Upgrading your BMC Cold Air Feed

Mouse_GTI · Post by **Mouse_GTI** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:27 pm

This is just a basic guide to upgrading your cold air feed by replacing the OE feed and the piping supplied with the BMC kit.

First you need some new ducting. Search for "COLD AIR FEED INDUCTION DUCTING 2 3/4" 70MM ID 1 METRE" on ebay. It is only Â£16.45 a metre which is enough for this job. Here is a picture of my engine bay with the old ducting and OE feed, with the new ducting pictured also:

Now you need to remove the old ducting and OE feed. Undo the jubilee clips to release the old ducting. It may be crap but don't throw it away as you will need it again later. Mine had a rip in it around half the diameter of the ducting so I just ripped it off

Now to tackle the OE feed...this may try your patience! Push the feed to the left slightly and look under. You will notice a bolt holding the whole thing in place

To get better access, hold back the OE feed with some strong tape.

You can also move the power steering fluid reservoir by pushing it upwards out of its three mountings. Make sure you don't damage the tubes. Now you can have better access to the bolt. It's best tackling it with a small spanner as access is still a little tight

Once you undo the bolt the OE feed should just pull out. It's up to you what to do with it now

Now the space for the original is revealed

The edge shown may damage the new ducting over time with vibrations, so cover it up with a few layers of tape to be on the safe side

Now its time to fit the new ducting. I found that tightening the jubilee clip onto the BMC with the new ducting wasn't holding it as firmly as I liked. So take the old ducting and cut a piece about 2cm big and place it over the inlet of the BMC. This acts as a spacer to hold the new ducting better when you tighten the jubilee clip

Finally you need to position the other end of the ducting into the space for the air feed. The height is about 2 inches so you will need to compress the end of it slightly to get a good fit. This is the most complicated part as you have little room to work with. Check with a torch to see if the end of the ducting has gone into the gap. The tape at the bottom of the gap is a good reference. Just play around until you get it

Now stand back and admire the work then take her for a spin

EDIT: I've discovered a hole in the ducting where it has been sitting against the brake fluid reservoir, so if anyone is following this guide it would be helpful if you wrap some duct tape around the point of contact to reduce friction

polo power · Post by **polo power** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:47 pm

good little diy guide there

olop_chris · Post by **olop_chris** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:30 pm

exactly the same as mine, that feed is really good stuff for the price!

h4r1s · Post by **h4r1s** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:06 pm

Would that size Cold air feed fit into the standard airbox? or does it only fit into the BMC?

Thanks

Mouse_GTI · Post by **Mouse_GTI** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:26 pm

69mm. The ducting is 70mm, hence I used the old ducting (which is 69mm) as a spacer for a tighter fit with the jubilee clip

Rupy · Post by **Rupy** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 6:06 pm

Excellent guide. I'll be doing this this week hopefully

Hardcore · Post by **Hardcore** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 9:54 pm

hmmm. i myt attempt this lol. dont know if i dare messs around with my car enginee tho:O:O if i brought it down to you one day could you do it??? and by the way what does this do:S wouldnt it be more benificial to go and buy a performance one?

warrmr · Post by **warrmr** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 10:49 pm

Hardcore wrote:hmmm. i myt attempt this lol. dont know if i dare messs around with my car enginee tho:O:O if i brought it down to you one day could you do it??? and by the way what does this do:S wouldnt it be more benificial to go and buy a performance one?

the BMC CDA is a perfomance airfilter. its 100000 times better than a green cotten or K&n filter.

the point of this mod is to direct the air flow from a cold place ( ie the wing) to the engine for better performance.

if you had ever noticed your car performes so much better on a cold foggy morning than a hot summers day, thats the effect your trying to create by drawing as much cold air in as possible.

some auto-x cars have airintakes where the headlamps are supposed to be and barry boy cars replace the foglights with air intakes or air "rams"

Mouse_GTI · Post by **Mouse_GTI** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:17 pm

Hardcore wrote:hmmm. i myt attempt this lol. dont know if i dare messs around with my car enginee tho:O:O if i brought it down to you one day could you do it??? and by the way what does this do:S wouldnt it be more benificial to go and buy a performance one?

You coming all the way up from Derby to Aberdeen?

Don't worry about it, it's a pretty simple job. No harm done to the engine

Hardcore · Post by **Hardcore** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:49 pm

aberdeen. a little drive doesnt bother me

how much would you charge me?

Hardcore · Post by **Hardcore** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 4:29 pm

is this the air filter where you can attatch a pipe to one end, of the filter, and have it going throo a whole in the bumper where a light used to be. am i making sence??

Tim_GTi · Post by **Tim_GTi** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:39 pm

I'm gunna be doing this soon! Mouse There are 3 pics missing are they necsessary?

Hardcore · Post by **Hardcore** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:39 pm

one quick question..

is it necessary to remove the old OC feed.. cant you just add the piping to the end of that??

sorry.. 2 quick questions lool...

i changed mine the other day, just to a K+N but will be getting a BMC CDA wen i get a little more cash. but isnt it more effective to use the ram air technique.. since youve payed s**t loads of money for the air intake, mayaswell put it to its max potentiel.. dont you think???

Tim_GTi · Post by **Tim_GTi** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:33 am

Hardcore wrote:one quick question..

is it necessary to remove the old OC feed.. cant you just add the piping to the end of that??

sorry.. 2 quick questions lool...

i changed mine the other day, just to a K+N but will be getting a BMC CDA wen i get a little more cash. but isnt it more effective to use the ram air technique.. since youve payed **** loads of money for the air intake, mayaswell put it to its max potentiel.. dont you think???

whats ram air technique?

Yeh you could use a bit of the original piping, like pictured in the first place. This air feed however is one straight pipe, so there's no restrictions

Hardcore · Post by **Hardcore** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 6:27 pm

ram air thingy is where you take the piping straight to a hole in your front bumper. soo.. as you pick up speed. the air is forced into the BMC filter., and straight into the intake...

front bumper..---(piping)------[bmc air filter]-----(more piping)---[air intake]

therefore..its not lsucking like a K+N as air is straight into it..

may need a re-map on your car aswell to get the max potentiol.