Topic: How to: Fix Throttle Body Elbow for T-Bolt Clamps

[Deep-GXP]

It's been discussed on the forums and I finally did it.  Figured i'd post a how-to to make it easier on people.   In order for your clamps to sit properly on the throttle body (TB) elbow you need to slice off the extra rubber on the elbow which is used to hold the stock clamps in place.  The throttle body elbow has been known for leaks, coming loose from the factory and many would recommend that you switch to T-bolt clamps atleast in this location, especially if you have a tune.

Tools etc.:
My t-bolts have 7/16 nuts so I used 7/16 deep socket with a long extention.
1 person to hold connector (optional)
1 razor


Steps:
*Loosened clamps until they were free to move around.
*Disconnected TB side first and then disconnected the elbow from the IC pipe.
*Disconnected that little connector (or sensor, whatever it is) with the wire that hooks up to the small metal pipe and gets in the way.
*Asked my gf if she could please hold the connector to avoid damage while I twisted and turned the TB elbow until it was out (did this without removing IC pipe).
*Took TB elbow out and plugged connector back in.
*Sliced off the extra rubber on both sides of the TB elbow and made it as smooth as possible (slice through 1/4 of the way and rip the rest off by pulling it off and always cut away from yourself ).
*After it was finished I disconnected the connector again and I slid the TB Elbow back into the TB first without the clamp, then slid other side into the IC pipe.
*I put the T-bolt Clamp on the TB and took my time aligning it and pushing the elbow all the way up and tightened it down.
*I then slid the clamp onto the ic pipe/elbow connection and tightened.
*Done.





Slice through this far and you can rip off the majority by hand

Slice through this far and you can rip off the majority by hand


Wish I would've taken more pics of the elbow after slicing off the rubber but I dont think it's too necessary, just slice and put it back in

[badbird]

Thank for the instuctions...one more thing on my tadu list.

Sean

[DeepBlueGXP]

For anyone who has a tune, this is a necessary upgrade to prevent lost of boost.  The weak stock hose clamps will fail. 

[lil goat]

 Mine have been tight for over a year without an issue, I wish I could remember who was the first to do this, I was very early on this but for the life of me can't remember where I got the idea, I think it may have been Lyndon from when he was tuning Brendlan's GXP in his shop and kept blowing the hoses off. I remember Just Mike and I had issue's after we installed the Dejon intercoolers too. I remember checking everyone's clamps at the first ever mod meet and everyone's was loose just like mine, later we forund out everyone's was stripped, just like mine, then the upgrades began.

[snaponbob]

If mine are loose, I sure can't tell it. I sure can't move them, but I guess better safe than sorry, so I will do it. Why do you suppose the problem shows up at the throttle body elbow but not elsewhere?

[lil goat]

The clamp on the throttle body tends to strip out on the early models, supposedly GM did an update to a better clamp, I have never seen one. Thing was they seemed tight and still leaked. I changed all of mine. Used 2.75 t-bolt clamps on the inetercooler and a 3.00 on the throttle body, I think a 2.85 would have been the best size on the throttle body. That is ID. Get good clamps, they sell some crap at auto parts stores with aluminum bolts, they will break.

[jonymac]

I replaced the TB elbow with a Dejon Red Aluminum Elbow and used T-Bolt clamps at both ends.  It was a bit tricky - but it definitely solved the blow off problem.  I wanted the Dejon elbow cuz I am thinking of adding water/meth in that location in the future.

[Sly Bob]

The clamp on the throttle body tends to strip out on the early models, supposedly GM did an update to a better clamp, I have never seen one. Thing was they seemed tight and still leaked. I changed all of mine. Used 2.75 t-bolt clamps on the inetercooler and a 3.00 on the throttle body, I think a 2.85 would have been the best size on the throttle body. That is ID. Get good clamps, they sell some crap at auto parts stores with aluminum bolts, they will break.

So if I understand this correctly to change all the clamps I need two 2.85" clamps and two 2.75" clamps?

[Sky 5]

All ?


4 - 2 3/4"

2 - 3 1/8"

[DeepBlueGXP]

The smaller intercooler clamps don't need to be changed, though it wouldn't hurt.

The two larger clamps must fit a 3" ID

[Sly Bob]

So the ones that pose the most problems are the ones on the throttle body hose and those are the 3" ones.

If I can buy them locally I will get two 3" and change those first.

There aren't brown and black ones are there? 

[DeepBlueGXP]

Yes, but remember, if you buy the ones marked 3", they will be too small.  That is because the 3" fits a smaller ID.  Use Lil Goat's hose and ID chart to get the correct size.

[lil goat]

Sorry I sometimes forget not everyone talks Inside Diameter on the hoses, I believe the ones you need are a 2.88 " OD and a 3.12 " OD, Verocious Motorsprts is a good source. I replaced the hoses on the intercooler as well with red silicone, you will need 2 4 1/2" pieces to do this. I just bought a foot and cut it myself, it is 2.75 " ID. If you are confused think how confused I was doing this with zero instructions, big thanks to dejon Dave who gave me the original hose specs, and yes I did order the wrong sizes on the first try.

[LatinVenom]

I guess my clamps from GM are different since my car can do 23 psi and there is no leak.
I did tighten them when I originally got the car and have been there ever since.
I check them after every outing and so far no problems.

[spider]

You might consider locating the water/meth nozzle farther upstream for better atomization.

I replaced the TB elbow with a Dejon Red Aluminum Elbow and used T-Bolt clamps at both ends.  It was a bit tricky - but it definitely solved the blow off problem.  I wanted the Dejon elbow cuz I am thinking of adding water/meth in that location in the future.

(Image removed from quote.)

[Sly Bob]

Not to hijack this thread but where does the signal from the sensor that reads the boost get translated and displayed?

As I have a Canadian car, GM, in their infinite wisdom (government maybe?) decided that I should have my boost displayed in kpa or kilo pascals. What would I have to change to get the boost presented in psi? 

[lil goat]

I think you have to wait until we annex Canadia to the US, if anyone would know it would be Mr. Wester also from the Nothern U.S.

As far as the clamps go, they can still be loose and you see 23 psi, boost is read before the throttle body. Mine allways seemed tight but the car sure ran better after I replaced the clamps, for $4 and a few minutes it is worth the effort.

[KWhale]

hahhahahah lil Goat!  Actually, you can change the display inside the DIC.  Grab your owner manual, and look at the section to toggle between Metric and US measurements.  When you follow those steps, your boost will change to lbs.  Unfortunately, all you temperatures will be in F too.  There is no way to change just one of the units in the DIC....hahahah I just said Unit and Dick in the same sentence!!

[Sol Asylum]

You also said "in F too"

[Sly Bob]

You also said "in F too"

Yes, if you change the kilo pascals to read PSI, the temperature display will change from Celcius to Fahrenheit.

Where in the manual is that KWhale? I don't remember seeing that but I will have to look.

EDIT: Okay I found it and now all the information on the DIC displays in U.S. measures. Temperature is in Fahrenheit, boost is in PSI, as is the tire pressures but the mileage is in miles and not in kilo metres. As you said KWhale, it's all or nothing. I can live with that and I just won't leave it on the mileage reading as I have in the past.

Boost might be kind of fun now that I can read it. I inadvertently reset my oil life monitor while I was in there but I just changed the oil before I put the car away in the fall so that's not a big deal.

[KWhale]

If you're good at doing math in your head, you can leave it at Kp and just divide by about 7 to get PSI.  It's actually 6.89, but unless Einstein happens to buy one of these cars, we're probably safe just using 7 for an estimate.

So if the boost reading 70 Kp, then that would be 10 PSI.  I think you get the drift.

[Sly Bob]

Learned math with flash cards when I was a kid then graduated to a slide rule when I was a kid. Gotten lazy in my old age and although I could figure it out, I think just leaving it at PSI would be easier.

At least I will run it like that for a while and see how it works out. Can always change it back. Must be the BCM that controls that.

[Critterman]

But did it change your speedometer as well?

[KWhale]

Critterman, no, the speedo is a needle and is totally different.  The only thing changing for Bob would be the display options in the DIC.  So no auto adjustment from MPH to KPH is possible. 

That's one of the things that bugged me when I bought my car.  I'm in Canada, so prefer KPH, but the car was a US car, so the gauges were in MPH.  I had to go to BlackCat Custom to get a new paper background for my speedo gauge, tear the dash apart and install it.  I so wish that it was a setting in the DIC, but no such luck.

[Sly Bob]

Yeah the speedo has KPH on the outside ring and MPH on the inside ring in LITTLE TINY red numbers.

Really sucks when I cross the border and try to figure how fast I am going.