My intake boot is cracked so I ordered a replacement from ECS. I feel kind of dumb, but I'm stuck trying to figure out how to untighten the clamps that hold the boot to the air filter housing and throttle body.


Number 14 in this diagram is the boot I'm talking about:

 

No problem , I can help. 13721477839


https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/13721477839/




&

Clamp 07130953264

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/07130953264/







The new boot and clamp fit really snug together and the clamp is installed with a tool that grabs the side and the top and pulls the clamp together then snaps on. " BMW Hose Clamp Plier Clic " But you have to press them together close enough to get that tool on.

To tighten , You can use a pair of slip joint / lock paresis and grab it from the two points when you get to the end right before it claws that lower tab , give the pliers a twist upward and the top of the clip will hinge on the other tab. A little trick i learned.

Use like this in reverse to untighten.

 

double post

 

I just use a flat blade screw driver, slide the screwdriver in the raised part and twist it to pop the clamp. Those things are a pita, whenever I remove them I replace them with screw type hose clamps.

 

Where do you get the screw type clamps? I've just started and oh my god this is absolutely ridiculous. Took me 45 minutes just to get the boot off. Now its been another half an hour and I can't get it back on. The auxiliary hose that goes behind the intercooler uses those locking plier clips that have to be squeezed hard to loosen and I just can't get it to stay untightened while I try to press the boot onto the hose. I got it about halfway there, there's still about a 1/2" gap between the boot and the end of the connector on the hose. Maybe that's good enough? The clamps on the bottom and top of the boot are a different story. I got them off using your screwdriver method, but I don't think there's any way I can get them back on. There's barely any space to work down there even with the intake manifold removed and I can only compress it down enough for there to be another 1/4" between the raised part and its seat. Plus getting that little nub to slide into its channel seems impossible. I couldn't even get it to do that with it out of the car.

Any help here? My car is just going to have to sit until I can get these damn clamps back on.

 

Any auto parts store will have them, replace all the clamps with these you'll be much happier.

 

Are they a standard size then? Don't have to worry about fitment? I'm definitely going to do that if so, I managed to get the boot and the intake piece back on, but none of the hose clamps are secured and there's still that extra space between the breather hose and the boot. I'm not worried about leaks since the fitment is pretty tight so I doubt the boot would come loose even without the clamps, but I'd like to have them secured.

 

Okay, picked up some screw-type clamps from NAPA. They are almost twice as wide as the clicr-type clamps so they don't fit in the channels on the hoses, but they secure much better and go on WAY easier. Thanks for the tips guys! Now I just need to see about that breather hose...

 

For next time http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-hose-clamps/=10b7inb , a great source for clamps.

 

Wow, that's awesome. Thanks!

 

Yep ... those OE clamps are a b*




since this such a low pressure area

consider using a decent quality nylon wire wrap aka 'zip tie'





I've used them and they've held for many years

BUT get good ones as some of the 'dollar store' or "HF" ones are lesser quality and break faster (from heat deterioration)

 

Eh, I don't really want to have to cut those off every time I need to take hoses or the airbox out.

I just measured the stock clic-r clamps and they're a little over .35". They only have some non-reusable snap-grip clamps in that size. They don't appear to have anything close to that size with the diameter I need, which I think is about 76mm.

 

yeah, those things are a pain, honestly I drove for years with one of the oe clamps on there but not clamped and didn't have any problems. I get my hose clamps at Home depot but wherever they're not special.

 

Yeah I think it's tight enough in there that it really doesn't matter, but I just want the insurance.

 

I'm with you there, I've got two clamps on mine.

 

Wow I just tried a POS Harbor Freight vice clamp and it worked. I just pinch it together and it ramped up and into place.
for what it is worth....