Replacing Air Bridge and Bellows???
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento CA
Replacing Air Bridge and Bellows???
Is there any noticeable HP and/or torque gain to be seen by using an aftermarket air bridge and bellows (the tube that connects the air bridge to the throttle body)? Many of the vendors who sell these parts claim that they will add horsepower over the stock pieces. Is this the case or are these parts simply "eye candy"?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,743
Likes: 3
From: Davie Florida
Don't waste your money if you are looking for more HP. If you are doing it for looks go ahead and buy them. As you said they are just "eye candy".
Last edited by Mitch C; Mar 1, 2005 at 09:54 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,640
Likes: 0
From: Sunshine State
Originally Posted by Mitch C
Don't waste your money if you are looking for more HP. If you are doing it for looks go ahead and buy them. As you said they are just "eye candy".
Huge waste of money but they do look good.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento CA
Originally Posted by Mitch C
Don't waste your money if you are looking for more HP. If you are doing it for looks go ahead and buy them. As you said they are just "eye candy".
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento CA
Originally Posted by Korreck
Huge waste of money but they do look good.You know, I would probably go broke trying to sell performance auto parts as I just couldn't embelish the functionality of a product like this. I could just picture this in my online store....
C5 LS1/Z06 Air Bridge
This custom air bridge will really dress up the engine compartment
of your C5 but won't give you sh^t as far as performance
goes....only $205.99. (Supplies are limited).
Last edited by Jiver67; Mar 2, 2005 at 01:59 AM.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 428
Likes: 0
From: Punta Gorda FL
Originally Posted by Jiver67
Korreck, thank you as well....you just chimed in as I was responding to Mitch's post.
You know, I would probably go broke trying to sell performance auto parts as I just couldn't embelish the functionality of a product like this. I could just picture this in my online store....
C5 LS1/Z06 Air Bridge
This custom air bridge will really dress up the engine compartment
of your C5 but won't give you sh^t as far as performance
goes....only $205.99. (Supplies are limited).
You know, I would probably go broke trying to sell performance auto parts as I just couldn't embelish the functionality of a product like this. I could just picture this in my online store....
C5 LS1/Z06 Air Bridge
This custom air bridge will really dress up the engine compartment
of your C5 but won't give you sh^t as far as performance
goes....only $205.99. (Supplies are limited).
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,337
Likes: 52
From: Wentzville, MO.
Originally Posted by Jiver67
Is there any noticeable HP and/or torque gain to be seen by using an aftermarket air bridge and bellows .....Many of the vendors who sell these parts claim that they will add horsepower over the stock pieces. Is this the case or are these parts simply "eye candy"?
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
I did it, fully expecting that 5 hp to be all but invisible. It was, I didn't feel a thing. Come on, 5 hp out of 350-400 hp? You'd have to have an extremely accurate butt dyno to feel that!
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,804
Likes: 358
From: Northville, MI
Keep an eye on the CF bridge, long term the CF tends to dry out from the radiator heat. It then becomes brittle and cracks. The cracks cause air leaks and to some it causes idle issues and surging on decel. If you just drive for show, it is not usually a problem, but it you DE or autocross, it will show up.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,574
Likes: 2
From: Orlando FL
Thats why I bought the plastic setup fro Zip products. Looks pretty, didn't really care about HP gains, won't dry out, and it was a little over a $100.00 with a red coupler, all the hardware and a z06 badge. The badge alone runs for 21.00 in MA.
Originally Posted by Gordy M
Keep an eye on the CF bridge, long term the CF tends to dry out from the radiator heat. It then becomes brittle and cracks. The cracks cause air leaks and to some it causes idle issues and surging on decel. If you just drive for show, it is not usually a problem, but it you DE or autocross, it will show up.
Race Director
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 14,542
Likes: 5
I (and c4c5specialist) did enough comparisons on a dyno with different intake combinations, including the "smooth connector" vs. the bellows and a BPP air bridge.
No hp gains, and the car ran actually performed better with the stock bridge and connector. Don't waste your money.
Oh, plus the the workmanship on the BPP air bridge was awful.
No hp gains, and the car ran actually performed better with the stock bridge and connector. Don't waste your money.
Oh, plus the the workmanship on the BPP air bridge was awful.
[/IMG]
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
Originally Posted by Gordy M
Keep an eye on the CF bridge, long term the CF tends to dry out from the radiator heat. It then becomes brittle and cracks. The cracks cause air leaks and to some it causes idle issues and surging on decel. If you just drive for show, it is not usually a problem, but it you DE or autocross, it will show up.
1. It was never strong enough in the first place, so they should either make it thicker, use a stronger resin, or process it better.
2. The resin isn't capable of handling the heat, and it's basically evaporating.
Let's also not forget that the air bridge is porous, even when brand new. When carbon fiber is used as a tank, it's used with a liner, usually steel, to keep the substances inside, and to prevent it from weakening the structure. Anyway, I could go all day. When it comes down to it, the carbon fiber air bridge you used was made or designed poorly. Not saying it isn't purty, but it should not have failed in the application you used it for.
