Desnork 2003 ? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

mcomet · 11-19-2012, 07:57 PM

Done searching / reading... Any info / how to on a 2003 model for vent removal and desnork? Sounds like things from 2003 and later might be different?

Squozen · 11-19-2012, 09:12 PM

It's not markedly different from the early ones. The only hard part is the amount of effort required to yank the snorkel out.

ohhh my · 11-19-2012, 10:44 PM

Remove the 1 screw that's holding the left side grill in, use a pair of pliers and yank/wiggle the tube out. Done.

Skrapmot · 11-20-2012, 12:28 AM

Mike if you're nervous, let me know, you can swing by my pad in Walnut Creek and I'll show you how to yank it out. I did it on mine and it does sound better under load and WOT.
Thomas

mcomet · 11-20-2012, 07:10 AM

Hmm where here is why I ask... My version doesn't seem to look like some of the other pages I have seen. There is an additional screw and black mesh insert ....seems cool... for debris, but then another long tube sticking to that... I assume that is the snorkel? Yes / No? Not sure if prev owners did something else here already.. The Passenger side is a staight open pass thru and i can see an engine fan or something inside... (no pics of that).

Here are pics of my driver side intake...

intake with much covered by plastic mesh:

Lower down additional screw and grill area:

Tube from mesh into body:

another view:

I am thinking this sounds like the newer Cayman style snorkel that most people have seemingly decided NOT to mess with? Thoughts?

thanks,
comet

mcomet · 11-20-2012, 07:19 AM

For the sake of completeness.. here is the PASSENGER side... it seems like there used to be a similar plastic mesh grill here but that it was unscrewed and removed... I can see straight into the engine... not sure if this is a good thing or not...

Similar looking with top area closed off but no mesh screwed in

Here you can see screw hole for mesh on top and opening into engine

Better view into the hole leading to engine

Skrapmot · 11-20-2012, 10:20 AM

The snorkel is on the drivers side, just remove the cover and mesh grill and pull it out. It might take a little wiggling though.
The mesh was added to help block debris, when I desnorkled mine I found a cigarette butt and lots of little leaves.

mcomet · 11-20-2012, 11:29 AM

Yeah I did some more research apparently these are the slightly modified versions the did early after the famed cigarette fire incident. Then they changed it yet again for the newer model caymans and such. Looks like I will do this later today. Thanks!

BYprodriver · 11-20-2012, 11:43 AM

[QUOTE=mcomet;313618]Yeah I did some more research apparently these are the slightly modified versions the did early after the famed cigarette fire incident. Then they changed it yet again for the newer model caymans and such. Looks like I will do this later today. Thanks![/QUOTE

For 2003 Porsche redesigned the side air intake for improved airflow & credited the new design for some of the power increase that year. I believe removing your snorkel will cause a power loss.

mcomet · 11-20-2012, 12:09 PM

Hmm well here is where my info came from on planet 9

DeSnork Part 1 (Boxster Example) - Articles

Skrapmot · 11-20-2012, 12:09 PM

Try it, you can always put it back on.
I like the sound the car makes with it off.

mcomet · 11-20-2012, 01:30 PM

Is there a trick to unclamping the main cover? I seem to have it loose other than bottom left corner and I am pulling fairly hard.

Ah success I had to push up and in a but to get it all out... Next up mesh and snorkel...

mcomet · 11-20-2012, 02:20 PM

Ok in an effort to get more info, and to document this for the future...

I managed to remove the grill itself, and the plastic insert ring on the inside. This left me with a rubber grommet that is mounted inside... I am not sure if this is what people are saying should be pulled out or not. There is that second screw inside of this that holds a plastic mesh. I removed that, and there is a hard plastic tube inside. I don't see that being removed without the rubber part. The rubber is seemingly joined to a hard plastic section via some sort of binding/caulking. It looks like there might be a clip that is forced from the inside to the outside on the top left... I haven't tried pushing that in to get this out. I blindly tried disconnecting the rubber parts and pulling but that doesn't seem to be the way to go. There's a hole in the bottom of the rubber that seems to lead out for some sort of drainage also.

Before I start yanking or damaging anything here, I am wondering if anyone has actually -done- this on a 2003 or newer that looks like this and what they did. Worst case I learned about my car more and was able to really nicely clean my grill..heh.

Here are some pics:

Grill is out, plastic ring still clipped in... note the hole bottom left for drainage:

Grill and the plastic ring removed:

Plastic ring removed, the rubber surround remains...note there are rubber tabs clipping this in, one on top, two on bottom:

The rubber and plastic box are tied together... note the pin sticking in the top left here, I think this may be what is keeping it all "in the car".

Mesh piece unscrewed and removed from inside...

The tube itself is hard plastic, and is seeming a part of this inner box.

This all seems very different from earlier models I have seen documented. I am beginning to think this might not be worth doing?

mcomet · 11-20-2012, 04:17 PM

Thanks to Skrapmot for finding this related post:
http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/27405-need-help-de-snorkel-2003-boxster.html

It seems the hard tube is able to come off... I will try this next. Not sure how reversible this will be. The rubber and mesh etc will remain back in place when I am done. Since the rubber covers a lot of the intake I am not really sure what this will all do tho from the other thread it sounds like it still might affect sound heh...

Edit: here is another link
http://www.renntech.org/forums/topic/25174-2003-986-snorkel-or-no-snorkel/

Seems like the difference in a 2003 isn't that great. I have to admit mine makes a pretty good noise at around the rprms mentioned already... I really just need a proper exhaust... Heh.

mcomet · 11-21-2012, 07:35 PM

So after much mulling, more web searching, soul searching, I decided to leave the intake stock for now and put everything back. It seems like the hard plastic tube is supposed to be removable but it is definitely in fairly good. Considering the actual opening into the air filter area is still the diameter of the back of the snorkel, I am not sure what removing it would accomplish other than letting less direct outside air in. If anyone with a 2003+ actually has this exact box, pictures and has done this I'd be curious to hear, but for now I am gonna leave it be.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

comet

Skrapmot · 11-21-2012, 09:27 PM

I think it's mostly a sound thing, maybe changes the torque curve slightly. It does sound cool without having to go WOT.

I would think under race conditions , the cooler air intake of the stock setup would be advantageous, but under normal driving...it would be negligible. Probably losing 10lbs would give you more of a boost in acceleration.

Nimbus117 · 11-22-2012, 01:18 AM

I have a 2003 same as yours, I removed mine. Cant say I noticed any power reduction but do love the induction roar at full throttle. I also replaced the muffled air intake with a straight through aluminium affair, no noticeable power increase as they claim but does sound amazing.

mcomet · 11-22-2012, 07:34 AM

Nimbus thanks for the info. What aluminum did you use? Something you bought or custom made?

PS: I love spambots...