaro. I am building that type of an air cleaner set up, too.
My 1968 Camaro (6 cylinder!), has a "myself-designed" forced air cleaner inlet, at the bumper. AND THAT WORKS SO EXCELLENT!
Does this help ya?

 

That's called cowl induction

 

I've already done that, except that I've removed my entire stock tubing and replaced it all with universal intake piping. I made it just so that the filter is underneath the passenger side "battery tray" right behind the right-side turnsignal. This is the true Cold air intake cuz its grabbing air from outside all the hot engine air.

 

See... I'm thinking what if kept the tube long, and fitted it so that the curved end where the filter sits would point down so the filter is somewhat removed from the engine compartment per say.

 

You are very correct in your thinking.
Give it a try.
Go to Home Depot for the tube parts, tho.
Way cheaper & it works well.
Do a search on Cold AIr & you'll see many others pics.
I didn't believe anyone would know what I meant IF I said cowl induction.

 

DStroy, you won't have to touch the fuel pump at all.

My cold air routes as follows on my Firebird:

Throttle body
"Camaro" round TB-to-airbox hose (2.5" to TB, 3" to airbox)
3" mandrel bent 90 degree pipe from Hooker
3"-to-3" Home Depot flexible PVC pipe connector
MAF sensor (85-89 2.8's, you don't have one on your '91)
3"-to-4" Home Depot flexible PVC pipe connector
4" "air intake tube" from Pep Boys, 6 feet long
4" opening K&N conical filter, size Huge

The Hooker pipe is actually a 180-degree "J" bend. This is a tighter bend than your normal 180 degree pipe. I cut the J-bend in half to get a 90-degree pipe.

I removed my air filter box, the charcoal fuel vapor can, and the bracket they sat on. I ran the 4" tube from the MAF (by the passenger side end of the radiator) inside the passenger fender, and below the tray that the original air box sat on. (This is actually a battery tray for older Camaros and Firebirds. 82-89 Camaros have the battery on the pass side. 82-84 Firebirds also have it here.)

This places the filter below the car, exactly in the spot underneath the fender where the lower front fender brace is (Y-shaped bracket, from frame to bottom of fender).

 

Keds yes it may be cheaper to buy PVC piping at home depot for your intake, but If you take it to a show or some gathering its not too good to look at. When I open up my hood that's the first thing they notice. Other Firebird/Camaro owners ask me who I got it from. When I tell them I made it myself and how much I paid for all the parts they look shocked. It also doesn't hurt that I had a hook-up for air intake parts.

 

I hear ya on making it look pretty.
I endorse your logic, big time.

ME?
I run functional and for longevity.
I use what ever I may have lying around to do the job for the moment.
My 1968, 1967 Camaros are the "show " cars.
So's my 1974 Corvette.

 

To make sure I dont suck in hot air, im going to fit an air dam to the underside of the car so fresh air can get forced up toward the open element... i dont see any problems with the idea, and its so simple Ill have it done within a matter of week week and a half id say... im gonna let you guys know my results since this thread actually caught on a little =) and everyone was very helpful to the newb with a slow firebird... hehe.

 

Here's how ya cheat.
Mock up the "plan" outta cardboard.
I've seen these "airboxes" made outta clear plexiglass on 1994-96 Impala SS's.

 

cardboard will fall apart with time...
were making one cheap tho, better than cardboard.

 

I said
"mock it up in cardboard"
NOT MAKE IT OUTTA CARDBOARD!
Then transfer the final design to your selected substrate.

 

I here theyre selling 14Lb fuel pumps cheep in summit.....oh wait, Im a LIAR.... they dont rate fuel pumps by pressure, they rate them by volume.


save a headache.....use a FPR

 

FPR stands for ?
About how happy an improvment am i gonna see with the air dam at like 70 - 80 mph? I imagine the faster im going the more air, so im curious to see that.

 

Actually, look at the thread about the 1/4 mile times and see results from adding a home made air induction set up.
I can tell ya, from personal experience, over 60 MPH it really really helps the engine make more power.
I made a air set up for my Wife's 1968 Camaro 6 cylinder. BIG SECURE POWER GAINS on the road, driving.
I can honestly say, even my air set up on my 1985 Firebird, it helps to.
BUt, not as big a positive result as the set up on the old 1968 Camaro.
It depends on the proper effort you put out for the gains.

 

Its done! We ripped off the stock intake tubing up to the TB hose, and attached the cone filter to the end, and underneath the car we cut out a chunk of the stock air dam and fit in an air channeling box so fresh air gets shot up into the engine compartment. It works/sounds great! Im impressed with the results.
Ill get some pictures up soon.

 

Congrats on the mod!

 

Thank you!

 

um i would have to see pics of this mod
all i have been able to do to my car thus far is remove that tubing that comes off the airbox that points stright into the fender to reveal a hole about 2 inches or so and rotate the box so it takes in the air coming through the lights in that bigger hole, it did give me better pick up off the line and about 25 more miles to my tank so im not complaining but i wanna upgrade the whole air intake to one of those big *** 9 inch K&N's one day.......
1992 RS 3.1 v6