N7turbo
2023 CX-5 2.5T
I can confirm that the TIP silicone hose does mate to the factory airbox.
Observations from my install today:
First, clean out the inlet pipe before installing! Mine had dust and plastic shavings inside from the printing/molding process and it would have all gone into my turbo. I am glad I took a look inside with a flashlight before I closed everything up, or I would not have known! I put a standard household microfiber towel on a stick and used it to pick up the dust and shavings without pushing them deeper. I am disappointed that it shipped like this.
Now, some tips.
Observations from my install today:
First, clean out the inlet pipe before installing! Mine had dust and plastic shavings inside from the printing/molding process and it would have all gone into my turbo. I am glad I took a look inside with a flashlight before I closed everything up, or I would not have known! I put a standard household microfiber towel on a stick and used it to pick up the dust and shavings without pushing them deeper. I am disappointed that it shipped like this.
Now, some tips.
- For the most part, the instructions are very good. Follow each step and you should be okay—but I have a few tips/modifications I'll recommend to CX-5 owners.
- The valve cover vent hose has a non-removeable clamp on it which you probably won't be able to get off without getting out a Dremel or oscillating tool. I used my M12 Fuel oscillating tool with a small tooth carbide blade to cut the clamp, working in bursts to give the metal time to cool. As a standard practice, you never want to work-harden metal. And obviously, don't hit anything else with the blade. Brace your arms against the engine so you can keep steady. The oscillating tool is somewhat safer than a cut off wheel.
- You get 3 plastic spacers to use with the new TIP bracket. The instructions recommend to use the 1/2" spacer, but I'll recommend sticking with the smaller 5/16" spacer if you're connecting to the stock airbox. Having the TIP just a little bit more to the left helps the hose align.
- When it comes time to install the TIP, you'll find it awkward to reach to the back of the engine bay and still get enough leverage while bent over to push and pull on things to get the silicone hose onto the turbo. It's pretty tight. If you're a smaller person, I highly recommend just getting into the engine bay and sitting where the airbox was. There's a spot for your left foot on the frame rail and your right foot on a bracket over the transmission. You can sit your butt on the metal by the headlight. This way you can get one arm underneath the TIP and one over the top to give a good push to get that silicone all the way onto the turbo and work with that blasted clamp that's so tight. And make sure the nuts are on the screws for the clamps before you slide the TIP in, because if they're open when you put the TIP in, you won't be able to get them closed and will have to take it all back out.
- Swipe a dab of motor oil with your finger onto the last ring on each end of the plastic barbed fitting to have an easier time sliding it in to the vent hose.
- The TIP to air box hose doesn't fit the stock airbox perfectly, but it's close enough to work. It's slightly too long which causes it to bend awkwardly. You can't cut it shorter because the length doesn't determine how far it slips onto the TIP—that is determined by a rib they put inside the hose. Fortunately by using the shorter spacer on the TIP bracket plus pushing and pulling in the right ways, you can get it close enough and use the factory clamp to secure it in place.
- Everything else is covered in the detailed instructions.
- I went with black for an OEM+ look.
- If you're wondering why I didn't do the short ram, it's mostly because I don't believe K&N filters are good for the engine. I'll replace the factory filter with an AEM DryFlow when it's time.
- I also installed a battery cover from Mikstore which doesn't fit perfectly (and which I had to modify to clear the TIP), but it still looks better than the exposed battery and will keep the top of it clean. You can never really get the dust and dirt off the battery without removing the tie-down which is a minor hassle.
- It sounds the same as stock. No extra turbo sounds. I'm looking into ways to modify the air box to defeat the silencing it does. If anyone has ideas, please share.
- We all know this flows more air but it's hard for the butt dyno to make an accurate assessment. The plan is for this to be just a preliminary step in getting it ready for a tune, which will really unlock some gains.
- What would this post be without pics?
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