Plenums and Manifolds (FAQ)

From Nissan 350Z & 370Z Wiki

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Contents 1 GENERAL 1.1 What is a Plenum? 1.2 What else is a plenum called? 1.3 What is the upper plenum? 1.4 What is the lower plenum? 1.5 What is a manifold? 1.6 What benefits does an aftermarket plenum have? 1.7 Will installing a plenum void my warranty? 2 BRANDS AND DIFFERENCES 2.1 Who makes them for the 350Z/G35? 2.2 Does it matter which brand I buy? 2.3 Which is the best plenum? 2.4 What are plenums made from? 2.5 I see different plenum versions (i.e v2, v5, etc..) 3 SOUND AND PERFORMANCE 3.1 How much power will I gain? 3.2 Which plenum makes the most HP? 3.3 Do aftermarket plenums sound different? 4 INSTALLATION 4.1 How much does it cost to install? 4.2 Is it hard to install myself? 4.3 Is there an installation tutorial? 4.4 Can I install a plenum with (insert name here) intake? 4.5 Can I install a plenum with (insert name here) supercharger/turbo kit? 5 TROUBLESHOOTING 5.1 My car idles rough after installing the plenum. 6 ALSO SEE

GENERAL

What is a Plenum?

Simply put, it is the cast aluminum piece that sits on top of the engine. On the VQ series engines, the Plenum is split horizontally creating an upper plenum and a lower plenum. It serves as a colletor and distributor of air from the throttle body into the cylinders.

What else is a plenum called?

Plenum is another name for an intake manifold. These names are interchangeable, although we often use manifold to denote the entire assembly. Plenum is used when discussing only the upper or lower half.

What is the upper plenum?

The upper plenum is upper half of the intake manifold. The throttle body and intake tube are connected to this piece.

What is the lower plenum?

The lower plenum is the piece that actually connects to the engine block. It houses the intake runners.

What is a manifold?

A manifold is an air collector and/or distributor. There are intake manifolds, and exhaust manifolds.

What benefits does an aftermarket plenum have?

Aftermarket plenums (or full manifolds) should:

• allow the engine to breathe easier
• provide a more even flow distribution into the cylinders
• provide more intake volume

Will installing a plenum void my warranty?

Please see our warranty page to find answers to this common question.

BRANDS AND DIFFERENCES

Who makes them for the 350Z/G35?

Does it matter which brand I buy?

Which is the best plenum?

What are plenums made from?

I see different plenum versions (i.e v2, v5, etc..)

SOUND AND PERFORMANCE

How much power will I gain?

Which plenum makes the most HP?

Do aftermarket plenums sound different?

INSTALLATION

How much does it cost to install?

Is it hard to install myself?

Is there an installation tutorial?

Can I install a plenum with (insert name here) intake?

Can I install a plenum with (insert name here) supercharger/turbo kit?

TROUBLESHOOTING

My car idles rough after installing the plenum.

ALSO SEE

Popcharger (FAQ)

Intake (FAQ)

Plenum Spacer (FAQ)