DyeBoi

Hey

This morning, a friend and I installed a cone filter on my 2nd Gen 3.0 v6, a bit different then what most of you do, but the price was right and it seemed a viable option after the ISR mod. But it seems we've run into a problem, hopefully someone will be able to throw in their 2 cents and help me out.

At the moment, the car is not wanting to run. After removing the stock air box and mating a cone filter to the AFM (air flow meter), the car wants to continuously die. The engine will start, rev up and come to a steady 500 hundred and then slowly drop. Which is a good 250-300 rpms less the regular idle. In addition to this, we believe NOX gas is now comin out of the exhaust, a sweet sorta smelling fume that seems to burn the eyes, learned that the hard way, heh. I am sorta baffled at what is happenning, it seems the engine and ECU would be able to compensate for this air flow adjustment, but it might be that the air flow is now too much and parts of the system are not able to match.

We think it might be one of a few things

1. Bad Fuel Pump
We think that it might be caused by a fuel pump either gone bad, or just not able to handle the load. When power is run to the car, ACC, but the engine is still off, there is a loud high pitched whine from the fuel tank. Could this be the problem?

2. Bad Fuel Filter
Maybe the filter is just shot and the gas is not being passed fast enough for compensate for the added air/fuel ratio.

3. ECU
Maybe the ecu is just not capable of adjusting to the new air flow. But this seems highly doubtful.

My friend is pretty knowledge about engines, but we thought it safer to ask others with the same ride. Have any others applied a cone intake to the engine? I guess it would be similar to the Performance Kit from K&N, so its hard to understand why it wouldn't work with this new setup.
Does anyone know what exactly the box screwed to the top side of the stock air box does? Is this really killing the car?
We've tried adjusting the idle, but that didn't do anything, the car still slowly lowers in RPM speed.
The transition of the RPM speed is gradual, but the engine sorta kicks now, fighting to keep going.
Im just not sure.

If anyone can help, it would be awesome, for now, we are thinking of replacing the fuel filter, fuel pump with a supra pump, or just callin it quits and replacing the stock air box. oh BTW, i am going to change the filter back to the air box to see if the engine still dies, but im thinkin it'll run fine and then re apply the cone filter.

Again, if anyone has any knowledge or tips or information, it would be most appriciated.
Thanks

Steve

seafarinman

I am wondering just how you attached the cone filter to the AFM. I have an aluminum adapter plate with a rectangular cutout and a round tube that the cone filter clamps onto. The adapter plate bolts onto the AFM. It sounds to me like you have a leak somewhere between the AFM and the throttle body. The air must pass through the AFM without leaking so that the computer will squirt the correct amount of fuel. My ISR was completed 3 years ago, using 3" SCH 40 PVC pipe. I have the exhaust recirculation hoses plumbed into the PVC pipe. The only time that I have ever had problems was when my pipe came loose. The truck would not run until I had the pipe securely clamped back in again. I am at work, but I will post a pic of my setup in a hour or so when I get home.:pat:

DyeBoi

GAH!
seafarinman, i ran back to the car, to do a double check on the pipe, stupid me :pat: the coupling from the pipe was loose, i'll have to run the car to warm it back up to normal speeds to figure our my idle, but the car seems to be running well
oh, btw, i did get the adapter assembly that you are speakin about
But the problem of the exhaust smell, high pitched whine(which i believe to be the fuel pump) is still there. Any thoughts on these?
I'd really like to see some pics of your setup, im thinking that maybe i'll just go to a muffler shop to bend a intake pipe to make sure lil things like this don't happen again.

Again, thanxs a lot and i'll be waitin to see your mod pics.

Steve

DyeBoi

oh real quick, how did you re-divert the big pipe runnning to the top of the stock air box? its a vaccum line? I guess I'll see in the pics, but if you have some more thoughts, just let me know

Steve

seafarinman

Here are the pics:









Not sure about the exhaust smell and high pitched whine though. Do you have a catalytic converter?

KevyWevy

just a thought to help the engine adjust better. did you reset the cpu? you know take out the plug and let it reset for the new amount of air flow that its getting?

DyeBoi

Man, gotta hate computers, had a nice long reply going and bam, disappears, heh, I guess this'll be the short version.

seafarinman
It seems that you said your pipe was 2.5, at the moment, im using a 3, seemed what other people used, but this is where the problem first sprouted, the coupling that I bought for mine was just not sealin all the way to the 2.5 rubber pipe comin off the throttle body, I think I'll either run to the store and buy some 2.5, or just go get a custom intake pipe bent, seems this'll have a fewer problems heh. Gotta say though, your mod looks sweet with that filter cover!
Just curious, did you fabricate your mount for the filter yourself? or did it come with the kit? I'll have to do something like that, its sitting in the engine baby unbraced at the moment, but its pretty snug lying on the intake shroud, the one that covers the back of the headlight.
Cat? yea, the car is practiclly stock, so the cat is stock, but I think im still getting a slight smell from the exhaust and a high pitched whine from the rear, think things just domino'd on me and the pump'll have to be replaced. I'll go check it out soon, haven't driven the car since i fell asleep, with a grin on my face mind you, after i got the pipe to work correctly.
Also curious, do you have an electic fan? seems the stock fan shroud is gone, you running a flex a lite? or something more personalized? I want to do this mod, but the money for the flex a lite fan is huge, and my wallet, is so small right now. Any tips?
Read through your mods, crazy man, you have a seriously sweet ride! I am jealous.
Thanks for replying, you've helped me out a whole lot and sorry for the continous barrage of questions.

KevyWevy

Yea, i did unhook the battery to let the ECU re-adjust, and after the pipe was fixed, car sounds great, but the ehxuast smell is still there, a lil bit fainter, but still worrying me.
Thanks for replying, its much appriciated, and if you got some thoughts on any of my problems, please feel free to post, i enjoy getting help from the pros.

Thanks
Steve
oh ps, this wasn't the short version, it might actually be longer!

seafarinman

Dyeboi,
Yeah, the pipe that I have fits (snugly) in the original flex hose that attached to the throttle body. As far as the mount for my filter, well I drilled a couple holes in the adapter plate and had some 3/4"x 1/8" aluminum bar, and I cut two support struts drilled and shaped them to line up with the holes in the body so that they bolt up. I have a Hayden 16" electric fan ($75) at the local auto parts store with an adjustable electric temperature sensor ($61) and it was cheaper than the flex-a-lite. I actually have a polished aluminum Civic intake pipe that I need to cut down and replace the PVC with. I need to get some fittings for the emissions attachments though.(I have been running PVC for like 3 years now, so what is the hurry, right?) Good luck.

rwmorrisonjr

seafarinman,

How do you like the Hayden? I'm looking at the 16" for my 2001 4runner and wanted an opinion from someone who's used it already. I'm not too in love with the price or installation issues associated with the Flex-a-Lite.

What do you do at Whidbey? I'll assume your a Navy man being posted up there. Am an IS3 here at the RIA-unit based at the NARCEN here at Buckley AFB in Denver.

seafarinman

Yeah, I am an IT2 here at NAS Whidbey Island. I work at one of the tenant commands here~NAVOCEANPROFAC. Luckily I am going back to a "real" unit soon. I can't wait. Shore duty is such a waste of time. I installed the fan along with a new radiator to replace my old fan and radiator~the fan died after 3 years.

rwmorrisonjr

Cool, sounds like you're ready for some sea duty. Hard to go 'wheeling on ship unless you have some pontoons!

You said the fan died after 3 years, was that the stock fan or the Hayden? Also, which thermostat unit did you buy and which outlet hose did you mount it to, the upper or lower?

seafarinman

Yup, ready to go back to sea. That was the first electric fan that I had that died after 3 years. As far as the thermostat, I have the one with the temp sensor that mounts in the radiator cooling fins below the the upper hose connection. It has a relay built into it, and I have the mounted on the flange on the side of the radiator where the old shroud attached.