Anyone got advice on installing these things? I spent two hours trying to get it. The hot side, I just didn't want to try getting under the car in the puddle of water in the garage because of the snow. So I moved to the cold side. I took off the airbox, and got the upper mount disconnected and the sound port disconnected....but how in the heck do you get it off of the throttlebody? I couldn't get leverage or wiggle room, so am I missing something here? Any help would be appreciated, thanks! Oh yeah, I put it all back together so I can go to work tomorrow. Thanks again for your help.

 

i just so happend to do my tubes yesterday and it took me about 3 hours for both sides. the majority being the cold side. it took some pulling but i wiggled it up and down motion and it finally came off. man it was a PITA! but i finally got it. just wait to put them on, very tight! the sound tube is too long to put on the boost tube and the boost tube goes right against the fire wall. the hot side is not too bad but my mini is lowered so i had to jack it. you remove the silencer mount torx screw and it was kind of hard to remove the clamp on the intercooler. anyways good luck and be patient!

 

I'm lowered too, and had a very hard time trying to find the screws that held the silencer on. I had a puddle of melted snow in my garage, so there was no way I was getting under there. Well I guess I will give it a shot again with my cousin, we love to work on cars together and maybe he has the special touch to get the cold side off! HAHA

 

Sorry folks that the combo of ALTA and MINI has made this a PITA.

On the cold side tube. Use a bent awl to run around as much of the TB as possible. This helps release the tube from the TB.

I may start supplying the sound gen, bypass plug with this kit as well. The sound generator is a PITA anyway and doesn't DO anything.

Hot side, only issue (well the water and snow aside) is the torx screw on the muffler. It is just hard to get to.

Let me know if I can help further!

 

Sorry to revive an old thread, but the title to this post seems good for what I'm asking... advice on the hot side.

I'm going to install it tonight, but do I need to remove the bumper to install the hot side boost tube? It looks like the clamp screw on the intercooler itself is going to be a PITA to reach without remove the bumper... any advice?

I don't want the hell that I had last night! My hands are bloodied... I don't feel like taking off the bumper like I had to for the intercooler install!

 

Nah no need to remove the bumper. Just jack the car up a bit so you can access from under and up above. but you shouldn't need to remove the bumper.

On the bloodied hands, I think we need to start a petition to MINI to ask them to round edges, and make all of the popular mods easier to get to! Wonder how that would go over?

 

Um, yeah! Make it easier, MINI! It is SUCH a tight engine bay, but it is worth it! I'll try without removing the bumper later tonight... will post results for sure! Thanks ALTA!

 

I did mine last night along with a Helix 13 BOV. Here are some tips I have for others looking to do this upgrade:

• For the torx screw holding on the hot side tube muffler was easier for me to access from the underside of the car. I used my right hand to reach up with my torx screwdriver and got the tip of the driver in the head of the screw. Once the driver was gripping the torx screw I was able to use the screwdriver as a lever to move that one hose out of the way and then using small turning motions release the screw. Once everything is loose take it out from the bottom like Adam says.
• Using a hairdryer helped make the tube ends less rigid so they were easier to connect. Flexing the tube ends with your hand while doing this accelerated the process.
• Buy the bent awl tool! I didn't use mine at all for the hot side, but it was the only way I completed the cold side. People are not lying when they say it's a PITA. It will test your patience and nerves.
• If you're planning on removing the sound generator, do it at the same time you're going to install these tubes. With the sound generator out of the way I was able to snake my right arm down in the engine compartment making it easier to remove and attach the new cold side tube.
• The most difficult part is getting the throttle body side of the tube to allign when pushing it down through the engine bay and then connecting it. Do your best to allign the tube with the throttle body and then get the bent awl. You have to use the bent awl to slowly creep the circumfrence of the tube on the throttle body. Make sure you don't poke a hole in the tube with the tip! You're only going to be able to get a little bit of the tube on initially and you'll have to use your fingers to check if you got the tube on where you can't see it connecting. Once it is mounted, you have to press it on the throttle body as hard as you can. Using mechanics gloves with rubber palms is a must!

Thank God this install is over with. I don't want to meet Mr. Throttlebody again!

 

After reading this, now I'm REALLY REALLY dreading the cold-side boost tube install. :-(

But thanks for the tips!

 

Here is a really good write up that Adam did a couple years ago.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...rade-alta.html

If you need more pics or help feel free to give us a call!

 

I did this install several months ago and patience is one requirement and your favorite music may help. Jacking the front is a neccessity to get to the lower side bits. Use different tools for the job i.e sockets, wrenches, extensions and swivels to get to things. A tool you think wouldnt normally be used in a certain situation or that you may think wouldnt be as fast, winds up making things very smooth. The throttle body part is a b*tch yes but the gloves help and here is where the patience comes in. You would think that it would take three men and a small boy to get that wsucker on and off but it takes patience...dont force things. After all, all of us garage grease monkeys want things to happen immediately right?

 

My only advice is set a lot of time aside and have a firend cause you are going to get tired and need to switch for the cold side. The hot side is easy once you find the torx screw. But it is worth it.

 

What size is the torx screw for the hot side install. I gave up today after calling alta and being told to just cut off the silencer. I will try again sometime this week I guess.

 

I will have the guys check realoem.

 

T25? T27? When you called it sounded like that you were going cut it off anyways. I checked realoem.com and they dont give a size either

 

How did the install go?

 

I didn't mean it like you guys gave me bad info or anything. I just wouldn't want to do anything I couldn't reverse unless it was easy to put back on.

 

Even if you get that screw loose, the resonator can kind of hang there if you don't complete things. Have you checked out my HOW-TO article on this?

CLICK HERE!

 

Install updates...........GO!!

 

No worries!! Resonator + cut off tab + JB weld = Done!! LOL

 

I got it on and here's my solutions. I had a two inch extension for my screwdriver and used a t25 Torx bit on most everything but the clamps.

I first lined up the extension without the driver into the hole for the silencer. Then, I moved the screwdriver into the extension so I had a connection and turned it until it fell onto my chest.
For the bottom hose clamp I couldn't really get to it so I used the T25 and removed both sides of the bumper where the t25 heads are. This doesn't actually remove anything, but makes it way more malleable. I pushed the screwdriver (now with a standard flat head) through the hole at the bottom and undid the clamp.
It took some time to really get the hose off (I weigh 108lbs so it may not be so hard for others lol), but it came off in one piece. The Alta one went on without a problem. Make sure you put the clamps on a spot you can tighten them and get them back off, it may make life easier to return it to stock if you ever sell it.

 

Great tips! Glad everything went a-ok! Chat soon!

 

I would also recommend using a light mix of soapy water on the inside of the tube to help slip the tube on. Don't use a ton just a light layer. We use this method at work when installing some difficult tubes on off-highway diesel engines.

 

I just used spit. Soap and water intake FTL. but if it worked for you g2g. I know friends are a must cause that instal gets very tireing

 

Ha, whatever works I guess. Remember folks, you only need a little bit of the solution is perscribed. Spray some on your finger and rub the inside of the pipe. That baby will slip right on!