Is it that thing on the passenger side of the intake manifold? If so how is it different from the one in the previous 5th gen and what would be the pros and cons of making it stay open?

 

It's a lazy version of the MEVI/00Vi b/c it only has one large butterfly instead of 6 individual (per cyl obviously). I noticed that when I take it off it seems to have more power later in the revs and doesn't drop off at 5.5k. The drop off is still not as pronounced as the 4g though (30whp) this is more like 8-10. With it normally functioning it will feel stronger at 4k-5.5k, on the opposite end it will do the same 1000rpm later. The IM on the FWD 3.5's is interesting being split upper 3 and lower 3 from the TB with the valve opening and closing the connection between the 2 ...

 

By taking it off do ou mean disconnecting it completely (leaving the butterfly valve closed) Because I am wondering what would happen if it was always open?

 

nothing will happen (bad), you'll just loose lowend power.

 

how do you disconnect it?

I wonder if top-end would be gained from this....becuz I remember my friend dynoed with his MEVI zip tied open....he had an awesome top end curve.....and iirc, blackbird VQ said the VI on the 5th gens performs way better in top-end with the valves stuck open the whole time..

 

yes the topend will improve greatly. not sure what sloppymax did, but you could pm him.

 

damn I want to try this now.....I recently lost to my friend's WRX from a 70-130mph roll by only 1 car length....he inched me very slowly until 130 and it became 1 car length....I wonder if this will solve the problem

 

Either d/c the vaccuum hose that connects to the actuator ( not the line from the Im itself) Or open it up and unscrew and take it off. With the 3.5's they have nice low end as it is so it's like a win win situation. If you have a 4g auto, not good b/c of the gears.

 

wait....sloppymax has a 3.0L....how would u do it on the 3.5?

NmeMAX....hold on...if you disconnect that vaccum hose...wouldn't the butterfly valves stay stuck closed? Do you have a pix of this exact hose so I can try it out? hehe

 

I can get pics yes... It will stay open, take a peak it's only 5 bolts and a few pop screws away.
3 bolts if you're nifty.

No clue how on the DEK, but it too has individual butterflies. steven you're always in these IM threads We need to get together something that will allow the RWD 3.5 IM on there.

 

lol...i know huh? i've been so curious after I drove my friend's FX35, G35 and 350z's.....they seem to have real linear powerbands....the 3rd gen VQs that is.....my 2nd Gen 3.5 VQ is awesome but this darn IM pisses me off....after my friend in the WRX pulled away...i was like "nooooo wheres my top-end??"......

So yeah...I don't mind if I lose my low-end....I just want to race him again from a roll...I already have the MAXINXS mod ready to be put on (sorta like a ram air mod)...and if I can do this stuck open VI mod successfully....I hope I can pull on him....i'll just tell him I just changed my 10k old mobil1 and got my hp back

 

heres a good picture....which one of these vaccum lines do i disconnect? oh yeah another important question.....will this harm the engine in anyway? throw CEL's, run in limp mode, changing fuel economy etc, if I run like this for too long?

 

The one from the gold actuator. on the upper left

this has a valve that opens and closes with relation to rpm, but a check valve in between it and the main IM vacuum. Best way to do it is to take the cover off and dissasemlbe the flap (i.e. take it off) then put it back so that it doesn;t mess with vacuum/ECU funtions.

You can't see the housing from that shot too good, it's in the side connected to the actuator.

 

sweet! have u tried this before? how does the top-end feel compared to stock? if you felt a gain on top-end then I should feel an even better gain since i'm 6spd....

anyway about the gold actuator....opening the cover and dis-assembling the flap doesn't require any special tools right? just double checking and making sure....I don't wanna bust a and end up buying a new one

 

Nope, just normal sockets 10-12mm. Feels better up top, just watch out for those screws b/c the metal is soft and they're easy to strip ... Not saying it's night and day, btu ther seems to be a little better up top. Just no dynos to prove ... so until then ..

 

Well I just did it. If you take off the engine cover and look just to the right of the valve thing there is a vacume line that goes down to a vacuum cannister, If you take that vacuum line and connect it directly to the valve it will keep it open at all times. Did one test drive and havn't noticed much difference but only a dyno would tell

 

You did the opposite of what we're talking about. Useless IMO, b/c the only time it is open is below 4k normally, so what you did is the same thing that happens 4k+. You shouldn;t notice anything different b/c the same thing is happening as always just earlier

 

Is this valve normally open or closed at low rpm? If closed then what I did was make it stay open at all rpm...Open you're hood and have somebody rev you're engine and watch what it does.

 

It closes at 4k. Now you got it so that it's always closed, so whatever you gained/lost will be <4k. As nothing that you did is different with what normally happens >4k

 

WOW! I always thought the flap opened at high rpm's to increase air flow and HP and stayed closed at low rpm's to increase torque

 

SR20's probably at us right now

 

Just took it apart and I was wrong and nmexmax was right.

 

Alright so lets sum this up....

1. Remove Engine Cover
2. Disconnect Vaccum Line on Gold acutator
3. Disassemble the valves inside the acutator
4. Tah-Tah! Butterflies now stay open at all times. More top end without any engine harm....

did I get that right NmexMAX?

 

Step 2 is unnecessary.

 

.

 

Thanks!!

haha damn I will let u guys know the results....hopefully I can run my friend again this weekend.....and umm....if I pull on him....then this mod actually works....becuz remember....he beat me by 1 car length by 130mph.....so if I am dead even with him or slightly pull ahead...then my top-end has been gained..... I just hope this mod is safe to run.....

 

What does he have on that Rex? I can beat stockers all day .. and I'm auto ...

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=393271

hes nowhere near stock....hes got every single bolt-on except for upgraded turbo/intercooler.....as for me I got only intake/catback....

i raced him a long time ago when he only had the AP....and i was bone stock except for GAB....i blazed him hard as hell from a roll....now he blazes me =(

 

Took it apart and the valve seems pointless. After the throttle body the intake splits in 2, one goes upper and one goes lower. So whether the valve is open or closed it has full air flow. All this valve does is seperate the 2 air ports into 1 when open and at low rpm's and seporates them at high 4k and over. How does this help the car

 

My words exactly

 

Sounds like you two agree on the nature of the valve's function and the design of the intake manifold, but one of you (NmexMAX) thinks that disassembling the valve will help top end power while the other (00SEMAX19) thinks that there shouldn't be any difference between the valve being open and the valve being closed. Help me visualize what's going on here!

 

I take this back, but still want to see for myself.

In the all motor forum, there has been talk about it increasing or at least shifting the powerband up and adding a few ponies. Read my 1st post. (#2 in this thread) I may do a dyno of this soon, as well as the timing advance Other people have dyno'd this with peaks at ~6200 vs 5.5 k for normal 5.5gs.

 

alright I just got back from trying this mod out...let me say that this attempt was a disaster! my back & hands hurt from all the fiddling around with those nuts in those HARD to reach spots....omg seriously it took me like 30 minutes just to get the darn thing off...after I got it off...i located the two screws and kept in mind what NmExMAX said about those screws being brittle.....I slowly twisted....no budge at all....then I put twice as more force....still no budge....then finally just gave it all I got...and what do u know? the little darn thing breaks.....!!! OKAY NISSAN WTF!?! why would u torque down something so tight when the material being used is so damn brittle....omg I swear....

anyway I reassembled everything back together.....but when I had everything taken off...the intake manifold design is not what I expected....basically the valve stays open the whole time....and when activated at 4k....the valve closes....but the weird thing is the valve is located all the way to the side of the intake manifold....it seems as though it has nothing to do to control air volume such as the MEVI or 00-01 VI w/ individual butterflies....I can now vouch for 00semax when he said it is pointless...

anyway I'm tired....fu*k this Nissan for torquing those screws on so tight and making those screws out of brittle material...

 

okay so i'm out of the game for now since I stripped my valve screws....NMexMAX do you suggest I should unhook the vaccum line that goes into the gold acutator, then take her out for a spin? I wonder if this will work without throwing any CEL's or messing **** up.....if you've done this before, where did you put the vaccume line? did you just let it hang there or what? anyway well i'm still interested in this mod....I need something to help accomodate my MAXINXS mod....heres a pic from Harmbone's website



I installed this earlier today and haven't taken it on the highway yet....i'm sure at real high speeds....my car will definitely be getting in colder air....but damn I wish I had this VI mod done to my car so i can pull on fools!

 

Not pointless, I think it has a certain audience in mind, people will feel the nice jolt you get at 4k, and that's a more useable rpm than something a bit higher. I though it was made out of something soft not brittle, and that's why they stripped.

 

If you don't throw a rod 1st ... 3.5 don't care for that rpm as much as the 3.0 does ... you need rod bolts or something better.

 

I think that's what Tilley did. He has a 3.5 in his 97, running it on 3.0 ecu. Before he dynoed 233whp/230wtq and afterhe dynoed 238whp/223wtq.

 

He also stated that the peak went from 5.5k to 6.2k.

 

From an artcle I read that one of the mods posted, ram air doesn't take effect unti ooh about 1/2 mach 1 ... But it may help cool the air down a bit I'll go to the dyno next weekend and see what it does( the flapper ish), as well as the timing advance.

 

thanks for the PM nmexmax! I will try out what you said tomorrow morning....and post the results here....hopefully I don't break anything