It's a disaster but I ordered some TPIS long tube runners, going to take those gaskets, lay them against my spare plenum and then port match em that way. Leave the TPIS runners as is because I am NOT screwing those expensive things up and am getting the TPIS base next week when its pay day!(wendsday). Ill be sure to let you guys know how bad I screw up this project. LOL. And I am still grinding down the humps inside the plenum. Damn those things are tough!

it don't take much to fuck up a piece of aluminum...

TPIS runners and the TPIS base is a improvment over stock right???

www.tpis.com

oh, yes. Huge improvement.

Yes they are an improvement. If you are hesitant to port, use a sanding drum first to get a feel for the grinder, then switch to a metal burr.

Matthew

Does it help to put the base on and the larger runners without doing anything to the plenum? I am thinking of doing this to my 90 this winter.

the plenum isn't that hard to clean up, and that's all you are doing with it. And for that matter, the runners and base are where the restrictions really are.

If the TPIS are anything like the accel you got your work cut out for you, have a large freezer baggie full of shavings. Just finished up a base runners and plenum for someone. Yes the last pic is a hole I put in the runner getting welded up tonight. Some pics are in an unfinished state but you get the idea.Bitch to get all the way through better off cutting them apart then welding back together if you really wanna make a difference.
Youll need something more substantial than a dremel for this type of thing.

http://s870.photobucket.com/home/pickone1_photo/index

If we are buying oversized runners and base why do we need to keep hogging them out?

Even more power! Seriously... a stock TPIS will work fine on anotherwise stock-ish motor, but if you want to make a 383 breath, it needs real cleanups.

Ron - Great pictures! You got a new camera, excellent!!!

The accel bases I think only go 240cfm stock.
This is for someone with good heads/cam looking for a certain dyno # (:sigh).

They are better than stock but can still be improved.
Doing a couple superrams for some 396 build should be fun.


Anyway to the OP doing a plenum right now I can have some close up pics up in a day or two if it helps you...not that hard really just be patient and use eye protection

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You don't HAVE to do that much. But there is some work to be done -- if you want the openings to match up. And, getting the openings to line up (via porting) is something worthwhile to smooth/speed up air flow!!!

I think aftermarket bases come with stock size openings -- in case you use stock tubes or something slightly smaller than it's inner size. (Keep in mind there a several runner choices and they aren't all the same, exact size!)

Getting the base-to-runner holes equal to the runners isn't that hard, but it's timing consuming. After all, you have 8 holes to do. (16 if you don't have a perfect match to the heads on the other side.)

The plenum holes are also sized for stock tubes, so it's good to port them out equal to your aftermarket runners too.

I agree, a dremel is not enough. I burned mine up in a couple of hours. But I did accomplish the rest with a 2000rpm drill, carbide bit, and (sanding) flap wheels. Turns out a 60-grit flap wheel will cut pretty fast at 2k rpms. 120-grit smooths the result quit nicely.

If you use a cutting burr, make sure to use oil with it. Otherwise, the alum balls up and gets hot. Plus, the burr stops cutting very well.

In the midwest, flap wheels are about $5 ea and burrs are between $17-$30. One good tapered burr will cover it. The number of flap wheels needed depends on how much you do with the burr first.

Also, use some sort of face mask to avoid breathing alum dust.

[QUOTE]it don't take much to fuck up a piece of aluminum...[/QUOTE]
Got that right

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-te ... -you-go-too-far-pics.html


PLenum, doesnt take too long
Not perfect but will do the trick


[IMG]http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab261/pickone1_photo/don%20s/don039.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab261/pickone1_photo/don%20s/don047.jpg[/IMG]

Well, I was thinking of porting my intake while I have it apart... just talked myself out of it.

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It's not that bad. If you have basic mechanical skills, you can do it. Just start out small and work your way out, be "routine" about it and don't try to just hack it all away at once. I have pics on here from when I worked on mine - do a search, and it was the first time I'd ever ported anything.

Matthew

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Did your SOTP dyno read any improvement?

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I think the built 383 had more to do with it than the porting