Driving with no intake

[Dave-TransAm]

Can driving your bird with no intake hurt the car? I was trying to affix my old trans am intake on my firebird and cant seem to get it to fit without having to go buy a bunch of parts. So basically there would be nothing after the MAF. Would I be fine driving it 5 miles to work and 5 miles back? Any answers help! Thanks!

[Smittro]

I would'nt..

What's the trouble with your intake?

[pajeff02]

Driving it without an air filter? Is that what you mean? You risk sucking dirt and other road grime into your engine and that is generally a bad idea.

[0verkill]

It shouldn't even start

[Dave-TransAm]

The stock intake from my old trans am is less restrictive than the stock on on my new firebird so I was going to throw it on the car. I knew it would need a little modification, but I didnt know it would need this much. And yes I would be driving it without an air filter. There would be nothing after the MAF sensor

[Smittro]

It shouldn't even start

It will start right up.

[Smittro]

AH that's right you were trying to fit the ls filter setup onto your 3800.

You may be able to get newer v6 lid setup from a junk yard cheap.

[Dave-TransAm]

It will start right up.

Will it hurt the car to drive it 10 miles though?

[0verkill]

He posted after the MAF not before so yes if he ment with out a filter then yes but you can suck in dirt if its the intake it self then no it won't

[Smittro]

Driving it without an air filter? Is that what you mean? You risk sucking dirt and other road grime into your engine and that is generally a bad idea.

+2.

[0verkill]

For a little insurance you cam pic up a cheap cone filter from the part store

[Smittro]

Will it hurt the car to drive it 10 miles though?

Again, not a good idea.. The air dam under the car is designed to direct air @ the rad.

Unfortunately, this also feeds road dirt right @ the front of the engine, as well as any puddle water you may encounter.

[Smittro]

For a little insurance you cam pic up a cheap cone filter from the part store

That will not work on the 3800-II non throttle by wire as the MAF is seperate from the TB..

The space between the rad support and the TB is only a few inches, with the MAF in place it's even less.

[Smittro]

[Smittro]

This my old throttle by wire stock setup.

The space between the TB and the rad/support is too tight to fit anything before the MAF on the cable throttle 3800

[0verkill]

Ok got ya I was thinking it had more room

[Smittro]

Ok got ya I was thinking it had more room

Later when I added a smooth bellows it's total length was just over 4 inchs.

The 3800 also uses an 85mm inlet TB on both the cable and TBW.

The TBW gives you a little more options as the MAF is integrated into the TB.

Unfortunately on the cable TB the MAF takes up the bulk of that room.

The cable TB 3800-II has a goofy boot instead of a lid and turns slightly back on itself towards the engine bay and uses a side mount filter unit..

The LS1 type lid system was a substantial upgrade, but requires some couplings and so forth for it to work on the cable driven TB 3800 cars.

[Smittro]

OP I would try to find a 3800 f-body lid system @ a junk yard.

You can then put your MAF where the TBW cars have the air baffle.

Just a couple claps and you should be good.

I gutted my air box and achieved the same results you're looking for out of the TA setup.

That way there are no hardware store parts to buy, just a couple large hose clamps and some self tapping sheet metal screws.

The lower portion of the new 3800 lid style air box also doubles as a rad support but your car will likely not have the holes needed for that setup.

You can overcome this by using the self tapping sheet metal screws I mentioned.