Fabspeed Airbox Perf. Kit Installation
03-28-2002, 01:27 PM
#1
Track Day
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fabspeed Airbox Perf. Kit Installation
Here are some thoughts, suggestions and pics regarding the installation of the Fabspeed Airbox Upgrade kit for the 996. My car is a 2002 C2 with 500 miles.
A little background. It's been years since I "wrenched" my own car, and the thought of tearing apart even the airbox of my new 996 was just a little daunting. But rest assured, if you're handy with a screwdriver, socket wrench and flashlight--anyone can do this in under an hour.
Fabspeed's "instructions" are a sticker on the outside of the muffler block box. Pretty straight forward, but I'd like to add some of my own tips.
Tools for this are simple: Medium sized flat head screwdriver, Short "stubby" philips head screwdriver for the airbox bolts, a 7mm socket with either ratchet or extension (used for hose clamps and easier than using a screwdriver on the combi heads), a 13mm socket for main airbox bolt removal, a good flashlight. Lastly, I got to try out my new Griots Garage creeper stool...perfect size for the back end of a Porsche!
Fabspeeds instructions call for loosening the airbox intake hose, and loosening up the 8 or so screws that hold the upper airbox to the lower. Curious about my own car and what lies beneath (airbox dominates the engine & hardware on my 996), I decided to remove the WHOLE air box completely from the vehicle. This probably requires a little more time and effort, but you get a great view of the backside of the engine, suspension parts, and overall engine bay. To do this, you need to:
1) Relocate the oil filler tube from its press-in-mounting and swing up and out of the way.
2) Loosen the airbox hose clamps at both ends and remove the hose from it's mounting--don't be afraid to use a little "elbow grease" as the hose doesn't want to move unless you twist and tug on it.
3) Loosen the return (smaller) airbox hose clamp.
4) Disconnect the mass flow sensor connector on the upper left of the airbox and swing up and out of the way. Also pay attention to (open or pop out) the wire supports guides as well.
5) Remove the cadmium colored bolt at the bottom center of the airbox. This bolt is the only solid connection holding the airbox to frame.
6) You can then pop out the whole airbox in tact. Given the limited space in the engine bay, I found this to be an easier method.
7)Once removed, you can loosen the 8 or so screws holding the upper and lower airbox together, gaining access to the internal muffler and screen. These screws are fixed in place so there is no danger of loosing them.
8)Inside, the factory airbox muffler is held on with three screws which are easily removed. The carbon fiber muffler block supplied by Fabspeed easily bolts into the hole left in the airbox. Be sure to keep the extra screw with the factory parts so that some future owner fanatic who wants to restore the original setup can do so with ease.
9) Next, you need to goose the screen assembly on the other side of the upper airbox out...usually a gentle prying with the tip of a screw driver helps a bit..it should pull straight up and out.
10) You can remove the plastic mesh screen and replace it with the Fabspeed supplied Carbon Fiber ring. This ring just press fits into the space vacated by the plastic mesh screen and seems to be either a little too easy or a little too unsecure. I called Fabspeed and talked to them about the purpose of this ring: It helps to smooth the airflow into the engine, and yes, it does just press fit into the space. They suggested that if I was having problems fitting it into the space, to use some nail polish remover to help not only slide it in but to provide a little "glue" to secure it in place. I went with a clean pressfit (noting that the flat part of the ring is installed against the flat part of the airbox) and it fit just fine. Button up the airbox halves, preinstall the new red airbox hose with clamps, and you're ready to reinstall the whole airbox.
Note: Now, this is normally the time I was planning to install the BMC F1 air filter, but since it is on backorder from Italy, I'll have to suffer through this whole process again!
11) Take a glorious moment to looking into the wizardry and phenomenal engineering from Porsche in the engine bay. I took pics of mine...suitable for framing!
12) Ease the whole airbox back into the engine bay, and note where the bottom plastic "guides" fit into the frame holes. Secure with the cadmium bolt, reattach the airflow sensor connector & wire guides, airbox hose, reposition the oil filler tube and "voila!" you're done!
Pictures are attached....Good luck with this project, I highly recommend it! Due to the length of this posting, I will give you my perceptions on performance in an adjacent posting.
<a href="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/emptybay.jpg" target="_blank">Empty Bay</a>
<a href="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/fbspdairbox1.jpg" target="_blank">Fabspeed Airbox Mods</a>
<a href="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/install1.jpg" target="_blank">Airbox Complete</a>
<a href="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/tools1.jpg" target="_blank">Tools</a>
A little background. It's been years since I "wrenched" my own car, and the thought of tearing apart even the airbox of my new 996 was just a little daunting. But rest assured, if you're handy with a screwdriver, socket wrench and flashlight--anyone can do this in under an hour.
Fabspeed's "instructions" are a sticker on the outside of the muffler block box. Pretty straight forward, but I'd like to add some of my own tips.
Tools for this are simple: Medium sized flat head screwdriver, Short "stubby" philips head screwdriver for the airbox bolts, a 7mm socket with either ratchet or extension (used for hose clamps and easier than using a screwdriver on the combi heads), a 13mm socket for main airbox bolt removal, a good flashlight. Lastly, I got to try out my new Griots Garage creeper stool...perfect size for the back end of a Porsche!
Fabspeeds instructions call for loosening the airbox intake hose, and loosening up the 8 or so screws that hold the upper airbox to the lower. Curious about my own car and what lies beneath (airbox dominates the engine & hardware on my 996), I decided to remove the WHOLE air box completely from the vehicle. This probably requires a little more time and effort, but you get a great view of the backside of the engine, suspension parts, and overall engine bay. To do this, you need to:
1) Relocate the oil filler tube from its press-in-mounting and swing up and out of the way.
2) Loosen the airbox hose clamps at both ends and remove the hose from it's mounting--don't be afraid to use a little "elbow grease" as the hose doesn't want to move unless you twist and tug on it.
3) Loosen the return (smaller) airbox hose clamp.
4) Disconnect the mass flow sensor connector on the upper left of the airbox and swing up and out of the way. Also pay attention to (open or pop out) the wire supports guides as well.
5) Remove the cadmium colored bolt at the bottom center of the airbox. This bolt is the only solid connection holding the airbox to frame.
6) You can then pop out the whole airbox in tact. Given the limited space in the engine bay, I found this to be an easier method.
7)Once removed, you can loosen the 8 or so screws holding the upper and lower airbox together, gaining access to the internal muffler and screen. These screws are fixed in place so there is no danger of loosing them.
8)Inside, the factory airbox muffler is held on with three screws which are easily removed. The carbon fiber muffler block supplied by Fabspeed easily bolts into the hole left in the airbox. Be sure to keep the extra screw with the factory parts so that some future owner fanatic who wants to restore the original setup can do so with ease.
9) Next, you need to goose the screen assembly on the other side of the upper airbox out...usually a gentle prying with the tip of a screw driver helps a bit..it should pull straight up and out.
10) You can remove the plastic mesh screen and replace it with the Fabspeed supplied Carbon Fiber ring. This ring just press fits into the space vacated by the plastic mesh screen and seems to be either a little too easy or a little too unsecure. I called Fabspeed and talked to them about the purpose of this ring: It helps to smooth the airflow into the engine, and yes, it does just press fit into the space. They suggested that if I was having problems fitting it into the space, to use some nail polish remover to help not only slide it in but to provide a little "glue" to secure it in place. I went with a clean pressfit (noting that the flat part of the ring is installed against the flat part of the airbox) and it fit just fine. Button up the airbox halves, preinstall the new red airbox hose with clamps, and you're ready to reinstall the whole airbox.
Note: Now, this is normally the time I was planning to install the BMC F1 air filter, but since it is on backorder from Italy, I'll have to suffer through this whole process again!
11) Take a glorious moment to looking into the wizardry and phenomenal engineering from Porsche in the engine bay. I took pics of mine...suitable for framing!
12) Ease the whole airbox back into the engine bay, and note where the bottom plastic "guides" fit into the frame holes. Secure with the cadmium bolt, reattach the airflow sensor connector & wire guides, airbox hose, reposition the oil filler tube and "voila!" you're done!
Pictures are attached....Good luck with this project, I highly recommend it! Due to the length of this posting, I will give you my perceptions on performance in an adjacent posting.
<a href="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/emptybay.jpg" target="_blank">Empty Bay</a>
<a href="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/fbspdairbox1.jpg" target="_blank">Fabspeed Airbox Mods</a>
<a href="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/install1.jpg" target="_blank">Airbox Complete</a>
<a href="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/tools1.jpg" target="_blank">Tools</a>
