DIY Plenum Spacer.

[flyboy]

Hi guys,

Only got the zed a few weeks ago and have never modded a car before but fancy a dabble.

I have just taken off a cone air filter and put back the std airbox with K&N filter both of which came with the car.

This seems to have made everything a bit smoother and less noisy.

Thats my first unmod completed.

So for my first real mod. Maybee a plenum spacer.

 

I have seen quite a few posts on plenum spacers giving approx 10hp gain.

Is this as simple as it looks ie a flat spacer between the two halves or is it tapered.

 

Reason I ask is that I have just started a new job for a laser cutting company and have access to a laser scanner and laser cutter.

If I bought a plenum gasket or took mine off the car I could scan it and cut a flat spacer out of 8mm aluminium plate in about 5 mins.

This would be laser grade plate so should be quite flat.

Obviously if the spacers are tapered then this would not work.

 

Being as I could get one of these pretty much for free is it worth it, do you really get an extra 10hp.

 

Martin

[Zugara]

They are flat. 5/16" thick. What are you gong to use your template?

Fitted my space, but couldn't tell you if i felt a huge difference once fitted.th, i think i wasted my money, i may even take it off in due course to get some cash back

[flyboy]

I was going to use an OEM gasket as the template.

The laser scanner will produce an AutoCad compatable drawing file ( dxf file.) from the gasket just like a normal pc scanner to use.

I could then easily modify this in AutoCad to add another couple of mm or so on both sides of the gasket if necessary to produce the outline of the spacer.

5/16" is 7.9mm I have 8mm plate in stock. Once I have the drawing done the laser cutting will only take a couple of minutes.

Is there anything else except perhaps longer bolts.

[Darren-B]

They are flat. 5/16" thick. What are you gong to use your template?

Fitted my space, but couldn't tell you if i felt a huge difference once fitted.th, i think i wasted my money, i may even take it off in due course to get some cash back

 

 

As he said he can use the existing gasket, Sounds like a great idea, 5/16 is basically 8mm. It has been proven that spacing the plenum is one of the only ways of getting noticeable gains without a re-map. I don1`t believe they are tapered so if you can replicate these you stand to earn yourself a few pennies. I don`t know what materials are at your disposal but if you were to use something other than ali that doesn`t conduct so much heat you may even be able to reduce intake temps by a couple of degrees

[BladesGrant]

You won't see much without a remap to be honest. Not sure about the DIY part though. You will also need the longer bolts and spacers to make sure you don't crack the plenum when fitting back on with the spacer. Then there is the spacers under the strut so the strut will go back on.

[flyboy]

You won't see much without a remap to be honest. Not sure about the DIY part though. You will also need the longer bolts and spacers to make sure you don't crack the plenum when fitting back on with the spacer. Then there is the spacers under the strut so the strut will go back on.

 

Well spacers could be cut on the laser out of the centre of the spacer so the thickness would be correct. I could even cut full profile plates for behind the strut brace so that there would not be extra point load on the flitch plates.

Is a re map necessary, its on the list to do but at £400 or so I think I will try the spacer and see what happens.

[flyboy]

Ok done some more reading and I'm deffo going for this.

 

Need a bit of help from more experienced members.

Where is the best place to get a gasket from for the pattern.

Should I go to Nissan stealer and pay there prices or is there an alternative.

[Stew]

 

He can certainly get all new parts.

[ZMANALEX]

 

He can certainly get all new parts.

 

And he may even have a preowned gasket that you could have for free

 

However there is much more to the plenum spacer kit than just a piece of 5/16" ally.

 

This has been talked about many times by the forum's budding entrepreneurs

 

My advice would be if you want to see this through then go buy a proper MotorDyne kit and use as a prototype.

[Husky]

is this not already being done by someone on the forum?

[flyboy]

is this not already being done by someone on the forum?

 

Yea Husky have seen that now, its being done by Mattme as a project. This is just a one off for me as I have everything I need to do it for free in a couple of lunch hours.

Should it work ok and Mattme cant get his off the ground then we shall see where it goes.

If I can get a gasket within the next couple of days then I will be able to cut the parts before crimbo and fit it during the hols.

The laser scanner makes all the difference to reverse engineering stuff like this as it does the drawings for you.

I have got a price from Nissan for a gasket but at nearly £100 and having to come from The Netherlands thats a no go.

Have already done the thing as he may have one.

 

Other things on the go.

 

Working on a custom laser cut grill from polished stainless.

Fiddling about with interlocking Z pattern with the 350z logo in the centre. Dont know if this will look good or sh1t but we will see in time.

 

Replacement gear knob here but having trouble removing stock one.

Clear front reflectors in shipping ready for led running lights.

S2000 stubbie dispached but not arrived.

Led door handle lights here but not fitted.

 

And to think 2 weeks ago I told a mate I would not be going down the modding route!! :lol:

[ChrisS]

Replacement gear knob here but having trouble removing stock one.

Have a read of viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11550&start=0

and http://www.350z-tech.com/zwiki/Tutorial ... eplacement (taken from the thread.)

[rtbiscuit]

you'll need to source spacers and longer bolts for the middle section, but thats not impossible.

[flyboy]

Replacement gear knob here but having trouble removing stock one.

Have a read of http://www.350z-uk.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 50&start=0

and http://www.350z-tech.com/zwiki/Tutorial ... eplacement (taken from the thread.)

 

Thanks Chris Just what I needed.

[Tricky-Ricky]

If you have both the material and the equipment at your disposal, then go for it, you can either use a gasket of remove your top plenum and use that as a pattern, that way you may be able to come up with a better solution to the internal spacers needed, a spacer can be run without paper gaskets, just liquid gasket like Hylomar or similar, perhaps wellseal if still available, or RTV if used sparingly,

only longer bolts are needed.

 

Did wonder about going DIY using a thermo plastic, which could be cut with a jigsaw and then clomped and drilled, but couldn't find the plastic.

Never been able to get my head around the pricing for these as once its scanned into cad, its just time and material, must be good profit margins they could with the right material be stamped like gaskets.

[flyboy]

 

He can certainly get all new parts.

 

And he may even have a preowned gasket that you could have for free

 

However there is much more to the plenum spacer kit than just a piece of 5/16" ally.

 

This has been talked about many times by the forum's budding entrepreneurs

 

My advice would be if you want to see this through then go buy a proper MotorDyne kit and use as a prototype.

 

Alex you have PM

[ZMANALEX]

 

He can certainly get all new parts.

 

And he may even have a preowned gasket that you could have for free

 

However there is much more to the plenum spacer kit than just a piece of 5/16" ally.

 

This has been talked about many times by the forum's budding entrepreneurs

 

My advice would be if you want to see this through then go buy a proper MotorDyne kit and use as a prototype.

 

Alex you have PM

 

 

Hi Martin,

 

I received your pm on Wednesday but I am still waiting on your preferred shipping address matey.

 

Royal Mail will not get it to you for the weekend now, so why not just do what has been previously suggested and just pull your top plenum and use your own gasket as a prototype, it only takes 5 minutes to remove it.

 

Alex.

[flyboy]

Sorry Alex didnt think to send an address and didnt get a reply off you regarding price on new gasket.

Also didnt want to presume the free used gasket was a given.

I will try and get a scan of my gasket but thought it might stick to the plenum halves and once its off at work if the gasket breaks or leaks i will have a hard time getting home if the car goes into limp mode due to air leaks. Will wait until the weekend to take it off at home and will nip up to work in the Ka on Sat morning to scan it. look out for photos of the scanning on the forum. Its a nice bit of kit but expensive at around £50K. Still to put it into perspective my new tube laser cost nearly £1,000,000.

 

I am working up to Wednesday next week and could cut the spacer up to then.

I dont really have to do this this side of the holidays but once I have put an idea out into public domain I usually like to follow it up quickly

 

I will scan my gasket as suggested but will also need another to fit the spacer and try it out. Dont fancy the liquid gasket as they can be messy and a pain to get off again.

 

 

I have Pm'd you with an address

 

Thanks again

Much Appreciated

[Darren-B]

The plenum gaskets do not usually split or get stuck,

 

 

Look forward to seeing this develop

[flyboy]

I have just gone to sort out material to try and cut this tomorrow.

Typically we have used all the 8mm ali plate this week.

 

I have either 6mm or 10mm I could use.

What do people think would be best.

 

I will probably use 10mm as I cant see 2mm difference stopping it from going under the std strut brace.

[M9O OEY]

I'm pretty sure that there are 1/2 " plenums made also, but you might have trouble fitting it under the strut brace possibly, so 10mm could be ok but your definitely better off waiting for someone who knows what there on about not me

[Chris`I]

You can get 1/2" spacers, but even with spacers/washers under the strut bar, it doesnt all fit back under the bonnet.

 

With 10mm you should be able to make up spacers and still have it all fit I think.

[rtbiscuit]

go to your zede lift the bonnet and measure the gap between the plenum and the strut bar, thats the basic gap you have to play with.

 

next get a big ball of bluetack stick it on top of the middle of the strut. now shut the bonnet, it should crush the bluetack ball.

 

lift the bonnet and, measure the ball. this is the distance between the strut and the bonnet and tells you how much bigger you can make you spacers.

 

adding the gap space and the bluetack size togehter will give you the absolute max that you can make the spacers, i personally would make it a bit smaller to stop any rubbing.

 

from memory i would say 10mm should be fine.

[flyboy]

go to your zede lift the bonnet and measure the gap between the plenum and the strut bar, thats the basic gap you have to play with.

 

next get a big ball of bluetack stick it on top of the middle of the strut. now shut the bonnet, it should crush the bluetack ball.

 

lift the bonnet and, measure the ball. this is the distance between the strut and the bonnet and tells you how much bigger you can make you spacers.

 

adding the gap space and the bluetack size togehter will give you the absolute max that you can make the spacers, i personally would make it a bit smaller to stop any rubbing.

 

from memory i would say 10mm should be fine.

 

Makes absolute sense sir.

Will try it tomorrow before dismantaling.

[Chris`I]

Remember the engine does move on its mounts slightly, so you cant use all the space between the upper plenum and the strut bar