Z06 Vortex Rammer Install

Disclaimer - Please note I only recommend professionals undertake any work on vehicles. Spdkilz.com is not liable for any damage or harm that may come from the use of instructions given in the following how-to section(s).

. : List of Materials Needed : .

(1). Vortex Rammer w/given accessories (2). Flathead Screwdriver

(3). Philips Screwdriver (4). 7mm Socket

(5). 10mm Socket (6). Drill

(7). 3/8" Drill Bit (8). 1/4" Drill Bit

(9). Duct Tape (10). Pencil

(11). Dremel
(12). A Light

(click on pictures for larger versions)

(1). Here is a picture of a few things you will need. After I took this picture I realized I left out the Philips Screwdriver.

(2). Disconnect your mass air flow sensor (what I am pointing to in the picture).

(3). Take a flathead screwdriver and loosen the clamp that supports the air intake tube to the throttle body.

(4). Disconnect the 3/4" air pump hose from the stock air box.

(5). The only supports now are rubber holders in which as you lift, the complete assembly will separate.

(6). Take the complete assembly, air box, and mass air and intake and palace it somewhere safe.

(7). With the entire assembly now removed, you have two choices. You can either (a) modify your shroud on the car, or (b) remove the shroud then modify it. Obviously, modifying the shroud on your car is easier. However, I did not want to cut any corners, so I choose to remove the entire shroud (which turned out to be just a big pain as I will explain later). If you do not want to remove the shroud, please skip step eight.

(8). In order to take off the shroud there are a few steps involved besides just removing the "few" screws that the Vortex instructions say. First things first, you must remove seven screws from the bottom of the car that support the shroud. In this picture you can see a sort of blurry (sorry) shot of under the car. There are five 7mm screws that hold the shroud to the actual body, and then there are two other 7mm screws, one on either side (see picture two for location of these two screws). Remove all seven 7mm screws and store them in a safe place.
There are also two sensors that must be removed from the shroud. Look at picture two and three for these locations. The first sensor is located on the left of the shroud, underneath the car. The second sensor is located on the left of the shroud, located from inside the engine bay.

Lastly, there were two clips holding the shroud to I believe the radiator. I had no clue how to get these out without force, so I just pulled till they popped out...if anyone can tell me a "safe" way of getting them off, please let me know.

Before you can remove the shroud, we need to take out four more screws, two 10mm screws on each side of the radiator support plastic beam (see picture four for location).

Yes, the car is dirty; it normally is spotless. However, I am going to wait to clean it from top to bottom after the headers get installed, so it is going to be a bit dirty until then :).

[Note] I was able to get under the front of the Z06, however, I am a skinny dude. Some of you may need to jack up the front of the car, but don't let people tell you that it is a must, seeing as I did not use any ramps or jacks.

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(9). With all eleven screws now removed, carefully take the top piece of the shroud off, then continue on and remove the second, larger piece of shroud (which may take a bit of maneuvering; be patient and it will come out easily).

(10). Shows removed shroud.

(11). Take the template provided and position it in the center of the shroud, the bottom part fitting the shrouds edge. I used some duct tape to keep it in place because it kept moving on me, but this is not necessary.

(12). Mark the center section to cut with a pencil.

(13). Take your dremel with a cutting edge, and begin slowly cutting the marked plastic piece away.
[Note] After I cut the plastic and re-installed the shroud, the air filter had to literally be pushed into the opening. If I could re-do it again, I would cut just a few millimeters more off of the top section to allow a bit more room.

(14). With the plastic center now cut out, take your drill and your 3/8" drill bit. Place the Vortex Rammer in the shroud and mark the supporting holes for the Rammer. Remove the Rammer and then use the 3/8" drill bit to cut into the marked holes. Take the provided U-Clips and position them into the holes nipple side down.
Also shown in this picture is the 1/2" foam installed on the top of the shroud, closest to the engine, where the crevice is. You should now have an equal height around the square opening.

[Note] After cutting the plastic out of the shroud, there did not seem to be enough room for a 3/8" drill bit, thus I used the 1/4" drill bit and everything turned out fine, though it was a bit harder screwing in the screws later on.

(15). You now need to separate the air box from the mass air flow sensor. On the front of the mass air flow sensor you should find a clamp. Use a flathead screwdriver and loosen the clamp. Separate the mass air flow sensor from the air box.

(16). [Note] Do not connect the new filter directly to the mass air flow sensor as shown in the picture. I took this only to show what this should look like. Instead, obtain your Vortex Rammer and push the new air filter through the hole, THEN connect it to the mass air flow sensor.

(17). Take the shroud and install it back into your vehicle. Obtain the lower scoop from the Vortex and position it on the shroud. Place the Rammer box on top of it. Then, take your screws provided and screw them into the U-Clips you have installed. Be sure to tighten all clamps. Lastly, Reconnect your mass air flow sensor to the air intake tube.

(18). Take the small air pump filter provided with the kit and insert it into the 3/4" air pomp hose down by the air box.

(19). Mark a spot on the shroud to mount the tab that holds the air pump hose. Drill a 1/4" hold and push the special tab provided through the hold from underneath.

(20). At this point, pass the tie strap through the tab and around the 3/4" air pump hose (I did it around the actual unit).

(21). You're all done!

Final Thoughts:
Wow. This actually was a bigger pain in the butt than I thought it was going to be (mainly because I choose to remove the entire shroud from the car vs. leaving it on and doing the cutting). After installing this, I am actually a bit skeptical. I've heard mostly good things about the Vortex Rammer, however, the installation instructions, and hardware included, seem to be lacking a bit. I best see an improvement in my hp and 1/4!

If I have missed anything in this how-to please let me know.
Carleton

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