I thought I would take some pictures of my intercooler being removed ready to post off - I thought I would try to do a ' How-To '....
Firstly, you need to unplug the MAF ( grey one ) and the Electrovalve ( hidden blue one )
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Then you need to undo the jubilee clips holding the top hose and the bottom hose in place - you can undo the bottom one by reaching down through the engine bay with a long screwdriver. You will need to put a cover over the driveway as some oily gunk will come out as you pull it clear..
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Then you can easily lift the complete airbox and MAF away from the front to give you more space ( this is why you unplug the connectors first.. ) I tend to rest it up by the throttle assembly while it is still attached to the rest of the pipework.
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Undo the 4 13mm bolts securing the slam panel in place ( 2 on each side )
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Now you can gently ease the slam panel towards you about and inch and push/pop the intercooler top fixing away from the panel.
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Next, remove the MAP sensor from the top of the intercooler - you can keep it plugged in if you like... This will foul the battery box and annoy you as it gets in the way as you struggle to free the intercooler.
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This gives you enough space to wiggle the intercooler free from its housing - you need to lean the intercooler to the right to free the bottom left locating pin from the bodywork, then lift it to the left and twist it anti-clockwise to free the bottom right locating pin. The picture below shows the locating holes for the intercooler to sit in, along with the protruding bodywork ( bottom right ) where the inlet for the intercooler fits a bit snuggly....hence the twist.
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Here are the locating pins..
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Give the bodywork a quick degrease and you are ready to fit the new one - refitting is the reverse of removal, blah blah....
Do the bottom intercooler hose before the top one to give more room to try and keep the jubilee clip still....
Make sure you reconnect all the connectors, double check the tiny pipe between the intercooler and the MAP sensor as this can leak over time.