Removing air box
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,088
Likes: 3
From: Amherstburg Ontario
Removing air box
Replacing stock air filter with a K&N in a 1998 C5.
The K&N instructions call for the removal of the air box to put a gasket on
the sealing groove of the air box base.
Three bolts have to be removed to take out air box.
I cannot find these bolts. Can anyone help?
The instructions are not the best.
The K&N instructions call for the removal of the air box to put a gasket on
the sealing groove of the air box base.
Three bolts have to be removed to take out air box.
I cannot find these bolts. Can anyone help?
The instructions are not the best.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,375
Likes: 424
The instructions are bad because it's the worst air cleaner in the world!
It's been a while since I had my air cleaner apart (thanks to the K&N filter) but I only remember 2 bolts. They are behind (actually in front) of the air cleaner on the front cross member. The 2 #30 torx bolts hold two rubber grommets that the air filter mounts on. You must remove these two bolts to remove the front portion of the air filter. But you can't see them yet.
First disconnect the big worm clamp that attaches the AF bridge to the throttle body and separate it both from the throttle body and the air filter.
Then remove the hose from the driver side of the AF body.
Then unclip the two clips that hold the air filter element in place and pull out the air filter element holder. Hold open the AF assembly.
You can now just see the two torx bolts at the bottom of the forward half of the AF housing. Use a 1/4" drive ratchet and a #30 torx to remove them. The front and back pieces of the AF housing should now be free and in your hand.
The K&N gasket goes around the edge of the back half of the AF housing. Clean and wash it so the gasket will adhere to the lip of the AF back where the K&N filter mounts.
The K&N filter is slightly thinner than the paper filter and the two big clips will not have enough tension on them to snap and hold the AF housing together. The K&N gasket creates this tension by thickening the filter gasket surface.
Once you mounted the gasket to the AF housing back you need to put it back on the car. With the 2 half's of the housing open like a clam, slide the assembly in place and screw the torx bolts back into the front cross member. Be careful not to let the spring clamp bottoms come out of the back half of the AF. (I use tape to hold them in place and then remove it later).
Now you can slide the AF element mount with the K&N filter into the AF assembly.
You may want to use tape to hold the K&N filter securely in the AF element mount while you position it back between the front and back of the AF assembly. The two clamps MUST SNAP tight and hold the AF securely together.
If no "SNAP" there is something wrong. Take it apart and try again. Usually either the gasket moved or the clips came out from the bottom. Do not run it with the clamps loose. It's not sealing correctly.
Plan on an afternoon. You won't have to do this again for 50K miles.
It's been a while since I had my air cleaner apart (thanks to the K&N filter) but I only remember 2 bolts. They are behind (actually in front) of the air cleaner on the front cross member. The 2 #30 torx bolts hold two rubber grommets that the air filter mounts on. You must remove these two bolts to remove the front portion of the air filter. But you can't see them yet.
First disconnect the big worm clamp that attaches the AF bridge to the throttle body and separate it both from the throttle body and the air filter.
Then remove the hose from the driver side of the AF body.
Then unclip the two clips that hold the air filter element in place and pull out the air filter element holder. Hold open the AF assembly.
You can now just see the two torx bolts at the bottom of the forward half of the AF housing. Use a 1/4" drive ratchet and a #30 torx to remove them. The front and back pieces of the AF housing should now be free and in your hand.
The K&N gasket goes around the edge of the back half of the AF housing. Clean and wash it so the gasket will adhere to the lip of the AF back where the K&N filter mounts.
The K&N filter is slightly thinner than the paper filter and the two big clips will not have enough tension on them to snap and hold the AF housing together. The K&N gasket creates this tension by thickening the filter gasket surface.
Once you mounted the gasket to the AF housing back you need to put it back on the car. With the 2 half's of the housing open like a clam, slide the assembly in place and screw the torx bolts back into the front cross member. Be careful not to let the spring clamp bottoms come out of the back half of the AF. (I use tape to hold them in place and then remove it later).
Now you can slide the AF element mount with the K&N filter into the AF assembly.
You may want to use tape to hold the K&N filter securely in the AF element mount while you position it back between the front and back of the AF assembly. The two clamps MUST SNAP tight and hold the AF securely together.
If no "SNAP" there is something wrong. Take it apart and try again. Usually either the gasket moved or the clips came out from the bottom. Do not run it with the clamps loose. It's not sealing correctly.
Plan on an afternoon. You won't have to do this again for 50K miles.
