Some of you may have already seen my thread in other forums for some mods I've done for my air intake pipe, but have decided to add a DIY as there have been a few questions as to what parts I used, how long it took e.t.c.
This DIY will tell you how to remove the OEM air intake pipe and Resonators and replace them with a direct air feed pipe which connects to the OEM air intake and the OEM filter box.
My install was initially done on the cheap - all up it cost just over $30 and all parts came from Bunnings. However, you can have parts specially fabricated, or use intercooler piping which is available at most auto stores. It all depends on your hip pocket or how professional a job you need it to be. In any case, whether it be a cheap home DIY or a professionally fabricated job, you will be achieving the similar results.
The parts you are removing can be removed all in one red hot go, but before you do that you would be wise to measure up and get the parts required. There is not much point in ripping the old system out and then driving around to look for parts.
As marked in Yellow rings below, this is where the OEM piping gets removed from the front air intake vent and from the intake on the air filter box. I measured the pipe joins as beings 65mm in diameter, so I went on a hunt to find flexi-pipe to match.
Original setup with visual reference points
I didn't really bother measuring the length of the piping properly at this stage - I knew I needed at least 1 meter, just to make sure I had enough to account for any stuff ups e.t.c. We'll go into proper measurements later.
So after that, I knew I needed the follow:
65mm x 1mtr plus flexi pipe ~ $18
2 x connectors for the front air intake and the rear air filter box ~ $2.50 and only needed to buy one.
2 x 70mm oring clamps ~$2.50 each
1x 40mm x 4m PVC waterproof tape ~ $4
STEP 1: Parts and Fabrication of new pipe
The flexi pipe itself is called NETA POLY DRAIN - Sub Soil Drainage Pipe. The one I got was slotted - i.e. it has drainage holes all through it. You can get un-slotted pipes, but they were all 50mm and I wanted 65mm seeing as though that is the same diameter as the intake pipes on the air filter and front air intake.
It measures 65mm x 10m! They only had it in a 10m role and it cost me about $18.
The blue fittings on either end are from the same manufacturer as the flexi pipe. One of them comes with the role of flexi pipe and the other I had to buy separately for $2.30.
The blue bits fit straight on, although the one that goes onto the air filter box goes on the opposite way from the front one and requires a bit of pushing to get it on, you should be able to wiggle it all the way up and over the little notch on the top of the air filter intake.
The pipe, you'll have 10m of the stuff, so there is a bit of room for you to play around. I just roughly measured it a little bit longer than the stock pipe and cut it with a Stanley Knife - it was a sinch to cut through.
Once I had measured the right length, I then wrapped the flexi pipe in 40mm waterproof PVC tape to make an airtight seal on the pipe. I wasn't sure how this would turn out, but it worked really well and didn't look too dodgy/homemade.
STEP 2: Removal of OEM Pipe and Resonators
Removal of the OEM setup is a sinch.
As marked on the image above, the two red arrows indicate where you will find the two bolts that hold the resonators and piping to the engine bay. There is a support bolt near the front right shocker strut and one down below that supports the ABS control module and the resonators from the old system.
Just undo those bots and replace them afterwards.
The rest of the system should pop off pretty easily! Once it's off, make sure that it's all still assembled and store it in a safe place, just in case you want to restore to the factory setup.
OEM setup removed
STEP 3: Installing the new pipe
Work the two blue connector end pieces onto your flexi pipe and place the two o-ring tighteners/clamps over the top.
Stick the blue end pieces onto the intake pipes front and then rear and tightened the clamps...
There you have it! Job done!
New pipe connected to front air intake joint
New pipe connected to air filter joint
I hope the picture references are OK as a guide. Let me know if you would like any more detailed pics or any further assistance.
If you have even an ounce of DIY skill, you'll find this one a breeze. All up it took about 1 hour to remove, fabricate and install.
After having it installed for a week, I have noticed a dew differences in the cars driving character. It's a bit more willing to rev and take off in the lower RPM range and also it seems to have increased fuel economy a bit. Most importantly, the car sounds tougher now that those restrictive resonators are gone.
One thing to check frequently with this setup is your air filter - just to make sure that there are no big lumps of cr@p clogging up the system.
OEM replaced with new piping
UPDATE - New pipework upgraded from previous setup as per below:
The below pipes are a clear upgrade from the cheaper option above. This setup provides a much more airtight setup and provides a noticable difference.
The pipe is 70mm intercooler tube and the joiners are 45 degree silicon. All purchased from Supercheap Auto. They were very accomodating in allowing me to test fit these on site before purchasing.
