N
Nico
Guest
Incidentally (since Daz mentioned he too had had difficulties removing the standard filter) you may find yourself struggling if you happened to buy this same kit. Since the instructions only advised you how to install the filter, and stopped short of fitting the cold feed, the lesson I've now learnt – never be afraid to disregard any instructions, discard half the bits, and take apart / customise what's left!
Whilst loose, I could not manage to remove either of the screw from the top cover, and neither would one of the side bolts loosen. The instructions direct you (after removal of the top of the filter) to drop the bottom of the filter housing out through the arch – after removal of the wheel and plastic arch under the wing. In doing so this does, with much head scratching, allow you to drop the whole assembly down and out through the wing after disconnecting all the hoses and removal of the only other bolt I could gain access too (besides also - pulling out the rubber grommit that supports the filter underneath). I would have had to break apart the filter otherwise. The instructions for this kit then go as far as installing the filter, but not the cold feed.
It is little wonder they don't bother including instruction on how or where to put the cold feed, cos it took me bloody ages to decide. An earlier thread (Insomnia I think) had the feed crossing the top of the rad after removal of the old feed chamber, as per the instructions. But as Ins' pointed out, this still left you with the difficulty of running it to the vent somewhere. Now, my hgt grill is somewhat different to certain other Bravos, but I don't expect what's contained behind it or indeed within the wings, to be too disimilar. So god only knows hows others have managed.
I was too daunted by the task of removing the front grill / bumper, but in any case it seemed there was only one route via which any hosing could gain access to the compartment behind the grill infront of the rad, and this was almost wholly obstructed by rubber shielding. I struggled for ages trying to decide where to place the feed aperture (bright beautiful red inlet pipe) until finally I decided to ditch it, cos besides the huge diameter, the depth of tapered pipe is such that bulkheads won't allow you to install it anywhere other than right in the centre of the grill infront of the rad AND that requires you putting in a very tight bend IF you can be gain access somehow to that compartment to secure it (ie. take the bumper off!).
In order to even get the feed hose down into the compartment, it needed to be fed to the floor of the grill first before feeding in from the side (the shielding I talked about is rubber which you can manage to hold back with your finger tips through the grill). Since the hose was otherwise going to have to go this way, it meant it actually took the shortest route possible straight down from the cone, after I'd removed the headlight (done for purposes of the changing the bulbs – which does not necessitate removal of the unit, but i hadn't done it before, and I certainly wouldn't have managed to successfully direct the Viper hose down to the grill any other way).
Now ideally, you have the mouth of the cold feed (ram air pipe – or whatever they like to call it
) facing out of the grill, but since I could only fit my fingers through the grill, I figured the the feed pipe could remain with its end situated laterally at the opening to the grill compartment. Since all the air that effectively passes through the grill and hits the rad, effectively has nowhere else to flow since the floor of the bumper is almost completely sealed too, the volume of compressed air within this void should provide my feed hose with ample air (perhaps even more than if it were facing full front !?)
As for what to do with that lovely flashy hose tip; you could always wear it as a bracelet, and a mighty fine looking wrist accessory it is too, greatly admired by my mates who I showed it to.In addition to which I decided not to bother with the mounting bracket they provided, AND to obtain the best fit for the filter cone, I needed to take a scalpal to the silicon tube and take 2 inchs off both ends, which you would have thought was un-necessary considering these kits are supposed to be car specific, A couple of zip-ties,..and bob's your uncle, geoffs a giraffe!
Whilst loose, I could not manage to remove either of the screw from the top cover, and neither would one of the side bolts loosen. The instructions direct you (after removal of the top of the filter) to drop the bottom of the filter housing out through the arch – after removal of the wheel and plastic arch under the wing. In doing so this does, with much head scratching, allow you to drop the whole assembly down and out through the wing after disconnecting all the hoses and removal of the only other bolt I could gain access too (besides also - pulling out the rubber grommit that supports the filter underneath). I would have had to break apart the filter otherwise. The instructions for this kit then go as far as installing the filter, but not the cold feed.
It is little wonder they don't bother including instruction on how or where to put the cold feed, cos it took me bloody ages to decide. An earlier thread (Insomnia I think) had the feed crossing the top of the rad after removal of the old feed chamber, as per the instructions. But as Ins' pointed out, this still left you with the difficulty of running it to the vent somewhere. Now, my hgt grill is somewhat different to certain other Bravos, but I don't expect what's contained behind it or indeed within the wings, to be too disimilar. So god only knows hows others have managed.
I was too daunted by the task of removing the front grill / bumper, but in any case it seemed there was only one route via which any hosing could gain access to the compartment behind the grill infront of the rad, and this was almost wholly obstructed by rubber shielding. I struggled for ages trying to decide where to place the feed aperture (bright beautiful red inlet pipe) until finally I decided to ditch it, cos besides the huge diameter, the depth of tapered pipe is such that bulkheads won't allow you to install it anywhere other than right in the centre of the grill infront of the rad AND that requires you putting in a very tight bend IF you can be gain access somehow to that compartment to secure it (ie. take the bumper off!).
In order to even get the feed hose down into the compartment, it needed to be fed to the floor of the grill first before feeding in from the side (the shielding I talked about is rubber which you can manage to hold back with your finger tips through the grill). Since the hose was otherwise going to have to go this way, it meant it actually took the shortest route possible straight down from the cone, after I'd removed the headlight (done for purposes of the changing the bulbs – which does not necessitate removal of the unit, but i hadn't done it before, and I certainly wouldn't have managed to successfully direct the Viper hose down to the grill any other way).
Now ideally, you have the mouth of the cold feed (ram air pipe – or whatever they like to call it
) facing out of the grill, but since I could only fit my fingers through the grill, I figured the the feed pipe could remain with its end situated laterally at the opening to the grill compartment. Since all the air that effectively passes through the grill and hits the rad, effectively has nowhere else to flow since the floor of the bumper is almost completely sealed too, the volume of compressed air within this void should provide my feed hose with ample air (perhaps even more than if it were facing full front !?)
As for what to do with that lovely flashy hose tip; you could always wear it as a bracelet, and a mighty fine looking wrist accessory it is too, greatly admired by my mates who I showed it to
.In addition to which I decided not to bother with the mounting bracket they provided, AND to obtain the best fit for the filter cone, I needed to take a scalpal to the silicon tube and take 2 inchs off both ends, which you would have thought was un-necessary considering these kits are supposed to be car specific, A couple of zip-ties,..and bob's your uncle, geoffs a giraffe!
