Help! Replacing the stock air cleaner/housing/valve covers.

[dmdodd]

Ladies and Gents,

You'll be pleased to here my '79 L-48 passed SMOG yesterday having failed visual last week (broken heat-riser bar on pax side, and fuel evaporator line from canister to tank was cracked).
Background (not related to questions):
When I tested 2 weeks ago, the NOX was like 1119 (PPM) out of a max 1137! Talk about close! Anyways, in the meantime, I replaced the items that failed visual, got a friend to install a high-flow cat (he said those old, huge pelletized cats rob about 15 HP from the engine) and ran premium gas for the test... and NOX went down to a STAGGERING 665 (PPM @25 mph)!!! Shows what a cat and premium gas can do!

Anyways...my questions:
Now that I've passed smog, and don't need to worry for 2 years, I wanted to replace the stock valve covers and air cleaner housing. (don't worry, keeping all the items I remove for authenticity reasons).
I bought a dress-up kit from Summit, for a skin-flint-like $40 (http://store.summitracing.com/large...mmit+Engine+Dress+Up+Kits&img=sum-csum103.jpg) and am wondering about the hoses etc left over after the change.
I'll be installing the PCV on driver's side cover, and the new plug-in breather on the pax side, so no breather-to-air-cleaner etc.

Q - what do I do with the temperature sensor that sits inside the stock airfilter?
Q - what do I do with the vacuum lines to the temp sensor, vac lines to the 2 vac diaphram motors in the air cleaner snorkels?
Q - what about the carb air heater hose (from driver's side exhaust manifold to snorkel).

Q - I have to assume that a lot or lines will be cut down and plugged - with screws?
Q - Will removing this THERMAC-type equipment affect how the engine operates during cold weather etc? Will it be a major problem?

Thanks in advance guys, appreciate your time reading my speil and answering my some-what trivial questions. I've only owned a C3 for 3 weeks and I've been LOVING every minute

Dan

 

[l81c3vette]

I replaced my stock air cleaner set up with an Edelbrock Pro-Flo PN 1002 air cleaner. I also added a chrome breather filter to the right valve cover, and a pcv valve type breather filter to the left valve cover so the engine could breath and the oil vapors can escape. (the filters catch oil mist from the motor as if it were going to the air cleaner) The kit you have has a plug for one of the valve covers where you can add oil if nessesary. Make sure you use a pcv valve breather instead of that plug or you may end up puking oil from the one breather that it comes with.

As far as the hot air hose, it can be disconnected. There is a sheild on the header where the hose goes and it looks ugly if you leave it on there. I left mine so I can put my set up back to stock. Every one Ive taken off in the past ends up destroyed and are hell to replace.

Ive done this on many gm applications and have not had any adverse effects. Im leaving the stock valve covers on mine though. I can shoot some photos and email them if you like.

 

[Vette79]

Dan, the stock CAI was probably best left on. Cold air to the carb is what your after. Removing the OEM CAI, you should only have to plug one port on the carb. So cap that. It's a very straightforward task. Oh, if you are going to plug anything, try not to use screws. Go get a connector kit and then attach and then cap the connector. For the valve covers, be sure to continue to use your PCV setup and a breather on the passenger side.

 

[topless82vette]

vette79

could you post a picture "closeups" of the rear deck in the gascap area where the rear spoiler is. Does that rear spoiler sit on any contoured areas or are the areas it mounts to flat like a convertibles rear deck.

 

[Vette79]

Dan, email me and I'll send some pics to ya later. Anything else you need as well.

 

[dmdodd]

Hey guys, thanks for the advice.
I ended up doing the valve cover and cleaner swap last weekend, and my gosh - on a '79 with all that SMOG cr*p everywhere it's a good 5 hr + job!
I had to remove:
+ EGR valve,
+ SMOG pump and hoses to exhaust manifolds,
+ water hose to heater core,
+ loosen A/C compressor bracket (really should have been removed to make life a lot easier),
+ lots of other vac and fuel vapor lines that cross the covers
+ loosen bracket that holds the vacuum diaphram for the throttle cable
+ etc etc.

It was a mission to say the least, but very rewarding and I learnt a lot about the car

Vette79 - I put a screw in the vac line that went from carb to THERMAC air bleed valve (that was inside the air cleaner), but now you mention, will see if there's a special part to fill that hole. Any pics/links of this connector kit you talk of?

l81c3vette - I left that exhaust shield too, was attempting to remove it, but couldn't see a proper way to do so without take the air injectors off - good job I suppose, as you said it's worth keeping on.
On driver's side, there's the original PCV set-up, and pax side new chrome breather (that'll be used to fill oil through), so yeah, exactly as you said

Pics... before/after

~Dan

 

[Vette79]

vette79

could you post a picture "closeups" of the rear deck in the gascap area where the rear spoiler is. Does that rear spoiler sit on any contoured areas or are the areas it mounts to flat like a convertibles rear deck.

The area is flat. PM me and I'll send you some pics later.

 

[l81c3vette]

Looks good. You can get a pcv valve breather cap at your local auto parts store like i have that is only 6 or 7 bucks. It will match the other one and still function.