It was on the car when I bought it. Just curious if anyone else has seen / has one. Mine seems like it was designed so the air bridge would snap onto the MAF as the tube's ID is close to what the MAF's exit OD is. But it's a sloppy fit and I have no doubt air is leaking past the airmass meter. :-\

The airbox is also somewhat cheesily "welded" together out of two separate moldings.

I'm considering just looking for a factory airbox and bridge, because this thing is a steaming pile of something unpleasant.

full res here

 

Callaway honker is what it appears to be

 

Thanks that gives me an avenue to explore. Other than the Granatelli branded MAF there are no identifying marks on any of the plastic moldings.

If this thing actually flows better than a factory airbox / bridge I might just use some black RTV to seal the airbridge to the MAF. But I'm slightly more inclined to just buy a stock airbox + bridge and take the 1-3 percent hit in real-life driving performance with a big smile on my face and go on with life.

 

The Honker has a corrugated looking air bridge.

What does the other side look like ?

 

That one does look pieced together considering what a new one looks like

 

That is not a Honker. The box looks too shallow to be a Breathless cold air. It maybe something like an old intake from MTI Texas. If you can get a panel filter that fits and it seals, I'd run it.

 

It looks like it takes the same K&N rectangular element that fits a stock C4 airbox - 16 x 7-3/4 x 1. What's not pictured is the "scoop" that's still attached loosely to the front radiator shroud. There are thread bosses molded into it so the retaining screws install from the top, and it's essentially impossible to get to the 4 bottom ones without removing the radiator shroud. So previous owners left them out. They might as well have just left the filter out as well.

The other obvious design flaw is that the bridge tube doesn't even come close to forming an airtight fit to the MAF, which is a massive bit of stupid.

So quick question - the front part of the radiator shroud has a rectangular hole the filter element rests in. Am I correct in assuming that was closed to the lower air "tunnel" from the factory and this hole was cut to install the kit?

full res here

 

I remember pictures of this intake back in the day but have not had my hands on one.

Sounds like the hole mentioned was cut for the cold air intake. The factory shroud does not have a rectangular hole in the center of it.

I believe it was designed to use a factory air bridge or aftermarket of the same dimensions. You may need a longer silicon coupler. If you can get it to seal, I doubt there is much of a power gain between what you have and other options on the market. The Honker is a better design and likely makes more power but IMO is not something you would notice.

 

Not trying to be rude, but what silicone coupler are you talking about that needs to be longer? There's no coupler between the downstream side of the MAF and the airbridge.

I doubt there's much power gain between what I have, the other options on the market, and stock. My C4 puts roughly 530hp to the wheel with the factory air intake setup and MAF with the only non-stock part being a K&N gauze filter, normally aspirated. It also has a heavily ported intake, heads, and a valvetrain that are cumulatively worth more than 3x the car's "book" value. What's the point of spending hundreds of dollars to try to improve on that by what will ultimately amount to the dyno's margin of error and / or a change in barometric pressure / temperature?

I can get it to seal. I'm just not sure I want to. I look at this fustercluck of junk and wonder why the previous owner(s) would try to fix something that wasn't broken. I realize that may offend many of you, but this same car had a button (aka metallic puck clutch). It makes 349 rwhp, so what's the point of putting a clutch disk in it that would be better suited for a dumptruck? Maybe it had a blower at one point in it's life, before the engine was replaced with a crate shortblock. Do you see a pattern developing? You can't see me shaking my head, but it is.

Sorry if I sound frustrated, but sometimes I want to just shout in all caps that you bolt-on guys just don't get it. When you take a factory calibrated air intake and make even the slightest change to it, you completely throw the MAF transfer function in the garbage, and it needs to be completely re-calibrated. That may sound simple, and I'm sure every "pro" tuner you talk to will say its "no problem" as long as you have $600 cash to burn, but 90% of them are so clueless they don't completely understand what the term "transfer function" actually means.

I apologize for being the grumpy old curmudgeon, but I just tore the car down to find numerous shoddy pro mechanic jobs that wouldn't have been needed if someone with half as much brains as money would have done the mods that were done to it. This CAI kit being the proverbial "icing" on the turd cake.

 

Many air bridges have couplers on both end like this:


I can see your other point, after bolt ons the MAF table should be retuned and likely VE table. My car has heads and cam which a friend and I tuned. I am currently working with the same friend on his supercharged 427 tune. We both took a class learning HP tuners and have reached out to friends in the industry. Is it worth it? to each their own.

I have also been down the road more than once of fixing mods completed by previous owners. It can be frustrating.

FWIW I think the late C4s had a less restrictive intake path than the C5.

 

That's not the case here. The primary reason why I put up a milk-carton picture to see if there was some critical part missing that I was unable to imagine.

Yes, and no. By the way, you weren't learning "HP Tuners", you were learning how to tune a computer controlled gasoline fueled ICE. It doesn't matter that there's a computer in between you and the literal or virtual screwdriver. At the end of the day you're giving the engine what it wants in the form of an air to fuel mixture combined with spark advance, among many other parameters. My point was that airmass metering is the primary input the computer uses to adjust fuel mixture, and is critically important.

Greg Banish has some incredibly good books on the subject. I would loan you mine to read, but they're more valuable to me than all the metallic tools I own by several orders of magnitude.

As have I. I'm just particularly infuriated that I got a car with this piece of dog excrement attached to it. The fact that it likely makes a marginally measurable difference in performance further amplifies my displeasure. Yet some previous owner dipsh~t found it was worth cutting up the radiator shroud and tossing the factory air intake in the garbage.

 

If you do decide to keep the turd intake I'd definitely put another coupler between the downstream side of the MAF and the intake bridge. Band clamping hard plastic to hard plastic is leak and crack prone. And RTV for that seal is a hack job at best.

And if you really hate it that much just plop it on eBay. You'll likely get 100% of the funding to source OEM intake parts also on EBay. Annoying to have to ship stuff but less time than stewing on it. My $0.02.

 

Preaching to the converted. I was just trying to figure out if there was some critical part missing that was intended to make that interface airtight.

I can't properly "hate" an inanimate object in a satisfying way, it lacks the ability to care what I think of it.

If I was a huge douchebag I would probably do that. But I'm not. So if I don't end up band-aiding it up I'll probably do all the C5 owners in the world a favor and destroy it.

 

There is a critical part missing to make it air tight. It's the coupler from the bridge to the MAF. You'll need a coupler with reduced diameter on one end. I had one on my Vararam setup. Band-aiding it will just nag out you and every time you pop the hood you'll have to look at that junk system you band-aided.

Many in the Corvette community use a dual cone intake which is worse. For those folks your intake would be an upgrade. So do yourself the favor and scrap it or replace it and be done with it or sell it.

Me not wanting to come across as smug, but didn't you look this car over before you purchased it? Maybe you bought the wrong car if its a hackathon like you reference above?

 

I understand that. I just don't like the idea of adding another 1-2 inches of couplers, which will push the airbridge back by as much. Not to mention changing tube diameters "***** nilly" will even further destroy the accuracy of the MAF transfer curve.

What I'm more annoyed with about this part is that:

a) some company spent boatloads of money having molds built to manufacture this incredibly poorly engineered piece of garbage

b) dipshits spent probably a ridiculous amount of money on this poorly engineered piece of garbage thinking it would give them another 10-20 hp

c) what it actually does is leaks air around the airmeter, causing the PCM to chronically want to underfuel the air charge, which the long term trims will correct, resulting in inconsistent AFRs.

Knowing (or at least believing) that this is a very early aftermarket part makes me somewhat less annoyed.

This part being easily visible did make me somewhat apprehensive as I've come to expect most aftermarket performance parts to be garbage. It was harder to see when it was on the ground that previous "mechanics" had left bellhousing bolts out, or failed to properly tighten all of the four they did manage to put in. Or that the last guy to replace the engine / clutch pinched a pair of ground wires between the bellhousing and the engine. But this is what I've come to expect when I see a used Corvette for sale. So yes, it's entirely a case of caveat emptor.

I'm not trying to lock horns with you, I'm just venting. I do sincerely appreciate your input. Except for the idea that I should pawn this piece of garbage off on someone else. That's not happening. I have what some people refer to as a "conscience".

 

Nah, not locking horns. Just having an honest discussion. That's why we are on a forum.

There are countless junk parts available from the after market. Some know to avoid and others just open their wallets without thinking or doing research. Is what it is.

If the price was right and you went in eyes open knowing it was going to take some sweat equity and a few bucks to bring it up to your expectations. That's all that matters. No harm no foul.

I never really sell anything I experiment with. Good, bad or indifferent. I can't be bothered with post office and UPS store runs. If that thing is as bad as you say it is, which I'll take your word for it, I would just trash it or put it on your next demolition derby car if it fits.

Reducing/trimming a coupler on the wide end would not extend your length. Butt the MAF to the bridge and trim accordingly. A $15 coupler will at the very least afford you drive time while you're searching for the right pieces.

 

I factor that into everything, but I look at cars not as an investment / business venture but as a liability. In other words, how much will it cost me to use this machine to get me around for the next 30k miles. I have (or soon will have) 3 "daily drivers" so 30k miles roughly equates to 4-1/2 years of commuting two days a week. Then I divide that by the smiles per gallon times the cost of 93 octane.

Do you own a C4? If so I have an experimental coil-per-cylinder ignition controller I'd love to sell you. I probably have close to 30k miles of use on my #1 daily driver with this ignition. The one that puts roughly 530 hp to the wheels.

I'll have to post a pic of this interface if I can't think of a workable idea. The diameters are way off, and when you put a huge swell in ID right behind the MAF it creates a pressure drop that doesn't exactly improve the accuracy of the airmass meter. There's a reason the OEMs spend buttloads of money making sure their air intakes and the corresponding MAF transfer functions are spot-on. We knuckle-draggers with our OBD2 or canbus logging of trims can maybe get within 10% of "perfect" on a good day.

All this aside, after separating the driveline yesterday I did find one bit of info that I hope turns out to be a non-rotten easter egg.

full res here

This is a base coupe, so I'm going to be keeping my proverbial fingers crossed when I open the trans up in hopes of finding a 0.56 6th gear in it.

 

Agreed. I see cars as toys. Iinvestments in fun/ pleasure at best. Nothing more. I bought the '99 coupe I still have brand new with 13 miles on it for my 25th birthday. Now it has almost 140k miles on most of it except the forged engine and 4th diff. I picked up and flipped two others along the way. Both '99s. Another coupe and an FRC. All bought for fun, track time and hot rodding. I've got 3 other "daily driver" cars myself and the 4th is an antique ('29 Model A) & a motorcycle. But the last 5 years I've worked from home office. And before that I took a train to work for over a decade. So cars, bikes & trucks are just play things for me. I take care of my stuff, turn my own wrenches most of the time, and hold onto vehicles as long as they treat me well.

Thanks for the offer on the controller. But I haven't owned a C4 in a long while. My first vette was an '87 auto. I got it for a great deal in 1994 from a soon to be divorced colleague. Held onto it for a year before selling it to buy a '95 Tacoma. Curious decision in hindsight but I loved that truck. After it was supercharged it ripped stoplight to stoplight. Traded her in with 198k hard miles.

I don't find any joy in stock C5s. My coupe was heads and cam the minute the 36k mile warranty was up. So I don't mind taking my chances on that 10% if it comes with 100 to 250 more horsepower to the wheels.

That would be a cool score if it's an M12. Good luck!

 

That was sarcasm on my part.

And I have the C4 that would hold it's own against the best normally aspirated C5, and it's already got 185k miles on it, so it's essentially a 10 second beater car. My wife likes the comfort of the C5, and so do I. But I also like driving without her "company" much more. So I want to keep them both. But it would cost me another $15k to make the C5 keep up with the C4.

I don't think you're following my 10% comment, or even remotely understand how tuning, or a hot wire mass air flow sensor works. The 10% I was referring to was error / inaccuracy. That same amount of inaccuracy when coupled with other power adders is exactly what burns holes in pistons and / or exhaust valves, or melts down cats.

Thanks, fingers crossed... but it could be anything - good or bad. I see the case has been ineffectively sealed with some white RTV (it's been leaking there) so I know someone has had it apart. Hopefully that someone was more competent than the guys that designed the airbridge I have.

 

Apparently sarcasm isn't translating well from either side. I enjoy when my wife rides along, although the solo rides with WOT pulls tend to give me a better fix.

You would be correct in that I don't understand tuning much. And don't care to either. Too many guys taking up tuning as a hobby that think they can tune with the likes of pros. I'm not one of those guys. I leave it to those that do it for a living with solid reputations, Doug at ECS, Julio at Cartek, Bill from 2nd Street Speed, Charlie when he was at A&A etc. Great results from each of them without me wasting time trying to learn what they've all mastered. I'm much less worried about an air intake than I am the goofball with HP tuners that thinks he tuned the car correctly before I bought it.

RTV on anything where it wasn't originally is typically a bad sign. Were you unable to ask the seller questions when you bought this car? Is it from an auction?