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Oldsmobile Aurora: Modifications

tipsicobobtipsicobob Member Posts: 29
edited April 2014 in Oldsmobile
I just installed a spoiler on my 2001 aurora. It came prepainted (white diamond) from sportwing.com. The color matched perfectly and it is of very high quality. It totally changes the appearance of the car and I get numerous questions from other Aurora owners. It was relatively easy to install.
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Comments

  • delrickdelrick Member Posts: 105
  • tipsicobobtipsicobob Member Posts: 29
    It took me about an hour to install the spoiler. The instructions are very clear. The toughest part of the job is to make the outboard 2 attachments thru an access hole in the inner panel. Of course I dropped a screw between the inner and outer panel which I then had to painstakingly fish out with a magnet. If I had taken my time and used a magnetic nut driver to install the screw, it would not have fallen between the two panels. The rest is a piece of cake!
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Has anyone used a K&N air filter in their 4.0 Aurora? I was wondering if anyone had positive results (seat-of-the-pants or whatever) with it. I've used them on other cars with sucess but was wondering if the Aurora benefits from the breathing.

    It looks like the filter is the same as on some 3.1/3.4/3.8 liter GM motors. This would make me think better breathing would help since the 4.0 probably gulps more air than the 6-bangers. The filter is definitely the same as on the 3.5 Aurora, although perhaps the 3.5 just gets more air than it needs...
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    I noticed this company that makes a rear suspension add-on for Auroras. I don't know if anyone is interested in an air suspension for load-bolstering or anything, but I'll put it out there.


    http://airlift.r-catalog.com/listparts.asp?mmid=103181&fldnum=0&prod=3


    Summit Racing has it for less than the price advertised by the manufacturer.


    I believe the 2001-2002 Aurora has a load-leveling rear of sorts, although I'm not sure how it works (not by air, I believe).

  • shucknetshucknet Member Posts: 98
    Most Oldsmobiles have had air suspension for quite a while. All Auroras do. My Toronado does. The 1985 Regency I used to have did. It's pretty common because they can offer a smoother ride without having the headlights point to the sky with a full load.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Is that the buzzing sound when the Aurora is started up? It comes from the rear. I just figured it was the ABS self-testing. Why is there no attachment from the air pump for inflating things? That would be rather handy. Odd that they use an air rear for the Aurora as it is supposed to be more sporty. Air suspensions are softer, and allow for level loading, however they don't provide much stability in cornering. Thanks for the info. I had no idea. I wondered how they offered a "load-leveling" rear. The owner's manual and brochures make no mention of how this is executed.
  • campo57campo57 Member Posts: 94
    If the humming stops after a few seconds, you might also be hearing the fuel pump in the rear as they are now electric and almost always located in the gas tank.

    Campo57
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    I'm jumping here from the main board:

    Another difference between bolt-on superchargers and factory jobs is that the engine management is made to work with the charger. Most factory jobs have some means (through bleed-off or clutches on the blower) to essentially remove the boost in low-load conditions. This saves the constant stress on the engine of a boosted intake charge. If you've ever watched the boost gauge on a 3800 SC, it is usually around 0-1psi until you dig into it. Bolt-on superchargers usually have no way of doing this as the blower doesn't know if it's a light or heavy load without talking to the computer.

    Another cheap way to get some extra performance would be to try replacing your platinum plugs with something better. Usually platinum plugs don't give optimal performance. If you don't mind changing/checking plugs more often, you might get a boost from some AC Delco Rapidfires or Split-fires and maybe a less restrictive air filter.
  • tipsicobobtipsicobob Member Posts: 29
    The Aurora uses air shocks similar to millions of GM cars built over the last 30 years. It's very effective in that it not only levels the vehicle under load, but also raises the rear spring rate as the load goes up. The base suspension is tuned for the character of the car regardless of the air shocks--so there is no real inherent need to be floaty or mushy just because it has load leveling or air shocks.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    I found this company that performs mods to the Northstar and Aurora engines. It's not the slickest site I've seen, but check it out if you want.

    http://www.chrfab.com/index.htm
    And here is another Aurora mod site
    http://webhome.idirect.com/~rsm1/
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Does anyone use winter tires on their Aurora? I am thinking of getting a set from the Tire Rack. I drive my Aurora year-round, and I would like more security in bad weather, plus I don't want to mess up the wheels from salt or from smacking a curb. I was wondering what experience anyone else had with winter tires, or with all-season tires in the snow.
  • nne3jxcnne3jxc Member Posts: 134
    I used a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks on my Ford Probe GT. They changed the car from a no-go-in-the-snow, ice skate into a car that rivaled my Jeep Cherokee in the snow -- at least until the snow got as high as the front air dam. ;-)

    Seriously, the Blizzaks are an incredible product and really did make the Probe into a very road worthy snow and ice driver. The technology of the Blizzak uses a rubber compound that is actually able to grip ice (without studs). There was one time when I had to stop on a ice covered hill, and I was able to start back up the hill easily -- while the two Chevy 4x4s in front of me slipped sideways over the shoulder.

    if it turns out that my Aurora isn't good enough in the snow this year (my first winter with it), it too will feel the magic of Blizzaks!

    Jim C
  • nne3jxcnne3jxc Member Posts: 134
    I originally posted this on the Aurora Main Discussion board, but this is probably a better place -- maybe I'll get some more feedback here!

    Anyone here replaced the shocks and springs on a classic? I'd really like to make mine handle a little better. KYB makes a set of shocks for the fronts (it looks like you can't replace the rears?) and Eibach makes a set of springs that lower the car about an inch.

    It gets my goat that a friends 15 year old BMW 6-series with 180K miles can out-handle my car.

    Comments or experiences, anyone?
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    I replaced my stock shocks with the KYB's and put in thicker sway bars in the fon and back, These changes, along with Z rated tires improved the handling of the car. I would not recommend rplaceing th back shocks with anything but the Delco shocks if you are going to keep the load leveing system.

    If you are going to defeat the LLS in favor of better handleing, then ther are a number of options open to you. I was not willing to disable the LLS because it was a feature of the car that I like.

    Henri

    P.S. If you have other questions, talk to me on the main board, I rarly check this one.
  • shucknetshucknet Member Posts: 98
    Henry - where did you get the sway bars and KYBs? I need to replace my front struts anyways, so I'd just as well go with the KYBs. Also, what was the approximate cost?
  • nne3jxcnne3jxc Member Posts: 134
    Tirerack.com has the KYB GR-2 Shocks (actually struts)for the Aurora listed at $70 each.

    The Eibach spring set is $248.

    They don't seem to have the sway bars.

    PS: Thanks for your info, Henry. I tried searching for "shocks" but didn't find anything in the main board. weird....
  • shucknetshucknet Member Posts: 98
    Are the springs lower or just stiffer? I'm not sure I want to lower my car.
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    The springs lower the car. I do not think it is a good idea to lower a Classic. As it is that black air deflector will hit the ground without too much effort at all. It will definitly be a memory if you lower the car. I personally would not recommend it.

    The sawy bars are from the Cadillac and you can get them from your delaership. I have a 95 so I upgraded to the later year sway bars for the front and the Caddie bar for the back.
    I do believe if you look harder at the caddie line, you can find even thicker bars than the ones I brought for my Classic.
  • nne3jxcnne3jxc Member Posts: 134
    Henry brings up a good point about that front air deflector.

    The Eibach springs lower the Aurora about 1.3" in front and 1.0" in the rear.

    You'd have to be real careful with curbs, etc., but the extra stiffness of the springs might offset the problem of reduced clearance while driving due to eliminating some "bounce".

    I guess I'm gonna have to think more about the springs.

    Henry: about the Caddy sway bars -- I take it the sway bars are from the STS? How much did the dealer whack you for 'em?
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    I do not remember how much the bars costs, but it wasn't that much. the cost wan in the labor. Also, you will need to buy new bushings if you upgrade the bars.

    WHATEVER HAPPENED TO CORSA????

    Was the modification ever done???????
  • aurora50aurora50 Member Posts: 8
    Aurora Air Intake Mod. on 2001 or 02

    After seeing the post on the caddyinfo.com for AURORA AIR MODIFICATION and HP gain, I looked at mine and came up with the same end result but did it differently.

    I did not use the Dremmel tool because I did not want to disturb the factory set up. What I did was to remove on the top of air filter, front and back part, then on the front air intake, the plastic round piece that sticks out thru the front part of the fender where air enters the Air Intake system is removed.
    Then inside the air chamber,I set off to the side the Siemens aluminum box, it just slips out and over, then I remove to the side the plastic flexible tubing that houses the wires to the Siemens unit.

    Then I removed the round plastic horn looking thing that looks like a trumpet horn except it is that way on both ends. It is the path where the air goes in on the bottom side of air filter. Removing that, it clears the path.

    The hole at the front of the car is 3 1/2 inches round I believe where the air enters the air filter chamber. The slot at the back of the air chamber is square in shape. I needed something that would be flexible to accomodate both shapes and handle the air flow and heat of the engine.

    I decided to use(try) as an experiment- a flexible 4 inch piece of a Dryer exhaust heat hose. It is very flexible, has metal support rings that flex, it easy to manipulate and is cheap to purchase and handles heat well. I used a new piece from a 50 foot roll I used leftover from the laundry room. I had nothing to lose.

    It seems to work well. At the square end of the air chamber(back) with the tube will require a little shaping with your hands, the front end you have to do a little pulling thru the front fender hole but it can be done with folding the first 5 or 6 metal winds together longways and pulling it thru the front. It did take me 3 tries at it before I got it done as the plastic hose is durable but not indestructible. It may work better with a 3 1/2 inch hose for shaping.

    After I got it all in, I used Black Duct tape and wrapped all areas of the 4" dryer hose from the top as it is installed and used duct tape to seal the front and back of the supply tube and all edges for supports from all sides. Since the duct tape will not be exposed to the elements, I do not anticipate any major rot of the duct tape but will get a monthly inspection.

    Then re-install the Siemens unit and plastic flex hose back. The "weep" holes in the air chamber still exist for any moisture to escape.

    I know it sounds like a "rig deal" but seems to work well and it is cheap and easy to do WITHOUT DESTROYING the factory air filter chamber.
    FYI, I also installed the K&N Filter in it at a cost of $40 and change.

    Good Luck, good hunting and good fishing...

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Just post in one board or the other please. I hate getting faked out by two posts of the same message...

    :)
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    DITTO
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Anybody try any headlight bulb changes like PIAA or Catz bulbs? They are supposed to be brighter than stock without using more watts. Plus they have a whiter output. However, when they make those comparisons, it is to crappy halogen bulbs, not necessarily the factory bulbs in the Aurora (they might already be nice ones). Just wondering what sort of results anyone had.
  • rasmurymrasmurym Member Posts: 2
    I've gotten a great deal on a 400 watt inverter (12 VDC to 120 VAC converter), only $15 at SAM's Club.

    However, it's a nuisance permanently "connected" to the cigarette lighter or accessory power 'jack'. (It comes with post terminals and bracket for permanent mounting, electrically and physically.) Is there a way to wire this in using one of the "Unused" fuse connections? What would be the best way of wiring this in? I've thought of affixing it to the roof of the trunk just behind the rear seat, but I don't want to be too invasive.

    In summary, what's the best way to install this item, both physically and electrically. I want this to be integrated, but not invasive. (Sounds a little contradictory, doesn't it.)

    -Ryan
  • tipsicobobtipsicobob Member Posts: 29
    Be carefull with that "aluminum box". It's the powertrain computor. It is in the air intake system in order to stay cool--nor does it like to get wet. Years ago these used to be inside the vehicle but that entailed lots of wires passing through the firewall--plus there was no way to cool them--they generate a lot of heat these days!
  • shucknetshucknet Member Posts: 98
    Well, did a revised version of the airbox mod to my 98 this weekend. Man, do I love the sound the car makes now - it actually sounds like a V-8!

    Noticably more torque at highway speeds. I didn't try to spin the wheels cuz the Michelins are too expensive to burn like that =).

    All I did was remove the top (white) plastic piece and pull out the insert in the bottom which has that weird bottom piece and ducts air from the fender. I might do some cutting on that and put it back in just to get a better duct from the side fender - but so far the air temps seemed to be about the same.

    But, I was an idiot and forgot to hook the IAT sensor back up and my service engine light is now on. Hopefully that will clear itself in a day or so.

    Also installed a K&N airfilter at the same time. Had to leave off the gasket that it came with because the lid wouldn't latch with it installed.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Garnes, I checked out that picture of the 2001 on Caddyinfo. It looks pretty nice. The tips are pretty fat. I wonder if they look a bit too big from the rear view (I prefer subtlety in mods). Do you have any idea who's car it was, and what their results were with the Corsa system? I really think that the Corsa is one modification I might consider, provided it doesn't adversely affect cruising noise. I like the chrome tips that are on my car already, though. One of these days I'll have to take the airbox apart and have a look at it...
  • dwbeachdwbeach Member Posts: 7
    Has anyone installed the GM "Aurora" splash guards. My Oldmosbile dealer has them on sale for $ 15.00, per set.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    I have seen them. Let me know if you put them on. I sort of wonder if they would look ok. They have the little Aurora symbol on them, so I kind of think they will look a bit over-the-top. However, it would be nice if they work well. Do they require any holes to be put in the body?
  • tipsicobobtipsicobob Member Posts: 29
    I just put a set of Aurora guards on the front(2001)--I did have to do some drilling on the fender flange, but no problem. They look great--although mine say "aurora"--not the logo. As far as actualy helping mud splash, they tend to keep the dirt out of the door opening, but the mud still manages to swirl up right behind the flaps anyway.
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    That is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    1980's.

    Nuff said.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Aurora5000, I looked again at your post after checking out my car. I was wondering how you piped tubing from the airbox out to fresh air, but now I think I understand.

    What you did was all inside the airbox, correct? You essentially replaced the "trumpet" with dryer hose for more direct flow? The dryer hose goes from the front of the box back to the air filter? I have to say, if this is what you did it might cause the Siemens box to overheat. It is in the air chamber to keep cool. I thought you were trying to pipe air into the airbox, but it reads like this isn't what you did (i.e. the hose doesn't protrude out of the airbox).

    I am thinking of trying to run hose from the round opening in the airbox (in the front) down and in front of the A/C "radiator" (can't remeber the correct term... exchanger?) to either the driver's side "grill" by the fog light or to the open slots just below and between the headlights. This would allow air to still churn a bit in the airbox so that the PCM will get cooling, and it will allow cooler air (and possibly a little bit of force) to enter the airbox. The "trumpet" doesn't look like it would impede flow too much anyways, especially considering the airflow works on suction from the engine, not force from the outside. I'm surprised the airflow is as straight as it is considering how convoluted (and sealed) it sounds like it is on the earlier body style.

    Have you gotten a new MAF or modified your current one yet? The more I listen to my car, the less I think I want Corsa's. When you punch it, or even just lean into it, it already makes a nice (if a tad subdued) growl. I think it has enough of an aggressive tone for me. Plus, the cruise is sooo quiet. I guess the Corsa is appealing because it is different. But I really like it the way it is. I think Garnes made the right move by passing on it.
  • aurora5000aurora5000 Member Posts: 168
    Go to my profile, email me and I will send you photos this weekend if interested.
  • aurora5000aurora5000 Member Posts: 168
    Yes, just ran a direct line from outside box to below the K & N air filter.

    As far as the Siemenns unit overheating, I did look into that and it never got hot on me. Why? I believe it is protected from the rest of the engine, it is enclosed in a cool place, and it does not have a power supply to generate heat. If it did generate a great amount of heat, it would probably have heat syncs on it to dissapate the heat.

    My understanding that the reason the Siemenns unit was placed on the engine side of the car as opposed to earlier models is a problem of wires connecting thru firewall inside the car and space.(Read this on another board discussion).

    At one point, I had thought of doing the Air re-routing as you have but I felt like in wet weather that would not be good so I left it as is. On other cars that I have had, air intakes external of the engine were high off the ground but what you have said has given me an idea to check into...more later..

    As far as air flow, I guess you could cut out the air passage on the side closest to the Siemenns unit or make the dryer hose a two piece unit at front and back or make it one piece as the trumpet is leaving it open at both ends, or totally removing the trumpet and dryer hose and just leaving the area open.

    The airflow is a straight shot. The others must be different. Probably not going to mess with MAF until I get more info.

    I like a quiet sounding car too, just hoping for a little more freeflow.

    Let me know how it all works out.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    It doesn't have heat sinks. Perhaps it doesn't get that hot. I still don't think I will mess with the trumpet, though. I just don't see it making much difference. You can send me your pictures at aurora402002@yahoo.com and I will put them on my website in case anyone else wants to see them.

    I took another look at the cold-air induction possibility. I have to say, it looks good. I noticed the foam pads around my radiator/ac exchanger (what's it really called??) were not lined up properly at all. It is real hard to get to them, but I found the small grills by the foglights (look at the front pic of my car) are easily removed. This made it easy to adjust the foam (if you look at the picture of the front of my car on my website, you can even see the foam on the passenger side hanging in front of the little grill, it was so out of place). The foam is important to direct air into the radiator. Anyways, the blocked off part of the small grill could easily have a hole cut in it to house CAI tubing. This could then run up to the hole in the front of the airbox. It wouldn't even interfere with the radiator or engine airflow. I need to find some ducting that is smaller than 4" dryer hose, though. something in the 2-3" range, and preferrably not aluminum. I'll see how much a new grill costs before I chop mine up. I will try to post a front picture with the foam and possible CAI locations marked.
  • javidoggjavidogg Member Posts: 366
    It looks pretty tight in there to change or modify your headlights, any one have any ideas on this matter, I just recently bought my 1999 Aurora, and that's one thing that I want to upgrade, but it seems to hard to get in there. I'm still waiting for my owners manual from the dealer where I purchased my Aurora to see if it explains on how to change the headlights. Another question for you all is, Has anyone experience any problems when replacing your stock non Bose system for an aftermarket radio, for example after hooking up the aftermarket radio you loose the controls on your steering wheel like the volume, program buttons, and the AC and Heat and Fan controls too? According to Crutchfiled.com they told me that they have a separate wiring harness just for the steering wheel controls, I'm still devating if I should dishout $70 dollars for that harness, for now I'm cool with my Kenwood eXcelon KDX817. So any input on this is greatly appreciated. Peace.
  • gisomgisom Member Posts: 144
    If you want to use the controls on the steering wheel, you will need to get the harness. I paid 80 for it to hook up a changer in the trunk.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Well, I ordered a replacement for the little grill piece in front. It was $18, and should be in sometime during the week. I guess I am going to try to make a CAI for the car. I haven't found any suitable tubing yet. What I've found at hardware stores is too thick and hard to bend. I thought about PVC (I like that the interior is smooth), but it is sooo heavy, and way thicker than it needs to be. I will try looking online to see if I can find any flexible pipe. I want it to be a well-finished job. I am thinking I could put a valve in the air tubing so that if the front of the tube got blocked it would just pull through the valve (like an anti-drainback valve). Although really, if standing water came that high it would probably block the exhaust pipes and stall the car anyways.
  • aurora5000aurora5000 Member Posts: 168
    You can probably find the plastic air tubing at Pep Boys. That is where I found mine but it won't be out on display, you have to ask for it and then go to the back where it is and look at it all and decide what works best for your application. I used a piece that was 32" long and 3 1/8" diameter width plastic with support rings and a plastic clamp on each end. You also have to figure out how to mount to your grille.
    Steve
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    I think I'd like to find some rigid plastic. Something with thinner walls (and cheaper) than PVC, though. More like the plastic tubing on some leaf blowers (the ones without the reinforcing ribs). Plastic hoses will not have a smooth interior, so air won't flow as well and junk might collect in the ribs. Also, plastic would be easier to attach a little bypass valve into. I will probably permanently attach a peice of tubing to the little grill with RTV or a glue gun or something. Then the rest will just slide together, and maybe have some clamps. I'd rather not tape anything if I can because after time it leaves such a gross goo when you remove it. Also, there isn't a Pep Boys within about 30 miles of my house...
  • seth042280seth042280 Member Posts: 65
    I talked to the owner and he said that he was seriously thinking about making headers for the sts which would definately work but he said first they will start with their sand buggies . I have taken the air horn out of the box and also cut the hole bigger and i am about to take the air reservoir off and plug it . the throttle body is going to take some saving . however on exhaust i am done . i put a high flow cat on and cut out the resonator . Also i have replaced all of the stock pipe with 3 inch pipe and I have flow masters . It really sounds great . after I take the reservoir off i am going to get dyno . thanks for the tips . I had already taken off the air horn in the bottom . but you gave me a great idea about making the hole bigger .
  • nne3jxcnne3jxc Member Posts: 134
    I finally made a couple of upgrades to my 70,000 mile 1995 (w/autobahn), and wanted to let you all know the results.

    I put a set of Dunlop SP Sport A2 tires on about 3 weeks ago and KYB GR-2 struts in the front last week.

    The previous tires were Goodyear Eagle GA's and (original?) struts.

    The GA's were well worn, but not dead. I never liked them though, since they would lose traction on a dry road and were a nightmare in the rain. The struts were very soft causing the car to float and bob as it went over dips and humps in the road. It had a lot of body lean in corners.

    After replacing the tires (before replacing the struts) I noticed a huge difference in grip. The car feels much more sure footed when pushing it through a corner at higher speeds. Body movement is somewhat excessive, but the tires stick even so. The steering feels a little more firm due to (probably) a higher rolling resistance with the A2's, but is more easily modulated and controlled. The tires return good road feel through the steering wheel.

    After adding the KYB struts, the ride has changed significantly. The body roll has been dampened as well as the disconcerting "float" of the front end over rises/dips in the road. The body stays more level and gives a greater sense of confidence while maintaining a comfortable, even ride.

    I bought the tires from Tirerack.com for $88 each and the struts were $100 a piece via my mechanic. (If you can do struts yourself, you can get them for $70 each from Tirerack -- about the best price I've seen.)

    Overall verdict: Well worth it. The tires are fantastic and the struts dampened the body movement enough to be sporty without losing the luxury aspects of the ride. (For what it's worth -- having not driven any other Auroras, I'm comparing to the handling of a friend's 6-series BMW as my "baseline.")
  • rocket3_50rocket3_50 Member Posts: 42
    Just to reinforce your decision to avoid PVC tubing - - I think the strength and stiffness of PVC is greatly reduced at temperatures of 140F and above. At those temperatures the tubing starts to sag, and eventually it loses structural integrity with increasing temperature. Other plastic tubings (HDPE, for example) have higher melt temperatures, so I think you'll be able to find a substitute.

    Ken
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Even though I didn't do anything. :) I got some 4" dryer hose from a friend (the old plastic kind, not the new aluminum kind). It is waaayyyy too big. It's real tight between the A/C condensor and the body. I think the 2 1/2" hose for shop vacs is my new best bet. I'll go get some from Lowe's sometime. I noticed the foam got pushed around again. Not like when the car was delivered, but not where it belongs. I can't help but think that if it was done right at the factory (when the glue was more sticky) that it would stay put better. Still, even where it got pushed to it would help keep air from flowing around the radiator.

    Garnes, what's holding you up with your 17" wheel swap? I meant to ask that before. Are you waiting to use up the current tires? That should look pretty nice.

    Oh, from the service manual, it seems GM uses Sylvania light bulbs. So, if you used something like their Silver Star, and they show it to be brighter than their regular halogen bulb, you ought to notice a difference. This is nice because otherwise the aftermarket claims of "30% brighter" are meaningless since you don't know what the heck they use as a baseline.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Ok, I bought 2 1/2" shop vac hose. It's about 6' long. I think it will actually be able to run to the airbox around where the fog light is. This means it won't be near the radiator. I am taking it to the dealer next week for a tranny shift issue, so I will wait until after that. Plus, I can ask how to remove the air deflector. The service manual shows to remove the retainers, but they aren't screws. They are some kind of plastic push retainer. I have no idea how to remove them, or if they can be reused. Once that is out of the way (this has to be done to service the fog lights too) it should be pretty easy to run the hose to the airbox.

    Last time I was at Lowe's, they had a 4" to 2 1/2" convertor, and I thought that would be perfect for the inlet to the hose. It would help the air get pushed in more. They didn't have one anymore today when I bought the stuff, so I bought a 6"x4" attachment for vacuuming carpet or whatever. Unfortunately it is a bit too big to fit on the side grill piece. I could try to trim it some, or just look around more for the 4" to 2 1/2" thing. The only thing with the 4-2 1/2 was that it wasn't tapered at all. It was like a 4" cylinder with a 2 1/2" cylinder on it. The 6x4 is tapered, and gives the hose connection a small upturn which I thought might be good for preventing water entry.

    Since I wonder if the 2 1/2" size might be too small, I have thought about just placing the hose in front of, and pointed at, the airbox entrance. This way, it would blow some cooler air around the entrance at speed (thus cooling the intake air some), but it wouldn't restrict the airbox's flow by narrowing it's entry size. Any thoughts on this? It looks like the airbox entrance is about 3", or maybe a tad bigger (like 3 1/8" or something). However, it's pretty hard to get to in order to measure. Once I get the deflector off, it will be somewhat easier to tell.

    What sort of intake size does anyone think the engine would really need? I mean, the airbox itself is somewhat restrictive in the first place. I wonder if the hose would make that worse...
  • cwiley1cwiley1 Member Posts: 82
    rjs200240
    The retainers you are talking about, you pull the nut like end down and the whole retainer then comes out. It the retainer doesn't break you can reuse them. When you push the retainer back in it expands so it won't fall out and hold the shield in place. Anyway that's the way they work on my '95 an '97. Hope this is of some help.
  • aurora5000aurora5000 Member Posts: 168
    The hose I used on the box is a 3-1/4" X 36" and it was a very tight fit OVER the outside of the horn going into the air box and had to use WD to get it on. To make it work for me, I had to cut off the flaired part of the horn thing going into the box and putting hose around the outside that sticks out. With your 2-1/2" hose, it should fit great going INSIDE the entrance to air box.
    If you have to remove the flaired horn on the outside of the air box, it is a real bugar to remove AND to put back on. Just a heads up. I suggest you remove your headlight assy. on that side to see what you are doing. Two bolts and it is out. My CAI is working GREAT. Good luck with your approach.
    Steve
  • gisomgisom Member Posts: 144
    are removed with pliers or a very small screwdriver. If you use pliers, just grab head on retainer and pull out.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Actually, I wish there were two (or more) replies on thoughts about the tubing, and one on getting the retainers out. I'm not as concerned about the retainers as the tubing size. Thanks Aurora5000, knowing the entrance is smaller than 3 1/4" is helpful. I did remove the headlight assy, and it helps a little. Mainly, it helps access way over to the right. Unfortunately that panel behind it is still in the way a fair amount. It looks like I'd have to take the front all apart to move that thing. I'm not going to remove the flaired entrance tube if I don't have to. My biggest objective is to not make any permanent changes. The only car piece that will get changed is the inlet grill, but I bought another one to cut up.

    Thanks for the replies on the retainers too, though! I actually noticed in the Service Manual that there is a tool for the retainers. It isn't at the start of the air deflector procedure, but rather about three procedures closer to the front. I guess they just list it once, and then all the procedures that use it follow. I'm still going to wait until after the dealer so that 1) they don't see it and 2) I can get a few extra retainers in case they all snap... I will see how much the tool costs, and maybe buy it. It's J36346 if anyone cares...
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