545OH

I am definetly a very very beginner as far as any work on a car. I had an AFE intake installed when I got the car and since reading the forum decided to try to go back to stock. I am wondering if anyone could give me a quick run down of how to do this. I want to make sure after I take the AFE off, I will be able to put the regular one on!

Specifically there is a big "box" sticking off the intake, near where it connects to the throttle body area, what is that for?

It looks like it is hard to connect the OEM intake pipe to the throttle body area since its so deeply burried, is this a problem or can you do it with simple hand tools and not having to remove any other pieces?

I believe AFE has a pliable rubber piece that mates their pipe to the throttle body area or is this piece an OEM piece that connects to the OEM air intake?

I searched DIY but nothing. I would really appreciate any help on this as I wanted to do it this weekend. Thanks!

545OH

Come on guys, just a short paragraph of help would be great. Or even tell me what that little box extending off the intake is?

kchan

Need a little more info. What year and model is your intake?
I removed my intake awhile ago. Removing is much easier than installing, at least for my 07 525i.
If you didn't install it originally, go to AFE's website to download their install instruction, that way you will see what's from AFE and what's from OEM.

When I installed mine, the very tough part is to loosen the hose to the engine, somehow the the screw head is on the inside and you need a short screwdriver to access that screw. But whoever installed it for you would/should rotate the metal clamp so that the screw is easier to access. When you install them, it's a bit harder since you have to fit it piece by piece, but to remove it, it takes me 15 mins. The tough part for me is that the MAF to the AFE tube is sort of stripped, so I have a hard time removing the MAF (the little sensor with two screws to the intake tube) 'cause it's stripping the thread.

I am not sure what that little box thing (~2"x3") thing attached to the OEM intake is for, but you don't need to disassemble that piece anyways.

kchan

just notice your signature so I assume you have a 545i. The AFE intake is different, but I actually watched my friend installed it and it seems easier than mine. Go to AFE to download their install instruction for the 545i model.

For some reason the link for 545i doesn't work, this one is for my car 525i but you can get an idea...

http://www.afeproducts.com/is/54-11042.pdf

545OH

Thanks, but no idea what that random box is on the intake piping? Very wierd and I cannot find it anywhere on the net. Appreciate the help. I am going to try swap it tomorrow.

545OH

What about the vacuum hose. Does that need to be attached and where does it attach to the stock box?

kchan

not sure which vacuum hose you are referring to...
when i did mine, there's a piece that i never used from AFE, it's some small grommet piece that some stock rubber hose should attached to, but i never find this piece from stock.
guess i am not the best person to ask, esp for 545i... but when i saw my friend did it on his 545i it seems very straight forward, hopefully some other people can chime in.