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View Full Version : air filter heat shield DIY (All Years)


Serj22
04-01-2009, 06:01 PM
So, I needed to remake my home-made heat shield because I was discouraged that the only idea I came up with at the time looked pretty much like a cold air box. I wanted it to be more conical and also (the first one was held together with duct tape and ugly) it was a prototype just for fit test. So, I decided while I remake it, maybe someone else wanted to do something similar, with that, here's what you need:


1. At least 4 feet of aluminum flashing or thin aluminum sheeting ($5)
2. Scissors (it's that easy to cut) (Free if you got 'em)
3. Electrical tape (Usually $1 a roll)
4. Hot Glue or JB cold weld
5. Sharpie
6. Ruler
7. Covering sticker stuff (if you want it) Cleans up any imperfections
8. Heat shielding insulation (obtainable from auto stores or marine stores) IF you want it to actually repel some heat, otherwise it's an aesthetic upgrade

First off, clear some space for yourself, and get yourself some beer or a juice box. It was 11:00 Am, so juice box... yes, I buy juice boxes... so?

Alright, get your intake filter handy, along with some 3" tubing that it's connected to, or something 3' in diameter, as well as the rubber connector that conects the filter to the intake tube. Cut out a pice of aluminum that is a bit wider than the filter - make the edges square, or close to it. Trace the outer diameter of the filter onto a spot near the bottom of the metal, after tracing the rubber connector first - this was there is no guessing where the filter goes around the tube - you trace the tube part, then put the filter in it and trace the bottom of the filter.

The spot where the filter goes on the metal depends on how much clearance and space you have in the car when you put the filter and heat shield back.

You will have something like this:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/DIYINT1.jpg

Then, trace the top (narrower) part of the filter onto the excess metal of that same piece, or a different one if you ran out of material to use, free hand and clean up a bigger semi-circle around your original trace, otherwise the filter will be too hard to fit into the shield.

Cut out both pieces and you should have something like this:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/DIYINT3.jpg

Next, get a straight piece of aluminum and cut it down to the length of the filter and add a little bit of length - cut it into a perfectly rectangular piece. on the edge intended to meet up with the larger part you cut earlier for the base of the intake - ru na line of electrical tape across the edge, half of it hanging over the edge, meet it to the base piece, and as you wrap the rectangle piece into its shape, curl the edge of the tape over as you go (THE TAPE WILL HOLD IT)

IT will be in a partial curl now, use additional tape to hold it still if need be but DO NOT PUT ANY ALONG THE INSIDE EDGE WHERE THE PIECES MEET
It will no look remotely like this:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/DIYINT4.jpg

After you have those two pieces in a stable set up, use more tape if you have to, wrap the other edge onto the smaller semi-circle you cut, again using a long strip of electrical tape, and wrapping the edge over as you go, this will cause the whole piece to warp into a more conical shape:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/DIYINT5.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/DIYINT6.jpg

At this point, before going any further, make sure you are happy with the shape, if not - alter the two semi circles in any way you wish - then whn you're happy, make sure the filter you will be using fits inside the shape you've made - when you're happy - proceed:

Serj22
04-01-2009, 06:02 PM
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/DIYINT7.jpg

Remove the test fit filter and either heat up a hot glue gun, or mix yourself some JB weld - hot glue will hold fine if you scuff up the edges a bit - but will melt in the engine bay from heat and may not work - but JB is always better, it's jus not as clean when you really get it to hold - entirely up to you.

Run the glue along the inside edge of the shield on one side at a time, the more surface area/ the better, so make it a fairly thick line of glue. Wait for it to dry enough that it won't move, then flip the shield over and repeat it on the other interior side of the shield.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/DIYINT8.jpg

When it's dry, remove the electrical tape from all sides of the shield, if you did good with wrapping the cone, you should wind up with some clean lines on the outside, and if not, file off any glue leak to the outside and any metal imperfections:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/DIYINT9.jpg

After that, you are done shaping the filter and can leave it as raw shiny aluminum, or scuff it with some sandpaper and paint it, or chrome dip it, or cover it with a giant sticker, whatever you want.

Whatever you do, (I went the giant sticker route, because I had one that was fake CF, and decided that would work as my first attempt - it will be done being shaped, and check to see if you like the look on a spare intake you have lying around - or on your intake of course. Then there are a few ways to mount it.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/DIYINT10.jpg

So, to mount it. You can buy a 3" to 3.5" diameter hose clamp and weld it to the inside of the shield, and tighten the shield with one clamp, which gives you ease of removing it. IF you are not concerned with 3 minutes extra of work, I am lining the large part with copper pip insulation to make a tighter flexible seal, then pushing the shield up against the flat large part of the filter and using a hose clamp to keep it pressed against there - should be pretty tight - that's how the air box I built previous is held on now and it's pretty secure.

The end.

Serj22
04-01-2009, 08:08 PM
Fitment Complete:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/FINAL1.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/FINAL2.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/FINAL3.jpg

And I'm also gradually getting the engine bay grey/silver, but since i need my car everday, I have resorted to "unbolt-spray" where I take off some parts, then sand and spray behind them, over and over, since the car needs to be pretty much complete at all times, then see how much I can actually cover, and get rid of red.