A little bling for the m113k
04-22-2022, 12:13 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
A little bling for the m113k
The factory intake set up for the m113k motor has always looked inadequate against the bold look of the top end of the motor. I have looked at most of the pre-fabricated CAI kits I could find on line and was disappointed at the offerings and costs. After some research and conversations with more than a few Knowledgeable AMG owners I decided to fabricate my own for the CLS 55 using only what I could source from Amazon. The prime directive was to minimize the restrictions affecting the air flow and maximize the volume of air being directed to the intakes.
I used a polished aluminum pipe with as few sections as possible with black neoprene connections. The 4” canister style filter enclosure was the largest that would fit in the restricted space. Fortunately the HC tb lends itself well to the linear nature of the tubing making the connections all pretty straightforward. Obviously the goal was to exceed the cu. ft. flow from the factory set up by 35% +or- which should square up with the improvements that have been made on the rest of the engines breathing apparatus.
The best part was the opportunity to clean up the engine compartment and install some polished diamond plate around the fire wall to help with under hood heat management giving that beautiful m113k motor a chance to be seen! The other pleasant surprise was the fairly reasonable cost of materials and the fact that everything came neatly packed and ready to go every time I needed materials.
Here are a few pictures showing the progress and product.
I used a polished aluminum pipe with as few sections as possible with black neoprene connections. The 4” canister style filter enclosure was the largest that would fit in the restricted space. Fortunately the HC tb lends itself well to the linear nature of the tubing making the connections all pretty straightforward. Obviously the goal was to exceed the cu. ft. flow from the factory set up by 35% +or- which should square up with the improvements that have been made on the rest of the engines breathing apparatus.
The best part was the opportunity to clean up the engine compartment and install some polished diamond plate around the fire wall to help with under hood heat management giving that beautiful m113k motor a chance to be seen! The other pleasant surprise was the fairly reasonable cost of materials and the fact that everything came neatly packed and ready to go every time I needed materials.
Here are a few pictures showing the progress and product.
04-22-2022, 12:11 PM
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
The process was smoother than I expected for both the installation of the diamond plate and intake tubes. Starting with the diamond plate as follows,
1. Disconnect the positive lead on the main battery.
2. Remove the current air box and tubes.
3. Clean the firewall material with compressed air.
4. Check all the projections through the firewall and plan how to fit the plate around each one. I made all my cuts from the plate bottom up to maintain the finished appearance above the projection.
5. I used 6- 12”X12” pcs of thin gauge diamond plate, I found the thinner of the two thicknesses available at Home Depot to be perfect to work with.
6. Starting at either side of the TB dead center of the bay insert the first sheet so that the bottom leading edge can slip behind the existing heat shield.
7. Work each sheet into place making adjustments as you go along, I tried to butt tight the ends but found that difficult in some places, a slight overlap with the seam facing the rear leaves the best finished appearance. Step back and look at the diamond pattern, slide the sheet back and up or down to get the best alignment for the repeating pattern of the plate.
8. Making sure the diamond plate is slipped behind the existing lower aluminum heat shield by the minimal amount required to hold it back, take a large enough c clamp with soft protection on the clamps to hold the plate in the proper vertical position. The rubber hood seal should be removed allowing you to scribe the top edge of the plate to the contour of the sheet metal that holds the weather seal. Cut the excess plate off and use a small stainless screw to hold the plate tight to the sheet metal. The weather stripping will cover the screw head if properly placed.
9. Progressively work each 12” pc around the bay taking the time to understand how each penetration affects the cut pattern. It will be necessary to press bend the first two 12” sheets through the corner of the bay, using a straight edged piece of 1”X3”X16” piece of wood screwed to a larger board at the ends (2) you can slip the plate under it and gently make the bends to follow the curvature of the bay walls.
10. Trim the last (3rd) piece to follow whatever leading edge contour you prefer. Install the weather seal for the hood and possibly a couple of aluminum pop rivets to help close any gaps in a overlap. I intend to put a small trim piece on the exposed top edge of the plate.
Check the design for the bending device to facilitate the installation.
The parts breakdown for the CAI next!
1. Disconnect the positive lead on the main battery.
2. Remove the current air box and tubes.
3. Clean the firewall material with compressed air.
4. Check all the projections through the firewall and plan how to fit the plate around each one. I made all my cuts from the plate bottom up to maintain the finished appearance above the projection.
5. I used 6- 12”X12” pcs of thin gauge diamond plate, I found the thinner of the two thicknesses available at Home Depot to be perfect to work with.
6. Starting at either side of the TB dead center of the bay insert the first sheet so that the bottom leading edge can slip behind the existing heat shield.
7. Work each sheet into place making adjustments as you go along, I tried to butt tight the ends but found that difficult in some places, a slight overlap with the seam facing the rear leaves the best finished appearance. Step back and look at the diamond pattern, slide the sheet back and up or down to get the best alignment for the repeating pattern of the plate.
8. Making sure the diamond plate is slipped behind the existing lower aluminum heat shield by the minimal amount required to hold it back, take a large enough c clamp with soft protection on the clamps to hold the plate in the proper vertical position. The rubber hood seal should be removed allowing you to scribe the top edge of the plate to the contour of the sheet metal that holds the weather seal. Cut the excess plate off and use a small stainless screw to hold the plate tight to the sheet metal. The weather stripping will cover the screw head if properly placed.
9. Progressively work each 12” pc around the bay taking the time to understand how each penetration affects the cut pattern. It will be necessary to press bend the first two 12” sheets through the corner of the bay, using a straight edged piece of 1”X3”X16” piece of wood screwed to a larger board at the ends (2) you can slip the plate under it and gently make the bends to follow the curvature of the bay walls.
10. Trim the last (3rd) piece to follow whatever leading edge contour you prefer. Install the weather seal for the hood and possibly a couple of aluminum pop rivets to help close any gaps in a overlap. I intend to put a small trim piece on the exposed top edge of the plate.
Check the design for the bending device to facilitate the installation.
The parts breakdown for the CAI next!
Last edited by ktwosteve2; 04-22-2022 at 12:23 PM.
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nemiro (04-22-2022)
04-22-2022, 09:10 PM
#6
Junior Member
Thread Starter
I used a silicone 90 degree 3 1/2” to 4” adapter. Where the outlet tubes from the canisters turn down are neoprene/silicone 90 degree elbows 3 1/2” to 4”. I modified the opening through the front grill (it’s very tight, the opening is oblong), I fabricated a collar that adapts the 4” neoprene end to the opening. I am adapting a polished aluminum piece similar to the shape of a Hilborn injector stack to terminate on the face of the grill.
04-23-2022, 01:32 AM
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Parts and procedures for CAI
I have a HellCat TB with 4” inlet outside dia. I ordered the Y pile from VRP, I couldn’t find that profile on Amazon. I ordered the following parts from Amazon, I picked up 16 screw type stainless 4” hose clamps to attach everything together.
1. The 3 1/2” U shaped piping all must be cut right in the middle of the 180 degree bend exactly in half. I gently cut the plastic wrapping in the middle of the pipe, located the center of the pipe and put a line all the way around the pipe. I then used some quality masking tape and taped the plastic wrapping to the pipe on both sides of the center line about 1/8” apart, use 1 1/2 “ tape, it should expose the mark in the middle with half the tape on the pipe and the other half on the plastic wrapped protection.
2. Clamp the pipe flat on a piece of wood securely exposing the middle section with the tape on it. Using a new metal cutting blade on a Sawz All type tool with a 6” blade cut straight through the pipes exactly in the middle. I suggest keeping the protective wrapping on the pipes until everything is fit up. You will have 4 pieces of 3 1/2” pipe all identical.
3. Fit the first half into the TB Y pipe (doing 1 side at a time) line it up and install a self sticking rubber 1/4” cushion on the backside of the pipe where it will contact the firewall, as it’s lined up put the 3 1/2 -4” reducer on and put the smaller section of the canister on (the part that holds the filter. Make sure you have it lined up properly and then tighten the 2 hose clamps.
4. Attach the reducer to the large end of the canister with the clamps and then line it up with the front piece and clamp them together with the included T bolt. Again make sure you have the clamps and T bolt all positioned where you want them (hiding the hose clamps tightening screw from view is good).
5. Attach the 90 degree elbow to the factory mounting ring on the radiator support, it can be stretched to fit over the ring and fastened with some small self tapping screws or a properly bent hose clamp. Once the elbow is securely mounted take one of the sections of 3 1/2” pipe and fit both ends into their respective positions, tighten the clamps when everything lines up and your self stick rubber pads are all properly installed and hidden from view.
I found that once everything is tightened up and the spacer blocks are in place that the CAI is firmly lodged in its position only requiring some strategic self sticking rubber spacer to cradle it in place. I think after doing one of these I could now do one in less than 2 hours. This one is on a 06 CLS 55, I am not sure how different the engine bay is from the E55.
1. The 3 1/2” U shaped piping all must be cut right in the middle of the 180 degree bend exactly in half. I gently cut the plastic wrapping in the middle of the pipe, located the center of the pipe and put a line all the way around the pipe. I then used some quality masking tape and taped the plastic wrapping to the pipe on both sides of the center line about 1/8” apart, use 1 1/2 “ tape, it should expose the mark in the middle with half the tape on the pipe and the other half on the plastic wrapped protection.
2. Clamp the pipe flat on a piece of wood securely exposing the middle section with the tape on it. Using a new metal cutting blade on a Sawz All type tool with a 6” blade cut straight through the pipes exactly in the middle. I suggest keeping the protective wrapping on the pipes until everything is fit up. You will have 4 pieces of 3 1/2” pipe all identical.
3. Fit the first half into the TB Y pipe (doing 1 side at a time) line it up and install a self sticking rubber 1/4” cushion on the backside of the pipe where it will contact the firewall, as it’s lined up put the 3 1/2 -4” reducer on and put the smaller section of the canister on (the part that holds the filter. Make sure you have it lined up properly and then tighten the 2 hose clamps.
4. Attach the reducer to the large end of the canister with the clamps and then line it up with the front piece and clamp them together with the included T bolt. Again make sure you have the clamps and T bolt all positioned where you want them (hiding the hose clamps tightening screw from view is good).
5. Attach the 90 degree elbow to the factory mounting ring on the radiator support, it can be stretched to fit over the ring and fastened with some small self tapping screws or a properly bent hose clamp. Once the elbow is securely mounted take one of the sections of 3 1/2” pipe and fit both ends into their respective positions, tighten the clamps when everything lines up and your self stick rubber pads are all properly installed and hidden from view.
I found that once everything is tightened up and the spacer blocks are in place that the CAI is firmly lodged in its position only requiring some strategic self sticking rubber spacer to cradle it in place. I think after doing one of these I could now do one in less than 2 hours. This one is on a 06 CLS 55, I am not sure how different the engine bay is from the E55.
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04-23-2022, 10:36 PM
#8
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Sorry if my response was a bit convoluted, I found some pictures of the modifications I made to the radiator supports. That was the only area that presented a potential restriction to the necessary air volume The opening has the same area as the 3 1/2” pipe. I fabricated a shape to maximize the opening with a end profile that accepts the silicon 4” pipe projecting through the grill with a irregular shaped funnel capturing twice the normal volume. Even with a equal restriction by the 3 1/2” pipe the funnel shape increases the volume of air proportional to the vehicles speed, hence the “forced” aspect of a passive device.
