GMT-400 Volant 15957 CAI Install

nubuilder

Why buy new when you can restore?
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I've had this in since Feb '10 and figured I'd post up the info here too.


It took me 3 hours. It should have taken 1.5 hours, but I had to find all the tools and clean out the throttle body.
The hardest part about taking the only intake out was getting the MAF sensor separated from the rubber ring that seals it to the elbow that goes into the airbox.
The MAF sensor has a ring that the rubber ring seats against and is a pain to get the rubber over the ring.
Getting the Air Temperature Sensor out was much easier. All you have to do is pull and twist it out like a screw.

Here's a few tips for anyone looking to do this:
1) Disconnect the battery
- it's just a good idea to be safe
2) Find yourself a 3/16 flat screwdriver
- this will help tremendously when prying the rubber off the MAF sensor
3) You really can't break the MAF sensor housing
- it's made of metal but the wires inside are fragile; don't drop it
4) Be careful with the MAF sensor
- there are 6 thin wires that run through it that have resistors connecting them in pairs that look very easy to snap
5) Once you get the MAF sensor separated lay it down resting on the inner fender and A/C / heater lines running forward to the condenser/water pump
- setting it on the inner fender is much safer and you can't drop it as easily
6) Drill out the 2 plugs on the inner fender (not sure if you'll have to do this or not; the guy that had the truck before me had a K&N system in it)
- there are 2 metal plug-like things that are in the existing 2 holes on the inner fender; step your way up to a 1/4 inch bit; then take a socket and ratchet and the heads should snap off
7) The rubber seal seats against the fender of the new air box
- don't try to smooch it into the hole, it doesn't fit
8) Use 1 washer on the hole farthest from the engine and 2 on the hole closest to the engine
- on the inner fender for mounting
9) Flatten one side of the washer for the bolt closest to the windshield that bolts the intake tube to the throttle body
- there is not enough room for the washer to fit round; one side must be almost completely ground away and even then it doesn't sit very flat
-be careful when tightening to make sure the washer doesn't get crooked when tightening.
10) The valve cover breather hose is a stretch
- the factory one has to stretch to reach the new location; I haven't looked for a longer one or a way to modify it yet but I will be
11) Unplug the Air Temperature Sensor from the wiring harness and install in new plastic tube outside of the vehicle
- it's just a lot easier; install it by applying pressure and twisting in like a screw

Put the Volant in in this order
- 1) Bonnet (what bolts to the throttle body)
- 2) Filter box
- 3) Rubber boot from bonnet to MAF sensor
- 4) MAF sensor (make sure the arrows point the right way for airflow)
- 5) Place the filter and corresponding clamp in the box
- 6) Plastic tube into filter through opening in box
---- Make sure the Air Temperature Sensor is pointing towards the firewall so the plug will reach
- 7) Rubber boot from plastic tube to MAF sensor
- 8) Connect Filter/Plastic Tube/Rubber Boot to MAF sensor

If you follow these tips, things might go a little better for you.

I think that was the order I put things in.

Important Note
The intake tube DOES NOT seal around the intake box. I have picked up some 5/8in thick home pipe insulation that is as close to the rubber used to seal against the fender as I can find for a reasonable price. I'm going to try to squeeze it around the plastic section of tube that sticks into the box to seal it off from the engine heat in the summer. Volant really needs to include a rubber O-ring or something else in the kit to do the job.

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If anyone has any questions, send me a PM (Private Message).
 

nubuilder

Why buy new when you can restore?
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No problem Jarrod!

Volant isn't a widely know company and not many have one on an older truck so I'm hoping to kill 2 birds with one stone.

If anyone has any questions about the product or the install, feel free to let me know by either posting in this thread OR sending me a Private Message (PM would be best).

Hopefully this helps someone!!
 

nubuilder

Why buy new when you can restore?
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Hey Matt, how did this intake effect performance?
I think it helped out just a little in the lower RPM's, but not by a lot. At the In-Person, Black Bear Performance tune I went to, Justin said I was 3% short of the capacity of the L31 which he said may or may not be due to the intake (but 3% to me is nothing so I'm not worried about it).

I'll look back and see if I have any gas mileage logs from before the intake install and see if I can tell a difference or not. I'll look into that tonight when I get home from work.

I mostly went with it because I found a decent deal on it, and I wanted one that was totally enclosed (unlike the K&N at the time that the top was wide open to the engine bay).
 

nubuilder

Why buy new when you can restore?
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And another question, what happened to your radiator cap? :uhoh:
:loser: It's in the 1st pick, to the right sitting on the fan shroud. :jester: At the same time I did the intake install, I also drained, flushed, and filled my coolant. The cap was off to allow air to escape from the system. :D
 

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