You never even installed it...

Trouble-shooting sucks no matter the manifold. Let's keep this on topic...

You can also try smoking a cigar and blowing it into the manifold through a tube in one of the holes. The smoke should come out from the leak. Or use a smoke machine to do the same thing or use it to make a lot of smoke around the manifold then start the car, this should also flush out the leak. I like these more than the starter fluid as it is a lot less dangerous!

 

I had major vacuum leaks with my super ram. I had to remove it 3 times. I had to get a new lid. The first one was bent and leaked. The plenum bolts did not line up with the runners. Two bolts went in at an angle. I had to drill and tap them. My super ram was poorly manufactured. I had to use copper gasket sealant to fix all the leaks. On the third attempt all worked well. I installed a 52 mm TB and 1.6 RRs. I got a custom chip and WOW what a major improvement. The super ram is an excellent intake when installed properly.

 

well since the installation of this intake is one of the hardest, the vacuum leak just sounded right, but i do get what your saying tequilaboy, that car has dead spots all through, it feels like it just is reving and not pulling, and its nothing wrong with the tranny, im still going to use some starting fluid and spray the mating surfaces to see if it bogs, and also i think i need to play with the timing and fuel pressure...

 

I would also consider looking at the tune (blm etc.)through some scanning.

 

well i want to thank everyone for the suggestions and advice, unfortunatly im not going to be able to diagnose it until mid week, due to rainy weather and the holiday but ill update whenever i get to it, hope everyone has a merry christmas...thanks again

 

i have a strong feeling im going to have to pull the intake and reassemble, if so can anyone reccomend a efficent and easier way to install the intake in order to get all the runner to plenum bolts tight to seal properly...thanks

 

I believe tequilaboy and mseven have given the best advise so far. All is true what tequilaboy has stated. A scan will show you where the problem might be. A Dyno tune would be best.

 

I tried that. My 88 with super ram and 24 lb injectors runs best at 42 psi. Before you tear it down again, let it idle and look for leaks by spraying throttle body cleaner near the runners and plenum. If it idles higher you can pin point the leak. Make sure all your vacuum lines are attached correctly. My biggest leak came from the lid. I got a new lid and a gasket set. Then I reinstalled everything with copper gasket sealant, loc tight and silicone. It works fine now and the extra HP is great. I also added a 52 mm TB, TPIS cold air induction and a big mouth ram air. I guess my 88 is getting plenty of air now.

 

Yep u never installed, after pete k installed SR (lower n upper) i never had to chase vaccum leaks or anything, drove 12500 miles sofar without worrying about vaccum leaks.

Infact pete k did not use RTV silicone and Lpe gasket. He use glue and home made paper gasket and grinded 2 bolts going underneath of SR plenum, that bolt was too long (big chances of vaccum leak here).

Note: Instead of spraying for chasing vaccum leaks, find out if any mechanic in ur area has "snap on" smoke detector machine, my mech has it and he hooked up to brake booster vaccum lines, take off intake (whole filter area and maf) and block off at the TB coupler. When turned ON this m/c, this sends lot a smoke to all vaccum hoses and if any leak is present u will immediately see smoke coming out a that leak. It is safe, easy and guaranteed to detect any leak. Whole this process will take not more than 1/2 hr. Goodluck.

 

I have never used silicone on a super ram. As sami mentioned, I often make my own gaskets and hand trim them to fit perfectly. The super ram is such a poor quality piece that I go over it well befor installing it. I dress every machined surface with a file and "kiss it with the belt sander if it is bad. They often are. Also, many manifolds (lower) are not drilled deep enough, causing the supplied bolts to bottom out. Shortening the bolts is the solution. I check each one.

 

I must have been lucky.

I got a used SR base about 3 years ago, the plenum & runners kit NIB on ebay about 2 years ago. Everything appeared to "pre-fit" real tight. My mechanic installed the entire intake in 2 hours (he never did one before), the standard way per the directions. No tricks. All DRY gaskets. No leaks, its been about 10,000 miles so far.

Maybe it sounds like my luck will run out, per some of these stories I read here. Maybe a huge leak will occur out of the blue, the A/F will lean out so severely that the ECM and SD calcs will be far exceeded and my engine will literally blow up right of the hood going down the highway some day next week.

 

Your mechanic got a super ram that was properly manufactured 3 years ago. I heard that Accel has been having problems recently and it is hard to find a Super Ram for sale. The problem is with the manufacturer not Accel. If your Super Ram has been Ok for 10,000 miles you have nothing to worry about. I could not install my super ram out of the box as recommended because it was defective. If your mechanic tried to install my super ram he would have run into the same problems and probably used the same methods to resolve the issues. It's not rocket science, why didn't you install your own unit? And two hrs to install a super ram with base is very hard to believe.

 

Because at the time my engine was out at the machine shop (different facility) getting repaired from the damage borne out of a fraudulent tune to my chip (NOT the tuner in my profile -- pcmforless is the one that solved it when the 2nd rebuild was back in), and I was having a litany of other things done, so my mechanic was the final assembler. As for the 2 hour install time, thats what he told me and that's what he charged me in labor.

I agree with you regarding the quality issue. Thats why I say I must have been lucky, in that the parts were just "old" enough. I was just kidding about the engine blowing up (again).

 

Sounds like he's a good and honest mechanic. I guess two hours is right if it is already dismantled. A safe and happy holiday to all.

 

When I did my SR I had read all about the problems they have so I spent hours with the base on the work bench to eliminate the problems. Using old gaskets I mocked every thing up. I found out that the SR is a very poorly made piece. If I tightened the runnres up to the base, the plenum to runner bolts were off by 1/4" or more, not to mention that there was a gap of 1/8" between the plenum and one of the runners.
Thats why every one wants you to install the runner to base bolts but leave them loose untill the plenum is on. But that to me is not the best way to get a good seal, remember all the bolts are going in to aluminum and now your trying to pull parts together that don't fit right.
I found that some of the runner to base bolts were to long and I found that the head on the 4 bolts that go in the bottom of the runners were keeping the runners from going down all the way on the base. After cutting down the bolts and grinding off some of the heads the runners fit the base great.
The way the plenum is bolted to the runners is a weak link and a pain in the a$$ you can't tighten the little bolts they give you enough with out stripping the aluminum threads (remember you are trying to pull two pieces together that don't fit right). I bought my SR used so it all ready had the common mod to the inner two bolts so you could install them from the plenum down, but you were still using aluminum threads. I went one step farther and drilled all the holes in the plenum and runners so I could install bolts from the plenum down with aircraft nuts on the bottom. This way I can install and tighten the runners to the base and then the plenum will fit right on the runners and the holes will line up. One of the factory holes in the plenum was so far in the corner I could not drill it and use a bigger bolt so I had to leave it alone.

I can dismantle the SR and reinstall it in under 2 hours. I have had mine apart at least a dozen times and have never had to changed the gaskets and never had a vacuum leak. This is the bolts I'm using for the plenum to runners, I think they are 1/4 x28.
Dave

P.S.
I am also using the SR on Vortec heads even though every one will tell you that it will not fit.

 

I hope that Accel finds a new manufacturer soon. We should be able to bolt these things on without any mods. My install was a nightmare. I used a bolt in that corner and had to trim a part of the head off so it would tighten. I should have used an allen like you did. I wish I had ported my plenum and installed ASM runners instead. I could have saved some money and a few headaches. I think with an Accel base,TPIS ported plenum and ASM runners I would have ended up with about the same HP and a little more torque.

 

Oh please, that is completely rediculous. The SR is an excellent intake manifold. And show me a single plane manifold that does not require a custom plenum with distribution issues or does not require the hood to be chopped up. Sure the SR has its tricks to being installed, but when you know them the thing really isn't hard at all to install. Grab yourself a 1/4" ratcheting wrench and an M6 ball ended hex-wrench and you are good to go. You don't even have to remove the exhaust rockers to install this thing like some will say you do.

It gets even easier if you run a tap through the bolt holes to clean the threads. Go one step further and thread the inner holes and the thing becomes a dream to install.

The OP most likely yes is suffering from a vacuum leak or in need of an ECM calibration. The stock calibration will run with the SR, but will not be optimal.

 

I never said the superram was not an excellent intake system. It is just a pain in the *** to install/remove and if not done correctly it will be a nightmare to remove, reinstall (if you have to).

I remember most of the s/r install tricks. When I did mine back in 2000 the rockers were not removed, the top bolts bolts were slotted so I could screw them in from up top, etc.

If it were not suck a pain to install i'de proabbly still be running one. But why when there are optoins such as the miniram. Here is what you have to do to remove the miniram:

1. Pull distributor
2. Remove coolant line from front of manifold and unhook radiator hose from t/stat neck.
3. Unhook injector wires, iac, tps, map or maf (depending on app)
4. Unhook throttle lines to throttle body
5. Remove air filter housing and elbow connecting air filter to throttle body
6. Disconnect fuel lines and vacume lines
7. Remove 12 screws holding manifold to cylinder heads

Im done in about 1/2 hour. Show me somebody that can pull the superram from the upper plenum, runners, and base manifold in 30 minutes and i'll give them my '85.

I am not trying to start a super ram vs miniram vs singleplane, vs h/s/r but it is what it is. The super ram is a pain in the *** to install....period.



I hope everyone understands that every combo is different and of course has it pros and cons. And mainly the author of this thread gets his issues resolved.

 

Will you pay to have it shipped via car carrier to my house?

 

If you can do it under 30 minutes you should become a professional SR installer/remover.