I built an intake system for my 89 SR5 - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

White89SR5 · 09-09-2005, 08:06 PM

Well I couldn't find an intake system for my corolla so I built my own. I used 2 1/2 inch piping and a cone air filter from Pep-Boys!! (I really wanted to use a HKS foam filter, but I couldn't get one right then!) I removed the resonator from the fender well and enlarged the whole where the resonator orginally came through. I cut the tip off of the air box that sits on top of the carb so there was a straight path to the hole I enlarged and removed the stock air filter. After that I had the pipes mandrel bent. A 45 degree bend coming from the filter, inside the fender well, and about a 20 degree bend (I think!) to get around the motor mount. That is as close as I could get to a straight shot!! The opening in the cone filter was 3 inches wide so I hade to flare the end of the pipe to fit the filter. The filter is mounted low so it gets a good amount of fresh air, but the fender liner is still in place so I don't think there is much chance of it sucking up water. I may order one of the AEM bypass valves to be extra safe. The car feels much better when climbing hills, so I am guessing I picked up more torque than anything which is a good thing because I really could use alot more torque to climb all these hills around my house and it sounds really good when I am at WOT! There is a dyno close to my house and 3 pulls are only $50 so I may stop by there next weekend and see some real numbers!! I wish I had pictures but I don't have a digital camera but I am going to barrow my friends in the next fews days and take some pictures!! Big thanks must go to Grand Muffler in Marietta, GA for helping with the bends and the welding!!

drift_ae86_91 · 09-10-2005, 12:18 PM

yeah, my cuziin's saturn sl1 or sl2 what ever has the twin cam motor and he just took the hks shroom filter off his old alltrac celica turbo and ducky taped it on boro!!!

White89SR5 · 09-10-2005, 06:25 PM

Today I checked under my hood just to make use the the intake was still in place and that nothing had rattled loose when I notice that the pipe was really hot!! Before I put it in yesterday I sprayed it with some high tempature resistant black paint, but that doesn't seem to be working!! Is there anything else I can try to keep the pipe from getting so hot? Oh, yeah I also thought about using some of the existing holes in the fender well and mounting a piece sheet metal behind or around the filter to help create a high pressure area near the filter to get more air in. Good idea or bad idea? Thoughts or comments are appreciated!!

***REN69*** · 09-10-2005, 07:20 PM

it's gonna get hot because of the temperature in the engine bay.. but the air going in is still colder than whatever air it would get from the engine bay.

White89SR5 · 09-15-2005, 07:25 PM

I couldn't figure out how to post the pictures in the thread , but I put them in the gallery along with some shots of the entire car!! Let me know what you think!!

albertmdh · 09-16-2005, 01:17 PM

at least link the gallery to here for us, I'm really interested, I came to the forum to see if anyone had done this, as I'm thinking of, might help a little with the mpg too. As for the heat, isn't there a heat-wrap you can get id assume at most auto-stores, thats what I was going to use(turbo cars use it on IC piping alot I think) Also, what was the total cost, someone might make a HowTo.

White89SR5 · 09-16-2005, 07:37 PM

Here is a link http://www.toyotanation.com/photos/s...ry.php/cat/517 . In total the project cost about $100 and that includes all the clamps, materials and shop time. I also found a company call Thermo-Tec that makes heat wraps specifically for intake pipes. I plan to go pick mine up on Tuesday when it comes in!! Speaking of mpg,I have gain and extra 3mpg since install the intake and I am hopeing to gain a few more once I inatll the heat wrap!! The only thing I really want to change about the intake is that I had to use the stock hose at the top to connect the pipe to the wired shaped opening on the inatke box!! I wish I could find some silicone hose that I could shape the way I want or is already shaped!!

albertmdh · 09-17-2005, 02:45 PM

what about removing the stock air box altogether and piping 90 degrees right off of the carb? possible?

White89SR5 · 09-17-2005, 08:01 PM

I thought about that too!! Hood clearance is a big issue and I am nt sure how I would feed the piping to the carb. I have been taking some measurments and looking at some different ways of connectting the pipe to the carb. i was also looking at the design of the stock airbox and notice that once the air enters it is actually directed straight into the carb so there maybe some benifits to using the airbox!!

Liter · 09-17-2005, 11:01 PM

I may be wrong but doesnt the carb have a air filter with it? its the big circular part ontop isnt it? I have a 89 sr5 with a carb like you this is why im curious.

White89SR5 · 09-18-2005, 11:34 AM

I just removed the filter from the air box (Big black circular thing) and mounted a cone filter down in the fender well and fed the piping in the to air box. I hope that answers you question!!

Liter · 09-18-2005, 11:58 AM

Ok i figured you did that....how do you find the new intake? Better then the stock filter?

White89SR5 · 09-18-2005, 12:19 PM

I am not sure what you are asking , but I built the inatke pipe myself (Out of 2 1/2 inch aluminum) and I got th cone air filter from a local parts store. I believe the filter is better than stock because of the material that it is made of. The entire setup feels better because of the increase in torque and increase miles per gallon. I hope that asked your question!!

Liter · 09-18-2005, 12:31 PM

ya it did...wheres the palcement of the air filter? pretty much where the aitr box used to be or lower?

Liter · 09-18-2005, 01:06 PM

What about taking the pipe off of the intake manifold....i saw you took it off is that gonna affect anything?