Warm Air Intake with Cold Air Feed (pics problem fixed)

[Curlybandit]

If you can't see the pics on this post, click HERE or on the "Curlybandit's 1991 GS Custom Coupe" link at the bottom of the page and see page 12. It has the same pics and info.

 

Well, I finally decided to install a WAI. I've seen a lot of great pics of 3800's with the WAI, so I figured I would give it a try. Here's what it looks like. It's a cut piece of mandrel bent aluminum with a K&N RR-3003 Cone Filter. Pretty straight forward.

 

 

Then I got thinking.... I've read all this stuff about how the WAI is otherwise nothing special because it really only takes in warm air. So I decided to build a cold air feed, like a ram intake, just not a completely closed system.

 

When I removed the old restrictive airbox, it left an opening where the old airbox drew the air from. It's about 4" tall by 2" wide, and is located right behind the left front headlight assembly. I figured that I could run some plumbing from the opening into the engine bay, behind the light assembly to a funnel located directly behind the GS grill.

 

I used some PVC plumbing that I got at Home Depot. I used a 1.5" diameter tube with 2 90* elbows for each tube. The front of the intake is a 3x1 piece of connecting pipe that I cut through the centre to make one big opening.

 

 

 

I cut two 10" long pieces of 1.5" tubing, and conneted a 90* elbow to the end that entered the opening to the engine bay, and connected one 90* elbow to the funnel located behind the grill. I stacked two of the same assemblies together, one on top of the other, so I have two 1.5" pieces drawing air from the outside. They both run behind the headlight assesmbly.

 

 

I had to cut the piece of fibrous plastic that separated the space behind the grill and the space behind the headlight to run the pipes. I mounted the openings right behind the GS grill, so it can draw air directly from the outside into the engine bay, right where the K&N is located. Although it's not a closed Ram intake system, it does bathe the filter in cool air while driving.

 

 

 

 

 

When I just had the WAI, I could feel a slight difference in perfomance, (maybe it's just me....) But it deffinitely sounds cooler. After driving with just the WAI, it would feel warm, even hot to the touch because of the heat of the engine bay.

 

After taking the Regal for a boot with the new set-up, the WAI was actually very cool to the touch after drvining it hard for about 15-20 minutes on the highway, while the rest of the engine was hot.

 

Maybe this will help a little with performance, maybe it won't, but it's worth a shot....

 

Curlybandit

[Psych0matt]

[X]

[DiscoStudd]

That's actually a pretty good idea! I batted around the idea of using the stock airbox's "inlet" tube to direct air to my WAI. I think in addition to what you did, check out the WAI that "Slick94Prix" made for his car. He fabbed up a heat shield to keep the warm air away from the filter. A setup like his, in addition to the mod you did would be as close as you could get to a CAI without relocating the battery.

 

All the WAI I have on my Regal does is make a cool sound at WOT. It doesn't really have any effect on the HP or TQ at all (good or bad.) I did notice a tiny jump in MPG after installing it, though ...

[Curlybandit]

I think in addition to what you did, check out the WAI that "Slick94Prix" made for his car. He fabbed up a heat shield to keep the warm air away from the filter. A setup like his, in addition to the mod you did would be as close as you could get to a CAI without relocating the battery.

 

I was thinking the same thing... 8)

[HokemBokem]

none of the pics work

[Curlybandit]

hmmm.... That's odd. Well, click of the "Curlybandit's 1991 GS Custom Coupe" link at the bottom of the page, and look at page 12. It has all the same info and pics.

 

Sorry about that...

[jeremy]

Chris' intake is very very nice.......