Need a little help here. I am installing a Blackwing together with a new airbridge and MAF housing. Couple of questions.

1. The diy instructions from the forum say to remove the clamp that holds the MAF sensor to the front of the stock air box. The clamp is not a screw type clamp but a crimped metal type. Do I need to save this ? How do you remove it ? Can it just be cut away ?

2. Since I bought the Blackwing used from a forum member it came with no clamps, (and no instruction sheet) Do I need to use special Blackwing clamps to connect the Blackwing to the MAF ? The Blackwing has some rubber "locators" on the rubber connector. Can these be cut off to use a standard clamp ? or should I wait and get one that came with the unit ?

3. I have the West Coast Corvettes Carbon Fiber Air Bridge. In their directions they say that some people have relocated the MAT sensor since it requires you to drill a new 11/16th hole to accept the exisiting sensor. Is there a better place to drill the hole ? or should I leave it in a similar location to stock ?

Finally is there anything else that I should know before I start putting it all back together.

Thanks for your help
Dave
:withstupid:

 

From when I had my 97 I'm pretty sure that the clamp will come off if you just pry the top half off the bottom. There were just 2(?) metal tabs that hooked in holes that held the clamp closed. Unfortunately I can't offer any advice on the other questions, but hopefully this helps a little.

Chris

 

The Blackwing unit when new comes with a new clamp to replace the crimp clamp. I don't believe this will be reusable. To remove I just pulled on the end of the strap with pliers and it came off. If there is a tool that can be used to puit these on and off you may be able to reuse it. You probably will need to buy a new clamp to replace it. I am sure there is a reason for the locators but don't know what the impact would be if you cut them off. I would suggest buying the right clamp that goes with the Blackwing to be safe. As for the airbridge I can't help you there since I left my stock one on. The install is quite easy if you identify all the parts. When you take the stock air cleaner off there will be two rubber grommets that will need to be taken off and put on the blackwing. You will see the two holes in the the base of the BW where they will go. Becareful when you pull the old unit out the grommets sometime come out and fall in side the nose of the car. But there is enough room to retrieve if this happens. Just keep all clamps lose until you position the BW and have it securely seated in the grommets both in the nose of the car and up by the air bridge Good Luck! Oh by the way there are really no instructions that come with the Blackwing for installatinpurposes that will help.

:confused:

 

Thanks for the help so far.

I have been able to get the clamp off, just pulled it with the pliers, simple.

I have the car apart in the garage and I have been looking at other posts in other forums here.

Problem that I can see is that I have a Carbon Fiber bridge, and a non stock MAF housing. So I am trying to determine how to attach the bridge to the MAF without hacking up the stock rubber coupler to do so. The new bridge won't clamp directly to the MAF as there is a slight difference in the diameter of the MAF where the bridge connects. There are no notches like the stock unit.

Also I have been reading about re-locating the IAT sensor from the TB side of the bridge to the MAF side. Anyone do this mod ? Is it worth anything ?

Lastly, has anyone drilled a hole in the carbon fiber bridge to connect the IAT. How did you do it so that it was a clean hole, what was used ? (Before I crack a 250.00 part.)

HELP ! Please don't make me wait until WCC opens again on Monday. Weather's good and I have to get it to FLP to have the headers installed on Tuesday.

Thanks again
Dave

:banghead:

 

Hello,
the clamps that come with the Blackwing kit are just regular run of the mill hose clamps available at any hardware store. In regards to drilling the air bridge, I used a titanium drill bit and it worked just fine. It's a good idea to drill a pilot hole first using a small diameter bit. This will prevent the bigger drill bit from walking and making a mess.
I hope this helps.

 

Give us a call we probably have some clamps and you may want to use a silicone coupler VS.rubber for longevity and chemical resistance,Dave Smilovic. 480-517-4969
PS: The whole shabang is a few bucks and you may want the 15.00 cleaning kit to compliment the filter and keep it at 100% efficiency,GREAT COMBO,use her in good health and enjoy your HP gains,as good as 500.00+ sysstems.

 

Thanks everyone for their advice and help. I with a little patience and some thinking and a trip to the hardware store, I was able to finish the mod.

Thanks for the advice on drilling the carbon fiber. I did drill a small hole once I marked where I wanted it. I followed it up with a larger drill and then used the Dremel to grind out the hole to the proper grommet size. Worked perfectly and made a nice clean hole. Use a mask so you don't breath in that carbon dust.

I used the existing stock rubber collar and cut it down to use it to connect the bridge to the MAF. I have a non stock ported MAF housing and the bridge wouldn't connect directly. I just trimmed the extra rubber and small tabs from the stock piece in order to connect it and make it look nice. I used the stock clamps to attach.

I also attached a SLP cold air Housing to fit over the Blackwing. I cut a hole the size of the Blackwing filter in the plastic radiator cover just below where the BW sits. I attached the SLP to the plastic with some self drilling screws that have an attached metal and rubber washer. Looks nice. You don't get to the BW but I have the ACI front spoiler attached and it directs cold air directly through the front and right up into the spot where the hole is cut through to the BW and is forced in by the SLP Housing.

Bought the BW and housing from good old Forum members thanks for saving me a few bucks. The bridge from Mid America at Bloomington with the show discount. Nothing like some carbon fiber under the hood.

Fired it up and didn't have the idleing problems that I read would appear until the car dialed them in. But YES, YES, instant quicker reaction and its nice to hear that air getting sucked into the motor.

Total cost of MOD.

Bridge 225.00 new
Blackwing 150.00 used
MAF housing 50.00 used
SLP Cold Air Housing 45.00 used
4 Tapping screws .88
TOTAL 470.00

Time - Net about 2 hours (less three hours thinking about it and looking at the job during halftime - Better to work on the Vette than watch the Bears !)

I don't have a way to post pics, but I can take some in case anyone wants to see what it looks like.

Thanks to the Forum again
Dave


:cheers: