Smiler121 said:

That's cool, one thing I just thought of that I forgot to mention - with the standard airbox I got a bad knocking noise when pulling off, the brace fouled the top of the box as it moved with the engine.

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Yep. Same problem you get with the straight brace and a K&N!

Well, the supplier said the fitment probs are due to the fact they are designed on LHD models and so fitment can sometimes be a bit harder. I could have returned it, but it took too much damage, so today is fitment day. Even persuaded my gf to give me a helping hand, as she usually just sits inside lol.

Will post up a piccy once its done

Well, that was a waste of time. The fact that the adjuster nut doesn't do up enough, means i can't put the brace on and tighten it. I think either the thread is not machined properly, or hasn't been instert properly. Either way its no good, and is not resolvable by bodging like all the other problems. It going back for a refund or replacment.

Think I should get another MPI one, or just try a standard older straight one? Hopefully the supplier won't complain about the chips of the paint etc. It should be obvious these things happen when trying to fit.

Fingers crossed the next one is ok, whichever it is.


Kristian

If its any help, the spi one does fit (ive got one on my mpi) but as youve got a K&N you might get a bit of tapping as you accelerate. I just wrapped some exhaust lagging stuff around the strut brace where the filter was knocking and its all good.

bassy-alex said:

If its any help, the spi one does fit (ive got one on my mpi) but as youve got a K&N you might get a bit of tapping as you accelerate. I just wrapped some exhaust lagging stuff around the strut brace where the filter was knocking and its all good.

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Was it you who I sugested that to? Was going to say it on here!

SkinzCinqSporting said:

Was it you who I sugested that to? Was going to say it on here!

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Yeah... its worked pretty good. I think it might try wrapping some duck tape or similar around the strut brace - to give the lagging something more to grip onto, but it does work yeah!

Cool, could always zip tie it a bit, did you not get some metal ones with the wrap?

Yeah i did, but because the brace is very shiny, no matter how tight i do the lagging up, it seems to move around... its not a huge problem, but after a week or so, sometimes the filter can be knocking against the brace again!

kritip said:

Well, that was a waste of time. The fact that the adjuster nut doesn't do up enough, means i can't put the brace on and tighten it. I think either the thread is not machined properly, or hasn't been instert properly. Either way its no good, and is not resolvable by bodging like all the other problems. It going back for a refund or replacment.

Think I should get another MPI one, or just try a standard older straight one? Hopefully the supplier won't complain about the chips of the paint etc. It should be obvious these things happen when trying to fit.

Kristian

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You have to break the "seal" of the paint in order to allow the thread to wind further into the brace - I AM HONESTLY 100% CONVINCED that yours is exactly the same as mine 'cos I had to get my Dad to help me turn it 'til the seal broke on the thread. To be honest all this LHD specification blag sounds a bit lame-I'm convinced that their factory tolerances AND original pattern are flawed.

If you give it a go doing all the things I said earlier (& I think I may have slightly drilled out the strut bolt holes on the brace) it will go on.

Fitting all-in-all a nightmare but I'm certainly no mechanic & it has been worth it in the end.

Plus I don't get any tapping which is something that annoyed the hell out of me 'til I changed the airbox!!!

Opps, forgot to post this... I have access to a LHD Sei & having looked at a LHD & RHD Sei side by side I can tell you the only obvious differences revolve around the steering rack in the engine bay nothing more.

There is no seal on the paint to break to allow the thread to go further in, pretty much all the paint has flaked off the end of the rod. IT was also clamped very tight, to try and get the bolt to go in further. I had the bolt ou, cleaned the thread, light oil on it, wound it back in, and it still got stuck int he same place. This is when I clamped it and tried to wind it further in, hopefully clean, or correct the thread. The amount of force to do this was great though and it still didn't help. Even left a spanner mark on the main nut, as my spanner is obviously a harder metal.

Basically, barring all the other problems,, the thread one is not correctable and means its non adjustable, and therefore useless.

Cheers for all your help though, wish me luck in exchanging it. I def want one and am not too put off by the probs.

I also think the LHD thing is wrong. Just think thee aren't made/manufactured very well.

Kristian

kritip said:

Cheers for all your help though, wish me luck in exchanging it. I def want one and am not too put off by the probs.

I also think the LHD thing is wrong. Just think they aren't made/manufactured very well.

Kristian

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I just have a feeling that the replacement will be the same, I had that problem & mayB it wasn't the paint, but like I said had to use a ridiculous amount of force to get it to wind further in - once I did it now turns freely all the way in.

Are you familiar with locking nuts? How about reverse bolt threads?

First of all, by the looks of your close-up photo of the adjuster nuts, you need to take the strut off and relocate the centre nut till it's in the middle between the two locking nuts. Now it is screwed all the way to the left. Take it off and unscrew the centre nut, to move the whole adjuster towards right. Now try to fit it back again and if the holes are out of alingment, screw-unscrew from the other side, by turning the whole right arm and keep the adjuster steady by the means of a wrench. Remember, the key is to fit the strut and have the adjuster centered between the two arms.

Now the strut is fitted, you can turn the adjuster centre nut upwards to make the brace extend or downwards to retract. Remember that there is no point to tighten the brace a lot, just enough to stay firmly in place. Then tighten the two locking nuts and then screw the nuts on the top mounts.

Cheers Asteris.

I am familiar with both locking nuts and reverse bolt threads.

The one side of the bolt works fine and threads ok, all the way in. The other side doesn't screw in hardly at all, this is a reverse thread so I have to turn anti-clockwise for it to move inwards.

That is the problem though... The right hand side, reverse thread bolt will NOT screw in very far at all! Thats as far as it goes! I used a LOT of force to try and move it in further, and it was not budging. I remove the bolt, oiled the thread, cleaned the thread with a cloth, but to no avail.

The ONLY reason you see in my picture the one side screwed in further than the other was an attempt to make it fit! With the one side screwed in pretty much all the way, it is just short enough, with a bit of persuasion, to fit over the top mount bolts, but once on, there is no play in the left hand/reverse thread bolt to tighten it at all.

If i were to center the bolt; a) it wouldn't fit over the strut bolts, it will be too long and b) if i were to drill the holes so it would fit on, I still couldn't tighten the brace at all.

I'm sure the thread/nut on the one side is def broken! And without a LOT of messing about, and then not being able to adjust it, its not worth the hassle. Im sure its faulty.

Cheers anyway

Kristian

Remove the adjuster and see if the right threads are shallow. If yes, make them deeper with a thread cutter tool (can't remember what's the engilsh word for it...)

re-tap the holes?

You'll want a tap for female thread and a die for the male thread. Even if it's not shallow running the threads through with a tap and die could help you no end.

I have a taps and dies sitting here, but i don't know the pitch and size, and wouldn't want to f**k it up and then not be able to return it at all, I would be most pee'd off lol. Plus i think my set is too small and decent pieces cost ££, if its under warranty i'd sooner just swap it!

The thread runs for about 3 cm, it's a welded in insert, into the end of the tube, after which it's just tube.

There are no obstructions for the bolt, so it must be a messed up thread or bolt (bolt looks ok though)

If it was second hand I'd def do it, but i should have the right to return it, and get them to at least check the bolt/thread before they send a new one out.

Cheers,

Kristian

kritip said:

If it was second hand I'd def do it, but i should have the right to return it, and get them to at least check the bolt/thread before they send a new one out.

Cheers,

Kristian

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Gotta' agree with that bit, when I bought mine I was SO GUTTED as everytime I got round one flaw I hit another - I hope that your shall I call it "impossible thread?" is a worse version of mine, if not I'm afraid you are going to hit the same problem. I honestly think it was just using an idiotically over zealous amount of force after deciding I couldn't B bothered to send it back that broke the "thread barrier"!!!

Shame I can't remember but have a feeling that I threaded the moving end all the way into the strut & the got my Dad to help me twist the strut to get the thread to break into working.

Send it back with detailed descriptions, refer to the fact that others on our forum seem to have similar problem & mayB the original manufacturer will sort out their pattern/tolerances? I just hope they don't stop making the things or we may end up the only owners :-/