body9599

Hey guys...this will be long winded so forgive me.

While I was changing my timing belt and water pump a couple of weekends ago I decided to modify my intake a bit. I've really wanted to do an all out mod on my intake by replacing the black tubing, but those sorts of mods will fail you so fast in a smog test visual inspection. I've also wanted to bring cold air into it from behind the fog light knock out. I thought about getting a weapon r intake because it comes with CARB certification, but couldn't see myself spending 100 bucks on a metal tube that still wouldn't bring me true cold air. I also wanted to see if I could work in a bit of ram air into the design. Here is what I came up with:

I removed the resonator from the fender well. I got 4" aluminum vent hose and created an elbow to go from the resonator hole to the front where the fog light knockouts are. I modified a 3" rooftop vent flashing to make a scoop of sorts by cutting off the flashing portion. If you don't know what a vent flashing is check this PIC This left me with an oval shaped scoop which I pop-riveted to the end of the 4" vent hose. The junction was wrapped in duct tape. The scoop covered with a bit of expanded metal mesh to keep debris out and was mounted where a fog light would go. the other end was mounted over the hole where the resonator was. the rubber piece that was still in place was wrapped with a few pieces of foam rubber in order to provide a seal to the vent hose. A clamp held the hose to that port. After this I plugged the normal intake (square opening beside battery) with a large rag to prevent air flow from the warm engine compartment. About the time that I did this K and N had just come out with their high flow drop in air filter for our air boxes. I dropped one of those in to complete the project. Part number E-0999 Link .

Now my analysis of this project...first the bad:
1) still have restrictive black /square hose for intake
2) can't mount stock fog lights in the future

Now the good:
1) cold air
2) less restrictive air filter (K&N)
3) still pass CA smog without messing with my intake
4) possible ram air at higher speeds
5) no fear of hydro locking engine (If it's raining outside I can just remove my plug from beside the battery)
6) filter shouldn't get as dirty like "in the fender well" cone filters
7) easier to clean filter (It's a pain to open the fender well and those cone filters get dirty quick...so I hear)

That’s my analysis...I figure no matter what it's got to be better than stock. The sound is better, but I will not claim huge performance gains. My butt dyno isn't exactly calibrated, but I do think it's a little punchier and has more top end power on the freeway. Cost wise: K&N filter - $50, supplies from Home Depot - $10, not having to screw with intake for the CA smog inspectors - Priceless.

I know the first thing you guys will ask for are pictures...my folks had my digi on a vacation while I did this so no "construction" pics, but I do have one of the finished intake looking through the fog light knock out. Please feel free to criticize my design and point out any flaws that I haven't thought of. If you have any questions...let me know. Hope this gives you guys some ideas for your own projects...especially you cali people. Later.

 

Ken

please post more pix, sounds good!

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. k e n

Parting out a 91 L 5-speed, let me know if you need any parts besides engine and 5-speed parts. The car is Rosewood brown with type E cloth interior.

body9599

Like i said i didn't have my cam when i did this so all i can give are the pics i can get without ripping the fender well apart...which i have no desire to do again. The first picture is of my cloth plug...i've got a screwdriver through the cloth to keep it from getting sucked in...highly doubt that it would. Thats a temporary fix until i figure out a better way to close off that opening. The other pic is of the K and N filter in it's place. Thats all i got...if you have any suggestions on how to make a better plug let me know.

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1990 LS coupe - 5 speed - 160,000 miles
ram CAI - grounding wires - B&M FPR and gauge
D/S rotors - ceramic pads - SS brake lines - driving lights
alpine HU - infinity components - profile 4ch amp
"My other love is a Ford Bronco"

ND1980LS

WOW !!!!!!!! Nice clean engine bay !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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'90 Granada Black Pearl LS Coupe, 302K miles
'89 Geneva Green Pearl LS Coupe, 142K miles

My 1989 & 1990 Legend LS Coupes

sam o nela

what about getting like a rubber dam and placing it over the hose opening instead of the cloth and securing it with like a thick rubber band? the rubber dam would seal it air tight and it'd only take a few seconds to remove...

just one idea.....

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<Monocolor Paint Scheme> <JDM Clear Corners> <Cleared out Rear Turn Signals>
<Acura Caliper Grill Emblem> <Independent Yellow Fog Mod> <15% Tint>
<Iggee Seat Covers> <EL Reverse Glow Gauges> <Dimmer Mod>
<Ford Taurus Cupholder Mod> <CC Tunk Light Mod> <Fut Short Throw Shifter>
<Custom CAI> <AEM Bypass Valve> <OBX Headers>
<Magnaflow High Flow Cat> <Dynomax Super Turbo Muffler>
<Drilled/Slotted Rotors> <Painted Calipers> <Axxis Metal Master Pads>

body9599

Thanks dude, but I think my camera makes it look cleaner than it is I do try to keep it clean though.

Thats a good idea...the only problem I could fathom would be trying to get the rubber band around the bottom, but I'll have to try it to find out. By rubber dam do you just mean any sort of rubber sheet about 1-2 millimeters thick? Or is there some manufactured thing you can see fitting? Thanks for the idea!

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1990 LS coupe - 5 speed - 160,000 miles
ram CAI - grounding wires - B&M FPR and gauge
D/S rotors - ceramic pads - SS brake lines - driving lights
alpine HU - infinity components - profile 4ch amp
"My other love is a Ford Bronco"

sam o nela

yeah thats pretty much it...any kind of rubber sheet...like the stuff that the dentist uses when you have a root canal, anyone know what i mean ? The thicker the better i would think. Cut it to a generous size to fit over the opening (at least an inch bigger on all sides) and be secured by a rubber band...I went out and took a look at mine and your right it's a tight fit to get a rubber band over it, but it could be done for sure...it looks like moving the battery out of the way would be the easiest way....

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<Monocolor Paint Scheme> <JDM Clear Corners> <Cleared out Rear Turn Signals>
<Acura Caliper Grill Emblem> <Independent Yellow Fog Mod> <15% Tint>
<Iggee Seat Covers> <EL Reverse Glow Gauges> <Dimmer Mod>
<Ford Taurus Cupholder Mod> <CC Tunk Light Mod> <Fut Short Throw Shifter>
<Custom CAI> <AEM Bypass Valve> <OBX Headers>
<Magnaflow High Flow Cat> <Dynomax Super Turbo Muffler>
<Drilled/Slotted Rotors> <Painted Calipers> <Axxis Metal Master Pads>

luckybob

Ugh, I know what you mean!

body9599

Hey Guys,

Recently had my front bumper off to install some driving lights. Since it was accessible I took some photos of inside the fender well...

__________________

1990 LS coupe - 5 speed - 160,000 miles
ram CAI - grounding wires - B&M FPR and gauge
D/S rotors - ceramic pads - SS brake lines - driving lights
alpine HU - infinity components - profile 4ch amp
"My other love is a Ford Bronco"

sam o nela

sweet pics!! What did you end up doing with the hose inside the engine bay?

__________________


<Monocolor Paint Scheme> <JDM Clear Corners> <Cleared out Rear Turn Signals>
<Acura Caliper Grill Emblem> <Independent Yellow Fog Mod> <15% Tint>
<Iggee Seat Covers> <EL Reverse Glow Gauges> <Dimmer Mod>
<Ford Taurus Cupholder Mod> <CC Tunk Light Mod> <Fut Short Throw Shifter>
<Custom CAI> <AEM Bypass Valve> <OBX Headers>
<Magnaflow High Flow Cat> <Dynomax Super Turbo Muffler>
<Drilled/Slotted Rotors> <Painted Calipers> <Axxis Metal Master Pads>

body9599

Thanks...I ended up using a triple layer of duct tape to seal the engine bay hose. I think it's ok to make the seal somewhat permanent as all it takes to remove that portion of the engine bay intake is a 10mm bolt (you could just remove the bolt if you don't carry tools in your car).

Also the more I think about it the less I am concerned about water getting into something like this. It would take a lot of water to make it all the way up to the air box, fill the air box and then make it into the engine in great enough quantity to hydrolock.

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1990 LS coupe - 5 speed - 160,000 miles
ram CAI - grounding wires - B&M FPR and gauge
D/S rotors - ceramic pads - SS brake lines - driving lights
alpine HU - infinity components - profile 4ch amp
"My other love is a Ford Bronco"

Ken

i have the cone filter in the fender well and im not afraid that it will hydrolock, but if i still had my stock intake in there, I would have done what you did.

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. k e n

Parting out a 91 L 5-speed, let me know if you need any parts besides engine and 5-speed parts. The car is Rosewood brown with type E cloth interior.

body9599

This seems to come up occasionally when talking about cold air intakes that bypass the resonator...the hose to the resonator needs to be capped off so that a large vacuum leak does not present itself. You can either cap it off where the resonator was or you can cap it off at the "Y" shown below.

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1990 LS coupe - 5 speed - 160,000 miles
ram CAI - grounding wires - B&M FPR and gauge
D/S rotors - ceramic pads - SS brake lines - driving lights
alpine HU - infinity components - profile 4ch amp
"My other love is a Ford Bronco"

Mod89Coupe

Damn body9599!! I'm jealous on how clean and new your engine looks. Nice job on your cold air project.

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1989 Coupe L
Professionally Lowered Eibachs
17" OZ Racing Split spoke
Cold Air Intake
Cat backw/Brullen 5" exhaust
600 watt Phoenix Gold into JL/MB Quarts

shift

Great pics dude

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