Item: Air-Cleaner box, bottom half

Sore Spot: Rear Driver's Side retaining bracket 10mm bolt

Number of times dropped the bolt today trying to get it started vs. Number of times it fell into some obscure space requiring much time and box removal to locate:
5:3

Nevermind that you can't fit a socket + ratchet behind it: you can barely turn a quarter turn with a regular wrench (years ago I invested in a "gear wrench" just for this damn bolt); the hard part is you can barely get two fingers in to get it started.. and if you say you've never dropped it, let's say I won't believe you!

This thing killed me today as it always does

 

Hey Dan,

Not to be an ***, but there is never a reason to touch that bolt with the airbox installed in the car. Loosen the two Allen bolts that retain the lower airbox half, unplug the AFM and loosen the large hose clamp for the J-boot and the entire thing is free, and you can get at that bolt on the bench.

 

What?? How?

That bolt is the third bolt that holds the airbox. It secures to a bracket that's attached to the car. Am I missing something?

I would like nothing more than to never have to feed that bolt "in-engine" again. Well.. maybe a couple things more lol

 

Ha, of course. That one is often missing/broken on the airbox side, including on my own car. I use only the two front bolts. Mine would need a replacement lower airbox half to fix it, not worth it to me because it works well as is. I thought you were trying to remove one of the airbox to AFM bolts in that first picture, sorry

I am hoping to finally experiment with different intake setups to see if the "cold air" intake of the factory box makes a difference in IAT/MAT as it enters the throttle body (especially after the intake charge has been compressed/heated by the turbo and re-cooled by the intercooler), or if a dumb cone air filter sucking in hot air makes a difference. It certainly does in a naturally aspirated engine, which makes sense yet I still see many professional race engine builders endeavor to provide a fresh ambient air charge to the turbo inlet(s). The stock airbox is definitely a restriction on my setup, but I want to find out how much.

 

Never dropped that one but the dipstick to intake bolt a ton of times before I got wise and slotted the dipstick bracket. That way the bolt is started before I install the manifold.

on an un related note, seeing as this is your thread Dan, I have been keeping this pic on my phone and meaning to post it for you. Awhile back you posted about the last Allen head bolt on the Cambox that is hard to get an Allen on “ straight”. It is possible and this is the way to do it .. “wobble” Ext short. And the ratchet is a locking flex head .. all snap-on

 

I’ll confess that if a bolt is a PITA and does not look hugely important (like this one) I could be possibly guilty of not putting it back in...,

actually, the one that makes me crazy is the on that secures the upper half of the Split plastic belt cover - the 10mm right underneath the water pump. Yep, you ain’t gonna see that on my Turbo or Cabrio...

 

I always find it pretty "cool" that the factory intake is from outside like that.. pun intended.. though it took me an embarrassing long time to figure out you have to pop the headlights up to easily fit the snorkel geezzz

I'm also curious to find out if it indeed is better!

 

Cool! Those are sweet tools. BTW slotting that bracket... brilliant. I am absolutely doing that next time.

Forget if I told you already (probably yes) but with border closed, I did end up getting the alignment at Ernie's in Oakville... very pleased. Nice guy. When things open up, I'll have to come down to get that bracket slotted instead

 

..or the other one (there's two, of course).. and I can't believe I always put them back even when I had the power steering pump!! That cover is a crazy design with that long narrow side reaching all the way down....

 

Yes, I can’t wait till this Covid crap is over.. the Watkins Glen race was cancelled and the mod port race as well.. so bummed. I raced at mid- Ohio and summit point this year.. the 30 year old 951 really is still competitive as a 1 bar boost rothmans cup car! And what a blast! I got third in my very first enduro race! Racing against newer boxers, cayman, and 911 c2,s and one rs America.
FWIW.. any of those bolts you can’t get to I take a piece of masking tape and “ reverse wad it up” sticky side out, jam it down in the socket so the bolt head sticks to it, then start it by hand with an extension ... once I’m done take a small Phillips and poke the masking tape out of the socket..

 

I don't think you can even get a socket behind that rear airbox bolt... hey when you do eventually head up this way to race or whatever, send me a PM..

 

Ha. The 951.....so many really difficult fasteners. How about the one into the side of the engine block that fastens the bottom of the turbo up-pipe that connects to the crossover and the air/oil separator. Or the water pipe and bracket on the back of the head. So many to choose from. Lots of scraped knuckles and cussing over the years. But it's a labor of love, right?

 

funny, as much experience as I have with these cars never ran into that bolt because every one I’ve had either had a self made MAF or no maf at all because I had a stand-alone on it and used. MAP instead,, but I do have the stock barn door on the race car (per rules) but everything pre- barn door is self made..
I hope mosport happens next year, and I will pm you, could always use another guy on the radio!

 

I'll second the "dipstick to intake manifold" 10mm hell-bolt. I was thinking that slotting the flag on the dipstick is exactly what it needs!

 

For the last three yrs I've been running the stock air box w/k&N drop in filter on my 87 951.I've got some basic old school mods LR Super 48, SS headers, 3" ext. no cat, Dual-port WG, MBC, Russ Berry custom chip and I've been very happy. I purchased a Lindsey cone filter set-up years ago used it on my then stock 88 951 and didn't really notice any difference and I hated the look compared to the factory set-up. So I was bored and installed the cone on my 87. I can't believe the difference in both the sound of the turbo spooling and the waste-gate purge. I don't think there is any perceptible performance gain but I love the sounds it makes. This probably sounds cheesy but I placed the top of the air box and snorkel over the cone filter and it's a perfect fit, bottom edge of air box top on snorkel side sits on the filter adapter leaving a 1" space between the cone and the air box top and snorkel fits in fender perfectly. The factory intercooler strap at the banjo bolt secures it. When you open the hood it looks totally stock.