I bought a Vararam CAI and coupler from a Forum Vendor month or so ago. Did a mock-up install and really did not like the fitiment of the filter in the housing...
Oh well...this is why I bought tools...

First I looked at the lower section (snorkle) and noticed I didn't need the foglight mounting so that went away. No increase in airflow but much easier to manipulate during the actual install (plus it let me get to the end of the "scoops" to put a pop rivet in the end to keep the outside ends from vibrating...).
Put the two snorkles in their respective places and bolted 'em together.
I don't really care enough to seal them up...the inlet area is already more than the MAF can accept so a leak on the bottom end is no big deal.
Not so the Top (Filter Housing).THIS WAS CRAP!
You're supposed to slide the filter up into the housing and have the 1/4" black foam seal the circumferance and if that doesn't work you have to hope the huge foam pads at the top of the snorkle do the job after you shove it together and pull up the two rubber "locks"...
I am, unfortunatly, not a believer.

What I did was to make the filter section fully sealed without reference to the snorkle section at all. Even if the foam was left out of the top of the snorkle there would be no effect on the integrity of the filter seal.

All I did was to first compress the filter box along the long axis with a couple of 6/32 all-threads (with jam nuts w/Red Loctite on the OUTSIDE). This took away MOST of the gap around the edges (checked with a light bulb on behind the filter)...
I then trimmed the aformentiond gasket flush with the filter (my sealing foam looked like someone with a Killer Hangover put it in my VR; the foam was anywhere from right on the "seat" to 1/2" above).
I then made a plate of 1/8" ABS into a retainer and put 1/4" foam on the bottom of that. The result is the filter is held in place against the filter seat, the foam around the outside of the filter has added compression of the filter frame and the filter itself has a foam seal that spans the foam sidewall tape and the filter itself...

There is nothing in this mod that puts anything on the inside of the system downstream of the filter that can fail and get pulled into the motor. Mostly 'cause my wife said this would not be an excuse to get the LS7 I want...
All I wanted to do was to segerate the two halves of the system; the bottom which can leak and still fulfill function and the top which cannot...

I'm happy with the SOTP feel I got....The VR is a great Idea but needs a few tweeks...

Chris

 

Great work!!!

I need to mod my Vararam as well, the fit and finish on this unit makes me nervous that I might suck some sand up into the engine and total it some day. Your mod solves alot of problems inherent in the Vararam. Thank you for posting this thread, I'm sure alot of Vararam users will follow your lead.

May I ask you a few questions, if you don't mind?


Do you have some more info on these 6/32 threads? Are they stainless steel? Where did you buy them? How about the ABS plate? Where did you buy it?



Also, how hard will it be to wash the filter once the retainer plate is installed. It looks like all you would have to do is unscrew that silver bolt on the side and that's it.

Thanks again for the great ideas!

 

It's easier and less invasive to just silicone the filter into the upper housing. Washing is still easy. I use a spray bottle of soapy water and the garden hose to flush it out from the inside of the housing. Removed from the car of course. However since adding the power duct I can't say how easy it is anymore because that was a PITA to install.

 

Alex1217;
The 6/32 all-thread is from Lowe's. Home Depot has it too. A 12" stick is $.60 or so. Get the nuts (8 req'd) and #6 lockwashers (4 req'd) at the same time. Be sure to cut the excess all-thread off after compressing the housing and tightening the jam nuts so the bottom two don't contact the radiator shroud!
The white foam I used also came from Lowe's...it's 7/8" x 1/4" in a (I think) 25' roll. It's in the Heating/Cooling section.
The ABS is a Metra part 89-00-9032 and is enough to make two retainers. Audio shops sell this and I believe I've seen it at Wally World too...it's used to make faceplates and such for audio installs.
The metal pieces on each end are some aircraft .040 aluminum I had in the hanger but if you don't have any scrap you can get a piece of angle from...LOWE'S!
Out of sight under the aluminum angles is a Tinnerman clip #8. After final fitting the filter retainer you drill a hole thru both the aluminum angle and the body of the VR (mark it first and remove the filter prior to drilling), snap the tinnerman clip (also called a Speed Nut) and cinch the end of one side of the retainer downwith a #8 x 1/2" screw. Then do the orher side making sure the retainer is taunt across the entire filter! Drill the hole, install the secong clip and insert the screw.

To clean; remove the filter section from the car (duh!) remove the two screws and pull the filter out. Even with the increased tension on the filter you'll find the filter pops out with a little tugging at the lip of the filter section...ditto sliding it back into place.


Camjamsdad;
The fit of my particular VR was so bad I wasn't comfortable with filling in the cracks with silicone. I've had bad experiences with silicone and (airplane) engines in the past...
Besides; I was bored and had a new Dremel Tool I needed to break in...

Chris

 

I also installed mine needed lots of manipulation to fit properly. This is definetly not a quick and painless install.

 

nice install

 

Thanks for posting up the details, I'm going to work on my vararam soon.

 

Mine bolted right together and fit well. Glad you were able to get your issues sorted out.

 

That's what I did. No leak problems...

Nick

 

I'm looking for a CAI and from what I have seen on the forum I don't want one of these. My hat's off to the guys who can engineer around all the design defects, but I want something I can install without having to rework the product after I paid $300 for it.

 

subscribed

 

Mine fit fine too. Glad yours now works.

 

 

My understanding is that the new ones don't have the fitment problems. I have one and it fits fine. (Installed by my tuner).

 

Every thread I see like this one, and there are many, makes me glad I have a Blackwing with drilled out holes in my foglight shrouds. I really like the Vararam concept, I just wish someone else had thought of it and decided to produce it. Perhaps a quality product would have resulted. Do they have a patent on the concept? I do wonder why another manufacturer hasn't stepped up to the plate on this one.
Ed

 

Man, i really want to buy a CAI but I contemplating whether to get the vararam or not? I dont want ANY problems and i also heard that it is awsome on a dyno but not real life it isnt. I dont know why, but there is alot of contreversy with it. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

 

Mine did as well! Just checked the filter a few weeks ago,,,looking good!

 

is there a reason vararam hasn't addressed the fit in production? anyone ever call and ask?

 

It's funny. I never bothered to ask. Sort of like calling a parent when their kid is a little piece of **** in school. They won't believe you and even if they do, they obviously don't give two flying squirts of ****.


...and yes, I'm still bitter about it.

 

yes mine too , was alittle hard to get at but the install went well