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I just purchased a 1982 corvette. The owner before me took off the air induction system off the inside of the hood with includes the ducting, flapper door and actuator. I found a used complete induction set up on line and want to put it back on the car so it will work as original. My questions is, the actuator for the door is electric. Where specifically do I hook the electrical for the actuator. I think the door is supposed to open up as you step on the gas so I'm sure that it must be hooked into the wiring harness that relates to the accelerator. If anybody know please let me know.
That "ram air" door thing was more of a sales gimmick than anything else. While there is a measurable increase in air pressure at that entry point, it is miniscule, at best. You will not notice any difference in performance with or without it. There is nothing wrong with getting the parts and hooking it up either. There just isn't any "bang for the buck".
One more question regarding the intake door. I know the door acutator hooks to power to open and close the intake door. My question is, is the door supposed to open and close as the accelerator is pressed up and down like on vacuum operated ram air systems or does the door simply open once you start the car and close when you turn the car off? Of course the second way would be the easiest since I would only need to get switched iginition power to it. I know I will not get anymore power out of the car but I kind of dig getting things to work like they did from the factory. It's kind of cool to see the neat gimicks GM used to come up with even if was only for show. If I wanted real power out of a late model C3 vette, I would just do a complete power train swap.
On earlier years (probably the same, though), the inlet door opened only under WOT condition. I think a kickdown switch was used to downshift the tranny and open the inlet door.
There is a relay on the right side of the firewall in the engine compartment. This relay is activated through grounding by the ECM (computer) at wide open throttle and only with ignition on. So no connection to the accelerator pedal! The relay itself powers the door actuator in the hood.
You can test the relay by grounding the diagnostic terminal which is under the ashtray:
The diagnostic terminal has 12 connectors, most probably only seven of them are connected. Two rows with six pins each. On one side there is a nose in the middle on the connector. On the row with the nose on it short the two pins on the right side (first and second one, also called A and B) with ignition on and the relay should activate if it is good. With an activated relay the connected door activator should open the door then.
Hope I didn´t confuse you. And sorry don´t have pics on hand.