Vortex Air Intake Any Warnings/Suggestions for Install?

[Vettevrooom]

I have one that my son and his friend are going to install next week. I'm looking for any suggestions they should have beforehand from those who have experience with this one.

Also, are there any solutions to working in such a tight space? Thank you all, will be back later, must take other dog to vet. Never a dull moment!:s

PS Guess it would help if you knew which one!
http://www.madvet.com/shop?store=2&frame=14

 

[johnl]

What brand vortex?
I installed the Breathless Performance intake. I have the pictures I took archived somewhere. If this the one you are doing I can digg them up for ya.
John

 

[Vettevrooom]

Thanks. I just put a link up in opening post to the one I bought. Duh that would help!

 

[johnl]

Yeah, that’s the one I installed. It's pretty straightforward.
You will get a template to detail where you cut through the shroud. The problem was they did not give a suggestion as to how exactly to cut the hole.
I drew a line on the top of the shroud inside the template so I had the opening transferred to the shroud. Then I drilled some small holes at the corner. I put some golf T’s in the holes and transferred the line to the bottom of the shroud.

I cut some from the bottom using a jig saw with a regular blade. (The bottom of the opening, or closer to the nose of the car.) Then I cut the jigsaw blade off so there was just enough to cut through the shroud and finished the cut from the top... (I didn’t want a long’ole blade getting close to the A/C condenser.)
You have to go at it from the 2 different directions because of the hood placement. I suppose you could totally remove the shroud and cut it, or remove the hood. But this is the way I went about it.

After the hole is cut, it’s a piece of cake putting it all together. I would suggest for you to think about the 6 nuts/bolts that attaches the scoop piece to the shroud. The kit contains these little keepers that clip onto the shroud (where you made the cut) they hold the retaining bolts. Then you screw the bolts down from the top, into the opening. I really don’t like the look of the 6 bolts sticking down into the incoming air opening.
If I was to do it again I might get some nut/bolt pairs that were a little bit closer to the correct thickness, and some real wide washers to protect the plastic. This would be a PITA to hold the nut on the bottom and tighten from the top. It would take 2 people, but you are only doing it once, and it would look so much better. (For those times your up there shooting the hose to clean it out). Otherwise it really can’t be seen.

Let me look through the Pic's I have and I'll either post'em or shoot'em of in an e-mail.
John

 

[MagRedSkull]

Yeah, I have a recommendation, don't install it. I hydro-locked my LS1, with 10k miles, using that same system last December. It cost $6k and 5 weeks to fix it.

 

[*89x2*]

Callaway has a new design for C5's w/ a constant velocity - No "choke point" above the radiator - z06 MAF also avail -
contact Callaway cars for details -
www.callawaycars.com

 

[Vettevrooom]

MagRedSkull - Thanks for the warning, but I have to ask if you were driving in rain or standing water to submerge the intake to that degree? Or maybe do you have the racing version that is not to be driven in rain? I have the regular style.

johnl - Thank you so much for the detailed steps for easier install. Yes I would appreciate any photos you think may help with how it should look or steps you feel are vague. Please don't go to a lot of trouble though, I'm happy with what you outlined. What is the difficulty in removing/reinstalling the hood? That certainly would help.

*89x2* - Thanks for a different idea. I emailed them for information out of curiosity. I have a feeling those wonderful specialty parts will be quite expensive. Though I can return mine, I'll probably go with what I have.

Hugs to all of you for taking the time to help! :s

 

[MagRedSkull]

Poodle - I live in sunny southern CA and had the standard Vortex in my 2001 Corvette Coupe. My car is a daily driver to work and back. I knew when I installed the Vortex that bottom breathers increase the risk of ingesting water into the motor, but we don’t get much rain and I could be careful when it did rain, right?

Well, on 12/16/02 it was raining hard, it was dark, and it was time to leave work. I came to an intersection that had drainage dips on all 4 entrances that created water traps that I couldn’t avoid do to rush hour traffic. It wasn’t bad for all of the other cars (6-10”), but they were going slow through water on each side of the intersection. It looked risky to me, but I had no where to go. The car nosed down in the dip, I think the front nose spoiler acted like a scoop, and water was sucked into the air filter, thereby hydrolocking my LS1 engine with less than 11k miles.

Call it bad judgment or an unfortunate set of circumstances.

The engine had to be pulled for evaluation & diagnosis. Multiple connecting rods were bent, broken/cracked pistons and the engine was pretty chewed up.
The Vortex bottom breather was definitely replaced.

Many people are lucky & never have a problem with the Vortex, but I feel it does increase the risk of motor damage from water. I gambled and lost.

 

[Vettevrooom]

Oh I feel so bad for you. Did you feel dumb or mad first? Did you learn any new words LOL! ad First of all so many of these things we just don't know until they happen and then there are the impossible situations. I don't know what I'd do, maybe try to back up and let people go around me honking all they want. I waited too long for my baby to worry about what people think. I just don't think any type of air intake would help in that situation because the nose is so low. We have a lot of overpasses where the road dips down and floods and of course in heavy traffic no way to get out, not even grass on sides. Maybe we should just call a tow truck to come get us rather than go forward LOL! This is what my son said to do if I get stuck like that but must have room to maneuver too. Might help someone else avoid this expensive sitation.

"....if you are forced into a situation of putting the car through standing water with a cold air intake. Back off from the traffic or whatever. Then when you have room, gain enough speed so that you can coast through the standing water (BEFORE YOU GET TO IT), then put the car in Neutral, and TURN OFF THE ENGINE (just before you get to the standing water). This way, when you coast through the standing water, even if the filter does get submerged the engine won't be on, so there won't be any suction to pull the water into the engine. Then, assuming you had enough speed to coast through the standing water, even if only enough momentum to get nose out of water on other side, start the engine back up and you should be fine."

A hug to make it better! I guess we have no choice but learn and go on.

 

[tt-rexx]

hydrolock

Yeah, I have a recommendation, don't install it. I hydro-locked my LS1, with 10k miles, using that same system last December. It cost $6k and 5 weeks to fix it.

can you say hydrolock more common then you think.

 

[MagRedSkull]

Poodle - thanks for the kind words.

tt-rexx - I've heard of other hydrolock occurrences. I feel it can be more risky using a Vortex system.