3500 plenum upgrade.

IsaacHayes · Post by **IsaacHayes** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 4:46 pm

For all the pics, check out here.
I added a few of the underside. It looks too good to put on the car!!!

I've got the EGR adapter made, just have to weld it to the exsisting EGR tube when the time comes. I'm grinding on the LIM to clear the rockers. I guess I'll just go as thin as possible and grind on the rockers too and hope for the best. I'll check with a feeler gauge but if I can't grind anymore that doesn't do me any good. Plus the hydrualic lifters will increase lift when running too....

Metal LIM gasket is on the way to me... Next week it begins...

rweatherford · Post by **rweatherford** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:18 pm

I like it!

IsaacHayes · Post by **IsaacHayes** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 1:14 am

Thanks Rex!!!
Going to start Sunday. Had a few setbacks, both project related and not. Compressor took a **** and I had to rig the regulator with a toothpick of all things to get it to work. Runs wide-open but that's all I ever used it on.

Peices I cut off the Plenum, and the 3400 TB:

The compressor which doesn't power my die grinder long:

And the 3400 LIM clearanced for my non-roller 94 rockers:

I got the gaskets in, nothing holding me back now after I paint the LIM and TB. Going to have to use RTV for a TB gasket, or make my own out of cardboard due to the IAC passage and oring groove of the adapter. Maybe someday I'll get the $250+ 65mm billet TB and be able to use the oring...

backwoodzberetta · Post by **backwoodzberetta** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:39 am

So did you paint those letters on?

IsaacHayes · Post by **IsaacHayes** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 1:27 pm

Yes Sir! I painted the white and orange-red first, then masked them off with sticky label material cut out as the letters. Then sprayed semi-gloss black over it. When the "stickers" were removed the white and red text was revealed.

backwoodzberetta · Post by **backwoodzberetta** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:12 am

Cool. You did a really good job on that.

IsaacHayes · Post by **IsaacHayes** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:04 pm

Here is a recent engine shot of it installed. Click for larger image.

weba · Post by **weba** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 5:30 am

So how does it perform now?

IsaacHayes · Post by **IsaacHayes** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:20 pm

Fast enough that I bounce off the rev limiter before the trans can shift sometimes! LOL It really runs great all over the power band. Low end off the line was improved and so was mid-high even more than stock was. It never runs out of power all the way to the rev limiter.

Right now I'm running the 52mm TB, waiting for my bored & sleeved 62mm to get back. My motor can breathe in well, but exhaling it needs help with. I gotta get the stock exhaust and downpipe done to 2.5" to really show what this mod did. Usually people do exhaust first, then engine mods.. I guess I'm dyslexic!

fastlane02 · Post by **fastlane02** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:23 pm

a nice set of headers and cat back would help it out alot

weba · Post by **weba** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:07 am

Glad to hear that the swap was worth it, you need to share couple vids of it after you got the throttle body on.

I wan't to turn my 3.1 to hybrid, too bad there's none of those never engines over here so i need to hunt all the parts overseas. where did you find the 3500 UIM for $30?

Post by **snowblindburd** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:00 pm

That is beautiful.

IsaacHayes · Post by **IsaacHayes** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:06 pm

Thanks for the comments guys.

Weba: At first I didn't notice a big difference in power. But the computer had to adjust and after a while I noticed it was a lot faster. And like I said, if I had exhaust already done before the swap, it would have made an even bigger difference right off the bat. On the highway this thing REALLY pulls now. It always did stock, but now it just flies. Punch it at 60mph and it's approaching 80 mph before you know it. I will make some vids, I think I'll make a few drive by's too as I haven't done that before, and I always wonder what my car sounds like on the outside and how fast it looks. I got the upper from a junkyard listed on www.car-part.com Shipping made it higher though.

Grace89SS, yeah I'd love headers, always wanted them. I wonder if it would break 14's with that? Hmm. First 3100 to go 14's @ 200,000 miles N/A with stock short block/heads? LOL "bolt on"s only!

snowblindburd: thanks!

Lost Soul · Post by **Lost Soul** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:56 pm

man that looks sweet, nice job, i definatly like the paint job with the logos,,, just curious did you create the stencil to make that logo, or was it bought in a kit ? it must of took ages to tape all the little things up to paint..

IsaacHayes · Post by **IsaacHayes** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:12 pm

I made it all myself. I've said it before I think, but here's how:

1) Found chevy text and bowtie image online. Then scaled it to 300dpi in photoshop. Then went over it with the paths tool to make a vector image, so that the edges would be nice and crisp at that high resolution.

2) Printed it out in various sizes till I found the right setup. Then printed it on sticky label paper.

3) Sprayed the white/red first. Then cut the letters out with an xacto knife. I stuck the letters down over the white/red, then sprayed black. This is using the letters as a "mask" (blocks the paint) instead of a stencil which would allow the paint through and be harder to apply.

4) Peel up the letter stickers and you're done!

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