Just installed the Crawford Plenum this afternoon. Not too hard, just boring without someone to talk shop with. Installs are always more fun with a friend. Plus, I've been feeling under the weather which made me all thumbs... took about an hour and a half (30 minutes of which was spent looking for the solenoid assy screw that I dropped!)









Not done with the engine dress up yet.. still have the TechFlex covers to install and the SAMCO hoses are scheduled to come in next week. I will probably also add some more Earl's Pro-Lite 350 hoses too. And don't forget that set of GroundingGear!

Cheers, ted


'03.5 Sedan 5a: BS/G, Prem, Aero/Body, Sport, Nav
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Looks real good Ted!

DaveO - 2003 G35 Sedan / DP / Willow / AT / Premium / Sport
350Z Engine Cover, T-Stat & Air Duct / Stillen CAI
GG 7-Wire H-G Kit / TS ECU / E-Fans
Street Edge TC / B&M Cooler / Stillen Exhaust

 

hey ted, what are all those stainless hoses? whered u get that? and how much? very nice looking.

G35S 6MT / ts ecu / 350z springs & struts / jwt popcharger + z-tube / stillen dual exhaust / 6-wire ground kit / soon: kinetix high flow / ssr intake manifold

 

Earl's performance plumbing from the man himself at his non-Holley owned shop in Lawndale.

Earl's Performance Plumbing
Address: 15827 Hawthorne Blvd, Lawndale, CA 90260
Phone: (310) 542-6435

They are not "stainless steel", but they're newer & lighter stuff that they are using on racecars. For a full race car tricked out, it will save them 15 to 30lbs in steel braided lines.

for more info: Pro-Lite 350 hoses

Cheers, ted

'03.5 Sedan 5a: BS/G, Prem, Aero/Body, Sport, Nav
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Ted, you should have called me. I went to the gym since I had nothing else to do.

 

dang!!!

I'll call you next time for sure!!

-T

'03.5 Sedan 5a: BS/G, Prem, Aero/Body, Sport, Nav
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one other thing guys.. the instructions in Zimmerman's DIY (linked to in our DIY section) is a little off for the v5 plenum install. Here are the addendums I emailed him, and advised gsedanman to to update our DIY page with:

========

<font color=red>v5 addendums to the section --> Installing the New Plenum:</font color=red>

Step 1: Install Plug Bolts
There are now four (4) 10mm plug bolts, and they may not be brass. They also do not have lock-washers, but come pre-lubricated with loc-tite. So, in addition to the two lower/outer holes, you will need to plug the two top/outer holes above the ones illustrated in the instructions.

When installing these bolts, be careful not to torque down so that the rubber gasket lifts up. If this happens, back off on the bolt, reseat the gasket and tighten down. In speaking with Doug @ Crawford, the lifting of the gasket will actually not do any damage....he has actually experienced this many times. He event stated that on his car he did not bother to reseat the gasket flat.


Step 4: Replace the Plenum and the Plenum bolts
v5 Plenums no longer require bolt numbers 3 and 6.



Cheers, Ted


'03.5 Sedan 5a: BS/G, Prem, Aero/Body, Sport, Nav
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Nice... I like the fact that you chose another color other than black or standard silver. Did you notice a major difference in performance? I sure did...

Also, all of the install write-ups I found were for the old version of the Crawford Plenum. I had to struggle with... "should I use all 4 bolts", "Doug doesn't call out a torque spec, is the factory spec ok?", etc... Plus my bolts did NOT have loctite. (I know this because I eventually stuck them in my mouth). Did you use brake-clean or something equivalent to clean the mating surface before the install? Did you notice small pieces of machined aluminum (real small) on the machined surface?

Glad to see you joined the "Crawford Family"... happy modding.

Self proclaimed member of the 300bhp club (soon to be even more [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img])

 

"In speaking with Doug @ Crawford, the lifting of the gasket will actually not do any damage....he has actually experienced this many times. He event stated that on his car he did not bother to reseat the gasket flat."

This is starting to bother me. Between this comment, the dropping ash in his video, and reports of missing locktite, I'm beginning to question the devotion to quality of him and his shop.

Neffster, a wrench turning amateur by comparison, even new that a torque wrench was an important part of this install, as well as a good mate between surfaces for optimal performance and engine safety. Why does Doug seem to be so hapless and sloppy? The intake is a BAD PLACE for even the smallest pieces of debris to come in and any vacuum irregularities are costly.


2004.5 Coupe/5AT/Ivory/Everything but chin spoiler/Z Tube-Popcharger

 

-fish,
Don't talk yourself out of a good mod. The V5 is strong (and I believe) very safe. Use common sense when installing any mod and you'll be ahead of the game. Doug has come across an excellent way to gain additional performance out of our cars... Would I prefer a totally new casting/machining, and not the hack job? SURE. Would most people pay $1200 for this? Probably not.
Having said that, is hack job a fair statement? Maybe not. They surely modify the stock plenum, but don't grind down the welds on the inside of the plenum. I spoke with Doug 5 or 6 times as he continuously returned my calls. He was completely confused about the missing loctite, but made sure that I understood every step of the install before getting off of the phone with me. He actually made me walk through the install steps over the phone so he could see if I missed something. He also told me that he "SOON" would have updated installation instructions on his website too.

Self proclaimed member of the 300bhp club (soon to be even more [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img])

 

Ok, I just did it. On the waiting list for a black V5. 2-3 weeks and the fun begins . Cats will be next, and I've decided on the Crawford headers. He'll install them for $300 and I'll be in the 320 HP club. I'm not even going to worry about the exhaust this year.

2004.5 Coupe/5AT/Ivory/Everything but chin spoiler/Z Tube-Popcharger/Crawford V5 Plenum on the way

 

Does Doug have a dynojet? If not, have you considered installing the cats and plenum first - doing a dyno - installing the headers - doing a second dyno?

I'd love to see if Doug's claims are substantiated. This would really help Crawford prove their claims are real, and probably sell him a lot more headers. That fact alone, Doug should do a complimentary pre/post dyno for you [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img].

Self proclaimed member of the 300bhp club (soon to be even more [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img])

 

Here's the quote from his site of helpful links:
"Performance Garage - Nashville's Preferred Dyno
Less than 30 minutes from downtown!" I'm guessing that's where his dyno work is done.

In any case, here's what I'll do. I'm ordering a Gtech Comp which I understand will produce maximum error readings up to a 1/10 of a second on a quarter mile. They will have firmware soon that will measure the hood raising at launch which will pretty much wipe out any significant error.

I will use it to measure the HP before the plenum, and after the plenum, then after the cats, then after the headers. I won't do the cats until June, then headers in July. I have financial limitations as I never know when my plane will need repair. If you think cars are expensive, try maintaining a single engine piston prop that's 30 years old.

When measure using the G Tech, I'll control for humidity, barometric pressure, altitude, and temperature. I'll perform a half a dozen runs pointing the car both ways and average the times, getting rid of statistical outliers as necessary.

That ought to result in a far more accurate HP result than some of these dynos I've seen. I don't have time to hang out with Doug in Nashvegas playing with the dyno all day or I would! Besides, I'm betting I get a more objective result using some of my methods. It may not have the best VALIDITY, but I will certainly have RELIABILITY and independent variable control, which I cherish far more than a raw number in uncontrolled conditions.

So if you can wait a few months, I'll be happy to guinea pig the headers. Doug gets very excited talking about them. He's got a Borla exhaust and he says the headers are by far the biggest kick for your ride, outside of the plenum. I believe him. I think if he thought the exhaust had THAT much room for improvement, he'd design one and sell it.

2004.5 Coupe/5AT/Ivory/Everything but chin spoiler/Z Tube-Popcharger/Crawford V5 Plenum on the way

 

I can wait. I've got exhaust and software on my list of things to get, and I too am tapping the piggybank. As far as the G-Timer thingamabob is concerned, does that measure time or horsepower? I can understand an accelerometer measuring time, but hp???

Self proclaimed member of the 300bhp club (soon to be even more [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img])

 

It deduces your HP because you've entered weight. It measures 1/4 mile, 1/8 mile, 0-60, HP, tachometer and it has stage lights.

http://store.yahoo.com/southwestauto...hprometer.html

2004.5 Coupe/5AT/Ivory/Everything but chin spoiler/Z Tube-Popcharger/Crawford V5 Plenum on the way