Fitting an HKS Racing Suction Reloaded Intake Kit to the Honda Civic Type R (FN2)
Introduction
This guide covers installing the HKS Racing Suction Reloaded (RSK/RSR) open induction kit on the Honda Civic Type R FN2 (K20Z4). The kit replaces the factory airbox and intake tract with an exposed cone filter and revised pipework, which sharpens intake response and gives the engine a noticeably louder, more aggressive note under load, particularly when VTEC engages. Realistically it is a bolt-on, sound-and-feel modification rather than a power upgrade, and it can be completed on the driveway in about an hour with basic hand tools. The trickiest parts are the small fixing bolt that is tightened blind behind the intake pipe and the bracket bolt for the OEM cold-air feed, which can be stubborn to break loose. Coolant loss is minimal because only one short crossover pipe is removed. This procedure combines the original photo walkthrough with the fixes, part clarifications and troubleshooting that surfaced across the discussion, so it also covers filter orientation, MAF sensor handling and what to do if the engine management light appears. Adapted from a community writeup by Loxy on Civinfo (https://www.civinfo.com/threads/how-to-fit-a-hks-racing-suction-reloaded-kit-to-an-fn2.47318/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Metric socket set with ratchet
- Stubby or compact ratchet for tight clearance behind the intake pipe
- Flat-blade screwdriver for jubilee (worm-drive) clips
- Cross-head screwdriver for the MAF sensor screws
- Vice grips / mole grips (for seized MAF sensor screws)
- Hose clamp or locking pliers to pinch the coolant hose
- Rag to plug the open coolant hose
Parts Required
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HKS Racing Suction Reloaded induction kit (intake pipe, filter, replacement water pipe, silicone couplers, brackets and fixings)
-
Small metal joint pipe (kit part no. 21) and angled coolant hose (kit part no. 19)
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Spare jubilee clips (a few extra can help if any are missing or damaged)
-
Coolant top-up (small amount, in case the level needs correcting)
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ The MAF sensor must be refitted the correct way round and sealed properly against its housing. A reversed or poorly sealed sensor can trigger the engine management light and cause the engine to run poorly.
- ⚠ If the engine management light comes on after fitment, first confirm all pipe sections are seated, every jubilee clip is tight and the MAF sensor is sealed and correctly oriented; disconnecting and reconnecting the battery will then clear the light.
- ⚠ Only work on the coolant pipes when the engine is cold to avoid scalding.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Remove the factory airbox lid, filter and MAF connector
Work with the engine cold. Unplug the electrical connector at the mass airflow (MAF) sensor. Release the three spring clips that hold the airbox lid, lift the lid away, and take out the panel filter. Keep the lid to one side, as the MAF sensor is transferred from it to the new intake pipe later.
2 Remove the OEM twin metal coolant pipe
Optionally pinch the coolant hose with a clamp or locking pliers first, although the amount that escapes is tiny, typically not even 50ml. Take out the factory twin metal pipe that crosses the top of the engine; this is the only coolant pipe removed, and the rocker-cover breather bracket is attached to it. If you leave the open hose disconnected for a while, plug it with a rag to catch drips.
3 Disconnect the breather hoses and lift out the OEM intake pipe
Free the factory intake tube, releasing each breather hose as you reach it. The breather pipe at the rocker cover tends to be the most awkward to detach, so ease it off carefully rather than forcing it.
4 Fit the kit's replacement water pipe and joint
Install the new water pipe supplied in the kit in place of the removed OEM crossover. Kit part no. 21, a short metal joint, is included and needed because the original dual metal pipe has been taken out; it links the angled coolant hose (part no. 19) into the remaining system. Fit these but leave the clips loose for now so the pipework can be aligned later.
5 Release the lower airbox tray
Undo the single bolt securing the base of the airbox to the body. The lower tray then lifts free of a set of locating spikes; its rubber bungs simply pop off these pins with a firm pull.
6 Fit the bracket for the OEM cold-air feed pipe
Undo the bolt at this location and use it to mount the kit bracket that retains the original cold-air feed pipe, then fit the bracket in position. This bolt is a common sticking point and can feel almost welded in, so allow time to break it loose without rounding the head.
7 Remove the bolt for the upper intake-pipe bracket
Take out the bolt that will later secure the bracket supporting the top of the new intake pipe. Removing it now gives clear access before the pipework is loosely assembled over it.
8 Loosely assemble the new intake pipework
Offer up the lower section and connect all of the hoses, leaving every jubilee clip slack. Keeping the joints loose lets the pipe sections rotate and settle so the whole assembly can be lined up correctly before anything is tightened.
9 Transfer the MAF sensor to the new intake pipe
Unscrew the mass airflow sensor from the original lid and mount it on the new intake pipe, then reconnect its plug. If the cross-head screws begin to round off, grip the sides of each screw head with vice grips and turn anticlockwise to break them free, then finish with a screwdriver. Make sure the sensor seats squarely and seals properly against its housing, and fit it the correct way round.
10 Secure the intake bracket and tighten all clamps
Reaching around the intake pipe, thread the supplied bolt into the hole exposed earlier to attach the bracket; this is done largely by feel in a very confined space and is the fiddliest part of the job, so a compact ratchet and small hands help. Then tighten the bolt on the opposite side where the pipe bracket meets it. Finally, work around and tighten every jubilee clip fully. Note that the side bolt in the alloy pipe seats and tightens even though it appears not to thread all the way in; this is normal and needs no thread sealant.
11 Check coolant and confirm operation
Confirm the coolant level sits between minimum and maximum in the expansion tank behind the radiator. Start the engine, let it run for a couple of minutes, then recheck the level and top up only if needed. Take a short test drive and check the level once more. Because so little coolant is disturbed, the system does not normally need bleeding.
Pro Tips
- 💡 Coolant loss is minimal, often only a few millilitres; check the level between min and max, then recheck after a test drive. The system does not normally require bleeding, though the fitting instructions do advise removing air from the coolant system before the first start if a significant amount is spilled.
- 💡 The bolt in the side of the alloy pipe tightens correctly even though it looks like it does not thread fully home; this is normal and does not leak, so no thread sealant or threadlock is needed.
- 💡 If sourcing replacement silicone couplers, the sizes are two at 80mm and one at 70mm (parts list items 4 and 5).
- 💡 For a multi-layer filter, fit the densest layer innermost, furthest from the outer mesh. The standard yellow filter supplied with the kit is a two-layer wet type, well suited to UK conditions.
- 💡 The lower factory feed pipe and resonator below the airbox can be left in place, where it simply acts as a cold-air feed toward the filter.
- 💡 The engine will not rev beyond 5000 rpm while the car is stationary; this is normal engine behaviour, not a fault caused by the kit.
- 💡 The fitting instructions suggest disconnecting the battery, mainly as a precaution while working under the bonnet. Strictly it is not required for this install, and the HKS kit does not need an ECU reset.
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