Hi all,

i have just got a DDM intake which i looked for long time ago

however, during the installation i cant remove the stock manifold which connecting to the resonator box.

understand that that should be the most difficult part. what should i do to continue the installation? Any tactics to make it easier to remove that stock manifold?

 

I sawed mine off with a hacksaw and a dremel :( I had to switch between the two due to the size of either tool. Not a lot of space to work, and you have to make sure not to damage the other parts around it.

I really didn't want to cut anything, I just couldn't figure out how to remove it otherwise. You can't see down where it's connected and I couldn't feel with my fingers any way to pry i out. Without being able to really visualize what I was trying to separate, I felt lost.. I tried to yank it for a while and just gave up. I still have half the resonator tube sitting underneath the CAI.

DDM customer support said it would be easier if I jacked up the car and removed the bottom splash guard. Maybe I'm missing something, but this didn't help me at all. Didn't really reveal much more that I couldn't already see.

Good luck. If you manage to pry off the resonator tube, I'd love to know how you did it.

If you wanted to go back to stock, I think the part is well under $100USD. I didn't want to destroy a stock part like I did but I didn't see a better way.

 

See if you can find an OEM diagram of the part or ask a MINI dealer parts person. My dealer helps me out quite a bit.

 

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/d/r/151.png

Here's the diagram from RealOEM. You're trying to remove 3, it's connected to 5. I still couldn't figure out how to remove it. There's seemed to be something that secured it, brute force just wasn't enough to remove it.

I was attacking it from any angle I could, including the left wheel well. After struggling for an hour or two, I gave up on gracefully removing it, and instead carefully sawed off enough to have room for the CAI. It bothers me there's this butchered tubing under there (obsessive-compulsive) but I just wanted to get the CAI on and over with.

 

Thank you!

Sorry for my poor English as i am from Asia Hong Kong ...

i think i will go for using hack saw to cut it.

Yes I agree with you Eleo. same to you, i would like to keep all stock parts not be cut during installation of the DDM. However it seems no other options in this case.

 

I 'll try it later today after works.

and then post some pic if i have complete it

 

(sorry for my poor english :( )

finally the installation is completed. it consumed me 2 hours but its fast after cut the item 3 ...

the acceleration is a bit faster and the rpm rise quicker
and the fuel consumption also become higher too, very obviously :(

Love the sound very much, especially above 4k rpm... the sound is amazing. my previous K&N drop in cannot compare with that.

however, after installed DDM, i can feel that its a bit shock when i release the accelerator. do u guys have similar experience? what is the problem?

 

Not sure what you mean by "it's a bit shock", can you explain more?

 

Hi Eleo,

Sorry for my poor English first.

actually i just have DDM intake and screamin deamon coil with NGK plugs installed to my R50cvt.

After installation, i feel very satisfied of the mods - very quick response of the throttle. GREAT sound and acceleration (?) during different level of RPM ranges ... (y)

However, i can feel horrible vibration from engine bay when i push and release the gas pedal. the vibration clearly spread from the engine bay to the cabin.

I wanna know anyone has similar experience?

Up to this moment i cannot sure which part of my new mods create the vibration.

1. Is it ECU tuning necessary for R50 after installed DDM?
2. My received spark plugs is ZFR6FIX-11. I did some research on internet that the plugs is assumed to use at a R53. However, the dealer said it suit R50 and stock R53. I dont know is it really true.

 

i love my engine bay much

 

Looks good! Nice work.

 

hi Eleo

My problem is fixed by changed the old engine mounts.

Now my justa runs smooth and more comfortable (y)

compared to stock air box+K&N drop in, my new installed DDM seems a bit weakened the low rpm torque. I have to do more test to clarify it. but it looks really smart with a intake filter like DDM

 

The DDM intake is advertised as providing more power at lower RPMs. But it seems like you've tried the K&N as well, so you have something to compare it to. How come you don't have the K&N anymore?

 

Having to cut that part seems like a common issue on the install.

Here's another mention of it on the product review:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...uct/429/cat/21

I'll have to keep this in mind when I pick up one up in a year or two...

 

I think the intake is held in place with some kind of locking mechanism. The guide would suggest that you just apply enough force in the right direction and it magically pops out, but, if only from probing around the connection with my hands, it seemed more like precision prying rather than brute force was needed.

 

I can't really remember from the last time I had the airbox out - is there not a way to just pull the manifold and resonator (parts 3 and 5) out of the engine bay for disconnecting the two parts?

Even the parts diagram seems to show little tabs on the tubing of number 3.

 

I have repeatedly tried but still cannot take away part 3 from 5.

Finally i decided to cut the manifolds. The DDMworks intake is specific for R50 only and not expensive indeed. i dont think any resell value of that and should prepare to sell the ride with the intake together.

at this stage, i have to enjoy it and sort out any weakened of low end torque by the intake

compare with K&N drop in, DDM sounds more aggressive and throsty (as described by Way. i totally agree) at 4000+ rpm. K&N drop-in sounds "high tone" (weeeeeee~weeeeeeeeeee).

Also, its easy to restore the stock air box (of course, no longer to connect to the stock resonator box unless to buy / diy to make a replacement pipe).

 

You can't easily remove 5, either. I wish I could illustrate better why, but it's basically boxed in and you have to remove parts of the front axle to get it.

 

Installed one of these this last week and ran into the same trouble - just ended up cutting it off like everyone else here. The fact that there are A/C lines nearby makes it pretty nerve-wracking whether you're prying or sawing.

The clothe tubing that runs from the radiator support to the airbox on mine was disintegrating and I found a great and cheaper alternate to replacing with the OEM hose.

NAPA 8131509 is a flexible, plastic hose with the correct I.D. It's more flexible too, which should allow me to be angle the airflow right at the filter/housing. $3/foot (my store would only let me buy a minimum of two feet even though you only need one since they had to special order it in). Will try putting it in tonight...

 

The 2 1/4" ID stuff ended up being a pretty tight fit on the plastic piece in the center of the radiator support, but it did go on snugly with some prying. A definite improvement over the disintegrating stock one. I'll try to snap a picture of it tomorrow.

Lesson is - check that cotton hose on your MINI! It might be disentegrating like mine was and releasing constant cotton dust into your air box!

Also, I have a little over a foot of the hose left - if anyone wants it for $3 + shipping, just PM me.

 

Just did a quick search - NAPA 8155008 is the same hose with a 2 1/2" ID instead - if you decide to buy this stuff, get that one instead - it should be easier to get on and still be snug.

 

A few pics of the replacement NAPA hose I used....