Eventuri Airbox Install Problems

[puzzled]

It's a closed box intake so I didnt expect much more noise improvement and when I was stock except eventuri I dont think there was much extra. Under load with windows down - yea. Regular driving nahhh. Don't think there was much performance gain, if any, and the way I looked at it - Intakes are basically for looks in this car and eventuri gets that job done

Thanks for not being a typical GTI dingaling who cries about intakes and starts preaching why intakes are a waste of money. Folks like us do it cause we like it and we can. That is all that matters as long as performance doesn't degrade.. then it's a problem like running ugly boat anchors on our Supra's..

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[underdonk]

It's a closed box intake so I didnt expect much more noise improvement and when I was stock except eventuri I dont think there was much extra. Under load with windows down - yea. Regular driving nahhh. Don't think there was much performance gain, if any, and the way I looked at it - Intakes are basically for looks in this car and eventuri gets that job done

Yeah, I hear ya. I took it out for some spirited driving this morning and with the windows down - you're right - I could hear the turbo whine much more clearly under load. It's neat. Don't really care under normal application of the throttle. Jury is still out on if this thing actually provided any real world gains. It feels like it did, but it's so subjective. I actually felt like I may have lost some torque down low in favor of power higher up in the rev range... but how the heck is an air intake going to do that? Maybe if I can lock in a day of dyno time I'll switch this thing out with the stock and do a couple of pulls on each. It's pretty, but it sure isn't $1400 pretty.

 

[Camus]

Not to advertise my video but I installed the airbox step by step:



As for Power I didn't notice anything different, if anything I wanted lower IAT than the MST and for that it worked. Sounds a bit louder than stock, but not by much.

 

[underdonk]

Not to advertise my video but I installed the airbox step by step:



As for Power I didn't notice anything different, if anything I wanted lower IAT than the MST and for that it worked. Sounds a bit louder than stock, but not by much.

I actually used your video! Thanks for putting it together. It was the heat shield and either the Verus AOS or turbo heat shield getting in the way. I removed the heat shield from the airbox and it fit pretty well. Now that I'm not hot, sweaty, and pissed off, I'm getting ready to actually pull the airbox back out and do the following: 1) Reinstalling the heat shield on the airbox and trimming it where it needs it; and 2) Finding a solution for securing it to the grommet below the factory cold air intake point where the factory airbox pops into, but the Eventuri part has nothing. I think I mentioned it before, but there's a hole in the Eventuri part where it seems like they were on-track to figure something out, but maybe released the product before it was fully-baked. I want to measure and see if that hole lines-up with the opening in the grommet and use said hole for some sort of post to pop it in. Probably not going to make a bit of difference, but I'll sleep better at night.

 

[Camus]

I actually used your video! Thanks for putting it together. It was the heat shield and either the Verus AOS or turbo heat shield getting in the way. I removed the heat shield from the airbox and it fit pretty well. Now that I'm not hot, sweaty, and pissed off, I'm getting ready to actually pull the airbox back out and do the following: 1) Reinstalling the heat shield on the airbox and trimming it where it needs it; and 2) Finding a solution for securing it to the grommet below the factory cold air intake point where the factory airbox pops into, but the Eventuri part has nothing. I think I mentioned it before, but there's a hole in the Eventuri part where it seems like they were on-track to figure something out, but maybe released the product before it was fully-baked. I want to measure and see if that hole lines-up with the opening in the grommet and use said hole for some sort of post to pop it in. Probably not going to make a bit of difference, but I'll sleep better at night.

You are welcome

Oh, well this is a 2020 with the manifold with only 2 exhaust ports, so there is more space, I assume the header in the 2021 is larger and there won't be as much space to fit it easily, because I don't remember having issues to install it.

Also the airbox was secured, I remember this two plastic bolts:

So are you saying your airbox doesn't have these two?

 

[underdonk]

You are welcome

Oh, well this is a 2020 with the manifold with only 2 exhaust ports, so there is more space, I assume the header in the 2021 is larger and there won't be as much space to fit it easily, because I don't remember having issues to install it.

Also the airbox was secured, I remember this two plastic bolts:

So are you saying your airbox doesn't have these two?

It does have these two, they line-up, and fit securely. When I pull the airbox (hoping to get to it today), let me get some pics of exactly what I'm talking about, as well as a pic of the bottom of the stock airbox with the post where the Eventuri doesn't have one. Appreciate you helping out!

 

[underdonk]

@Camus @puzzled

Ok, I pulled the airbox (which I'm getting good at!) and got some pics.

Here are how the posts compare between the airboxes:

Since the shape of the airboxes are very different, and they rest on the ground differently, the perspective makes it looks like the posts are way off, but as you know, they are not. So, you'll see posts #1 and #2 right where they should be and they line-up with the grommets you note above, @Camus. On the stock airbox on the right, check out post #3 and note the hole ("?") on the Eventuri unit on the left. Based on my completely scientific and accurate measurements, this hole is about where post #3 is on the stock unit.

This is the grommet where post #3 fits (the kiddo wanted to help ?):

Here's where it is in the engine bay of the car (looking down on top of the stock cold air tube behind the passenger-side headlight):

While the fitment of the Eventuri unit is secure, this unused anchor point is what I believe results in a small gap between the cold air tube on the car and the associated cold air inlet on the Eventuri unit that does not exist on the stock unit (they mate together perfectly). Like a moron, I didn't get pictures of it before I pulled the airbox, but I'd be interested to know if this gap exists in anyone else's car with the Eventuri unit installed? I had actually wrapped the tube/inlet gap with heat tape after installing the Eventuri unit.

A couple of other notes about the install:

1) I'm not sure what this is - there were two of them in the packaging. The cuts out of the ring don't match up with anything on the airbox. They seem to be about the correct size for the opening where the turbo inlet tube (with filter attached) enter the airbox, but again, the cutouts don't match up with the hardware pattern. They are a foam material with adhesive on the back (which is covered with the waxy paper you'd normally find on tape:

They do not appear to be on the inventory shipped with the component:

2) The gap below (you can see the garage floor - black/grey/white flake - through it) seems to be the "extra" place where the Eventuri is pulling cold air from. This wire runs through the opening, however. The port which extends from the Eventuri airbox may apply some pressure to this wire after inspecting it post-airbox removal. I haven't confirmed this, and it's as simple as taping the wire to the rail beside it (there's enough slack), but wanted to mention it to anyone who finds this thread. I have no idea what this wire/wire bundle goes to.

3) The material that's on the primary inlet (which mates to the stock cold air tube behind the headlight) on the Eventuri airbox seems to be a very, very fine, delicate foam. This feels nice when you touch it, but appears to come apart pretty easily. Granted, I was pretty rough with the component when installing it. I would have expected this to be a rubber material to provide weather resistance and form a better seal. BUT, I'm not an engineer nor do I design car parts. I have, however, been modifying and working on cars for 25 years (yes, I'm old) and I've never come across anything like it in an engine bay. Maybe I just need to buy a McLaren or Ferrari. ?

Today's project: Reinstall the head shield, see where it's hitting whatever it's hitting (guessing Verus Engineering turbo heat shield or AOS) and come up with a plan to trim it so I can leave it installed when reinstalling the airbox. Right now, I just have heat tape (same kind used on the heat shield itself) on that side of the airbox.

 

[puzzled]

@underdonk .. thanks for the pictures and explanation. If my factory box was not deep down in my crawl space storage I'd grab mine and take a snap to compare with your factory box.

I have a feeling the 2020 and 2021 might be different.. or your Eventuri was defective. I did not have any issue installing it, I was honestly pretty surprised it matched up well and kind of convinced myself some UK folks can build things. I don't mean it in a derogatory way, it just that from my personal experience, a lot of things I've bought made in UK (except Prodrive wheels) were engineered well, but manufactured like some drunk guy put it together in his ghetto garage.. Milltek was garbage, for example.

 

[underdonk]

@underdonk .. thanks for the pictures and explanation. If my factory box was not deep down in my crawl space storage I'd grab mine and take a snap to compare with your factory box.

I have a feeling the 2020 and 2021 might be different.. or your Eventuri was defective. I did not have any issue installing it, I was honestly pretty surprised it matched up well and kind of convinced myself some UK folks can build things. I don't mean it in a derogatory way, it just that from my personal experience, a lot of things I've bought made in UK (except Prodrive wheels) were engineered well, but manufactured like some drunk guy put it together in his ghetto garage.. Milltek was garbage, for example.

Oh man I'm dying. Lol

Yeah, I'd be really interested in seeing a pic of the bottom of a 2020 airbox if anyone has one laying around. I'm going to float this thread by Eventuri and see what they say. Honestly, popping these things in and out would be cake if it weren't for the Cusco brace I have over it. Not even that is a tough thing to get out of the way, but that one nut in the wheel well that matches up to the bolt through the strut tower scares the hell out of me every time I remove it. I've dropped it into the abyss before...

 

[Deighvid]

Subbed in preparation for when I get mine

I have a 2021 and a Verus heat shield as well

 

[underdonk]

Ok, so after another week of frustration and some additional practice taking the intake system in and out, the stock system with an aFe oiled filter is back in the car and I will be selling the Eventuri airbox w/ turbo inlet (at a deep discount - please keep an eye on the for sale section here if you're interested). Here are my observations from this quite expensive and time-consuming experience:

1) The wire noted above that went through the opening to the wheel well that the Eventuri system utilizes was definitely causing fitment issues. I used some heat tape to attach it to the rail next to it and the airbox slid right into place, clicking into two of the stock grommet locations. I'm not sure if this is a 2021-specific issue or if the wire bundle on my specific vehicle just wasn't secured, but it's something to watch out for when doing an installation of the product.

2) If you're running a Verus Engineering air/oil separator (AOS) on your vehicle, the heatshield will need to be trimmed on the top righthand side, from the perspective of holding the airbox in your hands, top pointing up, and looking directly, squarely at the heatshield. It's the corner that will be closest to the AOS when installed. I used some aluminum snips and cut the corner off, resulting in no fitment issues related to both of these components being installed at the same time.

3) The small hole on the underside of the Eventuri airbox inlet that connects to the stock cold air intake is there because it was, in the past, utilized for a post that connected into the unused (on the Eventuri system) grommet identified in my above message (#3). The stock airbox uses this grommet and has a built-in post which snaps right into place. Per Eventuri, using this post was causing "fitment issues" for customers. My observation is that it's because the airbox inlet on the Eventuri system seems to be too short, resulting in the above noted small gap between the cold air intake and the airbox inlet. This appears to be a design issue with the product, and instead of fixing the issue by extending the inlet and realigning the hole, they simply stopped providing the post as part of the overall system. If the airbox inlet was extended 1/2 - 3/4in and the hole was aligned properly (which extending the piece may do in itself), there would be no issue with both the post fitting and the gap with it installed.

4) The method used by Eventuri to attach the turbo inlet pipe to the turbo inlet is not optimal. Below is an image in my best (worst) Microsoft Paint skills that shows a cross section of the stock turbo inlet and how the stock turbo inlet pipe connects. Note I only did one side of the cross section - the same thing would be duplicated on the bottom of this image as well, flipped upside-down. The turbo inlet is black, the inlet pipe is blue, the c-clip is green, and the rubber gasket is red:

Below shows how the Eventuri system connects the turbo inlet pipe to the turbo inlet. The turbo inlet is black, the Eventuri-provided silicone coupler is blue, and the Eventuri-provided hose clamp (jubilee clip as noted in the package inventory) is green:

The stock system, CTS turbo inlet pipe, FTP turbo inlet pipe, etc. all use a positive locking system with a c-clip (though I think only the stock system has the rubber gasket) to keep the inlet pipe in place. The Eventuri kit uses a hose clamp on a short silicone coupler to attach the inlet pipe to the inlet. The last screw you have to access on the coupler (whether it's inlet pipe- or inlet-side) is incredibly difficult to access and gain enough leverage to tighten. The angle of the vacuum line on the inlet pipe once snapped into place results in constant pressure on this coupler. In my case, this pressure combined with the non-locking system used by the coupler, torque of the engine under acceleration/deceleration, and last hose clamp being incredibly difficult to access to tighten, resulted in the coupler slipping free just enough that the pressure of the hose clamp caused it to partially collapse on itself. This happened multiple times after installation (and double checking by a friend who works in a shop doing this kind of work) and test drives where I really beat on the car hard, as I would at an autocross or a track, or very spirited driving on the street.

The Eventuri intake system for our cars is beautiful. The carbon fiber weave was perfect and there wasn't a scratch in the glossy and perfectly-applied finish. It also sounds fantastic, definitely results in a more aggressive tone with additional turbo whistle and high-boost off-throttle chirping like you would get with a BOV, and actually seems to make a difference in power delivery per the ol' butt dyno. However, this just doesn't seem to be a well-designed product from a fitment perspective. The removal of the post rather than updating the design is a strong indication the company knows there is an issue but isn't addressing it. The use of a difficult to access short silicone coupler and hose clamps to attach the inlet pipe to the turbo inlet is a questionable choice when the stock system, and other significantly less expensive aftermarket systems, use a positive-locking system with a c-clamp to attach these two pieces together. I expected far more for a $1400 air intake system for our cars, and as noted above, will be selling it and opting to run the stock system with an aftermarket filter instead, for now. This was a lot of money and time to burn on what should have been an easy upgrade. Very disappointed.

EDIT: I was wrong - the FTP inlet pipe has a rubber gasket like the stock pipe. Not sure about CTS.

 

[Deighvid]

Damn, disappointed to hear this

 

[underdonk]

Damn, disappointed to hear this

I've not read others having the same kind of issues I am. Maybe they haven't checked the intake after installation and there is a problem with it slipping off, maybe I've screwed something up (unlikely and why I had a 2nd set of eyes/hands check my install), or maybe it's a 2021-specific issue or something with my car. The airbox inlet being too short and having a gap is easily addressed by wrapping the tube in heat tape (which is difficult due to the lack of accessibility after it's installed), but the non-locking system and subsequent slippage is what made me remove it, ultimately. I'd be constantly worried it had slipped if I left it installed. It's telling that no other intake system I can find for our cars do this the same way. There needs to be a point in the inlet pipe where it can flex due to the motor shifting, as noted above, under acceleration and deceleration. FTP has addressed this by using a silicone coupler higher-up towards the airbox with their product (looks like a longer coupler and the hose clamps are much, much easier to access and tighten). CTS uses the top, flexible section of the stock system for this purpose. Both use a locking c-clip style system to attach the inlet pipe to the turbo inlet, which IMO, is the "right" way to do it on these cars. BMW designed it this way for a reason. If you do move forward with installation on your car (which appears to be a 2021), I'd be very interested to see/hear if you have the same kinds of issues. I know at least part of the accessibility issues I had tightening the hose clamps had to due with the hoses for the AOS itself and how the stock hoses are re-routed within the engine bay.

Very disappointing and frustrating to have these kinds of design issues with a $1400 intake system, especially since the product isn't super new, and Eventuri appears to be aware of them in that they stopped providing the post for the 3rd grommet location as noted above. Maybe they're trying to get rid of inventory and they'll release a v2 of the system with these design issues fixed. It really is a beautiful looking product and well constructed, and seems to make a difference in terms of power, it's just not well designed.

 

[Deighvid]

For whoever may be interested, I masked off and coated the foam on the airbox inlet vent with 2 coats of Flex Seal. Strengthens/reinforces the foam

 

[underdonk]

For whoever may be interested, I masked off and coated the foam on the airbox inlet vent with 2 coats of Flex Seal. Strengthens/reinforces the foam

Oooooh this is a good idea! Have you done the install yet?

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