last night I removed my battery and tray and looked at what I had to work with. My goal is to make a true CAI that draws from the fenderwell and fog-lamp area. Unfortunately, my EVAP cannister has other plans. It's in the fenderwell, making CAI more difficult.

Anyway, under the battery tray is (surprise) sheet metal, but very thin. I do not think this is a load-bearing structure, since I can bend it in and out with one finger. So I propose to do one of two things:

Plan A: relocate the battery to the trunk and cut a hole for my Ractive filter to directly point down into. This would require a 60 degree bend in the pipe, and the hole cut would have to be bigger.

Plan B: relocate the battery to the trunk and cut a smaller hole and build a vent box to reroute the air up from underneath the battery into the filter, which would sit right next to the engine bay fuse panel. This would have a very short pipe (6 inches) and a smaller hole(s) in the panel, but would require me to build a curved vent box that is heat resistant and easy to bolt on.

Obviously plan A is easier. My question is, is that metal underneath the battery tray important? It looks like the only purpose is holding up the battery.

And I will thermal wrap every piece of exposed piping.

Thoughs, criticisms, crude remarks?

thanks,
a

 

You should be able to "enlarge" that existing hole enough to get your filter through without serioulsy affecting anything.

 

Which hole are you referring to?

There were two racketball sized holes that had cables running through on the sides, but no holes under the battery (except for bolts). I was thinking of cutting there (directly below the battery).

Unfortunately my g/f's dad needed his digital camera back or I could post pics.

thanks,
a

 

Under my battery tray is a tennis ball size hole that goes directly into the wheel well.
I had the same idea your thinking of so I bought this 180 bend piece of 3" exhaust tubing from jcwhittney.com, with the bends already there all you have to do is line up the pipe and cut. I am planning on having this pipe powder coated after a perfect fit is established. Then, cut the hole just big enough for the rubber clamped end of the filter to fit thru, then drop a string down and tie the filter to the end of it and pull it up to the hole and clamp it on. All this with out removing the wheel and fender well, plus no 90 degree bends to slow down the air flow.

[ August 28, 2001: Message edited by: QÜIKTIB ]

 

Ah, I see. I don't have that hole. (stupid Rev. A tib . . . grrrr )

but the fact that you guys do is encouraging. It looks like I can cut that hole with no problems and do what you were mentioning.

thanks for the input. If you have any pics of this setup (or even of the empty battery area), I would appreciate it. I'll look on JCWhitney this afternoon for piping. No point powder coating it, b/c I'm going to thermal wrap it (plus once boost comes the orientation/length might change).

Thanks,
a

 

Curtas-

I'll post up some photos this weekend showing you where the hole is, so you know where to cut.

 

Excellent, thanks.

A digital camera is numero uno on my "non car or home theater" wishlist smile.gif Birthday in October, then Christmas. After that, I will post pics galore.

thanks again,
a