Where does this go?

[Rynoa]

Hi, I'm new to these forums and I would like to come to you with a request for some help.

I own a 95 Trans Am which I added a ram air hood and air box to. Recently I noticed that there was a tube that wasn't connected to anything and every once in a while I seem to lose backpressure and lose all acceleration.

I took some pictures of the tube. I rested it up against the air box for visibility. The max range of the tube isn't very far. It could reach to the throttle body area, radiator area or the metal tubes on the right.

Here are the pictures:

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/users/3f519...twEeABBZoYaXEl

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/users/3f519...twEeAB7DvURlZZ

Sometimes I have issues posting pics from my isp...if anybody has trouble viewing them just let me know and I'll repost them.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

(I know the air filter is ghetto, got a K&N on it's way to replace it.)

can try this link:
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mcg...&.dnm=749d.jpg

and can browse the pics in the album

[Black97]

Pics don't work for me

[WICKED LT1]

Welcome to the board!!

Looks like the vent tube from the opti that is supposed to go into the intake elbow. (it will go down the front of the engine and terminate below the water pump.)

The intake elbow should have a place for that blue fitting to push into. Sucking air into the opening is a bad thing... It will throw off the MAF calculations because it is injecting air that the maf doesn't know about. If your elbow does not have this opening, a drill bit or a punch should fix you up with a place to put it.


HTH

-Paul

[Rynoa]

The intake elbow was removed when the intake was changed to a ram air box. Does this mean I should punch a hole in the bottom side of the air box to insert it so it's seeing filtered air?

[WICKED LT1]

Originally posted by Rynoa
The intake elbow was removed when the intake was changed to a ram air box. Does this mean I should punch a hole in the bottom side of the air box to insert it so it's seeing filtered air?

If it is the opti vent, then no. It should be located between the maf and the throttle body about halfway. It won't get enough vacuum from the airbox. It's job it to suck the ozone emissions out of the opti to increase reliability of the unit. Look at your old elbow, and you should see the hole for it on the passenger side about halfway around the bend.

I bought a 1LE elbow for my car, and had to punch this hole, because it was not on the new elbow.


-Paul

[Rynoa]

This is what my intake looks like now...

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/users/3f519...NWFeABnzHUqu2Q

(if the pic doesn't load, it is part of the album now and should show up there)

It has this ghetto accordian style tube which connects the air box to the throttle body then another short one that goes to the engine. I looked into getting a straight silicone tubing to conect it all but since the engine opening is oval and the throttle body/air box is round they said it wouln't work well.

This tube is supposed to connect next to the throttle body then? If it was supposed to go into the intake elbow, that means it's been years since that tube has been connected on my car.

The loss of backpressure problem started when I cut open the air box to allow more airflow to the filter. Originally it has tiny little slits that greatly restircted air flow. After opening it up I noticed an immediate increase in power and performance, but it also added the problem of occasionally losing any and all acceleration. It's very strange. When it happens, the rpm's will go up but no power transfers to the wheels. When I back off the accelerator and ease back into it, I can usually get it to catch and get goin again.

[Trans Am]

Originally posted by Rynoa
This is what my intake looks like now...

When it happens, the rpm's will go up but no power transfers to the wheels. When I back off the accelerator and ease back into it, I can usually get it to catch and get goin again.

i m no expert, but i had this problem with on older car and it was the clutch slipping.
i d put back the vacuum line for the opti cause it about 3-400 $ a new one. if it isnt connected i think it will draw unfiltered air into the opti and might even get moisture in.
i repeat i m no expert , hope this helps

[Injuneer]

I've tried every possiblility on loading the pic's, including copy & paste, but no luck. But, if it is the vent line for the Opti, just to clarify..... that line SUPPLIES air from the air inlet system TO the Opti. It is not a vacuum line, and it is not in a vacuum area when properly installed. The vacuum comes from the 2nd line on the Opti, connected to the drivers side of the intake manifold.

If the line has just been hanging down, you've been pulling dirt and moisture along with the air supply. The reason its located where it is.... after the MAF and before the throttle body is so A) it is filtered air, and B) is has been measured by the MAF, since it ends up in the intake manifold.

In actuallity, it is a very small air stream, and isn't going to cause the kind of problems you've been having, unless its the dirt and moisture that got sucked into the Opti. You should put if in the "bellows" between the MAF sensor and the throttle body. I have the Fernco smooth coupling on mine, so I drilled an extra hole in the airbox and mounted it there.... but I do NOT have an MAF sensor. The effect of putting it in the airbox, in a setup with an MAF should produce such a tiny air flow that the long term fuel corrections should easily be able to correct for it.

The line is right next to the AIR hose connection on my airbox:

[Rynoa]

I need to get a better host for pics.

Anyway your airbox looks way different from mine. Mine is so cheap looking, I really didn't know what I was doing when I got it and had I known what it was gonna be like I never would have gotten that one.

My air box has only the main intake for the engine and like one other hose about the diameter of a quarter connected to it. Anyway if i find a better way to host some of these pics i'll repost them.

Thanks for the all the advice so far.