99-04 V6 Cold Air Intake Installing a cold air intake (CAI) is a fairly simple task on a Mustang. You won’t see much of an increase in power but it’s definitely a great way to start cleaning up your engine bay and most CAIs can be heard sucking in air at higher RPMs.

To start this install you’ll need:

-Flathead screwdriver -Ratchet (socket wrench) -Assortment of sockets

While it’s not necessary, you can disconnect your negative battery cable during this install. 99-04 Mustangs do not require a tune when you install a CAI but the computer (ECU) will need to relearn the A/F settings since you’ll be bringing in more air.

You’ll need to start by removing the original air intake. The air filter housing is held on by 2 clips and 1 bolt (there are also 2 rubber grommets at the bottom, save these for later). The bolt is connected to the fender and the clips should be easily visible. If not, just feel your way around the seam of the air filter housing and you’ll find it. Remove the bolt, undo the 2 clips, then pull the air filter housing out. Save the bolt from the fender, you’ll need it when install the CAI.

Now you’ll see a wire running up to an electrical connector at the large end of the of the air intake tube. Disconnect this sensor and let it hang down into the engine bay. Follow the air intake tube towards the throttle body until you find a house that runs down to the engine. Disconnect this hose and let it dangle aside (if it is damaged or dry-rotting, your CAI kit may have come with a new one to replace it. We’ll discuss this later). Finally when you reach the throttle body you’ll see a hose clamp that is keeping the air intake tube connected. Use your flathead screwdriver to loosen the clamp until you can remove the tube from the throttle body.

Before you start installing the CAI, you should go ahead and get the mass air sensor (MAF) out of the original air intake. At the large end of the intake tubing you should see clips holding part of it together. Simply undo the clips and you’ll find the MAF nicely housed inside. The MAF is connected by 4 bolts and a rubber grommet holding the wire harness in place. Remove the bolts then use your flathead screwdriver to push the rubber grommet through the opening.

Now on the install. First of all, find the new piece of tubing that has a small tube with an opening protruding from it. This is the piece that will connect to your throttle body. Put a coupler on the end of the tubing and slide 2 hose clamps over the coupler. Connect the other side of the coupler to the throttle body. Position the hose clams so that they will securely keep the tubing and the throttle body joined by the coupled, then tight both hose clamps.

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Now if your PCV line is dry-rotting or damaged, this is the time to replace it. Follow the tube down to the valve cover and pull the connector out. Remove the hose from the connector. Now if your CAI kit came with a new hose, it may be slightly too large to make a snug connection with the connector. To overcome this, clean the connector and the new hose well. Then put some superglue around the bottom edge of the hose and put it onto the connector. Apply pressure for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Now reattach the connector to the valve cover and connect the other end of the hose to tube protruding from the CAI tube.

Now you’re almost half way done. Grab the other half of the CAI tube and your MAF (along with the provided gasket). You’ll see one end of the CAI tube has 4 holes that match up with the 4 bolt holes on the MAF. Place the gasket on the CAI tube then the throttle body on top of it. Put your bolts in place then hand tighten the nuts onto them. With all 4 bolts in place, tighten the nuts down with your socket wrench.

Now find your air filter, a hose clamp, and the large metal piece that curves at the bottom (there are 2 holes for bolts at the bottom). Slide the large metal piece over the CAI tube with the bottom of the curve pointing towards the curve in the CAI tube. Slide the hose clamp over the CAI tube then put the air filter on the end and secure it with the hose clamp.

Before you go any further, find the 2 metal pieces that are thin on one end and bigger on the other (they also have a hole in the large end that is threaded for a bolt). Push these 2 pieces into the rubber grommets that were originally holding the air filter housing in place.

Take your other coupler and put it over the exposed end of the MAF. Use a hose clamp to secure the coupler to the MAF. Now take the CAI tube with all the parts you’ve attached and insert the air filter end into the hole in the fender where the original air filter housing was attached. You should be able to match up the holes in the curved metal plate to the holes in the metal pieces you inserted into the rubber grommets. But we’ll deal with that in a bit.

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Slide a hose clamp over the first half of the CAI that you installed and slide the coupler, that is attached to the MAF, over the open end of that first half. It can be tricky to the coupler to go over it, but keep at it and you’ll get it. Secure the couple with the hose clamp.

Now take your bolt that was holding the air filter housing to the fender and use it to secure the metal plate by the air filter to the fender. Use the 2 bolts provided with your CAI kit to secure the bottom of the metal plate to the metal pieces in the rubber grommets.

Reconnect the electrical connector to your MAF, reconnect your battery, and take it for a test drive!

http://ModYourMustang.com/

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