How many Fleetwood owners have installed a cold air intake? I have a stock 94 Brougham in great shape and love driving it now and then (it's not my daily). I have no delusions about modding it to make it faster but just wondering if there was a benefit from getting rid of the stock intake setup to include the "first base"?
Cold air intake?
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I actually found a feeling of lost torque at the low end when I installed my K&N which was interesting. But because my car had a vacuum leak back then it just did not run that good so ended up going back stock.
But once I manual swapped my car definitely needed the cold air intake back
But once I manual swapped my car definitely needed the cold air intake back
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We need to clarify our terms. The stock intake is a cold air intake, and a very effective one at that. On a modified car, the stock intake will start to be a restriction at higher rpms, but on a stock car it's sufficient.
To measure how much the stock intake is or is not restricting airflow, get a laptop interface cable, download eehack (make sure to donate $40!), get it setup to datalog, then go do some full throttle runs. Watch the manifold pressure (MAP). With the TPS at 100%, when the MAP starts to fall off from its max reading (probably around 100kPa), that will show you when the stock intake is starting to become a significant restriction.
To measure how much the stock intake is or is not restricting airflow, get a laptop interface cable, download eehack (make sure to donate $40!), get it setup to datalog, then go do some full throttle runs. Watch the manifold pressure (MAP). With the TPS at 100%, when the MAP starts to fall off from its max reading (probably around 100kPa), that will show you when the stock intake is starting to become a significant restriction.
My guess would be that intake upgrades are more effective on cars that also have exhaust upgrades. The factory manifolds on these cars are a major restriction, even on a stock engine.
The factory intake on our cars is pretty decent as far as the air box and the sizing of the tube and such. The home plate and first base should be deleted 100% of the time, IMHO. Performance aside, they get in the way and make your car sound less masculine.
Additional note: Many folks will tell you that a homemade DIY intake will make the same power as an aftermarket intake, and this is true in most cases.
The factory intake on our cars is pretty decent as far as the air box and the sizing of the tube and such. The home plate and first base should be deleted 100% of the time, IMHO. Performance aside, they get in the way and make your car sound less masculine.
Additional note: Many folks will tell you that a homemade DIY intake will make the same power as an aftermarket intake, and this is true in most cases.
As I offered in the OP's thread on another forum, I read long and hard to find the best 'measured by really measuring' tests of both differing filter types and 'cold air intake' designs. The best performing flow and best performing filtration quality resulted in the method in my sig.
This was in at least a small part after having spent $700 each for two SSRI setups 20 years ago for my Impala SS garage queen and my first Fleetwood. Sure, they were mighty damn pretty. And yes, they sounded mighty damn manly. But come to find out the cone filters don't filter contaminants as well, and as mentioned the stock airbox is both exemplory for off-line performance and more than capable up to a $1,000 speeding fine. And don't worry I found lots of places to spend that saved $700 - mostly on suspension and brakes. But that gets into thread-jacking
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This was in at least a small part after having spent $700 each for two SSRI setups 20 years ago for my Impala SS garage queen and my first Fleetwood. Sure, they were mighty damn pretty. And yes, they sounded mighty damn manly. But come to find out the cone filters don't filter contaminants as well, and as mentioned the stock airbox is both exemplory for off-line performance and more than capable up to a $1,000 speeding fine. And don't worry I found lots of places to spend that saved $700 - mostly on suspension and brakes. But that gets into thread-jacking
@jc94fwd You should just make one like @96 Black has and I have made for my 95 Fleetwood. It consists of some PVC pipe with street bends and some connector pipe. Pretty easy and looks just like the setup above (minus home plate).
SwiSS cheesing the airbox (search the forum) along with that street bend to delete the first base. Home plate can be easily deleted/removed with a hockey puck put in its place.
How did you come to find this out? I have a hard time believing that the shape of the filter makes a significant difference across the board in this regard. It seems more likely that a particular cone filter differed from a particular rectangular filter.
Also not sure how any air box that is constricted by such a small opening could be exemplary at anything. Adequate, maybe.
This is definitely the first time I've heard that the stock air intake is suitable for 9 second nitrous cars.
For reference, the boot has a hockey puck in it, and Home Plate has the flange cut down. It's purely ornamental as a cheap man's engine dress and to hide bits that are harder to keep clean than worth the effort.
All my reading has covered from mostly the 2000-'16 range, during which time likely all cone filter were the 'oiled' design. Their filtrate allowed larger contaminants than the best oem pleated box type, - I guess hence the oil film for the dust to stick to. With the proper 'thin' oiling (most everyone including me figured a little is good so dripping wet is better) the cone type wopuld flow 'a little' better than stock, - BUT it took no time for them to clog and end up less flow overall. The fave debate back when was who exactly had the best cone - K&N v. Spectra v. bespoke CAI makers.... It makes me no real matter mind at this point, but I hear tell now of 'non-oiled' dry type cone filters which has to be an improvement. I'll look into them when time for a new one in the seldom driven Imp, but for the cleaner feeling inside my driver's motor I'll stick to a better filtering good quality cartridge type.
One thing could really impress me is if and whether and ever the cone filter makers fess up with their micron size specs. I'm not sure I've ever seen any of them volunteer it themselves although some actual testers have done their own determinations.
And on the little slit in the airbox, I haven't calced the area of that ellipse v. the circular throttle body, but GM likely used the airbox as chokepoint in their ever-hellbent fixation on 'quiet sounding engine' - I guess like expensive cars. The actual tests (including times above) show it makes no difference in performance, but violating the box with a spade bit was fun nonetheless and couldn't hurt either.
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The air box hole for the air pump hose is used for the spray nozzle for dry nitrous kit.
Deleting resonators: performance benefits, no. Easier access for maintenance, slightly. Fun to do, sure. You also can drill several holes in the bottom of the airbox if a louder intake makes you smile. It's no Vulcan howl but does take me back a bit to big ol' Quadrajets.
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Edit:I didn't mean Spock howling, but an Avro Vulcan plane. Wish we could get that with 90% power. Best on is at 1:50.
It's no Vulcan howl but does take me back a bit to big ol' Quadrajets.
Edit:I didn't mean Spock howling, but an Avro Vulcan plane. Wish we could get that with 90% power. Best on is at 1:50.
With or without holes drilled in the box?
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