[Joshim]

Hi,
I just recently bought a K&N 57i for my 1.8 after reading all the reviews from others on the forum.
Went to fit it earlier on today and I made a complete shambles out of it lol. Followed the naff instructions included and it seemed to go well until i got to the mass air flow sensor. One of the screws holding the sensor in had rusted pretty badly and wouldnt unscrew at all!
After spending almost an hour trying to shimmy the screw out using every tool at my disposal i finally got so frustrated i decided to take a hammer to it and broke the piece of the sensor the screw goes into.

I had to resort to duct taping the sensor in the K&N holder to hold it in place and make it air tight. During the shenanigans i must've dropped the sensor a bunch of times and am afraid i might have damaged the metal part slightly.

Drove it around for a bit and everything seemed ok. No jerking, no engine management light and no flat spots so far.

Would i need to replace sensor or would the duct tape be ok??

 

[F6HAD]

Oh mate

I guess as long as the hotwire and sensor element inside is intact then its ok. You need to ensure there is a tight seal around the sensor where it sits inside the housing and over time with engine vibrations, it has the potential to come loose and start drawing in air and giving incorrect readings. Did you disturb the o ring around the sensor?

 

[Joshim]

I think i managed to duct tape it tight enough and made it an air tight seal. It's held very tightly in place so hopefully the vibrations shouldnt be too much of an issue.

Im just worried that i dropped it on concrete a couple of times and though there wernt any visible scratches or dents, something inside might have broke which might affect the reading.
And im not familiar with the o ring?? confused: noob).

 

[Jonnyrocket]

It should still be ok, they're pretty robust. Ive messed with mine a lot recently and no issues. They're £280 from honda and about £80 secondhand on eBay. If the cars running ok then live with it for now, but definitely change it when you can afford it. That tape won't last forever, slowly but surely itll leak air and moisture which isn't good!

 

[Joshim]

Yeah definitely gotta replace it when i get the chance (even though my DIY fix wasnt too bad IMO lol).

Btw on a different note can i ask about your remap?
Im sooo tempted to get the 1.8 remap done but living in London i rarely manage to go over 4000rpm (sad but true ), so all im really hoping for is improved torque in the lower rev range, which the 1.8 hugely lacks in. Should've gone for the 2.2 derv

How much improvement is there in terms of torque in the lower rev range??

 

[F6HAD]

Not sure if you're asking me or Jonny, but yes there is more low down torque and a much sharper throttle so town driving should be easier too. But I'll let Jonny respond properly when he sees it.

 

[Joshim]

Asking both of you to be honest - you are the remap specialist on the forum as far as im aware???

This might sound silly but would it be possible to give a torque comparison to another car, say sort of torque you get from an astra 1.7 cdti?? (might be way off the mark here but just want to see the level of improvement)

 

[F6HAD]

Well we're responsible with Elite Remaps for the R18 solution you are enquiring about, hence the reason I thought you were asking.

Short answer to your question is no. Turbo diesels and normally aspirated petrol cars make power in very different ways. As tuners, we have to make the best of what we have to work with.

Perhaps its best for Jonny to answer as the car is his daily drive and he can tell you firsthand.

 

[Jonnyrocket]

Hi mate. Theres a massive improvement in the drivability of the car. Although you won't see a massive difference in torque it is noticeable. I could tell the difference straight away but I didn't fully appreciate it until I got home and onto the roads I know.

Get the remap done and when you should be in 4th, leave in 3rd and so on. That's a Honda engine under the bonnet, not a tractor! cost wise it's well worth it. I usually use my bike 60% of the year but I love driving the civic that much I've barely touched it!

 

[Joshim]

Alright cheers buddy. I was probably being a bit too optimistic lol.

Jonny i think im sold on the remap, hopefully by the end of the month! (that's if the MAF sensor doesnt start acting up)
I'll let you know how i get on with it!

Cheers for your help guys.

 

[Jonnyrocket]

No problem! Youve got the first essential mod sorted to remap should definitely be next. The only other advice I can give is move somewhere with roads!

 

[Joshim]

Hahaha touché

 

[Brungle]

One of the screws holding the sensor in had rusted pretty badly and wouldnt unscrew at all!
After spending almost an hour trying to shimmy the screw out using every tool at my disposal i finally got so frustrated i decided to take a hammer to it and broke the piece of the sensor the screw goes into.

Fitting mine tomorrow and my car is an 06 I hope my screws haven't rusted!!!

 

[Jonnyrocket]

Fitting mine tomorrow and my car is an 06 I hope my screws haven't rusted!!!

mine were a little rusty, but apply plenty of pressure so the screw driver doesnt slip. i use a stubby screwdriver. the kit has replacement screws that are better quality but take alot of effort to get in. you're best screwing them into the intake pipe first, then unscrewing them. that way when you fit the MAF it'll be easier and less chance of damage

(if that doesnt make sense let me know)