I know some of you guys have come up with different methods of bolting down the plenum to the runners. I already know about the idea of slotting the screw points to draw them up
before tightening. But I'm wondering if any of you have come up with a "new and improved" method.

Also, if I end up tightening the screws from under the plenum, is it better to have 12pt. screws, or others? I'm open to suggestions, thanks guys.

 

I have heard about the slotting of the screws and then turning them from inside the plenum until snug and then finishing them off under the plenum with a wrench. It is just a PITA to get the screws in place in the first place.

I called Accel when I first got my SR and talked to a rep that spent most of his time installing the SR on various cars and testing. He suggested throwing out the screws provided and going with studs and star nuts. That is what I did. I think if I was using the original screws provided.....I would still be trying to get them started .

 

Upgrading the studs is an option I have done in the past, but, some do not like the idea of a bunch of nuts in their plenum.

Honestly, you don't have to do it that way, you can use your current fasteners. The "only" difficulty people have with the Superram is the inside plenum belly fasteners. There a couple of keys that actually make these fairly easy to install...... first is, do not torque down the runners yet.... leave them just a hair loose so you can wiggle them 1/16" as needed.

Start a couple of the outside plenum belly bolts, this should automatically line-up the others. I think when they do not line-up for people, was because the original runners have been seperated from the original plenum it came with. In any regards, to do the inside fasteners, first unplug the injectors and put a couple of papertowels in each runner from the top (protect an accidently drop of something down the runner) then, slot the ends as you already know and then the only trick is to "cradle" the fastener with a socket wrench and take it to the hole, apply a little upwards pressure and bring it up from the top with a screwdriver while you cradle it below...... get it started and 2 or 3 full revolutions into the thread and then go to the next one. Thats it.... after you have them all started, bring them in, but don't torque, instead torque the runners, then go back and torque the plenum belly bolts. Pull the paper towels and put on the lid reconnect the injectors.

I've installed countless superrams..... I guess the first one for me was a bear.... but after that, just not a big deal, I can do the whole manifold in about an hour...... you can too.

good luck !

 

Beach Bum, Good thought about leaving all the bolts loose until they are all threaded and then tightening them. That is what I do. I used to use the slotted bolt trick and tightening the bolt ends from inside the plenum with a screwdriver. I have found it easier for me to leave the plenum top sealed and tighten the 12 pt bolts from the bottom with a 1/4" 12 point socket and a 1/4" air ratchet and a swivel. Most of the bolts can be tightened or loosened this way and the 4 bolts that can't be reached are tightened with a box wrench. I use teflon sealant around the bolt threads to seal the bolts and prevent galling and wear of the aluminum plenum from repeated loosening and tightening. Some time is saved by not having to remove and tighten the 200 million plenum top bolts. One last thought is I always use a thin layer or white lithium grease on the plenum to runner and runner to manifold gaskets and never have to replace those gaskets. Just use silicone on one side of the gaskets to glue down permanently one side and grease the other. Willie

 

What I did was to drill & tap the runners & bolt from inside the plenum. Of course I ground down the bolt heads for a small profile also used alittle silione. Did not hert the performance.

 

The normal application for the studs is to thread them into the plenum from the bottom so they stick out from the underside of the plenum. Then when you set the plenum on the runners, the studs go thru the holes in the runners. You then start the "star nut" on the stud as it sticks out of the underside of the runners.

I know that Agent 86 reversed this process and has the bolts INSIDE the plenum. But he also drilled the studs so that when the bolts are threaded onto the studs there is a safety wire threaded through the holes in the studs to prevent the bolts from falling into the runners.....and your engine...that is a BAD THING.

I am afraid that I would not trust silicone or threadlock to keep the nuts from backing off. The heat cycles of the engine do strange things to fasteners over time.

 

Beach & Willie have some real good tips, the only thing I'd add is to tighten the plenum/lid bolts all partially at first, then finish sequentially like an intake manifold pattern. Good luck!

 

WOW! you guys have some good suggestions! As I write this, it's about 3:30am, so I gotta keep it short. I'll keep reading and re-reading all of this tomorrow. Thanks again guys.

 

Also, I need to ask you guys, what size are the bolts supposed to be on a SR? Mine is an older unit and the screws that hold the runners to the plenum are only 1/4"-28. Was this changed on later units to a 5/16"-24 thread?

 

1/4 28 x 3/4" is how they came, but it's common to see 5/16ths used to repair stripped threads. One thing I forgot to mention in my post above would be to suggest you bench fit it a couple times before you actually install it on the car........it's better to find problems & chase threads that way. G/L

 

Thanks, I've been doing the bench fitting which is how I discovered two of the threads to be in questionable shape. That's why I'm debating a switch over to 5/16" fasteners.

 

Here's an old thread of mine from 2006. Note the last poster.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...ghlight=auveco

1" Auveco 9667 studs may work even better but I haven't tried them

Here's a source for the studs:

http://dixie.hypermart.net/store/page19-ss2.html

 

subed for SR install

 

Well I used a magnet and it sucks the bolts up in the whole, then I just turned them up in, and snug with a box end wrench or socket on some.

 

It is not that big of a deal, it is so blown ut of proportion now it's ridiculous.

It's harder than a miniram, but not anything other than putting bolts in holes. The problem is leaks not assembly.

FWIW I have not installed a Mini but I think it is very straight forward. If you can assemble things, you can do the SR even with stock bolts.

 

I've done minor mods like slotting the bolts and I use studs on the inner bolts. I installed it for the third time this weekend. Took about an hour, mostly because I was paying so much attention to sealing gaskets. Seal the gaskets right the first time. I used a little RTV on the lower runner gaskets and white lithium grease on the upper gaskets. No leaks!

 

I have an edelbrock base on the motor right now with the SLPs but i was lookin to pull the runners and using the top half of the SR for now tell i get heads and have to pull the base again.....then ill use the accel base with the top half. Is this goin to work out alright using the edelbrock base for now ya think?

 

so i am almost done installing my SR...I have the slotting trick goin on and it worked good on the passenger side but the driver side im having troubel gettin them to start without wanting to cross thread. I need to loosing the driver side runner and get some play and try it again. I have the runners snugged down to tight i think. Anyways the other problem i can see even with studding the inner bolts is on the driver side the pcv hose is in the way of gettin harly anythin in there to work with. Question- what if i capped the manifold there and just ran breathers on the valve covers.....would this work?
Also i had a plug in my plenum where the MAT sensor went so i just left it and i think im goin to relocate it into my intake piping, is this an ok idea?
Lastly i am running a fuel presure gauge off the fuel rail and with that and the SR i can tell trying to get to the AFPR bolt on top is goin to be a Pain in the ACE....anyone else have this problem?
i cant wait to get it finished and maybe take it for a drive tomorrow!

 

355tpipickup You need to loosely assemble the intake all at once, then go back, and snug it all up. I used magnets to suck the slotted screws up through the bottom, and as far as the breathers, I just asked, some said it is ok, others say it is not worth the possible problems.