Well, I got it installed and what an out and out nightmare. To those who can do this in 2 hrs . It took me longer than that to get everything out.

I am adept at turning a wrench, if I do say so myself. I have been working on cars nearly all of my life, but I am not a professional mechanic. My last major project was the installation of my headers. KOOKS no less, widely regarded as being among the more difficult headers to install.

Let me tell you, I would rather install another set of KOOKS headers, X pipe, cats, and catback, than to install another Vararam.

Many thanks to the guy with the MY 2004, can't call his name right now, but he posted the good instructions referenced by Patches in my other thread.

Let me say that any of you guys thinking of changing out your OEM foglight shrouds for the perforated ones, forget it. Get it out of your mind now. It is not worth the hassle or the time. Better to bore holes in your stock ones.

The problem with the Vararam install is the access. And the visibility. The foglight bolts you'll have to of course find first before you can put a wrench on them. And then you have to get leverage. A fair amount of crap has to be unfastened, removed and disconnected. And then the fit of the Vararam, while very good, is not great.

The instructions referenced above are very good, but a better description needs to be given for removal of the foglights, and the removal of that last vertical bolt holding in the foglight shroud.

Also, that damned brake duct is in the way and the harness is clipped to those foglight shrouds and difficult to remove.

The fit, as mentioned before, is very good but could have been better. Some finagling has to be done to get the lid closed with the filter in place. This should be done at the "trial fitting" before the radiator shroud and everything else are put back into place.

This is a tough install from the get go. Removing the radiator shroud is tedious. I wound up destroying those last 2 clips which secure the shroud to the AC condenser. At least I think they are useless now. No other way to get them off.

In my case since I ran the lines to my tranny cooler througn my radiator shroud by boring a couple holes to run the lines, I had to take a pair of emergency scissors and cut a slit through both these holes so that I could remove the shroud. That radiator shroud is very thick plastic. You won't have to bother with this

Once the shroud is removed the air dam's front and side pieces have to be removed and then the access panels.

And then the fun starts. The foglight shrouds have to be removed and then the foglight unbolted and sat aside. The first two bolts are easy. The last one is not. Working in such a tight space with very poor visibility, around wires, hoses and ducts will slow even the most efficient wrench turner.

The wiring harness is clipped to the foglight shroud and takes some effort to remove. It is attached in multiple areas along the foglight shroud and the frame of the car, using those opening type clips which have to be pinched together from the back side of the hole they went through before they can be removed. The problem is getting around to the back side of the hole. Unless you take a pair or wire cutters or nippers and cut the clips which I don't recomment there is no quick way that I know of the get the wire loose from the foglight shroud so that the foglight shroud can be removed. You also don't want to pull too hard on the wire harness. .

The foglights have to be unbolted and moved aside, but don't have to be unclipped from the harness. If you can, you may want to remove the brake duct. I certainly considered it but then it does not look easy to remove and there would be the added hassle of putting it back.

The procedure is reversed for the Vararam install. Same tight spaces, same hard to get to bolts. Only this time you are putting them back. Damn near blind. If you have big hands like I do, you are in for a real treat.

Finally there is that plastic piece which connects the two ducts. I ended up leaving one of the 4 nuts off for now. Spent half hour trying to get it on but could not as the screw comes out too close to the side of the duct for me to get the nut started. They drilled the hole too close to allow for the nut to go on. I am considering drilling another hole. The screw is a machine screw and since the hole was smaller than the diameter of the screw, the screw should hold in place. It can't go anywhere.

Finally I did the try in, which is where I am now. Everything seems to fit OK. And quite snug.

I am beat. Outright whipped. And I still have to put in the radiator shroud, airdam, access panels etc and button everything back up before backing it off the ramps. I don't see how a lift would have been better. The problem, like I said before is in the access.


I'll post pics tomorrow.

 

Wow! and to think, I was just gonna order my Vararam. Well, I probably will still get it, but hope someone will help me put it on and work with me.

Please let us know the difference you feel in the performance. Since its a Ram Air system and would provide more air (freely) to your engine, see if it makes any difference in the gas milage too. As for the HP, let us know how it moves....and at what speeds....

Lookin forward to your input... Enjoy it, you earned it

 

They are a pain to install, but worth it, IMHO. Anyway, so when is the track date?? Jeff

 

I just put mine on the other day along with the MAF ends and I'll be taking it to the track tonight. Last time I had a best of 13.19 so I'm hoping for some high 12's this time.

 

Had mine installed last week $425.00 installed.

 

I have installed 3 of these. One way that makes it a bunch easier is to have a lift.

 

[QUOTE=Vette_Fan]Wow! and to think, I was just gonna order my Vararam."

I'm in the same situation; I was just about to order one from LAPD, but if it's as difficult to install as my KOOKS were, I might go

If anyone out there (GA) wants to help..... It would be appreciated

 

I chose the Vortex and had a pro install it. After reading this, glad we have some pro's to do these things.

 

[QUOTE=BOTTLE FED]
IT IS NOT THAT HARD!!!! If someone installing headers (especially KOOKS) compares the VARARAM install to be close to equal, Give it up and try working on a LS1 f body.

 

Glad you finally got it installed. Sounds like a job where you need to set aside a lot of time and have a few beers handy.

 

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1035995

 

I've thought about getting a Vararam but I'd have to pay the install fee as I am useless with a wrench.
I did buy the perforated foglight surrounds, took one look at them, and drilled out the current shrouds.
Enjoy your new addition.

 

Even though it was a pita,(mine took about 5 hours) I found once installed it was well worth it! Those of you on the fence, go for it!

 

Well, I get everything all buttoned up but its snowing outside so I won't be able to drive it for a bit.

Things sure went quicker this time than last night. The radiator shroud was the only thing to slow me down due to the tranny lines to my auxillary cooler.

I did make a couple of screw ups last nite in forgetting to remove the original airbox support screws from the frame

This makes for a very tight fit between the Vararam and the radiator shroud. I may go back after it warms up a bit and remove these.

I started the car up and backed it off the ramps, raised the hood and heard no air leaks. My airbridge sits up a bit higher than before but no big deal to me at this point. Otherwise everything seems to fit good.

As far as the track. I intend to run the Vararam all season as I don't believe that one or two trips to the track will tell the whole story. But I will post my results and time slips after the first trip in Mid April.

As far as install pics, there really isn't much to see over and above what is already out there. I will take some new ones of the final install.

 

I installed mine last weekend. Took me around 4 hours. I took my time, took breaks, etc. Take off the front bumper!! That is what I did, it was very easy imo. From what other people say about them not fitting correctly... I had no problems. Fit like it was made for my car!

 

Congrats on the install! Hope you see some results after that much trouble.

 

Well here are a few pics

This was the try in:



Radiator shroud is back in. Very tight fit against the air vents.




Ducts lined up very well with the fog lights






Lid shut down good





Finish after a bit of adustin' and cussin'





After a bit of time I noticed that the driver side of the airlid had started to lift a bit to form the same poor seal that the MY 2004 poster describes.

Try as I might, I have been unable to get the airbridge to fasten to the radiator shroud grommets.

 

Having now installed the Vararam, I can say that if I had to do it again, I'd be able to do it faster the next time around. But I certainly won't be looking for a "next time."

A lift might help to some degree. I'll explain later. An extra pair of hands would only have been in the way. I could barely get my own hands where they needed to be.

And I stand by what I said earlier. Just me, but if someone told me that I had to either install a set of KOOKS or install a Vararam to get out of Corvette Pergutory. I'd choose the KOOKS install every time. First off, I know I won't have any fitment issues whatsoever, everything is going to fit perfectly, and when I go to put things back, they are going to fit like they did before, thus no need to improvise, overcome and adapt. And next, I'd be able to see what I was doing.

As I said earlier, with this install, a fair amount of the time, you can't see a damned thing, and then when you can, you can't reach it, and then when you can, you can't turn it, and then when you can, you have to hope everything fits. I spent a lot of time making those foglights center in the Vararam's foglight shrouds, and then the edges of the scoops wanted to ride up against the front fascia. This was taken car of with the spacers and loosening the bolts some.

When I say that you can't see, I am speaking specifically of the two plastic (old door panel type) clips holding the radiator shroud to the A/C condenser. These take some effort, first to gain access to them, and then to defeat them.

The fog lights (one 10mm bolt each) bolt has to be located through a maze of wires and other hardware, then removed with that brake duct, etc, making it difficult. All this is done after removing the access panel. And the lateral most fog light bezel bolt. The one nearest to the turnsignal. The foglight bezels have three 3/8ths bolts each. This last, or outside, bolt is a beotch just like the foglight bolt. The brake duct.......oh never mind

If you are wondering why you are seeing so much of the icon, it is because I actually did. Working on my back and raising my head up to look over into the abyss concealing the passenger side 10mm fog light bolt so that I could attempt to get a 10mm socket on it, I banged my forehead pretty damned good off part of the frame of the car. . The lift would have prevented this. Still have a slight headache but between the install itself and the actual smacked noggin.... I think they both are contributing mightily to this headache.


Somebody get me a set of KOOKS to install

The wiring harness is clipped into each bezel twice through holes in the plastic bezel designed to open once they go through the hole. The clips can be popped out without breaking them. The best way to do this is to squeeze the ends of the fasteners together to allow them to bo back through the holes in the bezel. The end that you need to squeeze with your needle nosed pliers is facing the facia and away from you. In other words, you have to reach around back of the plastic foglight bezel and squeeze the ends either horizontally or vertically depending on how the slits in the fastener are turned, to close them together so that you can pull them out of the foglight bezel and free up the harness.

Attempting to just pull the harness clips or just pry then out of the foglight bezels to free up the harness, results in a stretched clip which will be hell to get out anyway and useless later on.

Then, as mentioned before, everything should be lined up during the install.

For the next guy who does this himself.........have fun.

 

wow!!! if i would have read this post before i put mine in.. I wouldn't have! You will be much happier when you get to use it,it will all be worth it.....although not a cinch, personally took me about 3 hours without lift and no foglights(that could tend to be a pia)

I'm a very happy camper,sorry it didn't go as well for you,but you'll soon forget about it at WOT!!

I had to post this because this is one of my favorite mods... and with all the vararam bashings I've been hearing,I feel a couple of positive words were in order. I certainly believe its well worth all the trouble it cost me

P.s. if i'm out of line here...I apologize

happy track times

 

I hate when stuff goes like that