keep0njeepin0n
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Beaufort, SC
I will be doing a brief write up of spectre's cowl intake for 97-01 XJ's showing pictures of the install. I was lucky enough to receive one of these for evaluation in exchange for an honest review. I have no affiliation with the company and was not paid for my opinions.
That being said, here goes:
This is what the FedEx man brought me:
Stock intake still installed:
Obviously, the first thing you'll want to do is remove the stock intake plumbing, filter, and filter box. The instructions say to remove the 3 10mm bolts from the filter box, but mine were 13mm...maybe it's different for 96- XJ's, I don't know, but it's not a big deal.
Next, you'll install an adapter ring (sorry, no picture). All it is is a rubber ring to go over the throttle body to make the diameter big enough for the throttle body coupler and tubing. This intake tube is massive in diameter. The adapter ring is a VERY snug fit, but it does fit. That is one thing I noticed about this intake, everything fits snugly, and perfectly, no room for slop and very well constructed.
The kit comes with 2 rubber couplers, one for the TB and one for the firewall adapter. DO NOT install this one on the TB like I originally did.
I had it almost all fit together, and thankfully, decided I would check for hood clearance, and sure enough, it didn't clear. The one that belongs on the throttle body is the one that says SPECTRE on it. The other one has a hump in the middle and goes on the firewall adapter. Also, when test fitting, I noticed that there was no clearance for the underhood light. For me, I took mine off and unplugged it and tucked the plug away for a couple reasons. First, the bulb was blown, second, I never use the light anyways, and it's pretty worthless. It puts out horrible light. I also have an underhood light that I can use on the side of the road if necessary.
Here you can see the wrong coupler installed:
And this is the one that SHOULD be used on the TB:
As stated in the instructions, I put everything together loosely and check for fitment, clearance, and location. Once this is done, you will want to draw three dots through the holes on your firewall coupler, then trace around the inside of it and find the center to drill out a 3" hole. It is hard to see in the pic, but there are 3 silver dots around the hole where the screws will go to hold the adapter plate to the firewall. This was the hardest part of the install. Drilling the 3" hole with a brand new hole saw still proved to be somewhat frustrating, and you definitely need patience. Slow and steady is how I went and it turned out perfect.
It doesn't state in the instructions, but I made sure to blow out all the metal shavings from the cowl so it didn't get sucked into the intake.
Once that is all done, the next thing you'll do is drill the three 1/8" holes for the firewall adapter, then use the sheet metal screws to secure it to the firewall. After that, put everything together and tighten everything down. Once you do, it should look like this all completed:
I went on a quick test drive and so far am happy with everything. The sound at WOT is AWESOME in my opinion. Of course, it does increase the interior noise some, and that is to be expected, but it's nothing drastic, and you can talk over it. The install went really well, and overall, took about an hour and a half, but keep in mind, I was taking pictures, AND I screwed up at first and put the TB coupler in the wrong spot.
There was one weird thing I noticed, but it's not a big deal at all. The instructions give you a list of what came in the box, and a list of tools you'll need. The last tool it calls for is a tape measure. I have no idea why you'd need one, and the instructions never call for it during the install process. Like I said, it's no big deal at all, but had me wondering. :laugh:
My initial impressions are great! I like the design, and the fit, finish, and quality are second to none. The welds are extreme quality and you can tell they did not cheap out on the product. The sound, as I said is awesome. I can't say as though I felt a big difference in the butt dyno, or gas mileage, however, I have yet to drive extended periods with it. I will be sure to update in a couple weeks after a tank or two to see if MPG's have improved.
One thing I do wish it had, that it did not come with, is a thin piece of rubber the exact shape of the firewall adapter to go between the firewall, and the adapter. Seems to me it would make a better seal, but maybe they'll come out with one later.
Please let me know what you think. Questions/Comments welcome!
The kit can be found here: http://www.spectreperformance.com/#CATALOG.9948
That being said, here goes:
This is what the FedEx man brought me:
Stock intake still installed:
Obviously, the first thing you'll want to do is remove the stock intake plumbing, filter, and filter box. The instructions say to remove the 3 10mm bolts from the filter box, but mine were 13mm...maybe it's different for 96- XJ's, I don't know, but it's not a big deal.
Next, you'll install an adapter ring (sorry, no picture). All it is is a rubber ring to go over the throttle body to make the diameter big enough for the throttle body coupler and tubing. This intake tube is massive in diameter. The adapter ring is a VERY snug fit, but it does fit. That is one thing I noticed about this intake, everything fits snugly, and perfectly, no room for slop and very well constructed.
The kit comes with 2 rubber couplers, one for the TB and one for the firewall adapter. DO NOT install this one on the TB like I originally did.
I had it almost all fit together, and thankfully, decided I would check for hood clearance, and sure enough, it didn't clear. The one that belongs on the throttle body is the one that says SPECTRE on it. The other one has a hump in the middle and goes on the firewall adapter. Also, when test fitting, I noticed that there was no clearance for the underhood light. For me, I took mine off and unplugged it and tucked the plug away for a couple reasons. First, the bulb was blown, second, I never use the light anyways, and it's pretty worthless. It puts out horrible light. I also have an underhood light that I can use on the side of the road if necessary.
Here you can see the wrong coupler installed:
And this is the one that SHOULD be used on the TB:
As stated in the instructions, I put everything together loosely and check for fitment, clearance, and location. Once this is done, you will want to draw three dots through the holes on your firewall coupler, then trace around the inside of it and find the center to drill out a 3" hole. It is hard to see in the pic, but there are 3 silver dots around the hole where the screws will go to hold the adapter plate to the firewall. This was the hardest part of the install. Drilling the 3" hole with a brand new hole saw still proved to be somewhat frustrating, and you definitely need patience. Slow and steady is how I went and it turned out perfect.
It doesn't state in the instructions, but I made sure to blow out all the metal shavings from the cowl so it didn't get sucked into the intake.
Once that is all done, the next thing you'll do is drill the three 1/8" holes for the firewall adapter, then use the sheet metal screws to secure it to the firewall. After that, put everything together and tighten everything down. Once you do, it should look like this all completed:
I went on a quick test drive and so far am happy with everything. The sound at WOT is AWESOME in my opinion. Of course, it does increase the interior noise some, and that is to be expected, but it's nothing drastic, and you can talk over it. The install went really well, and overall, took about an hour and a half, but keep in mind, I was taking pictures, AND I screwed up at first and put the TB coupler in the wrong spot.
There was one weird thing I noticed, but it's not a big deal at all. The instructions give you a list of what came in the box, and a list of tools you'll need. The last tool it calls for is a tape measure. I have no idea why you'd need one, and the instructions never call for it during the install process. Like I said, it's no big deal at all, but had me wondering. :laugh:
My initial impressions are great! I like the design, and the fit, finish, and quality are second to none. The welds are extreme quality and you can tell they did not cheap out on the product. The sound, as I said is awesome. I can't say as though I felt a big difference in the butt dyno, or gas mileage, however, I have yet to drive extended periods with it. I will be sure to update in a couple weeks after a tank or two to see if MPG's have improved.
One thing I do wish it had, that it did not come with, is a thin piece of rubber the exact shape of the firewall adapter to go between the firewall, and the adapter. Seems to me it would make a better seal, but maybe they'll come out with one later.
Please let me know what you think. Questions/Comments welcome!
The kit can be found here: http://www.spectreperformance.com/#CATALOG.9948
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