ok, six days on and I havent come close to 7.5lb of boost since installing the intake. I think I will experiment on moving the IAT to a more shallow depth into the intake pipe.

I never looked at the many many cheap intakes that always pop up when I am searching for something else, but there is a guy selling them displaying a picture that is almost identical to mine. only difference is I havent had the short ram and the engine cover on, ever, until about 30 minutes ago.

Its the Filter.....Its a total restrictive piece of crap.... sorry to break it to ya....get a K&N

maybe when my money tree grows, but not right now.

I have a short ram intake on my '96 SSEi, even without a heatshield I still make 7.5psi on a 90 degree Florida day. How do all of your vacuum lines look? I know when I installed the intake, I cracked the T-shaped vacuum fitting that goes to the throttle body. I couldn't get more than 5psi until I fixed it.

Did you do the water test with the filter yet? That could be your answer.

I actually cracked some things (that tee, and BCA neck) a couple months ago, but managed to repair them well enough to get by- I even installed a new BCA, new vac lines, and a new GM tee connector tonight and re-tested, still only really get close up on 7.5psi when I get up to around 85-90mph. I havent water tested the filter yet for fear Ill be left with a saturated sieve, and I dont want to reinstall my stock airbox until I get a replacement rubber bellows (found a sizeable split in my stock one)...

Outside temps have no direct effect on indicated boost. If you don't have equal boost from before the intake change, it'* something you did.

I agree on the filter. Don't say we didn't warn you.

I remember using one of those filters for a week on my car, I took a knife and stabed it to let some air get through.

If indeed it is the filter, then there is an easy way to tell. Ill check it out today after work.

That easy way might include sucking a bug through the engine

When I changed from stock to the rice pipe w/K&N boost increased.
On the 97 I gutted the baffles out of the original air box..dropped in a K&N knowing it wasn't an optimal setup, but kept the stock look. OMFG it increased..lemme tell ya