Toshers
Registered User
I thought I would write a short summary of my experience fitting the HG Motorsports intake pipe. I'd done some research and read several posts from others that had fitted it.
Removing the standard intake pipe is very straight forward and self explanatory. I was forewarned that there could be issues with the silicon connecting hoses supplied with the HG kit, too short, poor fit and quite thick. Another forum member had put me onto Turbosmart for alternative hoses and clamps and I had ordered a set based on their recommendations. I made sure I had these available before I started.
Biggest issue I'd read about was alignment of the fixing lug to the original pipe bracket. Some fitted a spacer as they had found it necessary because of clearance issues to an electrical connector at the turbo end of the pipe. I could see there was going to be an issue here also. The HG supplied hoses are very thick, almost twice what the Turbosmart hose is. Both seem to have the same number of silicon layers. The first pic shows where I attempted to fit a spacer to give adequate clearance using the HG hose.
Having this spacer gave me serious alignment issues at the airbox end...
At this point I ditched both the HG hoses. The spacer was removed and the Turbosmart reducer hose fitted at the turbo end. Alignment was now spot on at the airbox and because the hose was thinner I had good clearance to the connector.
Unfortunately this resulted in another issue. The small hose that comes off the centre of the intake pipe wouldn't fit in its original path. I think this is because of the increased diameter of the HG intake pipe. I removed the small hose from the cable-tie style mounting clip to allow it free movement. The path it now took from its original is shown in red below.
This small hose was now sitting on top of the electrical wiring loom and not beside it as before. Would the engine cover still fit? Eh, no. It now wanted to pop off as this small hose was fouling the cover at the rear. Two options here, cut and shorten the hose so it could be placed back in its original route, or make a small clearance for the hose in the engine cover. I didn't think I could shorten the hose, because of the type of material, and get it pushed back onto the mating connector. If you feel the thickness and hardness of this hose you'll maybe understand my reservations even attempting to shorten it. The cover was therefor modified slightly. It's at the back of the cover, so it can't be seen when looking under the bonnet. Done well it looks like it's meant to be there.
So all fitted. No spacer required at the bracket and everything lines up perfectly. You will need the Turbosmart hoses. The ones that comes with the HG kit are all but useless. This adds a significant cost to the upgrade. All in you're looking at a total cost of approximately £350. Is it worth it? I'm not sure. Would I do it again? I'm not sure of that either! The HG intake pipe is a nice thing, should give a mild performance gain and adds to the under bonnet appearance. It should fit better though, or at least come supplied with connecting hoses that are up to the job!
Final pics of everything together.
Hope it helps and gives an idea of what is involved. The task should take 30 minutes but best to give yourself 2 hours.
HG Intake Pipe
Turbosmart Hose 1
Turbosmart Hose 2
Murray Clamp 1
Murray Clamp 2
Removing the standard intake pipe is very straight forward and self explanatory. I was forewarned that there could be issues with the silicon connecting hoses supplied with the HG kit, too short, poor fit and quite thick. Another forum member had put me onto Turbosmart for alternative hoses and clamps and I had ordered a set based on their recommendations. I made sure I had these available before I started.
Biggest issue I'd read about was alignment of the fixing lug to the original pipe bracket. Some fitted a spacer as they had found it necessary because of clearance issues to an electrical connector at the turbo end of the pipe. I could see there was going to be an issue here also. The HG supplied hoses are very thick, almost twice what the Turbosmart hose is. Both seem to have the same number of silicon layers. The first pic shows where I attempted to fit a spacer to give adequate clearance using the HG hose.
Having this spacer gave me serious alignment issues at the airbox end...
At this point I ditched both the HG hoses. The spacer was removed and the Turbosmart reducer hose fitted at the turbo end. Alignment was now spot on at the airbox and because the hose was thinner I had good clearance to the connector.
Unfortunately this resulted in another issue. The small hose that comes off the centre of the intake pipe wouldn't fit in its original path. I think this is because of the increased diameter of the HG intake pipe. I removed the small hose from the cable-tie style mounting clip to allow it free movement. The path it now took from its original is shown in red below.
This small hose was now sitting on top of the electrical wiring loom and not beside it as before. Would the engine cover still fit? Eh, no. It now wanted to pop off as this small hose was fouling the cover at the rear. Two options here, cut and shorten the hose so it could be placed back in its original route, or make a small clearance for the hose in the engine cover. I didn't think I could shorten the hose, because of the type of material, and get it pushed back onto the mating connector. If you feel the thickness and hardness of this hose you'll maybe understand my reservations even attempting to shorten it. The cover was therefor modified slightly. It's at the back of the cover, so it can't be seen when looking under the bonnet. Done well it looks like it's meant to be there.
So all fitted. No spacer required at the bracket and everything lines up perfectly. You will need the Turbosmart hoses. The ones that comes with the HG kit are all but useless. This adds a significant cost to the upgrade. All in you're looking at a total cost of approximately £350. Is it worth it? I'm not sure. Would I do it again? I'm not sure of that either! The HG intake pipe is a nice thing, should give a mild performance gain and adds to the under bonnet appearance. It should fit better though, or at least come supplied with connecting hoses that are up to the job!
Final pics of everything together.
Hope it helps and gives an idea of what is involved. The task should take 30 minutes but best to give yourself 2 hours.
HG Intake Pipe
Turbosmart Hose 1
Turbosmart Hose 2
Murray Clamp 1
Murray Clamp 2
