FAO Nick Read - BMC Airbox

[Pysco]

Nick,

Thining of copying your idea for a sealed induction system using the BMC Carbon airbox, how would you go about connecting the crankcase breather hoses to the inlet?

Cheers, Simon.

 

[Matty]

Me 2.

Was looking at getting a viper to replace the k&n my car came with. Know how hot the engine bay gets and anything to help keep the air cool to the filter is a must.

Just been to my local place, Stealth Racing in Southam, who specialise in VW tuning but they fitted my ecotek and are sound guys.

They have started doing the BMC filters and rate them but reckon there is no way of fitting it to mine with the battery in the way.

Any1 got any ideas about fitting this kit. If I take the k&n off the air filter mounting is oval and not round!

 

[Ben j]

there aint a viper for a 16v yet is there?

 

[Matty]

Nope, which is why I amlooking at the BMC. Last time I rang Pipercross they said a viper would not fit the 16 valver. Not sure hoew they can do one for the RSi as I thought that would be equally tight for space under the bonnet.

 

[Nick Read]

The Rsi is well roomy. I think it probably would be possible to do a Viper in a 16v bonnet but without knowing the dimensions Im not taking a chance. Not for 250 notes anyway.

Anyway I dont want to give out my top secret way of getting a BMC box to fit!!! It took me a whole day of dismantling the car and ringing round for dimensions and specs before I had it sussed!

Clue: None of the standard BMC boxes will fit. You need a custom size and weird pipework.

 

[Ben j]

ooh nick wait to see what im doing in my moments of madness before i spray my car up. heee hheee haaa haaa. ull either love itor hate it but its gonna give a lot of cold air fo me!

 

[Nick Read]

Cutting the bonnet eh?

 

[Ben P]

I am doing a similar thing to my clio.

Being a measley 1.4 I dont care if I dont get any power increases but I want something different to what you usually get.

Also on the 1.4 the airbox sits directly on top of the throttle (dunno if this is the same with the 16v and others) which is rediculous.

I dont know if you have seen the K&N filter for this car - it just sits right in the middle in probably the hottest part of the engine bay.

I have a Hill Power induction kit, makes a good noise but sod all else. I have noticed a significant flat spot too due to not enough cold air, but then the ducting on my car is really wierd (Nick Hill said hed never encountered it before) so I am working on something custom as well.

Nick is there anywhere that does cheapish lengths of silicone hose? I need big diameter stuff and dont fancy buying expensive Samco stuff.

 

[Nick Read]

Bad luck, unfortunately silicone hose is expensive wherever you go! Theres another company that does hose called SFS, I think its a bit cheaper and the quality looks the same.

I assume you know to look in the DT catalogue for custom plumbing lengths?

 

[Ben P]

Yeah had a look

Problem is I reckon I could get something that worked and was practical without much hassle.

But making it look good when the bonnets up is going to be a bit trickier.

 

[Joss]

Id love the carbon BMC, but I dont want spend 250 if I cant get it to fit,and I never done anything like this before, only been driving for a year and this is my first car, Iam really unsure what parts are needed.

this is what i was gonna get

a 70mm filter adaptor neck
silcone hose 70mm 90 degree 250mm in length
70mm neck carbon bmc dont know size

but I dont know about the small hoses I need or how it fits together. I hate this K/N so I if anyone can help or can recommand a decent filter thats inclosed, I would use a standard airbox but my clio came with this K/N filter.

thanks

Joss

 

[Ben j]

your first car is a 179 bhp clio 16v..
HOW??!!
whats it had done to it?

 

[Nick Read]

Right these are the details of what Im doing if anyone wants a go. Dont blame me if you cant get it to fit though!

Im getting a BMC Carbon Dynamic Airbox - custom version for a BMW 3.0 Z3. It has the full 150mm diameter but only 160mm in length which is just short enough to fit downwards in the gap where the Renault airbox goes. Itll need an 83mm 90 degree elbow of Samco hose cos the throttle body egg-shape would be 83mm diameter as a circle. The outlet from the CDA is 85mm so itll just stretch and fit on.

The inlet side of the CDA at the bottom is 80mm, and the connection from the Renault air feed (coming from the wheelarch) is also roughly 80mm. It should just about hook up, if it doesnt Ill make it fit somehow or replace the hose with the 80mm hose that comes in the kit.

The actual pressurised air feed, which you need to make the CDA work as it should, is no problem cos Ive already got a front facing ramscoop in my bumper anyway, where the foglight used to be.

However if you dont want to mess about like this, then there is a CDA listed in the new BMC catalogue for Clio 1.8 16v >95 which supposedly has an adapted flange. I cant see how they can possible make a standard size CDA fit, and it does say that it is the biggest standard size one. Still, its billed as being for fitment to a Clio 16v, so if it doesnt go on, I cant see why you couldnt just return it.

 

[Ben j]

can u not use the adaptor plate from an induction to help u at all giving u an overall round mounting point ???

 

[Nick Read]

I havent got an induction kit lying around. Anyway its easier just to do the custom plumbing myself.

 

[Ben j]

oh well just thought then ya 2 breather pipes would already have somewhere to go too and all ud have to worry about is the one main hole... if that makes sense.. think it does..

 

[Nick Read]

Yeah i know what you mean - Im thinking of putting the breather pipes into the 90 elbow so the oil still gets burnt off. When Matt C gets his 16v kit Ill find out what exactly this adapter plate is. If its a thing to plug in the breathers then Ill see if I can get hold of just the plate.