Bottom mount/intake pipe/AC

[Tim95M3]

So I refuse to get rid of my AC since I'm in Texas.. how the hell am I supposed to get a 3 inch pipe through this tiny area? Custom AC line of some sort? Or am I missing something here?

[E36 HateR]

Should be fine with a 3 inch, just bend the ac lines.

I have a 4 inch intake bottom mount but the ac is gone.

[hsvturbo]

I was looking at this also. So how much hp can a 2-1/2 inch inlet support?

[NY98M3]

Bend the AC line the other way...towards the drivers side...its very tight in there between the intake pipe, the manifold, the AC line, and the frame.

[cragg56]

It's a very tight fit with a 3" but if you replicate a pipe like trm it fits. If anything just squeeze the 3" in a vise a little to ovalize it to fit. When I installed mine I unbolted the ac compressor first, got the pipe to fit in and then bolt the compressor back up. I have however noticed that some cars do come with slightly different routing of the lines right at the ac compressor. On another car I've seen they had more room and could just slide the pipe in there without any problems.

http://www.racersmarket.net/componen...4e013ab4bd.jpg

[dohcdoh]

how the hell am I supposed to get a 3 inch pipe through this tiny area?

[pbonsalb]

I really don't like the hot air intake like TRM and Technica use. I would run a pipe to behind the passenger side foglight and remove the light. It is still a tight fit with AC. I used 4 inch oval pipe and had to raise the AC by 3/4 inch on a bracket plate and the pipe is an ugly snake. I think others have made new spacer plate swaybar mounts to lower the swaybar. And other say they have gotten a pipe through there somehow. A 3.0 inch should flow enough air for most people.

[Arctic98M3]

Bend the AC line the other way...towards the drivers side...its very tight in there between the intake pipe, the manifold, the AC line, and the frame.

That's weird, I actually bent my A/C line on the opposite side of the inlet tube towards the passenger side. Mine was a hell of a tight fit and I probably ended up with 1/8 gap between the SPA manifold and inlet tube. Wonder if I had done it like you if I would have any more gap?

[Tim95M3]

Wow. Thanks for the advice guys. Guess I'll be bending the AC line.. I have an intake pipe similar to the TRM one that I got from a forum member.. and I did think about the fender well location.. but I'd rather have a hot air intake than a water suction device.

[NY98M3]

Be careful bending it. I just needs to go up a little bit.