Has anyone toyed with intakes from OTHER 3.8 engines?

[Timberwolf]

Came across this one today at a U Wrench It yard. It's from an 87 Celebrity. Transverse mounted motor, so the thermo housing is in an odd place, but I tihnk that can be worked around without too much difficulty. It has nice long straight runners.

This is not for the stock turbo location obviously Not sure what if any advatage it's gonna have yet but it was only $15... so worst case I'm not out much. But it sure looks a lot better than the stock intake.

http://www.sixtyninecamaro.com/images/gn/intake/IMGA0053.JPG

 

[BLACKHAWK38]

Originally posted by Timberwolf
Came across this one today at a U Wrench It yard. It's from an 87 Celebrity. Transverse mounted motor, so the thermo housing is in an odd place, but I tihnk that can be worked around without too much difficulty. It has nice long straight runners.

This is not for the stock turbo location obviously Not sure what if any advatage it's gonna have yet but it was only $15... so worst case I'm not out much. But it sure looks a lot better than the stock intake.

http://www.sixtyninecamaro.com/images/gn/intake/IMGA0053.JPG

Timberwolf: I have got an intake manifold almost exactly like the one you showed, except mine is off an 1985 buick park ave 3.8 fuel inj.
Looks almost idenical ,but mine has the power six logo medalion(black, red, orange , silver,) inplace of your V6 logo, and mine is not in the center , but about an inch from the top rear of the intake five fins`.

I also got a Rochester 2 barrel and a ROCHESTER 4 BARREL carb intakes,

not planning anything with them, but just wanted them.

THe throttle body that came off the 1985 park ave intake is almost idenical to the 86-87 gn TB, I had it bored out to 61MM AND USED A throttle plate off a hot air THrottle body that was cut down.

Yup, in the bone yard , you can strike gold onece in a while

I got a 109 block, 8445 heads and a 229 turbo crank for 75 skins off a 1986 2 barrel regal 3.8 I am currently having rebuild for a spare engine,

Good luck and regards, blackhawk 38

 

[Timberwolf]

so you put the park avenue intake to use? how was it?

I saw some park avenues and centuries and stuff that had that same "6" logo on the hood liner, inner fender labels, etc

 

[BLACKHAWK38]

3 big paper weights

Originally posted by Timberwolf
so you put the park avenue intake to use? how was it?

I saw some park avenues and centuries and stuff that had that same "6" logo on the hood liner, inner fender labels, etc

no, this intkake is just taking up space, it looks very similar to the 86-87 intake but no removeable upper plenun, and the temp sensor and cyllinder head coolant feeds are in the rear.

I am playing around with a 85 hot air intake, I WAS GOING TO SAND BLAST THE left and right feed runners out, but used a sandpaper flap wheel with a flex shaft and electric drill,

what have you done to your 85 hot air intake to improve performance?

I have 2 hot air TUrbo Riviera's and one 87 Grand national<not in sig


Regards, blackhawk 38

 

[Timberwolf]

this thread kinda follows what I have been doing so far, but most of it was in the interest of research.

http://www.michiganspeed.com/Speedforum/showthread.php?t=4857

I think I am goingt o change direction a bit though.

 

[BLACKHAWK38]

some good machaine work there !

Originally posted by Timberwolf
this thread kinda follows what I have been doing so far, but most of it was in the interest of research.

http://www.michiganspeed.com/Speedforum/showthread.php?t=4857

I think I am goingt o change direction a bit though.

I WAS looking at that link over the week-end, thanks for posting

I JUST think that the hot air intakes are not as bad as most people say, I think that they will flow alot better than is beleived with a little work.


Those guys that have been working on the hot air inakes to make them like the 87's , seem to think that the biggest hurddle is when the runners make the 180 degree turn into the mouth of the plenum.

some work here in this area, such as a flow director of some sort, ie , half moon curved pipe added to the front wall.


Regards, blackhawk 38

 

[Drac0nic]

That's rather informative, I've got one from an 86 Park Ave or similar, I'm planning on using it for my minivan project, unless an 86-87 intake comes along.

It looks like a pretty good deal, and I've got it lying around, I've been reworking mine with sanding drums. I'm having trouble getting into the corners, of the runners wll probably just use some sorta sanding block to finish em up. I've got an extension and am working up the sides of the runners (a 6 inch die grinder extension sucks for porting, but works ok with the drums because they're not overly aggressive like cutters) and I'm polishing everything except the floor. Should be a decent piece when done, and the coolant spout looks like it's in a suitable place for the 84-85s, at least more suitable then the 86-87 intake. The nice thing about this intake is that it's reversable, so you can mount it as your needs dictate. Most of what I really need to do is get another 8445 head, as I trashed one with that damn extension. Live and learn I guess. The first intake port in the head I did looked so good too, till I cut too deep on the next one and it bent in the valve guide.

 

[typhoon]

I can tell you from our work, the air must make 4 90 deg turns inside the intake just to get to the runner.

Provides for long runner, but restrictive.

As most know the ports on the head side are small also, and with a little work those can be opened up easily.

Although I don't believe a flow bench truly shows what an intake does on a boosted application, the 84/85 intake was much lower flow than 86/87 even with some gasket matching work.

I am not sure how you could get inside to help things, short of cutting off the top or bottom.

 

[afresh]

Speaking of cutting the top off, has anyone done this with good results?

I have an extra hot air intake, and since I really don't want to intercool my car I have entertained the idea of cutting the top off and cleaning out the inside.

If anyone has done this are there any pics out there?


Andrew

 

[Timberwolf]

Originally posted by afresh
Speaking of cutting the top off, has anyone done this with good results?

I have an extra hot air intake, and since I really don't want to intercool my car I have entertained the idea of cutting the top off and cleaning out the inside.

If anyone has done this are there any pics out there?


Andrew

There is more to it then just cutting the top off, there is also a divider in there seperating it into two plenums. I have some good pics if you want to see them, drop me a line.

 

[Timberwolf]

I took some more pictures of the celebrity intake manifold after a couple cans of carb cleaner and a trip to the car wash. I was comparing the runners to those of the 86/87 cars and I like these better. Nice and straight. If you've looked at the flow numbers for hot air or cold air cars, the rear two cylinders always seem to be lower on airflow. I think this might help a little bit.

The biggest issue with this is the water inlet on the passenger side of the intake. But it's an easy fix actually. I found a spare radiator hose from my camaro. it's the same inner diameter and has some 90 degree turns that will make it an easy connection to the stock upper hose.

Anyway, here's the pics:

http://www.sixtyninecamaro.com/images/gn/intake/celeb

 

[national84]

I am not sure about the celebrity intake, but a few years ago I took the intake off a mid-eighties park (transverse) and wondered about its use for the hotair cars. Aside from the minor plumbing type details its an easy fit. The gaskets were an exact match. I never actually made it work, but everything lined up OK.

HTH

 

[Drac0nic]

Originally posted by Timberwolf
I was comparing the runners to those of the 86/87 cars and I like these better. Nice and straight. If you've looked at the flow numbers for hot air or cold air cars, the rear two cylinders always seem to be lower on airflow. I think this might help a little bit.

Yeah, I tend t o agree but with comparison of my 84-85 setup it looks a hair like they sacrificed overall length for the straightness. The styling of this intake is more "3800-esque" to me then the 3.8L buick engines in RWD platforms. Then again, I'd need more then a minute at a JY to be sure of that statement. I figure I'd play around with portage before I cleaned it up, probably not a bad idea to do it first. Mine's really nasty too, all sorts of crap inside of it. I suspect it's from the EGR system honestly. The EGR inlet to the thing is in the front, you thought of any way to get rid of it without cutting the thing open yet?

 

[Timberwolf]

not yet, but I am thinking about taking the whole plenum off and replacing it with a 6" diameter aluminum pipe. Nice big round plenum. cut holes for each runner and weld it on. Cap the back and machine up a funneled cap for the front and mount the TB on it. SImilar to what this guy made for his fairmont:
http://www.toohighpsi.com/coolers/jimproject2.htm

Other wise I'm just going to open up thr fornt for a decent sized TB and do some porting. I don't think the little EGR outlet at the mouth will be detrimental much to flow.

 

[Drac0nic]

interesting idea, guess it saves you from having to make a base and injector bungs and such. Would be a trick piece, definitely a one of a kind. For $15 you can butcher one or two of em up to get it right as well without a ton of concern. I'll probalby use the thing stock but hogged out and see what she does, may as well.

 

[Wagondraggin]

i have been kicking this idea around for a long time... i am very interested in how it turns out...

 

[Timberwolf]

I have the intake cut apart now. The runners are as I expected, long and straight. I am going to throw a little machine work at it to square it and smooth it out before I start the custom work

 

[Wagondraggin]

how are you comming with this project... any new developments...?

 

[BLACKHAWK38]

Stock Functioning HOT AIR INTAKE ?

Originally posted by Wagondraggin
how are you comming with this project... any new developments...?

I ALSO would be interested in any improvements to Hot air intake

I have changed out the steel plugs (npt pipe plugs, sand casting) for aluminum and will check the thread protrution so the left and right feed runners Floor is flat with no bumps in the road.

May add more plenum volume Each bank, Still will keep it as designed as ISOLATED RUNNER. but was considering a equalization port through the middle wall of the upper plenum??

Just don't know much about intakes

Regards, Blackhawk 38

 

[J Banning]

Originally posted by Wagondraggin
how are you comming with this project... any new developments...?

Yeah, me too. Looking for intake alternatives for our intercooled project car.