I just purchased a K+N air filter for my 98 convertible vette. The instructions said to install a gasket (included in box--peel and stick) to the outer edge of the air box (side connected to air duct). I had to move the air box cover (plastic with metal straps on it) out of the way to do this. When i did this the straps came unhooked from the cover. Now when I put them back after installing the gasket and new filter, they are super loose. I hooked them to the bottom of the pastic cover inline with the grooves that were there. It doesn't make any sense to me, if anything it should be tighter because of the gasket I installed. Please help! this is the most annoying problem. Thanks in advance.

-Rocco
roccojuliano@gmail.com

 

If you remove the airbox completely, you'll see how the metal straps should correctly secure the cover. Once they come off, it's difficult to see and replace them correctly. If removing the airbox again is not something you want to do, hook them as best you can and use shim material beneath them to take up the slack...but there's no guarantee they won't come loose. It's a common complaint with the oem airbox. It happened to me when I removed the airbox in favor of an aftermarket system. It's really not hard to remove the airbox, but be careful you don't lose the rubber grommets (x4) in the process.

 

i had the same problem on my 01 .i left out the seal strip and still had issues with straps coming loose . never fixed it until a strap broke then i drilled 2 small holes and ran a spring to hold it . aint pretty but works

 

Do yourself a favor Just remove the dang thing completely... Go to the Zip tie mod.. You will pick up an extra 6-8 horsepower for the cost a a few zip ties. http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showpo...1&postcount=27

 

I did the same thing last week. I ended up taking out the both sides of the air box, installing the clips in the proper hole (in the slots on the engine side of the box) putting it all back together and then pushing the entire assy over the two pins mounted on the front of the car. They slide into two rubber grommets in the air box. The first time I tried I pushed out one of the grommets and had to take the box back out and apart to reinsert the rubber. It was a pain since I was doing it myself and had no one to help line it up before I pushed it up on the pins. I bruised my arms all over, but finally got it. After assembly,the straps were so tight that I was afraid something would snap. If I had it to do over, I don't think I'd even install the gasket. The filter itself has a rubber rim all the way around to seal. Now that it's back together it more or less comes out like the stock filter.

 

thanks for all the tips... i figured it out. I was hooking the bottom of the metal strap in the wrong spot... works like a champ now. thanks again.

 

I kinda thought that might be it, I did that too until I took the whole thing out and looked. I was afraid you'd ask for pictures and I didn't want to take it out again. Can you tell any difference with the K&N? I'm not sure I can. Guess I could put the paper filter back in and refresh my memory.

 

Dave
how did you remove the half round front cover? Does it unsnap from the bottom?
dan

 

If you tinker enough you learn these things for yourself.

 

I can help with that, I fumbled around and figured it out. There are two pins screwed to the car. There are two holes in the cover with rubber grommets that push over those two pins. After you remove the portion of the box going to the engine, if you pull straight back toward the engine, the grommets will pull off the pins. Be careful when you push them back, I pushed one out of the hole and it fell down and under the front fascia. It has to be inserted from inside the box and then the whole box pushed over the two pins. That's all that holds that portion, but the straps have to be inserted in the other half in the right slots and then around the half you just installed before you install it. It has to almost be assembled or you can't get the straps around it and then attached at the bottom of the other half. If I were doing it again, I'd try completely assembling the box and then have someone looking through the gap made when the hood is up, align the pins and then you push the whole box over the pins. You can feel when the grommets slide over the pins and "lock" in place.

 

Changed air filter today & had a helluva time to get those metal straps to hook back underneath the front round plastic cover. Tweaked the straps with needlenose pliers & got it to 'hook' under again but its kinda loosey goosey. Whoever designed that getup most of did it on a Friday afternoon before 5pm!

 

The strap hooks to the back (toward the engine) side of the air box, not the front round piece. They hook into a slot and there's a cutout for the little bent out lock that keeps it from slipping out when you unsnap the top clips. They hook on that piece and then just wrap around the front piece and it's attached to the car with the pins and grommets I described in my previous post. If you put the straps in the right place, it won't be loose. It's so tight that you feel like something might snap the first time you clip the top.