ACT main hose kit fitted - pics
Discussion
So finally got round to fitting the main tube of the ACT induction kit; elbow fitted some months ago in a spare 10 minutes.
Have to say, it was pretty straight forward, took me around 3 hours but could have done it in 2 if I hadn't taken the time and enjoyed doing it to a good standard. Also followed the good advice of cut less than you think and check, then cut the remainder. Anywhere, here it is:
Reason for fitting in the first place was that I'd noticed the original tumble drier hose strengthening coils had partially failed causing some collapse in the area just forward of the front bulkhead. I've posted pics of it before in situ but here it is coming out. Air filter also removed. Number plate removed and towel used to prevent scratching.
You can see the hose had collapsed. Here's a better view of the damage:
Here's how it looked to the engine:
You can imagine this has been quite a restriction on large throttle openings. I wonder whether the vacuum transfer from the manifold on throttle opening may have even collapsed it more than this ? I was hoping for a big change due to the ACT hose, above the 5% claimed by ACT, due to the removal of this restriction. At the last service, the garage said they reckoned it was done on power on a roadtest and suggested cam may be early stages of wear but I was hoping it was really this.
First a trial fit of the metal tube that goes through the bulkhead - no trimming of the bulkhead was required, it wasn't even a tight fit:
Then a trial fit of the front hose, fed in through the opening in the nose. You need to rotate the tube as it goes in, to get it through and then I found that left hand through the big nose opening and right hand through the smaller hole near the indicator worked best.
This shot shows how the front hose pressed up hard against the bodywork behind the headlamp, which caused the tube to bend around at a tighter angle than required, back toward the radiator as shown below, and not enough room for the filter. So I removed and trimmed the bulkhead end through several stages until the tube lay parallel with the bodywork in front of the radiator, then trial fitted with the metal tube that connects the hose to the air filter and checked the filter mount bolt lined up.
Next a trial fit of the main hose that runs bulkhead to AFM. I trimmed at the bulkhead end first until I could get the tube lying completely flat against the wing as it should be. The tube was still way too long as shown below so a gradual remove trim and refit again, through several stages. Even then I nearly trimmed too much on the last go.
Then once all looked correctly sized, I removed everything and cleaned inside the tubes to make sure nothing left inside them that was going to get sucked into the AFM / engine, fitted the heat shield. Here are the parts all finished and ready for final fit:
Here is the kit all fitted and job done, along with the 90degree elbow fitted a while back.
Very pleased with the look of it. The only minor improvement that would have made the kit even better would be for the heat shield to be long enough to cover the whole pipe and a little smaller diameter so it fitted the tube better (but this may have prevented it going round the bend in the middle) but still very good overall and fun to fit.
One last bit of info that may help others: the jubilee clip on the engine side of the front bulkhead is the most difficult to access to do up. The one on the other side of the bulkhead is fitted onto the front tube whilst it is out of the car if you start at the front first as recommended by ACT (and I would definitely concur). I found a socket fitted onto a wobble adapter and UJ-type drive as shown below made tightening this clip possible. No chance of getting it done up properly with a screwdriver.
Since fitting in December, early results are promising. My Chimaera 450 is a daily driver but the roads haven't been dry since so not really been able to open it up fully. However, there have been a few occasions where I've opened the throttle a fair bit out of a junction or bend on a route I've driven loads and the acceleration has surprised me; more than I expected for the given throttle opening. So promising. Throttle response also seems sharper. Very much looking forward to a dry road.
Have to say, it was pretty straight forward, took me around 3 hours but could have done it in 2 if I hadn't taken the time and enjoyed doing it to a good standard. Also followed the good advice of cut less than you think and check, then cut the remainder. Anywhere, here it is:
Reason for fitting in the first place was that I'd noticed the original tumble drier hose strengthening coils had partially failed causing some collapse in the area just forward of the front bulkhead. I've posted pics of it before in situ but here it is coming out. Air filter also removed. Number plate removed and towel used to prevent scratching.
You can see the hose had collapsed. Here's a better view of the damage:
Here's how it looked to the engine:
You can imagine this has been quite a restriction on large throttle openings. I wonder whether the vacuum transfer from the manifold on throttle opening may have even collapsed it more than this ? I was hoping for a big change due to the ACT hose, above the 5% claimed by ACT, due to the removal of this restriction. At the last service, the garage said they reckoned it was done on power on a roadtest and suggested cam may be early stages of wear but I was hoping it was really this.
First a trial fit of the metal tube that goes through the bulkhead - no trimming of the bulkhead was required, it wasn't even a tight fit:
Then a trial fit of the front hose, fed in through the opening in the nose. You need to rotate the tube as it goes in, to get it through and then I found that left hand through the big nose opening and right hand through the smaller hole near the indicator worked best.
This shot shows how the front hose pressed up hard against the bodywork behind the headlamp, which caused the tube to bend around at a tighter angle than required, back toward the radiator as shown below, and not enough room for the filter. So I removed and trimmed the bulkhead end through several stages until the tube lay parallel with the bodywork in front of the radiator, then trial fitted with the metal tube that connects the hose to the air filter and checked the filter mount bolt lined up.
Next a trial fit of the main hose that runs bulkhead to AFM. I trimmed at the bulkhead end first until I could get the tube lying completely flat against the wing as it should be. The tube was still way too long as shown below so a gradual remove trim and refit again, through several stages. Even then I nearly trimmed too much on the last go.
Then once all looked correctly sized, I removed everything and cleaned inside the tubes to make sure nothing left inside them that was going to get sucked into the AFM / engine, fitted the heat shield. Here are the parts all finished and ready for final fit:
Here is the kit all fitted and job done, along with the 90degree elbow fitted a while back.
Very pleased with the look of it. The only minor improvement that would have made the kit even better would be for the heat shield to be long enough to cover the whole pipe and a little smaller diameter so it fitted the tube better (but this may have prevented it going round the bend in the middle) but still very good overall and fun to fit.
One last bit of info that may help others: the jubilee clip on the engine side of the front bulkhead is the most difficult to access to do up. The one on the other side of the bulkhead is fitted onto the front tube whilst it is out of the car if you start at the front first as recommended by ACT (and I would definitely concur). I found a socket fitted onto a wobble adapter and UJ-type drive as shown below made tightening this clip possible. No chance of getting it done up properly with a screwdriver.
Since fitting in December, early results are promising. My Chimaera 450 is a daily driver but the roads haven't been dry since so not really been able to open it up fully. However, there have been a few occasions where I've opened the throttle a fair bit out of a junction or bend on a route I've driven loads and the acceleration has surprised me; more than I expected for the given throttle opening. So promising. Throttle response also seems sharper. Very much looking forward to a dry road.
Edited by taylormj4 on Friday 18th January 23:32
t you took out, poor thing was half strangled 
SILICONEKID350HP said:
Do you mean like this ? much neater with steal ties.
Looks good. On the subject of steel ties (and here is stupid question of the day), how do you tighten the steel ties that are fixed to the CV boots for example? They seem to need ratcheting up with some tool?OP - did you have any problems fitting the 90o right angle? I obtained a rubber one like yours and fitted one end to the plenum the other end was probably around an inch too short to attach to the AFM side. I'm sure if I ripped the whole system out I could resolve the problem.
Please let us know if you find any extra horses, some claime 5-10 extra BHP which is plausable if the original was in a similar condition to yours.
Others claim that the extra diameter alone increases the airflow but then I guess the standard AFM will still be the same diameter and be a bottle neck.
jamienshelly said:
phazed said:
Best to get hold of some more heat wrap and do the whole length.
The supplied foil is a bit poor.
Hi Peter i like your n/s manifold heat shield, is it shop bought or custom made for you? and does it protect your ht leads aswell?.The supplied foil is a bit poor.
Cheers
Jamie
I believe it came from ACT who donated, they had a stand there.
It actually comes with a neat anodised bracket that fits to the P/S or idler pulley housing. I can't use that any more as I have an electric P/S pump. It also extends back past the dip stick.
It is a few years ols now and has been off and on the engine more times then................
BTW OP, nice job in fitting and well documented!
Chilliman said:
Good write up on installing the ACT kit 
Biggerer and biggerer.... (apologies for manifolds and Y piece they're on the to do list
)
Willy waving again Biggerer and biggerer.... (apologies for manifolds and Y piece they're on the to do list
) 
I used a pair off pliers to pull the tie then hold against with a srewedriver.
Edited by SILICONEKID350HP on Saturday 19th January 18:37
phazed said:
I won that heat shield at Roar 08 for something I can't remember, maybe "best rat car" or something!
I believe it came from ACT who donated, they had a stand there.
It actually comes with a neat anodised bracket that fits to the P/S or idler pulley housing. I can't use that any more as I have an electric P/S pump. It also extends back past the dip stick.
It is a few years ols now and has been off and on the engine more times then................
BTW OP, nice job in fitting and well documented!
That's coming on nicely Peter I believe it came from ACT who donated, they had a stand there.
It actually comes with a neat anodised bracket that fits to the P/S or idler pulley housing. I can't use that any more as I have an electric P/S pump. It also extends back past the dip stick.
It is a few years ols now and has been off and on the engine more times then................
BTW OP, nice job in fitting and well documented!
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