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LT1 Intake|Official List

37K views 43 replies 8 participants last post by  CamaroFam 
#1 ·
This is a write up for different modifications that LT1 owners can do to their air intake. As we all know, the stock intake on the 91-96 Impala SS/ Caprice/ Roadmaster is very restrictive. These modifications will help your LT1 breathe a little better. This should hopefully give it some added power, better throttle response, and maybe some extra MPG's (although who really cares?:biggrin:).

AFTERMARKET INTAKE SYSTEMS

1. RAISS Intake (Street Trends) - IMAGE
---> This is by far the most popular after market intake system for b-body owners. It is a step above the SSRI intake from Clear Image Automotive. It comes in three options:

Raw ($359) - RAISS Air Intake System: Raw: Impala & Caprice Store

Black ($409) - RAISS Air Intake System: Black: Impala & Caprice Store

Polished ($439) - RAISS Air Intake System: Silver: Impala & Caprice Store


2. SSRI Intake (Clear Image Automotive) - IMAGE
---> The SSRI Intake is much like the RAISS intake, but has weather stripping that extends across the width of the engine bay, and uses plexi-glass walls to get as much airflow into the filter as possible.

SSRI Intake ($285) - High Performance Exhaust Systems - Chevy Impala SS Cold Air Intake


3. K&N FIPK2 Cold Air Intake (Street Trends) - IMAGE
---> K&N is the oldest and most trusted brand of cold air intake systems. This system replaces the air box and "first base" in order to utilize the stock air filter location. If you are interested in removing the "Home Plate" as well, you will need a plug: Aluminum Resonator Tube Plug - Polished

K&N FIPK2 CAI ($259) - K&N FIPK2 Cold Air Intake: Impala & Caprice Store


4. RAMMIT Intake (...ramairss...) - IMAGE
---> The RAMMIT Intake system is (IMO) the most unique system offered. This intake system routes the intake to underneath the front bumper, insuring the coldest air possible.

RASS Intake ($275) - . . . r a m a i r s s . . .


CUSTOM INTAKE MODIFICATIONS
For those of us who are unable to afford the multi-hundred dollar intake systems, there are a few other options that we can use to improve performance.

1. "SNUB-NOSE" Intake - IMAGE
---> There are many different ways of making a "snub-nose" intake, although there are a few common items you will need to begin:

FERNCO Coupler ($8.52) - Fernco P1056-43 Concentric Coupling at PlumberSurplus.com

Universal 3" Cone Air Filter ($30) - Spectre Performance

Using these two items, you can bolt the FERNCO coupler to the throttle body and then to the MAF. At first it looks like it won't fit, but TRUST ME it will contract down to the proper size. After this step, you should connect the Cone filter to the MAF. Something to note, you will have to drill two different holes into the sides of the FERNCO coupler in order to input the other sensors. This shouldn't be a problem. Once done you have a choice to make! You have the option to remove the weather stripping on the underside of the hood or not. This will improve air flow to the intake, but may allow other elements (such as rain) to find its way to the cone filter. If this is a concern, feel free to purchase the K&N Drycharger (available on Amazon.com).


2. "S-Bend" Intake (QaloSS Handbook - Page 13) - IMAGE
---> The S-Bend Intake is designed to be a cheap replacement for the "first-base" air box. The air box remains in its stock location, and the option to use the home plate or plug it up remains available.

S-Bend Intake (~$10) - http://www.impalaclub.com/naisso/ss_handbook.pdf


3. Swiss Cheese AirBox - IMAGE
---> This is a simple modification for those who want to keep their stock air box, but have a little more airflow. The process of this is removing the top of the air box, the filter, and finally the bottom piece of the air box. Once it's taken out of the engine bay, you can drill holes into the bottom piece. This should allow some more flow into the filter, which may add a slight increase in performance. Once done, re-install and you're done!


4. Other Modifications
---> There are other modifications you can do to help improve airflow to your intake manifold. These are items you can use to either slightly improve, or dramatically improve airflow. The links provided are not ALL the items available per category. They are just a good place for you to start and compare to.

Intake manifolds - IMAGE
A. Edelbrock 7109 ($509.95) - Edelbrock 7109 - Edelbrock Performer RPM Air-Gap LT1/LT4 Intake Manifolds - Overview - SummitRacing.com
B. Edelbrock 7107 ($449.95) - Edelbrock 7107 - Edelbrock Performer RPM Air-Gap LT1/LT4 Intake Manifolds - Overview - SummitRacing.com

Throttle Bodies (58mm) - IMAGE
---> GM High Tech Performance Article.
A. Professional Prod. 69702 GM LT1 58 mm Throttle Body ($225) - Professional Prod. 69702 GM LT1 58 mm Throttle Body
B. 58MM TWIN THROTTLE BODY ($365.95) - EDELBROCK 3810 58MM TWIN THROTTLE BODY $365.95 BUY ONLINE

Mass Air Flow Sensors - IMAGE
---> Another way to improve performance is to upgrade to a different MAF. You can either get one without a screen (below) or go for a bigger one (3.5"). Here is a good place to start:
A. Granatelli 350000 ($76.99) - Granatelli 350000 Granatelli Hi-Flow MAF Housing

Air Filter Replacements - IMAGE
--->If you're not interested in doing any major modification under the hood, there are performance based air filters that will fit right into the stock air box.
A. Spectre hpR® Performance OEM Filter Element ($24.99) - Buy Spectre hpR® Performance OEM Filter Element 886479 at Advance Auto Parts
B. K&N Panel Type Open Top Cotton Gauze Air Filter ($52.99) - Buy K&N Panel Type Open Top Cotton Gauze Air Filter 33-2057 at Advance Auto Parts


There will never be an end to this list! Owners and fanatics will always be finding new and unique ways to customize their intake. Please post your comments, questions, advice, pictures, and experiences on this thread. I hope this list helps!

Evan|IMPALER​
 
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#2 · (Edited)
hell for the swiss cheese you don't have to just drill holes in it, you can cut the whole damn bottom piece off.

This is what Cory did for one of his. Mine isn't quite so radical, but pretty much the entire side is gone, and there are some holes in front.
Also, according to Dwayne the Edelbrock intake is actually worse than stock.
 
#4 ·
Also, Dwayne says that the stock TB will flow plenty of air as-is, and an upgrade isn't necessary unless you have done some other serious mods first. Same goes for MAF.
 
#7 ·
Are you interested in knowing half what you posted is garbage, the Granatelli MAF is a problem causer, the Edelbrock intakes are a joke. The Ramit sucks up water,one guy even had it suck up so much the block was ruined though most it just stalls out and needs the plugs pulled engine cranked over to clear the water and the oil changed, then the guys that actually like it still have problems with the scoop breaking when entering steep parking lots like gas stations..

I am all for listing all the options, just the bad ones need to be flagged as such.
 
#8 ·
I knew about the problems with the RAMMIT, but it's just as easy to look at the reviews. And like you said there were people that liked it, there's not always just one review that defines a user's experience. Also I posted the MAF and intake manifolds on there as a reference point, and I'm pretty sure I pointed that out. If you really have an issue with this list then please take it up with an admin and have it fixed, or fix it yourself and note the changes if it's allowed as a moderator. Only trying to help others know what's out there.
 
#9 ·
Like I said I think it is good to have a COMPLETE list, and was not suggesting you actually edit anything. Just wanted to know if you were open to discussion about the good and bad. If you had expressed a wish to only have options listed without discussion of merit I would have deleted my post.
 
#10 ·
No man I appreciate your info on the MAF and manifolds. I didn't know they were bad. Just got a little defensive over saying half of it is garbage and then stating three things. No big deal though :icon_thumright:. Also, if you know of better ones please post links so others can know what other options are out there. Most people, including myself, don't know everything about this stuff.
 
#11 ·
Disclaimer
My opinions are NOT generally popular, they upset a lot of folks. IMO though my results suggest my opinions differing from the norm serves me well.

Aftermarket "performance" MAFs generally "function" by under reporting airflow to the pcm in an effort to lean out overly rich factory programming. Lying to the pcm about critical information is not a good idea, about the best case with them is they are hard to tune for or the pcm sees the leaning out and learns it and richens the mix defeating it, more often though they endup causing problems and dieing.

The Edelcrap stuff is so bad even the magazines struggle to put a good spin on it.
Edelbrock RPM Air Gap LT1 Intake Manifold Testing - GM High-Tech Performance
Edelbrock LT1 Cylinder Head, Cam And Intake Manifold Test - GM High-Tech Performance
They try to put a possible explanation out there but keep in mind, they get paid by advertisers, if they just hung Edelbrock out to dry on this like the data suggests they should have it would not sit well with any aftermarket company trying to advertise with them.
A good ported LT1 heads and cam setup with as cast stock intake makes more power at the tire than this crap musters at the flywheel.

Also notice they did not test the stock intake with the 52mm TB or should I say did not PUBLISH. I would bet they tested it but it beat out the Edelbrock intake and TB.

Also let me be clear, I do not like magazine articles in my opinion they rarely test worthwhile parts and often test in such a way to make the advertisers look good, there was just no way to polish this turd.
For comparison here is what a top notch ported LT1 heads and intake setup with admittedly more cam will do at the TIRES.
LS1TECH - View Single Post - Ai 200cc CNC H/C Dyno, A4, 425rwhp Pat really knows how to dial a setup in and has made his car go 10s with this. It is the same setup I have engine wise but mine is a much more street oriented car and not so refined.
flywheel to rear wheel losses with the automatic seem to range from 18-25% depending on a few factors not the least of which is integrity of the dyno shop. Even at a low figure of 18% loss this setup is making solidly over 500fwhp for the same money as the Edelbrock stuff.

You have to be VERY careful with aftermarket parts there is some great stuff out there and some stuff designed strictly to con you out of money.

Far as folks being happy with the Ramit, IMO a lot of times people are "happy" with bad parts simply because their ego wont allow them to admit the mistake.

Parts like the K&N intake kit while not a good value do serve some purpose as "emissions legal" parts for those who have to pass inspection, the same result can be had with one of the DIY intakes listed in the "custom intake modification" section.

I have a RAISS I bought used and at the level I am at found a single filter to be a restriction and had to put a "Y" pipe on and run dual filters.

ALL the aftermarket TBs require some modification to work right they do not handle the Idle Air Control circuit properly as they all lack the bypass hole and many do not seal the system to the EGR distribution passages in the inderside of the intake. For a mild setup a rebored stocker to 52 or 54mm is an easy way to have a properly functioning piece without further modification.
 
#14 ·
That actually brings up another way the aftermarket cons people out of money. At one time there was an infomercial for the Tornado with a 90s Impala SS as the test car. The dyno readout was right in front of the "operator" and he held back in the before test, then in the after installation test let the car make full power which was exactly what we expect to see from a stock LT1 b-body. To someone who didn't already know the car should make about 220rwhp and who hasn't been around a dyno before the test looks good. To those of us more experienced we can see exactly how he rigged it.
 
#18 ·
nice, I got that same link in my sig.
 
#20 ·
Really depends how far you want to go. I mean for say up through a cam only setup I would probably just keep the "sewer pipe" or s-bend setup.

Beyond that I don't think there is a real difference between the SSRI and RAISS other than maybe the RAISS is easier to get dual or a larger filter in. Another part of why I choose a dual filter setup is when I used a single filter with the inverted cone filter in the tip it messed up my MAF readings because the inverted cone was too close to the MAF. Going dual with the y-pipe got the filters away from the MAF and stabilized airflow reading under high demand.
 
#21 ·
Where did you purchase your y-pipe from? Prices and quality vary, streettrends has one for like $400 and ebay has a system for around $30 so I'm curious as to where you purchased it from.

I'm curious cause right now i'm running a snubnose with an inverted cone.
 
#22 ·
I bought a really cheap POS on ebay sold as a C5 intake. A quick search on ebay shows prices have gone up. The filters are cheap ones that came with, the chrome is poor quality.

If I had it to do over I know a guy who is amazing with a TIG and I would just buy some aluminum tube and have him weld it up.
The guy is very good because he does food grade plumbing, welds inside need to be about indistinguishable from the tube so that there are no pores for bacterial to grow in, granted that is stainless but TIG skills are TIG skills and I have seen some of his aluminum work.
 
#23 ·
Hmmm... a custom made one isn't a bad idea. Here's another question, hopefully in your domain of expertise. With the filter being so close to the intake, would it be worth coating it to keep the air as cold as possible? Cost wise I'm not sure if it'd be worth it.
 
#24 ·
I am running the y-pipe inside the RAISS.

The RAISS keeps the hot air away from the pipe anyway.
IMO I do not think coating the RAISS would be a good way to spend money. I suppose there is some chance it would make a slight difference for the first second or two of a drag race but after that there is so much air moving on both sides of the RAISS I can't see it being a big deal. This is one of the bench racing sales points for the SSRI though, it being plastic it would insulate better, might be harder to get dual filters into though and cracking is a possibility.

Far as cost/benefit it drives me wild to see people "save" a few hundred dollars buying a product they often admit is second rate only to then turn around and waste $1000 on things that wont really help when $300 more on the first item would have gotten them TOP notch would have netted them a bigger gain.

There are a lot of things many consider necessary I don't have, I have spent good money on some key things and held back on other items to get my better than average results. There are also things I have done that I did just because my car was top of the heap and I wanted the extra .1 but would not suggest everyone go do it. So please ask questions about what I would do again not just copy what I have, if I can help you improve on what I did or save a buck and get the same result that would be great.
 
#26 ·
I don't know they were just whatever came with the y-pipe.
I didn't replace them partially because I figured with two of them it wasn't sucking on them too hard.

I honestly always wanted to try and get a big paper panel in there somehow. Gauze filters despite the marketing behind them do NOT filter well.
 
#28 ·
Couldn't you build a sheet metal plate to cover over the main intake area with a couple cutouts for standard paper filters? I could have sworn I'd seen that before...
 
#29 ·
You would have to seal the plumbing coming in as well as it is a slightly oversized hole the MAF just sticks through. It wouldn't be rocket science to figure it out I just didn't put forth the time and don't have much fabrication equipment YET.
 
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