David Ramsay
Test Drive
- Location
- NC
Hey everyone, I was frustrated with the lack of info on how to mod the intake on a 2.4L. I couldn't seem to find anything on it anywhere, and the big question for me was this: Can I put a conventional CAI kit on this without worrying about the MAF sensor? Interestingly enough, the 2.4L XTerra and Frontier come with a different intake than the 240sx, where the MAF sensor is inline before the air filter itself.
This coupled with the fact that the throttle body is on the passenger side of the engine bay and has no room around it at all basically means that no AEMs, no K&Ns, nothing pre-built will work besides this one $390 Weapon-R that looks like something a midwestern alpha-male would install it in his '04 Dodge Ram 1500 with projectors, fender flares, niteshades, plastidipped everything, 5% tints, and 5 black ice little trees hanging in the window. How he sees through the 5% tints with his Oakleys on will forever be a mystery.
Anyways, I got my stimulus check and decided to attack it head first, and make something that didn't require me to sweat the MAF sensor location. I don't regret it one bit, It's honestly been like driving a different car. I couldn't be more pleased with this for $38.
MATERIALS:
Knife
1/4" socket set or small wrenches
JB Kwik Weld ($7.99)
2.5" to 3" Coupler (Spectre from Advance Auto cost $9.99)
3" Flexible Intake hose (Spectre from Advance Auto cost $19.99)
Finally, piece it all together. These components fit TIGHT. It takes some elbow grease to put this thing together. Best tip I found was put it on diagonally and twist until they slide over each other.
Here's the flow from the fender to the stock intake:
1. Hose into fender coupler (hose twists in)
2. Other end of hose into the 3" fitting
3. 3" fitting around 3" end of 2.5"-3" coupler, hose clamp it.
4. 2.5" end of coupler around intake transversing tube, hose clamp it.
And there you have it folks. A high-flow intake for the 2.4L KA24DE with truck intake.
This coupled with the fact that the throttle body is on the passenger side of the engine bay and has no room around it at all basically means that no AEMs, no K&Ns, nothing pre-built will work besides this one $390 Weapon-R that looks like something a midwestern alpha-male would install it in his '04 Dodge Ram 1500 with projectors, fender flares, niteshades, plastidipped everything, 5% tints, and 5 black ice little trees hanging in the window. How he sees through the 5% tints with his Oakleys on will forever be a mystery.
Anyways, I got my stimulus check and decided to attack it head first, and make something that didn't require me to sweat the MAF sensor location. I don't regret it one bit, It's honestly been like driving a different car. I couldn't be more pleased with this for $38.
MATERIALS:
Knife
1/4" socket set or small wrenches
JB Kwik Weld ($7.99)
2.5" to 3" Coupler (Spectre from Advance Auto cost $9.99)
3" Flexible Intake hose (Spectre from Advance Auto cost $19.99)
Inspired by @Richard 's thread "Inflow/Outflow" I got cracking. The stock intake flows into the smaller of 2 holes in your driver side fender. The larger hole is used for... The wire to your parking lights. No, I'm not joking.
Step 1 is removal. Locate your air cleaner, and the bendable plastic boot that fits over the end. remove this boot, and start removing the clips that hold your intake on as it crosses behind the radiator and down behind the headlight assembly.
There will be a few that mount to brackets that come over the radiator, and a few that are down in there holding the airbox itself in. Take them all off, and pull the MAF sensor out of the stock air box, being careful of the sensor tip. I covered mine in painter's tape so that it wouldn't leave a residue.
Now pull both components out- you should have the airbox assembly and the square hose thing that comes across the front of the engine.
The first order of business after that is to remove the rubber coupler in the fender and relocate the cable to your parking lights. This takes some small arms and a little time, or if you're like me, large arms and a lot of time.
You can vaguely see the white wire harness inside the hole to the right. What you'll have to do is pull the boot out and use a razor or knife to cut around the wire loom for the parking light.
Step 1 is removal. Locate your air cleaner, and the bendable plastic boot that fits over the end. remove this boot, and start removing the clips that hold your intake on as it crosses behind the radiator and down behind the headlight assembly.
There will be a few that mount to brackets that come over the radiator, and a few that are down in there holding the airbox itself in. Take them all off, and pull the MAF sensor out of the stock air box, being careful of the sensor tip. I covered mine in painter's tape so that it wouldn't leave a residue.
Now pull both components out- you should have the airbox assembly and the square hose thing that comes across the front of the engine.
The first order of business after that is to remove the rubber coupler in the fender and relocate the cable to your parking lights. This takes some small arms and a little time, or if you're like me, large arms and a lot of time.
You can vaguely see the white wire harness inside the hole to the right. What you'll have to do is pull the boot out and use a razor or knife to cut around the wire loom for the parking light.
Next, you'll perform some more surgery on the coupler so that it'll accept the 3" intake hose.
Now hacksaw off the end of the transversing tube where it steps up from 2.5" to 3" with hard plastic. Keep it close to the step up, don't take unnecessary length off of this thing. Ensure that this is the driver side of the intake tube, not the passenger side where it connects to the air cleaner.
Stretch the couplers a little bit. I used a pipe clamp. This will make fitting them a little easier.
I didn't take any pictures of this, but use a lighter and a knife to cut a round hole in the bottom of your 2.5" to 3" coupler that will fit the MAF sensor. Then JB weld the rubber coupler into the hole so that you can still pull the MAF sensor out for cleaning/replacement.
Now hacksaw off the end of the transversing tube where it steps up from 2.5" to 3" with hard plastic. Keep it close to the step up, don't take unnecessary length off of this thing. Ensure that this is the driver side of the intake tube, not the passenger side where it connects to the air cleaner.
Stretch the couplers a little bit. I used a pipe clamp. This will make fitting them a little easier.
I didn't take any pictures of this, but use a lighter and a knife to cut a round hole in the bottom of your 2.5" to 3" coupler that will fit the MAF sensor. Then JB weld the rubber coupler into the hole so that you can still pull the MAF sensor out for cleaning/replacement.
Finally, piece it all together. These components fit TIGHT. It takes some elbow grease to put this thing together. Best tip I found was put it on diagonally and twist until they slide over each other.
Here's the flow from the fender to the stock intake:
1. Hose into fender coupler (hose twists in)
2. Other end of hose into the 3" fitting
3. 3" fitting around 3" end of 2.5"-3" coupler, hose clamp it.
4. 2.5" end of coupler around intake transversing tube, hose clamp it.
And there you have it folks. A high-flow intake for the 2.4L KA24DE with truck intake.
