I need some help...

[SergntMac]

I need some help with my present problem, and I'm hoping there is one, or, two MM owners present here who can help me out?

This past weekend, I busted my carbon fiber bellows. This is the plastic-like section y'all call a "cold air kit." Specifically, the "elbow" that mates the throttle body to the MAF.

On a Kenny Brown car, this section is genuine carbon fiber through and through. It's durable beyond all expectations, runs cooler than engine bay temps, and endures quite a bit of PSI punishment.

Nonetheless, I broke mine. I seem to break sh*it, and I've done it again. I used an aftermarket screw-type hose clamp to secure the bellows in place with a clamp that wasn't in Kenny Brown's program, rather than use the appropriate T-Bolt band clamp. So, now I have a crack in this structure that travels like many windshield cracks, gets worse every time I pound on it WOT. It is such now that I cannot get into my boost at all, without blowing the bellows out, and suffering the shame of defeat from your average stop light.

I need to get this fixed, and I hope y'all agree. No, I need to get this improved, and to do so the right way, I need to explore all the new and different induction options available today.

So, I would like to sample the induction improvements from JLT and Metco. Visually, they all seem to look the same, but we know "looking" does not mean correct fit, or, best performance. I'd love to test and spec out the JLT and Metco stuff on my MM, but I cannot afford that investment in samples at the present time.

So, here's my deal...If any of y'all have a JLT, or, Metco induction system you're not using right now, can I borrow your stuff? Just for testing, measurement, fit, and so on? I will underwrite your financial investment in that property and guarantee that your cooperation here will not cost you one cent, in dollars, or, risk. I just can't afford to buy one of each, not knowing if either will fit my Kenny Brown trim. Which ever one fits the best, or, improves over the Kenny Brown design, may earn a few new customers down the road.

I know this may sound silly, but I also know that a lot of us buy stuff, and don't install it right now. If you are an owner of these mods, but have not installed them yet, and can see yourself giving me a hand with this exploration, please drop me a line at SergntMac@aol.com All exchanges will remain private.

Anyone?

[Slowpoke]

if no one steps up to the plate to help Mac I will offer to buy one for him to use and then put it on my car when he's done with it. I've been thinking about adding this mod and now I have a good reason. I dont like the oem bellows-type intake any more than anyone else.

Mac - just let me know how much it costs and where to order it; I will have it delivered directly to you.

[AzMarauder]

Anyone?
Mac,

I'd love to help but all I have are gears, gauges, spoiler and caliper paint sitting in boxes. I don't think any of them will meet your need !

:rolleyes:

[torinodan]

Mac, do you have a good picture of what you need fixed? A shot from the top or the front will work to get a good idea of the way it's shaped.

[Rider90]

Mac, all I have is a K&N setup. If that helps, great, if not maybe next time. Let me know.

[SergntMac]

Mac, do you have a good picture of what you need fixed? A shot from the top or the front will work to get a good idea of the way it's shaped.
Yes, should have thought of this myself, thank you. Here's the whole assembly in place, but in better days. The crack I'm dealing with runs along the seam you can't see...

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6557&cat=500&page=1

Here's the bellows alone...

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6556&cat=500&page=1

Thank you all for your offers of assistance, including John (TMF) via e-mail. Rick, only an outstanding gentleman like yourself would make such a generous offer, but it leaves me in the same place. I don't know what will fit, and placing an order is where I'm stalled at the moment.

Thanks again y'all.

[Rider90]

Yes, should have thought of this myself, thank you. Here's the whole assembly in place, but in better days. The crack I'm dealing with runs along the seam you can't see...

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6557&cat=500&page=1

Here's the bellows alone...

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6556&cat=500&page=1

Thank you all for your offers of assistance, including John (TMF) via e-mail. Rick, only an outstanding gentleman like yourself would make such a generous offer, but it leaves me in the same place. I don't know what will fit, and placing an order is where I'm stalled at the moment.

Thanks again y'all.

If you are looking to upgrade to a JLT - Not too long ago BradleyG was at Dynopro Auto and did dyno testing of the stock air intake setup then a few runs with the JLT intake system. I made the thread, it's somewhere around here. I also posted the picture of the dyno graph to compare.

[torinodan]

Looks like you might be better off with a Metco tube (as far as looks). The JLT can be used as well but you will have to cut both of them down to fit. Shouldn't be a problem but if the choice is to keep something that looks the same would be the Metco, but with a shortened pipe of a JLT it should never burst. I have no idea how you'll be effected by the hood liner rub with your setup and the JLT but there's ways to fix that too. Next :twocents:?

[Slowpoke]

Y I don't know what will fit, and placing an order is where I'm stalled at the moment.

Thanks again y'all.


If you've got a hunch which one will work, I'm still game... so long as it will fit on mine when you are done with it. If it wont work for you, no harm done.

[FordNut]

If you've got a hunch which one will work, I'm still game... so long as it will fit on mine when you are done with it. If it wont work for you, no harm done.
It appears to me that whichever is experimented with will have to be cut down and will no longer work with a N/A car when the testing is done. I have a Metco that I'll be getting rid of in the future, but it's probably a month away and I know that's an eternity to be without your car.

Go to www.fibreglast.com and you can order carbon fiber material and glue. The polyester glue is lots easier to work with. You can probably fix yours good enough to use, it may not be as pretty but it could be a good temporary fix to keep you on the road while working out a more permanent solution. You could even cover it with kevlar but it's really hard to work with and it'll be yellow (who is it with the yellow cam covers?)

[TooManyFords]

Mac, I know this is going to sound "oh so ghetto", but have you thought of just wrapping that thing in about 3 layers of ductape to hold it together until you can get it on the road? I'm guessing the tape will hold 10psi with enough layers.

I assume from your post you are not going to fix the carbon fiber piece, so a band-aid is better than on the side of the road.

Wish I had something to help you with.

John

[GordonB]

Mac.
I agree with John, Too Many Fords, that a simple effective TEMP FIX is the imfamous Duct Tape. If you want a bling factor, get the real good $10 to $15 a roll of HD Alum HVAC Tape. This stuff will withstand heat and cold for as long as you can tolorate a Temp Fix.
GordonB

[2003 MIB]

Mac- Check your email, Sir.

[Captain Steve]

It appears to me that whichever is experimented with will have to be cut down and will no longer work with a N/A car when the testing is done. I have a Metco that I'll be getting rid of in the future, but it's probably a month away and I know that's an eternity to be without your car.

Go to www.fibreglast.com and you can order carbon fiber material and glue. The polyester glue is lots easier to work with. You can probably fix yours good enough to use, it may not be as pretty but it could be a good temporary fix to keep you on the road while working out a more permanent solution. You could even cover it with kevlar but it's really hard to work with and it'll be yellow (who is it with the yellow cam covers?)
You never want to use polyester resin in a repair unless you're sure the original is polyester. If they used epoxy resin (highly likely) then the polyester WILL NOT CURE at all on it.


Mac, if you have some kind of tubing to replace the broken piece for a little while, I can probably repair the damage. It wouldn't be pretty.. but it'd be bulletproof. I'd be willing to do it for free, as long as you'd pay the shipping both ways. If the crack isn't very visable now, then I could probably hide the bulk of the repair on the inside of the piece.. you'd see the filled crack on the outside, but it would be rock solid and it'd never break there again.

[gonzo50]

Mac- Check your email, Sir.
Same here, Sir. :coolman:

[HwyCruiser]

...You could even cover it with kevlar but it's really hard to work with and it'll be yellow (who is it with the yellow cam covers?)

Raises hand tentavely...

Kevlar eh? Would that make it bulletproof?

Yellow... ummmm.

[SergntMac]

Thank you all for your generous support, concern, advice. Via e-mail, two of you have stepped up with offers, and I should have have samples of the Metco and JLT kits in hand by the end of the week. I won't cut these up, rather I'll study them for possibilities of cross fit with other popular mods, like SlowPoke's PHP cold air kit.

The path where the bellows mounts is somewhat adjustable, as it's all smaller section of pipe coming out of the intercooler anyway. Meanwhile, I have located a carbon fiber specialists locally, who thinks he can repair the damage. I like the duct tape advice, if I needed to do this, I had some neat ideas for some fun with neon. However, the nature of the crack is an implosion, it's caving in, thus I cannot tighten mounting clamps down. I'm able to drive the car, but have to stay out of the boost.

Thanks again y'all, I'll keep you posted.