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Confirming the above, also plastic inserts need to come out with side panels as there are screws into those. All in all, a 1 hour job max if you have a lift, not hard but can't do it ok the ground
Hi, I have recently swapped my OEM intake scoops for Carbon Fiber ones. It is not true that you need to completely remove the side skirts. What is true is that they are fixed with 3 screws + 3M adhesive tapes. The easiest and less invasive way to dismount them is to access from the rear arch wheel cover:
- Dismount the rear wheel
- Remove the rear wheel well liner (arch cover)
- Then you can access directly to the screws
BUT to unscrew the lowest screw with the screwdriver, you will have to partially unclip the side skirt (see enclosed picture)
Sorry to bring this back from the dead but I just removed my side scoops and can confirm what Phi19 said, although mine had 4 torx fasteners holding the scoop in.
Here is what I did:
- Jack up and support the car, remove rear wheel.
- Remove inner fender liner; 2 plastic 10mm nuts, 3 T25 fasteners
- Remove 2 T30 fasteners holding the rocker panel in place (one at the top, one underneath at the bottom)
- Remove 5 or 6 of the large flat plastic fasteners underneath the rocker panel. Give them a quarter turn and pull them out (to reinstall, just push them back in)
- Pull the rocker panel away from the body of the car starting at the top rear, near the wheel arch. Pull carefully with increasing force and it will pop out. Work it out along the body of the car moving forward. Pull it out until it starts to separate near the door sill. That should be enough.
- The fasteners holding the scoop in are T20, and there were 4 on mine. The one near the bottom is the hardest to access without removing the rocker panel completely.
- Once all those fasteners are out, the scoop is only held on by 3M tape. I was able to pull it far enough away to slip a thin razor in between the scoop and the panel to slice the tape as I was pulling away. Came out pretty easily bit will require removing all the tape from both the scoop and the panel and reapplying new tape before reinstalling.
- Reinstalling is the reverse of above. When reattaching the rocker panel at the top, it will lock into place as you press it in. I had to give it a couple jabs with the back of my fist to get it locked in.
Sorry to bring this back from the dead but I just removed my side scoops and can confirm what Phi19 said, although mine had 4 torx fasteners holding the scoop in.
Here is what I did:
- Jack up and support the car, remove rear wheel.
- Remove inner fender liner; 2 plastic 10mm nuts, 3 T25 fasteners
- Remove 2 T30 fasteners holding the rocker panel in place (one at the top, one underneath at the bottom)
- Remove 5 or 6 of the large flat plastic fasteners underneath the rocker panel. Give them a quarter turn and pull them out (to reinstall, just push them back in)
- Pull the rocker panel away from the body of the car starting at the top rear, near the wheel arch. Pull carefully with increasing force and it will pop out. Work it out along the body of the car moving forward. Pull it out until it starts to separate near the door sill. That should be enough.
- The fasteners holding the scoop in are T20, and there were 4 on mine. The one near the bottom is the hardest to access without removing the rocker panel completely.
- Once all those fasteners are out, the scoop is only held on by 3M tape. I was able to pull it far enough away to slip a thin razor in between the scoop and the panel to slice the tape as I was pulling away. Came out pretty easily bit will require removing all the tape from both the scoop and the panel and reapplying new tape before reinstalling.
- Reinstalling is the reverse of above. When reattaching the rocker panel at the top, it will lock into place as you press it in. I had to give it a couple jabs with the back of my fist to get it locked in.
Excellent Directions! Thanks. I was wondering if you recall when opening up the rocker panel on the GT4 .... if I wanted to install mesh screens behind the plastic insert (See Youtube videos below) if I would have enough room to slide the grill mesh in without having to remove the side scoops to accomplish that? I am thinking about adding mesh to keep some of the leaves out when mountain driving.
Mmm, I don’t think so. That black trim piece sits underneath the scoop and if that needs to be removed to fit the mesh screen, I’m pretty sure you’d have to pull the scoop off.
Originally Posted by Kelsey
Excellent Directions! Thanks. I was wondering if you recall when opening up the rocker panel on the GT4 .... if I wanted to install mesh screens behind the plastic insert (See Youtube videos below) if I would have enough room to slide the grill mesh in without having to remove the side scoops to accomplish that? I am thinking about adding mesh to keep some of the leaves out when mountain driving.
09-11-2017, 12:35 PM
Side Intake Scoops REMOVAL
