The foxy build

i installed the aftermarket intake and i am quite pleased, i here people give these intakes a lot of crap beacuse they are high priced… but i am actually quite pleased with the results. i was intending too make my own intake with a few couplers and tubes but there where things i was not sure of especually the security of the PCM, so i got a after market intake kit and installed it.

the intake kit features a large conical filter, the entire assembly was very simple! the intake tube itself was fairly straight forward, the intake tube comes with a coupler too attach a i would say 20 degree elbow, very little bend in it, the elbow has a “Zerk” or port or what ever too attach a PCV hose that comes with the kit, another coupler then allows the MAF sensor to attach to it very simply, then there is another coupler that attaches the filter element assembly too the MAF sensor! the intake tube is supported buy a bracket which once again comes in the kit! the Cone filter sits inside of a heat shroud that is supposed too separate the filter from the engine bay but allows tons of room for the filter too breathe, the kit also comes with a mounting bracket for the PCM! the PCM is bolted on with rubber grommets too a metal plate which is bolted down too where the origional air box was fastened down… it all is held together and looks neat and tighty and i like the way it looks.

assembly was easy, had it installed at least in a hour and a half with no issues at all, went together like nothing with simple tools!

any performance gains?

well according too a chart the kit came with they tested the aftermarket intake on a 2004 grand prix with the same engine, same transmission. with a stock air box there results for a base line where something like 197HP too the wheels, they claimed the aftermarket intake resulted in 213HP too the wheels which is a 16HP gain… this is not a huge gain and would not be hardly noticeable as too really have a noticeable difference there needs to be at least a 10% gain in engine power, so if the chart it came with is true your performance gains would barley be noticeable.

first test run and i did notice improved throttle response and the results pretty much line up with the graph it came with, there is a gain in performance but it is barley noticeable! you really have to pay attention too notice it, the biggest thing i like about the kit is it really brought out the sound of the engine, it sounds very angry when you open the throttle enough, when i first drove it i was surprised with the deep roar when i got into tight traffic, sounds like a angry monster.

pictures later.

my primary concern when i did my reserch on these wires, would the stock ignition system like them, would they cause radio interfearence… then i did more reserch and found out lots of people with the 3800 engines are using them beacuse they are good plug wires, not only are they a much lower resistance than factory wires but they also seem too emit less magnetic pulses… they are about a millimeter thicker than the stock wires and are very durable, i had too build the wires myself but it was easy, the hardest part of the job was getting the factory wires off.

how well do the wires perform, the stock ignition system LOVES them, the engine purrs like a kitten, i have no misfire issues at all and i think the engine has just a hair more grunt… though i doubt these plugs add any more serious power, they sure spice up the under hood and make the engine run very smooth.

[URL=http://s49.photobucket.com/user/13aceofspades13/media/MSDplugwires.png.html][IMG]http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f261/13aceofspades13/MSDplugwires.png[/IMG][/URL]

i installed new AC Delco iridium plugs, as well as i did a complete oil change and switched too royal purple and the car seems too like that a little more than what was in it, i also had a Thrust Turbo Muffler installed, it looks close too the stock muffler though its not as big, it sounds really nice… its not loud, its very quiet just a little louder than the stock exhaust but what sound it does bring out most is the bassy Rumble and Burble at idle or when cruising at low idle down the road, very nice deep rich tone, and as crazy as it sounds after the muffler was installed the car felt a little quicker.

[URL=http://s49.photobucket.com/user/13aceofspades13/media/thrushturbomuffler.png.html][IMG]http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f261/13aceofspades13/thrushturbomuffler.png[/IMG][/URL]

i have just installed the 5.5 inch under drive water pump pulley buy ZZP and i am very pleased with it, kind of sceptical at first and concerned but after doing some thero testing things turned out well.

stock pully
[URL=http://s49.photobucket.com/user/13aceofspades13/media/stockwaterpumppulley.jpg.html][IMG]http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f261/13aceofspades13/stockwaterpumppulley.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

ZZP 5.5 inch under drive pully
[URL=http://s49.photobucket.com/user/13aceofspades13/media/ZZPwaterpumppully.jpg.html][IMG]http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f261/13aceofspades13/ZZPwaterpumppully.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
the ZZP Pulley is not only larger in diameter too reduce resistance from the water pump, but it is also made of billet aluminum and despite the fact it is larger than the stock steel pulley it is lighter.

COOLING
as soon as i had the part installed i ran the engine and had my scan tool plugged in too watch operating temperatures, at idle the car reaches 221 degrees and the fans kick on and temperature drops comfortably, it will do this until it reaches about 196 degrees and the cooling fans kick off, with the AC on it will stay at about 196 as the fans are constantly running too keep the condenser cool. during driving the temperature of the engine will fluxuate from 190 too 200 degrees, usually once again about 196, so it seems too be safe for the non supercharged 3800, i even performed a test for hot weather and draped a thick blanket over the grill of the car too limit some of the air flow too the radiator, and still it stayed at between 196-221 bouncing up and down comfortably as cooling fans kicked on and off at idle.

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
from a dead stop a little more pep is noted nothing ground breaking but it does feel a little more free, it does feel like a little less throttle is required too make the car roll, and does feel like it goes a little more when you give it gas, the biggest difference is felt when you really get on it and your passing someone on the highway, the pully really seems too free up power at the higher revs.

INSTALLATION
installation was easy, loosen the bolts holding the pulley too the pump with the belt on so it does not try spinning as you loosen, remove the belt from the water pump pulley, remove the four small bolts, 8MM head in size, remove the pulley, install the ZZP Pulley and put the bolts back in put the belt back on and snug the bolts up… there is still room for the tensioner too move, and belt tension is within spec not too tight, so you can run this pulley with the stock belt as ZZP already states.

Replaced the coolant elbows with aluminom units while doing a oil change and in the process discovered how difficult it was to re install the stock belt, so i also had a over sized belt installed. the stock belt size is something like 90.75 inches, since the 5.5 inch pulley takes a little bit more play out of the tensioner getting it stretched over that little more is difficult, getting the stock belt on proves frustrating.

the next size up is a 91.25 inch belt, and it fits wonderfully with the under drive water pump pulley, as if it was factory fit, i have posted the elbow replacement in the how too section.

http://www.ericthecarguy.com/kunena/10-Repair-Central-The-How-To-Forum/52567-3800-series-iii-n-a-coolant-elbow-replacement

i think the next thing up on the list is a set of ZZP intake runners for the intake plenum, you see the intake runners in the 3800 series III L-26 are long narrow runners that are made of plastic, and curve inward inside of the manifold plenum peace, this is awesome for low end torque but kills any sort of top end power, also in the bottom of the plenum is just a massive empty cave between the runners this causes a lot of turbulence,

the ZZP intake runners are slightly fatter and much shorter, and sort of fill in that bowled in area of the lower plenum to increase airflow.

i already have a 5.5 inch under drive water pump pulley, made a small difference.