George Borke
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2/19/2016 1:03 PM
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Welcome to Operation Air Flow where we’ll take a bone stock 2009 Corvette and bolt on some extra horsepower via a Carbon Fiber air intake and Sport exhaust system from CORSA Performance. After each item is installed we’ll hit the dyno for some real horsepower and torque numbers. The end goal is to show you some easy ways to unlock some extra ponies from your ride.
Our project will be broken into 3 parts. Episode 1, which you’re reading now, will cover the install of the carbon fiber intake. In episode 2 we’ll walk through the installation of the CORSA Sport exhaust system. Finally, in episode 3 we’ll recap all the numbers from the dyno pulls and show you just how much additional horsepower we picked up just by letting our LS3 breathe better.
So why are we working on a C6 roughly one year into C7 production? Well, C6’s are going to see the inevitable price drop now that the next big thing is available. They’ll be attainable to more potential buyers than ever before. Instead of buying a $60,000 Grand Sport, buyers may now look at lightly used $35,000 GS and put some extra money into mods instead.
If you didn’t know already, your engine is an air pump. More air into the engine equals more horsepower out once the charge is ignited in the combustion chamber. One of the easiest ways to get more air into your car’s power plant is to install a less restrictive air intake system. For Operation Air Flow we opted for CORSA’s new Carbon Fiber air intake for our C6.
Installing the carbon fiber intake is an easy process. In fact, our total time for this install was just about 1 hour which included pausing periodically for photos and the occasional debate on the merits of carbon fiber and cars in general.
Before:
CORSA Carbon Fiber Intake Install
The installation steps are really simple. First remove the stock intake after disconnecting the breather hose, Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor, and loosening the band clamps. The intake itself is held in place by 2 rubber grommets on top of the radiator shroud which are reused on the new intake.
CORSA Carbon Fiber Intake Install
Next up the rubber grommets are swapped into the new intake along with the Mass Air Flow Sensor. Be sure and take your time on this step as your car won’t run properly if the MAF is installed incorrectly. CORSA provides all of the additional hardware you’ll need for the installation.
CORSA Carbon Fiber Intake Install
Next attach the high flow air flow filter to the intake itself and tighten the band clamp. From here attach the included silicon coupler to the intake and lower the assembly into the engine bay. It attaches to the car via the factory rubber grommets on the top of the radiator shroud and the silicone coupler when mated to the plenum. Next reattach your breather hose and MAF wire and you’re ready to go. Start the car and let it get used to all that additional fresh air for a few minutes before heading out for the first time. The car’s computer will learn the airflow patterns and adjust the air/fuel mixture accordingly.
CORSA Carbon Fiber Intake Install
That’s it. Now you’ve got a high flow intake finished in sexy carbon fiber feeding your engine. Installation of CORSA’s intake is a snap. It can easily be done in your driveway with basic hand tools by a novice mechanic. The directions are clear, concise, and include plenty of photos to guide you along the way.
So what’s next? In Episode 2 coming up later in the week we’ll install a CORSA Sport exhaust system, but before that we hit the dyno to see what we gained from the carbon fiber intake. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait for Episode 3 to see the dyno numbers.
CORSA Carbon Fiber Intake Install
Here’s our photo gallery of the CORSA Carbon Fiber Intake install:
Stay tuned for Episode 2 of Operation Air Flow with CORSA Performance. You can visit CORSA on the web at www.corsaperformance.com or call them Toll Free at: 800-486-0999. You can also email their sales department with any pre-sale questions at sales@corsaperformance.com.
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