Miscellaneous James Plenum Rings / Carb Airbox Questions

[tx_jayhawk]

Final fitting the James plenum and carb airbox, and I had a couple of questions I was helping those with the same setup could answer:

1) I have the older (flat squarish) style carb air box. When installed, there is not enough room to install the air box inline between the inlet ring and carb box. What have others done?
2) What type hose are most people using to attach the inlet ring and the air box? I understand that it needs to be some sort of stiff 3" hose...any suggestions?
3) How is the airbox typically supported?

On the plenum...I assume you just wrap the wetsuit material around the plenum to ring intersection and glue it with the supplied glue?

Thanks,
Scott
7A

[olyolson]

Scott,

I have a Sam James cowl on my RV-4 but I have an Airflow Performance fuel injection so my pictures will be a little different than your setup. The principles of making the intake tubes out of the 'wetsuit' material will be the same. I needed to replace mine & called the shop in Florida and they sent new material & glue and it was easy to do. I am planning to go to the hangar today and will hopefully post some pictures for you later today.

Oly

[db1yg]

Hi Scott,

I have the older James Long Cowl (no honey comb) on an RV9a with an Eci 0360. To answer your questions in order:

1. I made my own Carb Box out of fg. It flows much better than the one I got back in 2005 from James, it is smaller, and it allows more "flex" between the carb box and the filter box. PM me if you would like pics--it is essentially just a 90+ degree elbow copied from the metal ones used by the Rocket guys with vertical FI systems.

2. Go to a NAPA and ask for some truck hydralic line of the appropriate ID. It is reinforced rubber and attach it to the nose of the filter box with just enough length to extend forward over the inlet ring flange. You only need to band clamp to the filter box as the stiffness of the hose will stay sealed around the inlet ring without a clamp. You will simply have to "guide" the hose over the inlet ring from the outside as you put the cowl on--mine has been on for 250+ hrs and 4 years and shows no signs of wear. If you use the skindiver suit rubber like on the cooling intakes, you will be replacing them frequently due to deterioration.

3. I supported the airbox using the same system Larry Vetterman uses to support his exhaust systems. Use mild steel tubing, flattened at each end and drill a hole thru the flat end for an attach bolt. Cut the tube in the center and insert the round ends into a rubber tube. Band clamp (not tight yet) the hose to the two steel tubes. One end of the assembly is attached to the engine side alternator attach point and the other is bolted to the filter box. Install and adjust the rubber hose to length, tighten the band clamps and there you have a support that will allow some movement but handle the weight of the filter box.

Feel free to PM me if you need any additional info.

Cheers,

db

[ArVeeNiner]

Originally Posted by tx_jayhawk

Final fitting the James plenum and carb airbox, and I had a couple of questions I was helping those with the same setup could answer:

1) I have the older (flat squarish) style carb air box. When installed, there is not enough room to install the air box inline between the inlet ring and carb box. What have others done?
2) What type hose are most people using to attach the inlet ring and the air box? I understand that it needs to be some sort of stiff 3" hose...any suggestions?
3) How is the airbox typically supported?

On the plenum...I assume you just wrap the wetsuit material around the plenum to ring intersection and glue it with the supplied glue?

Thanks,
Scott
7A

I thought I had some pix of my installation here on VAF and on the SJ Yahoo group. If you can't find what you need let me know and I'll link you some more.

1) I don't remember not having enough room.

2) I bought a 3" diameter silicone hose from eBay that worked perfectly. It's for automotive turbos.





3) I supported mine with a couple of brackets to the alternator bracket. I have some pictures somewhere. Shoot me an e-mail and I'll send you some. I filled a cavity in the airbox with epoxy and drilled and tapped it for the brackets to attach. I haven't flow yet so we'll see if it holds. There seems to be plenty of support though.

[tx_jayhawk]

Thanks all for the pics who provided them. I still seem to have a problem with not enought space for all of the length. I trimmed 3/8" from the front of the carb box and the air box, and I can just now get everything fit in-line but everything buts up against each other (there is no room to connect the connecting hoses). I've spoken with Will James, but I am apparently the only one who has had this problem? Not sure it is due to me having the old squarish carb-box, but I understand the new one is not necessarily shorter.

Has anyone else had this problem? I would be interested in some close up pics of where the carb box exit is in relation to the crossover pipes to understand whether it is too far forward or not?


Thanks in advance.
Scott
7A

[db1yg]

Hi Scott,

Attached is a pic of my 9a/James Cowl and filter/0360 install. I ended up making my own fiberglass carb box by copying the simple system used by the Rocket guys on their FI systems. It is smaller, flows better, and allows the use of the rather large James filter box. It also allows you to use a little more SCEET (not SCAT) tube between the carb box and the filter box. As mentioned elsewhere, I used stiffer reinforced truck hydralic line from NAPA to attach the front of the filter nozzle to the James inlet ring. If you can find the appropriate size you can attach it to the filter box front nozzle with a hose clamp and it will self seal to the flange on the inlet ring as you install the cowl---makes for a much easier and leak free seal than the foam "skin diver suit" material or SCEET, lasts a long time, and it is perfectly smooth on the inside. No problems in 4 years!!



I should mention that I made one change after this pic was taken--I angled the nozzle of the carb box up a little more. If you decide to make this carb box BE SURE that the throat diameter is a perfect match to the carb inlet throat diameter!!

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

db