Intake modification, does this look like a DIY?

Don

Darth Camaro 12/27/15
JacFab - Laminator FX

I looked into a ported intake manifold for my Camaro, and the company that does the porting, also offers this drop-in piece that gives approximately a 17% increase in airflow as opposed to a 19-21% for a ported manifold ($100 VS $450). I watched the video on the site about this part and it really looks like this could be a DIY with some epoxy & a few screws.

If you could give the video a look and tell me what you think.

Thanks
 
Says it has not been dyno tested, just airflowed. I`d like to see some dyno gains personally. Don`t think I would go this route. May just a good cold air intake/filter combo?


I ported my stock LS7 intake myself. Port matched the runners to the gasket, opened up the rest and had black plastic flying around! It was very time consuming, came out OK, not all the runners were even/etc.

I eventually replaced it with a FAST 102 manifold that I had Jeremy Formato port for me. That was a pro job and looked like it.

I`d say, now`s the time to port your factory intake yourself and see how it comes out! Take your time and have at it. If ya mess it up...aftermarket baby!
 
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blue line stock. Red line just the 3/4" spacer. Dark red line is ported intake and spacer.

the laminator would be slightly less than the regularly ported intake. Jason`s R&D showed no real improvement by porting the bottom side of the intake. It actually slowed air velocity going into the cylinder heads. Kenny "camaro " Roberts ports both the front and bottom end of the intake. I don`t believe he`s done the same kind of R&D that Jason had done it.

I personally have both the spacer and ported intake from Jason. There`s been things I`ve had buyers remorse ove, but this wasn`t one of them. I`ve talked to Jason over the phone. He told me that the epoxy he uses in the regular port job. Costs him about $50 per intake he does. That to me makes the laminator a very reasonable option price wise. The laminator is molded plastic instead of epoxy. The laminator is going to get sucked out of its place. The air flow in that spot is actually pushing down on it.

I`m definitely one of those who likes making and doing things myself. This is one of those things that I don`t feel that about. Fluid dynamics is not simple. Very small changes can make big differences. Even at the throttle body opening. Jason doesn`t port it evenly all the way around. He opens it up more on the bottom than the top, because of how the air flows over the throttle plate.

the phenolic spacer I thought was expensive. Till i was told the labor time just for one. Plus the high cost of the phenolic. He has around three hours of cnc, and water jet time into each one. It`s not something stamped out .


If you do decide to do it yourself. When looking at epoxy, resistant doesn`t mean proof. You need something that is oil, gas, solvent, proof.
 

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Says it has not been dyno tested, just airflowed. I`d like to see some dyno gains personally. Don`t think I would go this route. May just a good cold air intake/filter combo?

At the risk of sounding cynical, I`d pass and I`d not trust that approach period, but that`s just me. Guess I see it like Sizzle Chest does.

If the mods dyno`ed well and then resulted in *real-world/off-dyno differences that could be quantified, ON MY CAR* that`d be one thing, but...well, I stumble over that "but". Sure, guys "feel the difference!"..BUT..and anyhow, what works in the Dyno room (including "gee, we blew air in the grille just like if it were going down the street.." ) don`t always transfer to IRL gains.

FWIW, 99% of such mods prove INeffective on the domestic V8s that I`ve messed with. Ditto for basically all the "cold-air intakes" for some vehicles (Ford`s Panther platform cars invariably test that way). A lot of such tweaks that sound reasonable just don`t pan out IRL.

Been there, wasted $ on that...wised up. But hey, maybe this is different, I keep hearing about "unicorns" :D
 
blue line stock. Red line just the 3/4" spacer. Dark red line is ported intake and spacer.

the laminator would be slightly less than the regularly ported intake. Jason`s R&D showed no real improvement by porting the bottom side of the intake. It actually slowed air velocity going into the cylinder heads. Kenny "camaro " Roberts ports both the front and bottom end of the intake. I don`t believe he`s done the same kind of R&D that Jason had done it.

I personally have both the spacer and ported intake from Jason. There`s been things I`ve had buyers remorse ove, but this wasn`t one of them. I`ve talked to Jason over the phone. He told me that the epoxy he uses in the regular port job. Costs him about $50 per intake he does. That to me makes the laminator a very reasonable option price wise. The laminator is molded plastic instead of epoxy. The laminator is going to get sucked out of its place. The air flow in that spot is actually pushing down on it.

I`m definitely one of those who likes making and doing things myself. This is one of those things that I don`t feel that about. Fluid dynamics is not simple. Very small changes can make big differences. Even at the throttle body opening. Jason doesn`t port it evenly all the way around. He opens it up more on the bottom than the top, because of how the air flows over the throttle plate.

the phenolic spacer I thought was expensive. Till i was told the labor time just for one. Plus the high cost of the phenolic. He has around three hours of cnc, and water jet time into each one. It`s not something stamped out .


If you do decide to do it yourself. When looking at epoxy, resistant doesn`t mean proof. You need something that is oil, gas, solvent, proof.

This sounds like a good combination for the V6. Gives Don a good source from someone who is using it. I am going to be getting the jacfab spacer for my dads 2015 impala pretty soon as I have heard good things about it.
 
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