MrZUMZUM

I already tried searching this guys, so no flames. When you search under AST replacement, all you get are 100+ threads on the age old argument "replace or eliminate". I'm just wondering if there are any tricks when replacing it (just received the Pettit) that will save me time, as in doing it from the top or bottom, or whatever. Also any tips on filling system afterwards, etc. would be appreciated....Hell I haven't even looked inside the stock; maybe it's empty when cool and I don't even need to worry.

Thanks as always in advance; you guys always have awesome information.

btw, Pettit was nice enough to include 2 bottles of fuel lubricant; anyone using it? They obviously want me to think it's the greatest and buy more but I haven't seen this topic get much play on the forum.

Cheers. :1party:

ttpowerd

don't drop anything!! hahah...mine took a while becuase I dropped my socket down between the battery and intercooler Oh well, what you need to do is make sure that you have some help....when you pull off the hoses you are going to spill coolant so you need someone to plug the hole with their finger, then it is pretty much self explanatory. The new goes in where the old used to be

ttpowerd

oh, and what did you decide to do with teh intake?

JayProulx

It's really not that hard. Its pretty much just remove the old one, spill the coolant, put the new one in and put the hoses back where they were on the original.

Top it up with coolant and run the car for a bit, you may need to add a bit more after the car runs. The car is going to beep and complain a bit because theres not enough pressure in the system, but idling the engine will get all the bubbles out, then you just need to top it up..

I found the car really liked the fuel lubricant, seemed to run smoother (though, it could have just been Jedi Mind Tricks). I would love to buy more, though I would rather not have to order it from Pettit every time I want to get it :P

If you have the option, do the Pettit boost hose upgrade at the same time as the AST. Remove all the boost hoses that you will be replacing before installing the AST, it will give you more room to maneuver.

I would also suggest putting a flat piece of cardboard under the car so that when you drop screws, screwdriver bits and wrenches, you can pull the cardboard out to retrieve them (I never dropped anything, really I didn't )

On a side note, if you are installing the boost hoses, remove as much of the rubber hoses around the Y-pipe as possible to give you more room, it's very tight down there and hard to get tools into otherwise.


Those are my non-mechanic tips for doing the install, I did both installations at separate times and I would have done them together had I known what I was getting myself into

A note on the boost hoses, make sure that you really tighten down the ring-clamps because I popped my upper intercooler hose off a couple timed because I hadn't put it on tight enough (didn't want to crack the plastic elbows).

ttpowerd

yeah I wish I hadn't dropped the socket onto the radiator. Needless to say it did not fall all the way through to the ground therefore causing my "problems"

jeff8932612

golf tee's work great too plug the hoses that you take off when replacing the ast. Just have someone stand by ready to stick em in quickly.Goodluck

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

If you can get the cap off the stock AST, use something like a turkey baster to suck out as much of the coolant as possible, it will make the job a little less messy.

Just use some clips on the two upper hoses after that, then you'll only have to worry about the lower hose. That's when you'll spill a little coolant. Just connect up the new AST to the lower hose ASAP, and then you are set.

It was much easier for me to get to the lower hose clamp by removing the battery. My battery is not relocated, so it was in the way..

MrZUMZUM

As always, great info guys. Definitely have golf tees to plug the hoses. Great suggestion............. I just found some info on the Scuderiani site as well......does this make any sense to you?.......Pull the freakin wheel? No one mentioned this. It reads:

Tom writes of how to do the replacement if you are just swapping it out. --Steve

Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 14:52:05 -0500
From: Tom Walsh (TWalsh@achieversusa.com)

I have done this... and it took me less than an hour to do it...

1) Remove the right front wheel.

2) Remove the liner that lines the wheel well. You don't need to remove all the little plastic screws, just the front half, and then bend the wheel well liner out of the way.

3)Remove the air box. I had the Pettit air intake so if you have the stock air box, it might take you a little longer.

4)Remove the bolt that hold the tank in place under the hood.

5)There is a black hose that leads to the air separation tank. This hose is broken into sections with a little white couplings connecting the pieces. Disconnect the one that is under the air box.

6)Remove the two bolts that hold the tank in place in the wheel well.


7)Remove the tank... It takes a little work moving it back and forth, but it does come out... If I remember correctly, you move it towards the driver side of the car and then pull towards the rear....

8)replace in reverse order.

Btw, TTPowered, what did you mean about the intake? Some guy named OaklandFD (from this forum) is supposed to be sending me the Racing Beat Cold Air Intake and a K&N, but he hasn't answered my emails for a week. He also has $40 of my money by Paypal. Hope he's not a deadbeat. Is that what you were talking about from a prior post of mine?

Thanks again.

David

spooledUP7

Very funny. Is your reservoir broken?

MrZUMZUM

Spooled up 7, what's funny...... those directions are actually ON the "lightning/world of thunder" website.... is it all BS?

No, my tanks not broken; just doing the PM thing versus potentially waiting for it to split. Am driving it hard at Sebring on the 14th, and figured I ALSO have to drive it home to get me home, so since I was going to do this anyway I figured Now's the time.....

David

Nathan Kwok

My suggestion is definitely REMOVE THE BATTERY. I fiddled with trying to squeeze my hand in there to get the bottom hose off for half an hour before doing this when i could have taken 5 minutes to remove the battery and had it off in another minute. As far as removing the coolant from the old tank (it will not be empty), I took some nylon hose and sucked it out fishtank style. I still managed to spill some but it wasn't too bad and that stuff cleans up easily.

spooledUP7

I thought it was funny because the instructions were clearly for the removal of the resirvoir tank. I thought you were replacing the AST and not the resirvoir tank. That's all.