Anyone make a nice intake for the 98 V6 angled TB? - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

Mark42 · 10-28-2009, 11:12 AM

Been trying to come up with a nice clean design using off the shelf parts to replace the stock air box/silencer on the 3.8 V6. The problem I have is my 98 has the angled intake on it, so most all pvc parts will not clear the radiator. I did end up being able to replace the silencer using a ribbed plastic pipe (not dryer vent). But it still rubs the radiator housing and I wrapped it in a piece of truck inner tube to prevent wearing a hole in it. Plus it's not smooth with all the ribbing. But it does work, and it does seal. And at highways speeds it seems to provide a modicum of improvement when running WOT. I have also noticed a 1 mpg increase. The factory air filter was replaced with a Kool Blue (K&N knock off) filter, so I can't attribute the mpg increase to just replacing the silencer with a pipe.

Anyway, if anyone has some pics of a better setup, I would appreciate seeing them.

Thanks!

This is my mod (no laughing!!!). If I can't make something smooth using off the shelf parts, come spring I'll have to fab up a fiberglass tube. For now, this is what it is.

GrandmasterCow · 10-28-2009, 11:28 AM

I hated to have to come up with somethin when I had my old 98 v6. I searched camarov6.com, ls1tech, etc.. i just kept looking around. i forget what i did now though ... lol

Savage_Messiah · 10-28-2009, 01:02 PM

havent looked into it on the 98s but can you replace the stock air bnox with a 93-97 rad cover, and run a 95-97 3.8 intake off to the side?

NastyEllEssWon · 10-28-2009, 02:31 PM

looks like all you need is a 90 degree and a 45 degree elbow and a rubber sleeve in between (like the ls1 speed density bellow).

Mark42 · 10-28-2009, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NastyEllEssWon

looks like all you need is a 90 degree and a 45 degree elbow and a rubber sleeve in between (like the ls1 speed density bellow).

Yep, thats what it needs. Unfortunately, those parts will not fit between the TB and the radiator. Ergo, the ribbed pipe.

Mark42 · 10-28-2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savage_Messiah

havent looked into it on the 98s but can you replace the stock air bnox with a 93-97 rad cover, and run a 95-97 3.8 intake off to the side?

Well, I don't want to be pulling hot air from under the hood, and if I run a pipe off the the drivers side, like is commonly done on older models, then all the fuse boxes, headlight door control module, and major wire harnesses need to be relocated. That is a lot of wire extensions and I just don't want to get into that.

So I'm kind of stuck making a upward bending pipe to use the factory filter housing.

KirkEvil · 10-28-2009, 07:02 PM

relocate the battery to the trunk, get a smaller coolant reservoir, and run a filter into the passenger side wheel well?

S.J.SLEEPER · 10-28-2009, 08:13 PM

pull tb off and get yourself a block of aluminum 2" thick.
and make yourself a angled spacer to tilt the tb in the upward position.
from 2" to 1/4" so it looks like a wedge of cheese. a local machine shop or aluminum shop can help you out with cuting it or if you have access to a bandsaw you can cut it yourself, then drill the appropaite holes

GrandmasterCow · 10-28-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S.J.SLEEPER

pull tb off and get yourself a block of aluminum 2" thick.
and make yourself a angled spacer to tilt the tb in the upward position.
from 2" to 1/4" so it looks like a wedge of cheese. a local machine shop or aluminum shop can help you out with cuting it or if you have access to a bandsaw you can cut it yourself, then drill the appropaite holes

that might work but i think the TB angles to the right a bit as well as being angled downward.

10-28-2009, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrandmasterCow

that might work but i think the TB angles to the right a bit as well as being angled downward.

pretty sure is point is to machine it so that its straight or upward a little bit

Mike · 10-28-2009, 08:54 PM

whether you have an obstruction from the tubing, or an obstruction from a crazy shaped spacer, you will have an obstruction.... did you check any of the v6 sites for what they have come up with?

GrandmasterCow · 10-28-2009, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerzLT1

pretty sure is point is to machine it so that its straight or upward a little bit

ohh ok cool haha

Mark42 · 10-28-2009, 09:45 PM

I've been all over the Camaro/firebird sites. Only thing I found for 98's was a performance filter housing with dryer vent style hose. Probably even worse than what I made.

If a wedge is made, there will be even less space between the radiator and the TB.

Even those fancy rubber elbows used for turbo intake systems are not compact enough to fit. The "snake head" 90 would clear, but its too high.

Oh well....

Tru2Chevy · 10-28-2009, 09:48 PM

The only other thing I have seen guys explore is a swap to the 99-02 system, but it's fairly involved since the 99+ are DBW.

- Justin

Whiplash Performance · 10-28-2009, 10:11 PM

I gotta look see if i still got some parts left over from my intake installs.
what size is the tubing?

NastyEllEssWon · 10-28-2009, 11:21 PM

why not just dremel into the plastic on the radiator support to get the tubing to sit right?

Savage_Messiah · 10-29-2009, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NastyEllEssWon

why not just dremel into the plastic on the radiator support to get the tubing to sit right?

rad support is not thick enough.

SLP offers a CAI for the car, but it's just the "ram air" intake that extends the induction system...

didn't realize all that was in the way on a 98, makes using a 95-97 system not worth it. poke around fullthrottlev6.com, it's your best source for information

S.J.SLEEPER · 10-29-2009, 06:40 AM

just forget all the angles & tubing and drop a lt1/ls1 in it.
t.b. problem solved !!!

Blacdout96 · 10-29-2009, 10:03 AM

98's are a bastard year. I looked up the gaskets to see if they are the same, and they are almost identicle until you get to teh bottom mounting hole, they are different if you wanted to use the 99 intake with the 98 throttle cable system. your best case is to run it to the driver side compartment like we do on out 95-97 style. regardless where you run it, it'll have some sort of heat soak unless you wrap it, so you shouldn't worry about the heat.

Pampered-Z · 10-29-2009, 10:06 AM

Could you possibly fab up something like the SLP or GMPP intake that uses 2 smaller tubes and air cleaners then merge at the TB?

What diameter is the rubber tubing. I'm sure someone like Muflex cound build something for you out of scrap peices. That is basically what Dennis did for my intercooler piping.

Mark42 · 10-29-2009, 11:41 AM

I'll probably just end up carving a piece of foam to the shape that fits nice, wrap it all in fiberglass. Then pour in acetone to melt out the foam and it leaves the smooth custom shaped intake.

Actually, shaping foam is easy, and the glass work goes quick. I just have too much going on right now to pull out all the supplies.

Thanks for all the suggestions.