Just spoke to Dave at AAM and he did say it was ok to use 100% rubber washers to fix leaking problems from bolt hole #3,1,6,5,2,4. They just have to be sized properly and oiled alittle bit to prevent the rubber washer from spinning while you torque down the bolts. As far as stripping a hole thread, he said that using a helicoil (hope I spelled that right) with a M6 x 1 thread pitch to fix the stripped thread problem. Or you could just retap with a M8 and use a M8 bolt. I think I'm going to try the helicoil first. I guess you can find these at a auto parts store. This is a very good product and I would recommend to anyone but you are always going to have to be patient when you modify your car. Especialy if you are not mechanically inclined like me. Oh, and by the way, this forum is great. Lots of info and you all seem to be nice people.

 

that sucks that you have stripped out that hole....thats where the proper torque would prevent this from happening!

 

early 2003 - mine took 2 washers on each side of strut bar and i had to cut the drivers side rubber thing on the hood. I also put two small furniture pads on the bottom of the strut bar just in case it rubs a little so i won't get that annoying vibration that i had when i tried driving with just one washer on each side. Anyways, hood closes, cover is on, plenum spacer is working great.

 

Hey guys. I received my spacer yesterday. I was going to install it myself on Sunday but I was impatient. Tonight when I went into work, I dropped my car off at the service station the next block over.

I informed them of the problems you were all having with clearance, bolt sizes and stripping.

One hour later they called me at work to come pick up my ride. No problem at all and only a $60 buck install. Could have saved money and done it myself, but I am glad I went this route. Ahhhh Piece of mind!

I have only driven the car about 25 minutes since installl but the difference is apparent!

There used to be a point at the end of the powerband where the z felt like it was losing power, roughly from about 5900 to redline.
Well that must have been cylinders 5 and 6 getting choked off. That is gone now. Also the tach definitely swings quicker after about 4200 rpm.
I definitely feel the gain on the but dyno no question. The fact that the aenemic spot in the powerband close to redline is gone makes the engine more what it should be. The drop off in power near redline made the VQ seem more like a truck powerplant. I dont know why nissan hasnt added power this way themselves. (probably worried about hood clearance.)

Everyone says that More power will be evident in the coming days as the ecu adjusts. If this is true then I am one happy man. To notice gains off a 180 dollar bolt on is something.

A++ for this mod. Thanks AA

 

Nissan did do this themselves... They didn't raise the upper plenum though, just redesigned the lower plenum.

 

Not quite. Nissan's new lower plenum has shorter intake runners, which just move the torque up the RPM range a bit. I've only seen pictures, but from what can tell of the new lower plenum, it doesn't do anything to add more volume to the front cylinders.

I personally like to keep all of my low end torque so I'm not really interested in the Nissan solution. Now if someone wants to make (or mod) a variable intake runner system.....

 

joust75 - I got the car dyno'd after installing the spacer, and the pre and post dynos confirm our butt dynos! Gotta give thanks to AAM for another quality product.

 

wow

thats a nice gain for an easy and relatively inexpensive bolt on mod....congrats on those numbers

 

Yeah that dyno really does represent how the gains feel to me. thanks for posting!!!

 

I don't think anyone can deny the feeling that the car accelerates better in the top end with the spacer installed.

 

I stand corrected then.

 

+1. My car definetly pulls harder from 4k rpm to redline.

 

EDIT: Can this still be bought for the $180 price? I'd like to place an order. Based on Zquicksilvers posts, the kit now has the proper bolts etc for easy installation? Any thoughts versus Hydrazines spacer?

Further, what do you all think about air flow increases? Whereas this does increase the effective volume of the plenum, but what about the flow rates that are changed when using say a crawford plenum?

I'm interested in hearing some thoughts, because if I can get a similar product (hp wise) and save half the cash, I'm all for it.


ravi

 

i too would like to know if this can be bought for 180 still

 

Yeah, I don't think AAM is answering this quesiton. People have been asking this for several weeks with no repsonse.

 

Received mine yesterday and noticed the shirnk wrap for the gasket had been cut open. Strange...maybe they just got a batch order and were reusing a single pack for shipping purposes?

Also, I think the Version 1 instructions I received could definitely be improved. They were unclear in a few areas and some typos or outright mistakes are present. I should be able to figure it out though. AAM, if you're listening, I do this sort of thing for a living and would be happy to help you with Version 2 for a small editor's fee!

 

Ravi,

I posted that because the revised version of the kit does include extra bolts and they will work. But, many are going out and just buying the longer bolts for peace of mind. Reference my latest illustration in this thread. It's based on Roarks data and confirmed my Road Warrior and jester7500. I haven't intalled mine yet, but I too will be buying new bolts according to my own illustration.

ROARK bolt list:
8,14,15 = 30mm
12,13,16,17 = 35mm
7,10,11,18 = 40mm
2,4,5,9 = 60mm
1,3,6 = 70mm

Zquicksilver
ps Hydrazines spacer is fine with similar HP gains according to what I've read. I went with AAM's design because it made more sense from a design standpoint and because I squeaked in the late group buy at $185

 

I called them up, and basically the price is now $249, no matter what.

 

Supply and demand ecomonics

They can't make them fast enough and everybody wants one

 

Actually I think they open it to modify the gasket, I think they cut a piece out of the middle.