Cold air intake

[Bobsy Racer]

3 hours ago, Danelaw said:

I have a system here including headers and have not had time to fit yet. I did ask a mechanic at a Lotus dealership and he said it was not too bad on an Evora and probably around 3 hours labour for them to do.

It will be Christmas before I get time, but hope to attempt myself then. I only have modest car ramps and jacks so I suspect it will take me far more than 3 hours. I'm sure it will have high points and low points before completion!

I did the CAI in Summer and it was quite simple. Might have been a couple of hours in total, but that was with me fiddling and being a bit of a perfectionist with this car.

I helped out with the installation of my 2bular Header-Downpipe-Metallic Cat installation, when I initially did them at VSA. I've also done the installation myself on my 2 post lift, knowing how to from this prior experience.
I don't think that ANYONE can do it in 3 hours. I think that 8-10 hours is realistic, IF you already have the extended O2 sensor harnesses, and are doing it on a lift. There are some heat shields, like the little one that protects the alternator, that have to be modified and re-mounted. Some of the Header nuts are difficult to reach, and I found that a flex head ratcheting box wrench was the best solution.

Edited November 19, 2015 by Bobsy Racer

[Danelaw]

I'm expecting it to take me more like 3 days rather than 3 hours for the headers.

I have the Swindon Engines developed exhaust system and it has two cats in the same places as the originals so I don't need to extend the leads for the sensors, and the system came with a new set of heat-shields made as per the original lotus heat-shields. This will save me some time, but I'll lose it somewhere else...

Edited November 19, 2015 by Danelaw
typo correction only

[Danelaw]

24 minutes ago, Bobsy Racer said:

 Some of the Header nuts are difficult to reach, and I found that a flex head ratcheting box wrench was the best solution.

I'll put some flex head ratcheting wrenches on my list for santa  - thanks for that tip.

Did you get at the headers just from below or also through the services hatches in the luggage compartment and behind the rear seat backrest?

[C43]

Time depends on many nuts shear off or can't be moved. I had one stud fail when I did the rear section and it turned into an epic...

C43

[Danelaw]

24 minutes ago, C43 said:

Time depends on many nuts shear off or can't be moved. I had one stud fail when I did the rear section and it turned into an epic...

C43

I was quietly confident and now you've made me nervous... 

I guess it's best to prepare for the worst so thanks for the warning.

CAI topic seems to have morphed into header fitting - apologies for my part in this.

Edited November 19, 2015 by Danelaw
typo

[Bobsy Racer]

12 hours ago, Danelaw said:

I'll put some flex head ratcheting wrenches on my list for santa  - thanks for that tip.

Did you get at the headers just from below or also through the services hatches in the luggage compartment and behind the rear seat backrest?

I did a lot of the Header installation through the back seat and trunk access panels, as well as from underneath.
I guess that I was lucky because I had no problems with any of the studs, nuts, etc. This is the first I've heard of this, so I don't know if is a common problem.

[C43]

Funny thing was it was a nut I had already undone about 12 months earlier and I had used copperslip when putting it back together.

Moral of the story is lots of WD40 / heat gun and time on anything that's really tight. I have used this technique on my brothers Esprit and so far so good.

cheers

C43

[Jason Trevor]

I know this is a old thread but I have a 2011 N/A with standard headers 3rd cat delete and a Plack style rear exhaust with a small muffler , just fitted a BOE CAI kit and cars seems great but now and again seem to be getting higher engine temperatures and then it settles down. Not had chance to do a good run under this lockdown times but was wondering if the ECU needs a tune and is it running a bit lean. Can the ECU be readily tuned and who in the UK is good im North Wales based.

[Bravo73]

Unfortunately, the ECU can’t be readily tuned. Lotus started encrypting their ECU code around 2013/2014 so if you’ve had any ECU updates from the dealer since then, the chances are that your ECU will be encrypted. Even if it’s not, you might struggle to find anyone to do it for you. The major downside of Lotus not selling many Evoras (particularly NAs) is that it is a very limited market. 

Don’t be suckered in by one of the generic tuning companies. Your money would be better spent on snake oil. 

[Whitey]

I have had a Radium CAI on my 2010 NA for the last 7 years with a 3rd cat delete and 2Bular rear box and have had no issues in that time and 25k ish miles. The car runs rich as standard, probably too rich, and these mods together will lean it out a bit. I believe H111 do have a Komotech tune for the NA, but it is part of their 300 kit, so you would need to speak to them to see if just the tune is advisable. The ECU will learn to adapt to the mods that you have made, just dont go at 10/10 to start with. I had just fitted mine and took it for a couple of local runs and all was good. I drove it about 60 miles to Castle Combe and back and had a bit of fun with an M3 - as in top revs in the lower gears, after backing  off, going into town it went in to limp mode and the MIL light came on and I thought I was in trouble...

I waited a couple of minutes and restarted the car and all was fine again.  After speaking to a couple of people and then reading on here, I just think that I extended the revs too soon and before the ECU had learnt to adapt to the hardware changes. This was about 7 years ago and the car has run superbly ever since with no MIL lights at all.

If / when I finally decide to fit new manifolds, then I will look for a tune then.

 

 

 

[Bruss]

Lotus run the car rich for a reason. It doesn't run too rich. It is to add cooling at the flame front. Whether its the best way to cool is a moot point, but that is what it does. Overheating of the head will result from running too lean. How long the head lasts while running hot has not been tested by anyone. It may last 100k miles, it may last 10k miles. Who knows, your risk.  You can tune these engines to run at 500 plus hp. It may last for one race, and then you rebuild. If you want something safe and with a warranty for the road, you leave it as Lotus installed it. 

[Kristof Thys]

A stock V6S runs at WOT at redline an AFR of 10:1 on stock tune.

A V6S with CAI, Larini headers, NO CATS, OEM backbox runs at WOT an AFR of 10.5:1 on stock tune.

 

Still seems pretty rich to me.  For sure the (not naming any) aftermarket ECU maps do lean out the engine much more.  Can't see how that 0.5 is gonna make a difference from super rich to somewhat less super rich.

Measured over +15k kms with an Bosch LSU 4.9 and AEM gauge (post or pre cat, whatever you want because no cats 😉) (not my car... I do have a cat)

@Bruss IMO Lotus run it super rich to avoid any blow ups on track.  I guess they prefer that over oil wash due to overfuelling.  Then again, enough EVxxx and EXxxx cars on track that run leaner and haven't blown up neither. 😉😉

 

Let's be honest, running an engine 10.5 / 10:1 AFR is just crazy.

 

Just my .02

Edited May 26, 2020 by Kristof Thys

[Bruss]

@Kristof Thys

 

I agree, but my point is that many people will accept a tuning mod without understanding what is happening. You tune your car, you take a risk on your own.

It may be safe, it may not, no tuner will give you a warranty, only the original Lotus tune has a warranty. If you don't know what you are doing then trusting any aftermarket tune is always a danger that you must assess for yourself.

 

I may have an Evora 350 running at approx 410 bhp, but that is my risk.  

[Kristof Thys]

@Bruss I fully respect that, thanks! 

[C8RKH]

19 minutes ago, Bruss said:

If you don't know what you are doing then trusting any aftermarket tune is always a danger that you must assess for yourself

Which like with most good things, you do your research on suppliers and buy on proven reputation informed by customers. Why sites like TLF are such a valuable resource for owners as independent.

[trcm]

The CAI I have been running for quite a while now has some clear drawbacks…

The Evora engine bay is hot, especially in an S1. At slower speeds and in stop/start traffic this intake is drawing in air at some pretty dire temperatures.

I looked longingly at the Radium CAI product, and was sad that it’s discontinued, they clearly understood this exact issue and fabricated a metal baffle to separate cooler side intake air from the hotter ambient engine bay temps.

So I spent a few minutes doing some CAD…

This was rev 1.0

[Cdm2018]

I didn’t realise the only CAI you now can get from US runs the Evora engine like this ? 
What’s the solution as a non mechanic minded person as I am maybe not too keen on getting one from US supplier 🙁

[trcm]

The BOE intake, and Komotec, run a system shrouded completely to the flexy side intake pipe, so are less likely to encounter this issue, but perhaps more likely to suffer heat soak. 

[Cdm2018]

16 minutes ago, trcm said:

The BOE intake, and Komotec, run a system shrouded completely to the flexy side intake pipe, so are less likely to encounter this issue, but perhaps more likely to suffer heat soak. 

Heat soak ? Which one do I go for as I don’t want the worry of overheating or loss of engine or just worry ! I thought the only CAI you can get is from US supplier ?  

[trcm]

13 hours ago, Cdm2018 said:

Heat soak ? Which one do I go for as I don’t want the worry of overheating or loss of engine or just worry ! I thought the only CAI you can get is from US supplier ?  

The only CAI you can buy are from BOE in the USA, or from Komotec in Germany to my knowledge.

They both shroud a cone air filter in a sort of bucket, and feed the side intake flexy pipe into the end. However being right next to the engine, I believe they will probably absorb a lot of radiant heat (hence the gold foil employed above) and be heated by the hot ambient air in this location also.

But it's not something to worry about really with either Komotec or BOE as they're both well tested and developed CAIs.

The one I am using was made by @dixie v6 and is a one off, I am just hoping that by making something similar to the Radium baffle,...

my DIY efforts will hopefully at least match or improve upon the designs above. 

[Cdm2018]

Cheers for that reassurance as I am not mechanically minded I understand what you refer so when I get the funds  sorted I still aim to get the BOE from US as I understand it’s most cost effective however I need someone to fit as can’t myself 😩

[windymiller]

i have the boe one fitted on ours but not sure if it was barry that fitted that ?

[Cdm2018]

31 minutes ago, windymiller said:

i have the boe one fitted on ours but not sure if it was barry that fitted that ?

Yes I think the labour charge is not far off the item cost so for us lack of mechanically ability it’s expensive so hence I need to save up ☹️

[windymiller]

i certainly wudnt of fitted it myself lol 🙄

[Barrykearley]

Ffs chap - come on - it’s a bolt on item