The NEW Upper Air Resonator Mod!

ZX2 Dedicated Discussion Performance Modifications
1

Hey so I found this page where this guy had taken the upper air resonator and removed it and replaced it with a piece of 2.5" pvc pipe at 7.5" long, these are the right dimensions and all but I found a newer better trick for barely larger price.

First thing you’ll find yourself on is a hunt for 2.5" Outer Diameter PVC Tubing, its REALLY F*CKING HARD TO GET! So what I was doing was going around 3 different towns looking for it, turns out this guy FINALLY pointed me to a muffler shop saying “YOU know, most exhaust systems bumped up from 2” are 2.5" and they can actually flare the end, just like you’re talking." and then it hit me:

DRIVE TO THE MUFFLER SHOP!

So this lady ended up cutting a piece of 2.5" Muffler piping, sizing the end to I believe she said 2 7/8" (i just took the resonator in out of my hood and had her do it) so she charged me $10 for it all, I put it on, fits like a glove, sounds better and because the muffler tubing is actually made for air flow (hello, exhaust?) it’s made for it, more consistent, she was able to actually flare it to an extent where it was able to flow more air instead of the small flare of a PVC pipe, thus getting more consistent air flow and sounds a little bit better too :slight_smile:

Here’s the pics!

Old upper resonator with the giant box on it (Pretty clear to see why you’d want it off?)

http://www.boombaprojects.com/images/upres.jpg

The new piece I got made at the muffler shop fitting like a glove…

http://www.boombaprojects.com/images/newupres.jpg

Both of the old resonators sitting and sobbing because they’ll miss the Zetec, but I’ll be glad to see them go…

http://www.boombaprojects.com/images/lwupres.jpg

And the lower resonator all by itself… sad…

http://www.boombaprojects.com/images/lwres.jpg

2

Ya alot of CAI intakes are made of exhaust tubing ie, Hot shots (sure they say it’s stainless steel but mine sure as hell isn’t). It still won’t give you as much air flow as a CAI but for $10 you can’t beat that. By the way it looks pretty nice, alot better then the PVC mods I’ve seen.

3

Just got back from a drive, feels nice :slight_smile: Not a major huge difference but I do notice the difference in how it sounds, responds and has a little more consistency, much better :slight_smile: sigh of relief

4

Cool! That should be tons better than PVC, because I’ve heard horror stories of the PVC possibly screwing up the engine… And I agree, it looks real nice too.

  • Darron
5

I gutted the fender where the lower resonator sat, noticed that it seems to feel a bit better (not pulling as much hot air in it) and am considering drilling through the fenderwell and dropping a piece of piping to actual ram some air into it that has the ability to CLOSE it in the winter and rainy season. Will update with info as the project progresses if i go through with it.

I’ve been mad busy working on mods for my Kawasaki Ninja so I haven’t done much to the ninja lately.

by the way my website got moved over to a new host, i’ll try to get those images changed, sorry!

6

Head over to TeamZX2 (link below) to my topic on what I have been working on for the past 5 days… Getting new pics tonight of the “better/finished” one that pretty much seals up…

[url=http://www.teamzx2.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=2&topic=6085.0]http://www.teamzx2.com/index.php?option ... pic=6085.0[/url]
7

That’s very cool, I saw that the other day, good work! :slight_smile:

8

I like it!! I was acutally thinking about doing the very same thing, however I do not have access to the proper tools for the bending of the metal.

also, isnt lexan more costly then weather stripping? I would assume so, however i have never priced lexan. I do have some ideas for you as to how you can get it to match the hood though, without the lexan.

You need to find where exactly the edge of your box intersects the hood. then take a piece of cardboard and trace that profile onto it. that should give you the shape you need to match with the rubber seal.

9

yea, I got done with the new one. I also drilled a 2.5" hole in the bottom of that area for extra air. Ugh, the weather stripping comes in 10ft rolls and is $30. The lexan, 11"x14", is just under $5. So yea, the lexan is cheaper. Either way, im done with this Idea, and may scrap the one I just made cause its kinda gay.

10

you can actually get the piece from autozone, thats where i got mine, it was under $5 and you only have to measure and cut. really easy.

-Solo

11

You don’t need the tools, some chick at a muffler shop did it for me and custom fabricated the metal right in front of me for $10 :slight_smile:

12

You might want to try putting some kind of heat wrap on it. The thing with metal is how easy it heatsoaks. The horror stories you hear about PVC is from people that don’t use schedule 40. The schedule 40 won’t warp and disform in the engine bay heat.

I used to have a CTA intake on my car. I recently sold it and put a Kemanized stocker back on. It feels the same. Actually, in hot weather, it feels better. Plastic doesn’t heat soak like metal and stays overall cooler.

13

Heat wrap? It’s the same tubing they use to make exhaust systems out of, i’d be afraid if it warped. 2.5" Muffler tubing. Unless you mean the oem intake part of it?

I’m confused.