Home Depot --err Lowe's Intake Mod

I replaced the "first base" intake baffle with a homemade intake
duct. Check out this link:

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I built the PVC pipe "Alternative Intake" after reading about it. Took $15 and
a trip to Lowe's. I used black bumper trim paint on mine. Came out great!
Don't know if it adds any performance but it sure lets you see more of the
engine and looks pretty stock.

A tip if you go to build this yourself. I went to Home Depot first, and their
45-degree PVC pipes have lots of molded-in markings, words, and "lumps". Went
to Lowe's and their pipes are much smoother and have much less markings on them.
Use those, they look MUCH better.

Will get pics posted soon.

Here's the pics. Now I just need to do the Corvette fuel rail covers and get rid of the Home Plate baffle. Please excuse how dirty it is. It's rained the past two weeks. Will detail under the hood when I do the Vette rails.

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Looks good! I have been meaning to do this on my Caprice, but making it run right is a priority. Damn, thats a dirty engine bay? Looks spotless compared to mine!

Took a trip to lowes and got almost everything I needed. What is the secret to getting 3" of pipe to join the 2 elbows without buying 10ft of it?

Go find a plumber, plumbing contractor, or a mechanical contractor at a job site, plumbing store, or at there place of business. I'm sure they would give you a small piece of 3" pvc out of the trash, you only need like 2".

For a cleaner look (IMO) use a Proflex coupling instead of a 3" "Fernco" for connecting the stock air box to the 3" pvc 1st base delete. These tend to be more of a commercial use coupling, I do not know if HD or Lowes sells them, but I do know that Ferguson carries them in stock. You would be looking for Proflex (made by Fernco) pn# 3000-33 (3" cast iron pipe to 3" plastic).

The Proflex coupling is the one that is connecting the 3" elbow to the MAF.

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Not sure if your mod would work with the engine driven fan, but if you don't have a tow package that's a really clean looking mod in the above pic!

As for the pipe to join the 45-degree elbows, Lowe's had a short coupler in a box near the elbows. Was $3. Turned out it was still too long and I have to hack saw it to make it shorter. Not a big job at all.

Good luck and post pics with your mods!

-Mike

81X11 wrote:

Here's the pics. Now I just need to do the Corvette fuel rail covers and get rid of the Home Plate baffle. Please excuse how dirty it is. It's rained the past two weeks. Will detail under the hood when I do the Vette rails.

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We had a discussion yesterday on the ImpalaSS Forum; You could, apparently, leave the Home Plate in place but block it off to get the lower intake interference (ie, better horsepower) and still cover up the mess. I haven't done it yet, but I think I cut a round piece of wood, stick it in the hole, and hold it in place with a couple of sheet metal screws. So, your engine will look fairly stock.

My setup, so far, still have to close off the filter.

Now this is a DIRTY engine.....

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94Woody wrote:

My setup, so far, still have to close off the filter.

Now this is a DIRTY engine.....

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Yep that intake looks familier!

I really like your aluminum intake elbow. That's sharp! I ended up using a Camaro one to get rid of the Home Plate baffle on top of the engine.

Dyno tests have shown that removing the sound baffle called home plate actually reduces horsepower by a couple HP. You'd never notice the loss by removing it, especially since the motor SOUNDS faster once it's gone.

You can block it off with lots of things from around the house, including the lid from a jar of JIF peanut butter.

I just really like how it looks without it, easpecially since adding the Vette rail covers.

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Oh, I do too. I'm just saying that it's not a performance improvement.

[quote="81X11"]

94Woody wrote:

My setup, so far, still have to close off the filter.

Now this is a DIRTY engine.....



Yep that intake looks familier!

I really like your aluminum intake elbow. That's sharp! I ended up using a Camaro one to get rid of the Home Plate baffle on top of the engine.

Thanks, I should have used the Camaro elbow as well. The couplers that came with the eBay elbow were useless, that required another trip to the store.

Someone just posted a nearly-new K&N FIPK intake kit on Craigslist, and I just bought it.    He'd had it on a 1995 Fleetwood but put it back to stock when he recently sold it, and kept the K&N.   He's decided he isn't getting another B-Body anytime soon, so posted it.   Said he only used it for 5K miles.  

SO we'll see.   I don't know if it'll make a performance difference, but it will change the look under my hood a bit.  

The Home Depot PVC elbow is coming off.   We'll see!

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I personally don't like air filter oil on my MAF sensor.

We shall see!

Mike, I have that setup on my Caprice (came with it). It's very nice BUT...I would save up and buy an AEM dry cone filter (you can wash it and it is reusable!). That K&N oiled one makes quite a mess under your hood! If you are anything like me....it will drive you nuts cleaning the oil residue off the headlight, horns rad support, MAF...

Chris

Now you need a Camaro linkage cover to tidy up that area. I have a couple for sale.

All good points, thanks! Little-by-little!

-Mike

Ten nyears later, the Impala Club is defunct, and the link goes nowheres, making this a little difficult to review, but the photos are still here, so's I could probably figure this out.
Thanks!

You can get aluminum tubes or connectors, and silicone elbows on ebay that will last longer, and look better. Price is a little more, but worth the difference.

Stay with the stock intake unless you or a tuner can recalibrate your MAF tables in the PCM. The stock intake is well designed.

Well designed but ugly as sin and nonexistent on some other LT1 cars.

Sorry but it’s the first thing I get rid of it when I get an LT1 wagon.