Potential Intake Air Duct Repairs....
#1
Potential Intake Air Duct Repairs....
2006 XK8 with 118,300 miles....
I replaced the factory plastic air duct in October 2012 at just over 51,000 miles due to the typical heat-related cracks and splits in the accordion-pleated section. While doing my routine fluids-and-pressures check yesterday morning, I noticed some very small holes in the pleats of this replacement air duct. Rather than spend $140 or more for another new air duct (C2N1041) that will crack and split once again, I would prefer to repair this one. Some owners have simply taped up the pleated section with duct tape or electrical tape, while others have cut out the pleated section and replaced it with more durable tubing. For those of you who have opted for the cut-and-replace tubing, what materials did you use, what dimensions are they, and where did you get them?
Thanks for any recommendations you can provide....
I replaced the factory plastic air duct in October 2012 at just over 51,000 miles due to the typical heat-related cracks and splits in the accordion-pleated section. While doing my routine fluids-and-pressures check yesterday morning, I noticed some very small holes in the pleats of this replacement air duct. Rather than spend $140 or more for another new air duct (C2N1041) that will crack and split once again, I would prefer to repair this one. Some owners have simply taped up the pleated section with duct tape or electrical tape, while others have cut out the pleated section and replaced it with more durable tubing. For those of you who have opted for the cut-and-replace tubing, what materials did you use, what dimensions are they, and where did you get them?
Thanks for any recommendations you can provide....
#2
#3
2006 XK8 with 118,300 miles....
I replaced the factory plastic air duct in October 2012 at just over 51,000 miles due to the typical heat-related cracks and splits in the accordion-pleated section. While doing my routine fluids-and-pressures check yesterday morning, I noticed some very small holes in the pleats of this replacement air duct. Rather than spend $140 or more for another new air duct (C2N1041) that will crack and split once again, I would prefer to repair this one. Some owners have simply taped up the pleated section with duct tape or electrical tape, while others have cut out the pleated section and replaced it with more durable tubing. For those of you who have opted for the cut-and-replace tubing, what materials did you use, what dimensions are they, and where did you get them?
Thanks for any recommendations you can provide....
I replaced the factory plastic air duct in October 2012 at just over 51,000 miles due to the typical heat-related cracks and splits in the accordion-pleated section. While doing my routine fluids-and-pressures check yesterday morning, I noticed some very small holes in the pleats of this replacement air duct. Rather than spend $140 or more for another new air duct (C2N1041) that will crack and split once again, I would prefer to repair this one. Some owners have simply taped up the pleated section with duct tape or electrical tape, while others have cut out the pleated section and replaced it with more durable tubing. For those of you who have opted for the cut-and-replace tubing, what materials did you use, what dimensions are they, and where did you get them?
Thanks for any recommendations you can provide....
You can use intake silicone hose connections with clamps and an aluminum tube. In a pinch, even an exhaust pipe of the proper diameter will do. There is also the option of replacing the entire tube with the Mina intake as was mentioned before. Literally anything will do as long as you have the proper diameter and keep it airtight.
#4
Use 3" silicon hose connectors. It's a little fiddly, but the do go over the tubes. I just did this recently and it is holding up fine. Don't cut all of the accordion pleats off. Leave the last and sand it down to a small lip to help retain the tube. You'll also need a short section of 3" tube. I found a chromed plastic piece after first considering exhaust pipe. You will need about 6 inches of running to start with. Leave all of the clamps loose until you have gotten it settled into place in the car, then tighten. See my pics below.
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#6
Higgins,
Looking at the photos of Mina Gallery's aluminum "Performance Air Intake Tube Package" (SKU: PRXTT-1595) on their website, their product looks to be a very different configuration compared to the stock plastic air intake tube on my wife's 2006 XK8. Can you confirm that the Mina Gallery product indeed exactly fits the normally-aspirated 4.2 engine with the factory air filter box? Or am I looking at the wrong product?
Looking at the photos of Mina Gallery's aluminum "Performance Air Intake Tube Package" (SKU: PRXTT-1595) on their website, their product looks to be a very different configuration compared to the stock plastic air intake tube on my wife's 2006 XK8. Can you confirm that the Mina Gallery product indeed exactly fits the normally-aspirated 4.2 engine with the factory air filter box? Or am I looking at the wrong product?
#7
It works
I can confirm the Mina intake will work on the 4.2 engine--see the photos I attached in post #22 in this thread https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-104595/page2/
Doug
Doug
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Chris just now returned my call from yesterday morning and I agree that he is indeed a good guy. We discussed the pros and cons of running breather hoses around the engine bay in these XK8s. He fully understands the constant baking of the various components that goes on in there. I will study the intake tube layout in my wife's car and then decide whether I want to spend the money on Chris' fancy solution or just stick to the more generic repair options such as cutting out the accordion-pleated section or leaving it in place and wrapping it with black electrical tape....
#15
Removed the October 2012 black plastic air duct this morning and saw that of the dozen or so pleats in the accordion section, at least half of them had pinholes or cracks at the very top. That was surprising to me because the original factory one developed pinholes and cracks on the underside while the top remained intact. The current one's underside is still intact. Just goes to show that there is no escaping the engine bay heat in these cars....
So I cleaned up the entire air duct exterior with soap and water and an old toothbrush, let it dry, then generously wrapped the entire accordion section with 12 to 15 feet of fresh electrical tape. Looks better than I thought it would, and that should do the job while I decide whether or not I want to cough up the cash for Chris' aluminum kit or do the cut-and-replace fix....
So I cleaned up the entire air duct exterior with soap and water and an old toothbrush, let it dry, then generously wrapped the entire accordion section with 12 to 15 feet of fresh electrical tape. Looks better than I thought it would, and that should do the job while I decide whether or not I want to cough up the cash for Chris' aluminum kit or do the cut-and-replace fix....
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Jon89 (04-03-2019)
#18
Best of luck, keep us posted.
#19
No, the air duct was not / is not touching the hood liner. I made sure of that when I originally installed it, and checked it again last weekend when I noticed the tiny pinholes and cracks in the top of the accordion section. This failure is chalked up 100% to baking in the engine bay....
#20
Just remembered that I have a roll of silver metal foil tape that I used years ago to wrap a portion of the A/C hoses in my previous 2005 S-Type. They ran directly underneath the oil filter (a stupid design flaw) and always got drenched in old oil whenever the oil filter was removed to drain the remaining oil in the pan. That tape held up quite well in that application. When I find what is left of that roll, I will remove the electrical tape on the accordion section of the air duct and replace it with the appropriate amount of silver metal foil tape. My wife used it on one of her pottery kiln ventilation duct hoses a year or so ago so it is up to her to remember where she put that roll after she was done with it....