I've been convinced that a ebay short ram intake won't do anything greatly besides look better IMO, so I might go for a home made CAI! Problem is space( possibly, you tell me), and what do I need? I took some pictures and it looks like there isn't too much room (I'm use to working on my dads 2500 silverado so it all looks small [8D]. There is a tiny slot connecting to the air box, but It looks like theres a small vent that goes threw a wall behind the driver side head light cover that looks wayyy to small to get enough air.

Oh, the car is a '98 LS 3.1lr with a pathetic 160 horses so I would like to do some cheap upgrades.


So would I be able to remove the box, get the tubing(need a part list), re put the sensors and everything onto the new tubing and run it down, then finish it off with a K&N filter?

Pics

 

If you're just trying to make c cold air intake box- then remove your stock airbox, and put the stock air tube back on the MAF sensor (you should have a tube coming off the TB to the MAF, and then the other tube- all stock).

Then measure the ID of that tube (should be ~2.5-3") and the approximate length from the tube to the car (to get an idea of what length will fit- ~6" should be fine). Go to any performance store, or a parts store like autozone/advance- and buy a cone filter of the correct size.

Then go to the hardware store and buy either a sheet of plastic, or a sheet of metal (whichever you prefer to work with)-then get some of that tube insulation that is slit down one side- and construct a basic wall around where your filter will go. Ideally, you only want the filter to be open to the headlight side, and battery side- and it should be closed and sealed everywhere else (use the tube insulation around the edges to get it to conform to the car around the sides).

You also should seal the top as well- either using the rubber tube insulation to touch the hood to make a seal- or just make a top to your box (removeable so you can change the filter). That will give you a basic CAI box.

If you want to go a step better, buy some sheet insulation (most people use stuff like reflectix- the aluminum backed stuff) and apply it to all the surfaces on your box-especially those facing the engine.

Use pictures of other CAI boxes to get an idea of what the manufacturers do when they build thier boxes.

I will say though, its not going to be a huge improvement for the work you'll put into it- I doubt you'll notice anything on the butt dyno.

 

Thank you so much, but how I interepreted that was that all I need to do is make a box, and put a filter on it. So if I bought one of the intake systems off ebay, built a box, and put a quality filter on it would do just the same?

 

so what would you get from the EBAY purchase? a $15 + shipping piece of aluminum pipe that will tarnish and start to look bad, and hold way too much heat?

 

Could I build a box around that to keep the heat and crap out of the filter? I have not found a quality built one yet.

 

pvc piping would be better than the aluminum piping off ebay

 

Pretty much.

Why would you buy a system off ebay? All you need is a filter, and to build a box to have a CAI.

If you want to replace the stock intake tubing also, you can do so with parts from the local hardware- as mentioned above. The tubes that come with the ebay kits are a double edged sword- the shiney aluminum tube looks nicer than plastic tube, but it also transfers heat better than stock rubber or plastic tubing.

You probably won't ever find a CAI box for a 5th gen monte due to having the battery there, and other obstacles- the major CAI companies probably don't want to deal with it on such a low volume car.

 

Well I've been pretty much convinced my car can't have anything really done besides a new exhaust set up, which should give more power. I guess I'll just get a K&N filter, and use all the little things such as performance oils or whatever. The 3.1 engine is dissapointing to the Monte Carlo Family Tree in power. Thanks for helping me save money guys.

 

Honestly, its really not that bad of an engine. You have to figure it was the low end engine for the 5th gens- so it wasn't made to be a power star, it was made to have adequate power and be reliable (which other than the intake gaskets, they're pretty good engines).

Most regular passenger cars out there don't have the crazy aftermarket like our 3800s do, so its hard to compare whats available for the 3100s to the 3800s.

If you're looking to make big power changes with cheap, easy bolt ons- no small displacement NA OHV engine is really going to shine.

 

I guess I'm just expecting too much from my first car.