Air Intake Boot

I forgot to read the fine print before I started this project.  There are more than a couple of places where cutting and fitting are required.  One such instance is the air intake boot.  This is the large gnarly-looking black tube that brings air from the MAF (mass airflow meter) to the throttle body. 

With this motor mounted in place, the front part of the intake boot would rub against the firewall.   In a Syncro, the word "firewall" has a very literal meaning, since the gas tank is right on the other side.  I believe that most Syncro/EG-33 installers modify the boot to make it skinnier.  Asking about this I was told that "JB Weld" is used to re-glue the boot after a section has been taken out of it.  I tested some JB Weld on a clean and roughed area of the boot and found that it didn't stick any more than gum sticks to glass.  I decided I was out of my element and would go another route.

 

Dremel Tool to the Rescue:  I often tried to decide which was my most valuable tool during this conversion.  I loved having a compressor.  Having both a floor jack and a hoist was really nice.  But the Dremel tool wins the most unexpectedly valuable tool award.  Ace Hardware sells a pack of 20 heavy duty cutting discs for about $6.00.

The gas tank is covered with a very heavy insulation blanket about 3/4" thick.  I noted that with a section of the metal and insulation blanket removed there would be enough room for the boot to fit and not rub.  I bought some thinner insulation and glued it in place.  With this setup the boot clears the insulation by about 3/16" or so. The metal film on the new insulation is thin.  If there is any rubbing it will be apparent.

Pic at right shows the post-Dremmeling of the area. 

One of the downsides to using this motor and the close fit here is that the boot cannot be removed with the motor up in place.  This is because it fits over the barrels on the throttle body it needs to be pushed back an inch or so to come off.  No room.   The proximity of the intake boot affects access to the clutch slave cylinder and the starter, though you can't replace the starter without dropping the engine anyway.  You really need to do the slave cylinder when you do the motor.  They are cheap.

In my case I need to drop the motor about four inches at the hanging bar to get the clearance to push the boot off.  What I don't know is if modifying the boot as others do allows them to remove it without lowering the motor.  I did cut back the two rubber stubs  that fit over the throttle body.  They are now just long enough for a clamp to hold them.  Another idea is to modify the throttle body, shortening the barrels so  the boot fits closer.  I don't like that because the barrels of the throttle body are flared to fit nicely into the boot and I think this gives extra rigidity.

 

Modified Throttle Body Cover:   I'm a fortunate man.  I have two sexy H-6 covers.  This demonstrates the minimal hacking required.  It needs to be shortened and tailored a little to fit in place. 

Again the Dremel tool shines.  I did this freehand which, for me is close to miraculous.  One of those things you do once but could never do again. 

Funny:  Once I was replacing the cover but had grabbed the un-modified one.  Didn't fit.  "Oh what has happened now!?", I wondered, thinking something has shifted drastically.

 

 

On to Hooking up the Accelerator Cable...