HOW TO: SP20 Intake Modification

[spedwards]

Hi guys,

I've been lurking for a while but thought I'd finally join up and leech you for all your valuable information! Introductions aside...

Last night I was reading up on a modification to the top of the grill to allow better air flow to reach the intake snorkel. I'm certain there was some info on AGT, but after a good hour of searching I've not been able to find it again and Google isn't being my friend either.

I was hoping that someone might be able to point me in the right direction for this information.

Cheers
Jon

[chicaboo]

Hi Jon, and welcome to AGT,

- You unscrew the 2 screws holding the grill into the front bumper.
- Pull out the 4 plastic press-clips on the vertical/back edge of the grill to the chassis rail.
- Gently and slowly lift the front of the grill to unpop it off the 3 prongs that hold it down.
- Now sort of pull it out tilted up and away from the car towards you (be carefull of the 2 prongs on the back/vertical edge of the grill that project into the chassis rail).
- Now you get the largest drill bit you can find that will fit between the honeycomb shapes, and drill into and above the tray part of the r/h side of the grill.
You can additionally or optionally dremel out the bottom portion as you see fit aswell. However you will then be allowing hot air to come up from the radiator if you do this without making a duct of sorts to guide the air in better.

If you want to see if this is a worthwhile mod or not. Take the grill out and drive around for a week or so with it out of the car. It will look like poop as you can see the horn and radiator, but you will get good ram air and much better fuel economy. So try it out for a couple of tanks and see how you go before commiting a drill or blade to your precious grill.

Enjoy,
Gav.

[arden]

im sure this is what ur after :
http://www.clubprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1977

[spedwards]

Hi and thanks for the welcome Gav, those instructions are great. I had a quick look last night and gave up trying to work it out. I have a Dremel with a large assortment of attachments so will probably get into it with them.

I've just put the K&N replacement panel filter in and will let that run for a while to see if there are any fuel usage improvements. I noticed that engine temps seem to be a little lower than I remember them usually being this morning, but that could just be a bad memory. Probably look at doing this early in the new year I think...

That's the one Arden! I must have seen people mentioning it being done here and joined the dots incorrectly. Page is now bookmarked!

[LordWorm]

You can also remove the big fat bong shaped resonator.... i found a lid from a paint can, and electrical tape was perfect for plugging the hole on mine Ghetto ftw!

[spedwards]

Ghetto sounds good, I was probably going to follow up with questions about resonator removal I had read that that resonator played a part in improving the low down torque, is this not the case?

I like cars and going fast but I've really got no idea what I'm doing

[LordWorm]

Originally Posted by spedwards

Ghetto sounds good, I was probably going to follow up with questions about resonator removal I had read that that resonator played a part in improving the low down torque, is this not the case?

I like cars and going fast but I've really got no idea what I'm doing

Resonator plays the part of quieting the whole thing down..its a tuned baffle..

by removing it you are removing a restriction. Restriction may artificially give you a bit more down low, but what it costs you up high is insane.

Also by removing it you shorten the whole system a bit... shorter air intake = better throttle response.....difference between my car with the standard system on (modified), to when i put the VERY short ram intake on is crazy in the throttle response department..

Plus removing the res makes the car sound a bit better So... pass the bong - to the bin

[spedwards]

Cool! I can see this is the place to be for all my SP20 needs

[arden]

check out msprotege.com
for much more info.
the sp20 hatch is known as the protege5 in the u.s

[LordWorm]

Yeh the yanks have all the info on MSP....stacks of Protege5/SP20 "howto's" for diy performance and visual mods

[chicaboo]

Another thing you can do aswell as the bong removal is: Unscrew the 2 havles of the large intake scoop, and get some tape and block off the other resonator chambers. I have done this, and it made absolutely not a single fuggin difference, so I would say only to do it out of a labour of love for farken around, but not to expect anything wonderful from it...

Gav.

[LordWorm]

Originally Posted by chicaboo

Another thing you can do aswell as the bong removal is: Unscrew the 2 havles of the large intake scoop, and get some tape and block off the other resonator chambers. I have done this, and it made absolutely not a single fuggin difference, so I would say only to do it out of a labour of love for farken around, but not to expect anything wonderful from it...

Gav.

yeh you can only push that little snorkel so far

eventually you start wasting your time with it.


big fat bong resonator does make a difference....as does drilling out the grill (my grill is bodgy drilled, but you still couldn't tell without knowing exactly what to look for...)

[DB0984]

Hey guys. Do you have any picks of the grill/snorkel/resinator mods you have done to you cars.

cheers
Dean

[spedwards]

There are some about 3 or 4 pages into the link that Arden provided.

There is too much good DIY stuff to do with this car, I think my wife is going to kill me!

[LordWorm]

Originally Posted by DB0984

Hey guys. Do you have any picks of the grill/snorkel/resinator mods you have done to you cars.

cheers
Dean

I can take some next time i'm under the bonnet.....

[DB0984]

Originally Posted by LordWorm

Resonator plays the part of quieting the whole thing down..its a tuned baffle..

by removing it you are removing a restriction. Restriction may artificially give you a bit more down low, but what it costs you up high is insane.

Also by removing it you shorten the whole system a bit... shorter air intake = better throttle response.....difference between my car with the standard system on (modified), to when i put the VERY short ram intake on is crazy in the throttle response department..

Plus removing the res makes the car sound a bit better So... pass the bong - to the bin

So where is this resinator located?

[LordWorm]

Originally Posted by DB0984

So where is this resinator located?

from *memory*...its like this:


pull the part of the intake system off that sits above the radiator

then remove the airbox

you'll be left with a right angle pipe, with a bong hanging off the end of it.

pull off the bong and plug up the hole

put the rest back on

its either attached to the right angle bit, or the bit just past the right angle bit..

[DB0984]

Do you have to remove it or can you just seal it with duct tape?

[LordWorm]

Originally Posted by DB0984

Do you have to remove it or can you just seal it with duct tape?

you'd have to remove it in order to seal it....so you might as well remove it

i had probs sealing mine up...electrical tape doesnt stick to the plastic, so i used an old spray paint bottle as the stop, and roughed the plastic up with sandpaper so the tape would stick on...

its pretty easy, easy to take appart...30min mod without knowing what you are doing, tops.

next time i have my intake apart i'll try and remember to take photos for you.


its also worth while drilling the grill out while you are at it...extra airflow etc...

[DB0984]

I already drilled the grill out and cut the bottom portion of the grill. I took the snorkel and air box out along with the right angle bit with the baffel and used duct tap to seal off the baffel from the inside. It should be ok, even if the tape comes off the filter will block it before it gets to the intake manifold.

oh and i get the coke can noise on shutdown.