Kelly,
I stupidly detached most of back of airbox in 96 varioram car and found that middle and bottom connection are doable but very tight regarding tightening up clamps, screws etc. The nightmare for me was top hose connection which I had pulled hose and rubber grommet out from side of airbox. If I recall correctly, hose has a lip which fits into rubber grommet. Grommet has a groove in middle where it attaches to airbox to hold hose to airbox. If this is issue for you pm me and I will try to remember what trick was to get this attached. I seem to recall that leaving grommet in place in airbox (I assume you have top cover and air filter removed at this point) and pinching grommet from outside of airbox where hose attaches and then sliding over hose raised edge was the trick. Don't waste time trying to insert hose into rubber grommet by pushing hose into it, and don't waste time taking grommet out of airbox, attaching to hose and then trying to push grommet into hole of airbox. Hope this is helpful.

 

rkass,

Thank you for that detailed information. That is exactly what I've been looking for with regard to the problems of reinstalling the back half of the box and hoses. Luckily, I just got up and was going to start on this in a few minutes.

Would lubricating the parts that need to go back together help? I usually use something like armorall to lubricate rubber/plastic parts when reinstalling things as it seems to require lots less pressure to get thing to "mesh". What do you think?

 

Kelly, unfortunately I did this 4 months or so ago and am going on memory. I remember that once I figured out fix to my predicament after 4 hours of cursing, etc the darn thing just went together so easily regarding the hose. I didn't use anything to put the parts together, but that's no basis for a decision. I know the airbox is tightly held, so lube shouldn't present an issue regarding having the hose coming off airbox. I would probably try first without lube-not sure if lube would conflict with grasping rubber grommet and inserting hose by making things too slippery (assuming rubber grommet is loose and rubbery and not brittle). Without lube it should pop right on based on my experience with it. Good luck Randy

 

Kelly,
I wonder if the dealer woud agree to install it for you, since they were the ones that ruined your original air box? Very nice of them by the way...

 

No chance of that happening. Screw was used when the car was in for PPI at a place of my choice and the PO had the 45k service done at the same time at his expense. That place, however, is in Arizona and the car has since been shipped back to Hawaii. Believe me, if there were any feasible way to have the PPI place correct this, I would. As it stands, I bought a used airbox and will replace the damaged one when I get the courage to pull the box off the car.