85superram

Is this bad??? I changed all of my vacuum hoses and I still have a rough idle...Also, the back upper plenum bolts I screwed in from the top, I know I should not have done this but there was no way I could get to them...

Do you think I may have upper plenum leaks??????

MrNuke

Can you hear the leak? Did you try spraying carb cleaner around the suspected area and did the idle change? I'm not using RTV on the gaskets either, but it is not really required if everything is tightened down right..
Lots of people don't use RTV as when they take the superram off, the gaskets can be reused (If not torn) I heard.

scorp508

I didn't use any either. Also those screws you put in from the top right now are doing nothing, so they could be causing a leak.

The superram out of the box has the threads for those screws in the plenum and NOT the runners. If you want to put them in from the top you have to drill the threads out of the plenum and tap the runners for the threads. So right now you have screws screwed into the plenum that are not helping pull the runners up to the bottom of the box.

0ski_dwn_it

Do you have the right runner on the correct side? Don't ask me how I thought to ask you that :bb

Get some ether and spray around the SR, it will tell you were you have leaks, just use it sparingly, its very flamable, but evaporates quick, if you just use a little. Stuff is great for finding your leak. :cheers:

85superram

I do have a slight leak on the passenger side runner...damnit...

scorp508

Where on the runner? On the manifold or on the plenum? And where exactly on that location? Remember that you have to finger start EVERY bolt on the plenum before tightening a single one.

85superram

hrm, dont remember doing that....I spray the ether towards the middle/ front of the passenger side runner and it seems to idle up.


[Modified by 85superram, 7:26 PM 2/24/2003]

scorp508

Where it connects to the manifold or the plenum?

85superram

plenum

0ski_dwn_it

Hey there bud, I hate to tell you but you have the runner on the wrong side. I accidently did that in some confusion the first time around. I even said before my dad and I put everything together.. to make sure we put the right on on each side, sure enough we did it backwards. :lol:

Anyways, the drivers side correct runner has a long oval hole on about a 45* angle. The passengers side has a stright up and down port. When reversed the drivers side correct runner with the long oval 45* port, will not completely seal and hence you will get a leak right were you describe. You probably hear a pretty loud hissing sound too. As did I.

I'm not sure there is any way to tell from the outside, if the runners are swapped, perhaps I can or someone else can inspect them to see if there is a difference on the outside?? And I would obviously just try to tighten it up and maybe its just loose and you have them correct. But if the leak persists then you might have to swap them around.

Let us know. :cheers:

scorp508

Not necessarily. It is possible, but he may of just thrown the alignment off if he didn't finger start each bolt first.

FoolCrzy

...don't forget about the bolts that are threaded in from the top....doing nothing... :smash:

h rocks

Having had both the Accell intakes (LT runners/base and SR) I can tell you that the castings look like they were poured in some home made sand moulds. They are about as accurate as that too. I had my whole setup aligned, machined, and had the bolt holes on the bottom of the plenum welded, re-drilled, and Heli-coiled so that we could install it from the top down. SR's are SR's, so they're never "easy" to R&R, but now I don't have to worry about dropping a tiny twelve point bolt into the heads. (or worse!) The runner tops as made, were out of parallel by at least .030" That would have likely caused the plenum to not sit flush with them and caused a leak. LPE says to just slather silicone on the two mating items! Can you believe that?


[Modified by h rocks, 10:48 PM 2/24/2003]

85superram

Well I have the air tubes off the original manifolds unhooked so that may be where the hissing sound is coming from... The car idles ok but surges about 800 rpms...wouldnt it be a lot worse if I had a severe leak?????

How do u get the runners backwards???

now that I think about it, the upper plenum bolts went up a little funky...Like they were stripping but the werent...


[Modified by 85superram, 4:58 PM 2/25/2003]

scorp508

There is a left and a right with different shaped openings cast in them.

Unbolt the plenum from the runners and start over again. Run a tap through EVERY hole on the bottom of the plenum to clean the threads, this will help emmensely. Then start each bolt a couple of threads by finger and do not tighten a single one with a wrench until you have finger tightened every one as much as you can going from one side to the other and not all on one set of runners and then the other. Pretend you are bolting a cylinder head on.


[Modified by 85superram, 4:58 PM 2/25/2003][/QUOTE]

85superram

they are on the right side, i checked.....so it must just not be sealing right....

89gta383

Don't tighten them too tight or you will strip them, ask me how I know. :cry

scorp508

I'm telling ya.... run a tap into each and every hole on the plenum and you'll be glad. Mine were very hard to finger tighten when I first installed it. The next time I ran a tap into it and they were like a dream.

RocketSled

Sears has a 1/4" 12-pt ratchet wrench that _might_ make your R&R easier. I purchased mine after R&Ring my SR 4 or 5 times. I haven't had to do it again yet, but very well might have to. IIRC, removing the distributor cap gave me a little additional room at the back to get those bolts.

Slotting the bottom of the bolts and chasing the threads allowed me to get the bolts on the inside of the runners going. I used a shop lite in the box for illumination, and a magnet retreiver to get the bolts lined up, then used a small screwdriver to pull them up from the top.

Be carefull if you DO use Permatex Right Stuff RTV to glue the parts down. I used too much and needed an engine hoist to seperate the box from the runners. I'm surprised I didn't warp the box when doing so!

I still have some kind of vacuum leak as the car will stall going from park to Drive or Reverse, but since the tranny is out of the car, the vacuum leak is a lower priority.

6SSPD

Brian is absolutely CORRECT, definitely run a 1/4-28 tap through those plenum-to-runners threads, and the plenum lid threads. You will be happy with jow easier they are to finger start. I also did the modification on the 4 inner runner bolts. I used 5/16-24 allen-head safety bolts, and safety wire them to each other. The great thing is, the original RUNNER holes are EXACTLY the size need to just use the 5/16-24 tap. I bought the correct drill size to do it correctly, and the drill fit perfectly into the pre-drilled holes. Here is a link to my WEBSHOTS page with a picture of the modified SUPER-RAM. If this link doesn't work, go to my webshots site, and look under one of my folders called "SSYNERGY 383 COMPONENTS" HTH :chevy

You can see the (4) inner runner bolts coming through from inside the plenum.




[Modified by 6SSPD, 4:50 PM 2/26/2003]