Source: AcuraZine

2007 TL-S, 5AT

I am truly a Noob when it comes to ANY kind of automotive repair or modification. “Mechanical Moron” pretty much says it all. Sure I’ve changed a couple of tires or filled my washer fluid but that’s about it. Around the house just a few simple DIY type things: hooking up the washer, installing a garbage disposal, assembling Christmas Toys. You get the idea.

Well, it seems to me that even the best DIY’s don’t quite give the mod-minded Noob *all* the tips he needs. The really simple stuff; the stuff all the non-Noobs already learned. So, I thought I’d post up on some of the things I learned, hopefully to make the job easier for you.

So, if you’re like me, woefully inexperienced at the art and science of automotive transformation, then these notes are for you. And believe me, if I can do it, YOU can do it.

Supplies you should ALWAYS have handy:

– A few rags/shop towels
– Band-Aids
– Gauze and First Aid Tape
– Neosporin
– Actually, just take the whole damn First Aid kit out to the garage with you and set it near your work area. And don’t forget to let somebody know where you’re at so they can check on you from time-to-time and call 911 if necessary.
– Your beverage of choice. Some of the alcohol based ones can be used as an antiseptic should the need arise; gotta love a multi-tasker.

Things you should know:

– Which of your neighbors has the tools that you didn’t know you’d need.
– All mods take a Noob 5 to 10 times longer than the DIY says.
– Your car has to cool down before doing engine mods – some of that shit is HOT.
– Don’t set tools or supplies on the edge of your engine covers, you’ll knock ’em into the engine. Guaranteed. Then 1) you won’t be able to find them (now *that’s* a conundrum) or 2) you’ll burn yourself when you reach down there to retrieve ’em – some of that shit STAYS hot for quite a while.
– Hold on to your nuts. They tend to fall into the engine too and then yada, yada, yada.

OK, on to the P2R.

Prep for this mod:

– From the day you place your order until the day you do the install, watch the Video DIY by sandiego drive (The Above Video) EVERY day. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not.

– PM others with more experience to answer your (sometimes stupid) questions – I did and everyone was great  .

– Read the P2R thread. Not so much DIY, but there are some useful tips there. OK, it *is* pretty long, but at least browse through it.

http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165606

– Play with the Spacer and Gaskets a little when you get them. They are not symmetrical; the thermo gaskets only fit properly one way, they have a “front” and a “back”. Just make sure the bolt holes and the notch all line up.

Tools for this Mod:
(Since you’re a Noob, I am assuming you still have a stock intake.  )

– 10mm wrench to loosen the band clamp on the stock intake (similar to Video).
– 12mm & 13mm Wrenches (Sockets as an alternative).
– 12mm & 13mm Socket with a short extension. A short handled ratchet is helpful too.
– Pliers or similar
– A razor blade to remove stubborn stock gasket material (See the Video)
– Phillips Head Screw Driver
– Anti-Seize for the new bolts (optional)
– Teflon thread tape (optional) (see the Video – I didn’t use it either)
– Flat Head Screw Driver (because some of the shit you drop, you can dig out by going through the wheel well and those clips pop off with a flat headed screw driver.

Tips to help you along (this is ONLY supplemental to the video, not a step by step guide):

– Remove the battery cover. It’s not *really* in the way, but it will give a tad more room as you’re moving stuff around.

– Remove the (stock) Air Filter. The cover is held by 4 Phillips Head screws – 1 at each corner. These are the good kind of screw, they’re secured to the cover so you CAN’T drop them; HA! Take that you slippery bastards. Again this gives a little more room and a good place to set the Spacer and Gaskets if you need to set them aside for a moment.

– After detaching the sensor on top of the throttle body, unclamp (rubber friction clamp) the harness from the intake. This will make it a little easier to put the intake where you want it.

– When removing the (stock) intake, after you’ve detached the sensor and loosened the band clamp, there is a vacuum line* attached on the firewall side. It’s held in place with a spring clamp. Use the pliers to hold the clamp open and pull the vacuum line* out. This will make it much easier to move the (stock) intake out of the way.

– 3 of the 4 corners of the throttle body are easy to access with either the 12mm wrench or socket. The top 2 are NUTS; remember to Hold On To Your Nuts. The bottom 2 are Bolts.

– As shown in the Video, you need BOTH of your nuts to get the bolts out. If you drop one and can’t find it, you’ll spend a lot of time thinking about what to do next, feeling around the lower front end of the engine getting scorched, fishing around through the wheel well and just generally staring at the engine. BIG waste of time. Trust me on this one. HOLD ON TO YOUR NUTS.

– The 4th corner (lower side closest to the firewall) is a bitch to reach. There is not much room and I couldn’t get a wrench on it. This is where the 12mm Socket with a short extension will save your Noob ass. I had to borrow on from my mechanically inclined neighbor – see I told you that you’d need to know that guy.

– Now install your spacer and gaskets just like sandiegodrive showed you (the notch is “up”). It can be a little tough keeping all three pieces (gasket-spacer-gasket) aligned with the throttle body and get a bolt going at the same time. Have patience, you can do it. An extra pair of hands would be useful, but if you can get the upper rear started (just a few threads) you can then start the lower front and those will hold everything in place.

– In my kit the new bolts had 13mm heads. The bolt size is fine, but I didn’t plan on the 13mm head. You can wrench all but that bitch in the lower back. For that, the 13mm Socket with a short extension will, once again, save your Noob ass.

– Double check that all of the new bolts are tight.

– Now put everything back together and you’re done. The toughest part is getting the vacuum line* back on. A helper to hold the spring clamp open is a godsend – maybe you can get the neighbor with all the tools to help out (if not your wife or gf will do in a pinch). While he holds the clamp open, you pull the vacuum line* and push the (stock) intake. You’ll feel the vacuum line* “pop” into place when it snaps all the way on.

– Remember to replace the sensor and harness just like you found ’em.

–  If you did drop something and couldn’t find it, you’ll cringe a little when you first start the car. Be prepared to turn the car off REALLY fast, just in case.

– You probably WILL get a Check Engine Light and message. The light should go away in 20 miles or so. If not post up and somebody will help you clear it. The message  . I can’t get rid of it (that’s the message the comes up in the Navi).

* – I keep saying it’s a “vacuum line”, but honestly, Noob that I am, I don’t know what the hell it is. All I know is that it was in the way and when I detached it, it didn’t spray any hot nasty fluids on me. In my book, that makes it a “vacuum line”.

Ok, so that’s the pilot episode of Bearcat’s Notes for Noobs.

If anybody actually finds this useful I’ll be surprised. But if by some miracle you do, let me know and I’ll do a couple of others on previous or upcoming mods.