Saturn HAI!
 

I have tried to look but haven't been able to find some pics of how to make a hot air intake for a SL2 series Saturn. I read a few posts about relocating some sensors. If anyone has some picks or a how to I am going to do this asap. Also the grill block seems simple but some photos of that would be great too. Thanks!

I see you are around the raleigh area. I live near the greensboro area. I have done both the WAI and the grill block. I can give you pointers and I know I have done some threads on both but it has been quite some time ago (probably about 4ish years).

the intake is easy. screw moving sensors. drill a hole in your airbox and route the heat from the exhaust manifold into your intake. definitely monitor temperature via a scangauge or something. you may also want a heat shield to keep the heat in as it is in front of the grill and cooler air is coming in.

the grill block is relatively simple. I would start with some coroplast (corrugated plastic) and cut it to size over the grill itself, zip tie it in place, keep a pair of dikes (diagonal cutters) in the car and monitor coolant temps. if you see that you are good and won't overheat, make it permanent. I actually fiberglassed the front of my car. it used to look nice.

***edit***

I just realized that some of my pictures are in my garage. just click on the link to the left under my avatar that says "frankencav"

On Saturns, you HAVE to move the IAT. The stock location is way up behind the headlight and you'll really confuse the computer if you start sucking hot air, but your IAT is telling the engine it's getting cool air. BAD. My HAI is extremely simple. I'll take a pic of it tonight and throw it up here. It may not last forever, but it definitely works and I've been driving with it for about a year now. I have not done a grill block and my HAI keeps temps up near 100*F once the engine is warm, which doesn't take long.

Ehh... I'll just do it now...

https://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4341/photo1cz.jpg

So, basically, it's made from 1.5" ABS pipe/fittings.
-One length of pipe (~12")
-One double female 45* elbow
-One male-female 45* elbow

It plugs right into where the factory silencer goes with just a little bit of sanding. In fact, you can reinstall the factory silencer and gasket at any time if you'd like.

Also, you'll want to pop out the factory snorkel that goes out toward the headlight and block off that hole (Duct tape, if you have to!).

And finally, relocate the IAT to a position up-stream of the new intake. Mine's mounted on the air-box lid, just below where the rubber intake hose to the throttle body slips on.

In the car...

https://img823.imageshack.us/img823/4041/photo2wj.jpg

[QUOTE=
So, basically, it's made from 1.5" ABS pipe/fittings.
-One length of pipe (~12")
-One double female 45* elbow
-One male-female 45* elbow

[/QUOTE]

Nice. Thanks! That looks simple enough. Im going get some materials.

Why the heck aren't my quotes working?? All I am trying to do is just pull some of the extra unneeded stuff out but keep the quotes. I may be retarded or something lol.

You're not leaving the whole quote tag in place.

Wrong:
Right:
(I replaced "QUOTE" with "QUOTH" to prevent it interpreting the tags, so that you could actually see them, but you would use "QUOTE".)

Got it! Thanks

I am not sure why you HAVE to move the sensor. There again, I don't own a saturn. the sensor must be in the stream of incoming air (thus the IAT, Incoming air temp).

As far as temps go, they vary depending on outside temps. I usually don't dip below 100 and if I do, it is cold as ball sack outside. During the summer, on the hotteste days (90-100 degrees) it is not uncommon for my IAT and my coolant temp to be the same.

The grill block is two fold, you first get the quicker warmup (of the engine, not the IAT) and you get the aerodynamic advantage. I actually think the grill block is more advantageous than the HAI but there again, I would do (and have done) both.

All this is really moot if you don't have a way to really know what your mileage is on the fly or your temperatures. Have you gotten a scangauge 2 or ultragauge?

You HAVE to move the IAT sensor on a Saturn. In its stock location, it's nowhere near the intake air stream with the HAI installed.

On the grill block, I totally agree. It would probably help on my car, but I haven't gotten around to finding a material/mounting method that I really liked.

Not being a saturn owner, I will have to just go with that. I do wonder though, hybridatsun, why haven't you made a heat shield so that your temps will rise above the 25 above ambient? I usually run around 70-80 above ambient.

also, the coroplast that I had previously suggested to the OP would be a good experiment. the idea being that it would be hideous but cheap at the same time. if you liked the results, you could use plexiglass from lowes home improvement. that is what I used to begin with. same deal with the zip ties. I used a dremel to cut mine to size. you can also use a fine toothed jig saw but it tends to crack with that. the dremel and some sand paper to clean it up works great.

That 100*F IAT is with ambient temperatures around 50*F, so it actually doesn't do too bad without a heat shield. The tube is shielded by the cat, which also serves to put off some really warm air. I have thought about the coroplast, but the only way I can think to mount it is either with duct tape, or screws and both of those look like CRAP. The Saturns have an awkward grill for mounting stuff to.

Quick illustration of the IAT locations/air flow.

https://img600.imageshack.us/img600/1...nginebrite.png

I always thought th IAT sensor had to be past the filter (between the throttle body and the filter) but I guess they did it differently. Saturns are weird.

the front of the sl2s are very unique. one thing I had done in the past was to use a really long bolt, two fender washers and wing nut. that way you could take it off on the fly if needed.

I actually used the fender washer on the back side to go across the two sides of the opening. you could possibly cut a piece of wood or use some strap metal to do the same thing. I used the curvature of the grill to create the tension to keep the wing nut in place. the plexiglass was flat and thus pulling it tight across the curved surface meant it always had tension on it. I didn't keep this setup long and this picture was from like 4 years ago... (Man, I'm getting old)

https://i49.tinypic.com/2dsrfpy.jpg

I will 100% agree that Saturns are weird! Haha

And that's definitely a good idea with the fender washers/plexiglass. I'm just not sure it's cold enough here to warrant that. My coolant temps are always 200*+, and the car warms up fairly quickly. Going to the 195* thermostat was a HUGE improvement.

This is how a proper HAI should be setup... this is my old '96 SL2 automatic that got a best ever of 47mpg with NO TRICKS other than tires at 55psi and some drafting semi's on a 250 mile road trip.

https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...d52f4ceacc.jpg

The stock IAT sensor location has been plugged in this setup, allowing only hot air directly off the manifold to enter the intake. With this setup I would see an increase in IAT of around 80*F at cruising speeds, so summer time 90*F ambient I'd see 170*F at highway speeds. Obviously city speeds the temp would climb, sometimes too high and the car would lose power, but in winter it was great for city.

Oh also, the IAT sensor is 1/2" NPT so just drill and tap the airbox lid and it'll screw right in place.

It would greatly benefit you to be using some type of tool to monitor real time IAT's. ScanGauge II is what I was using.