Honda CR-Z K&N Typhoon Short Ram Intake Installation
Introduction
This guide covers swapping the factory airbox on a first-generation Honda CR-Z for the K&N 69-1018TS Typhoon short ram intake, a bolt-on kit that owners report improves throttle response, adds a deeper intake note, and yields a small mileage gain. The job replaces the stock airbox and intake tube with an aluminum tube, cone filter, and a heat shield that seals against the closed hood to draw cooler air. It applies to the 2011 CR-Z and, despite K&N listing only the 2011 fitment, has been confirmed by multiple owners to fit and run correctly on the 2012 car as well, including the CVT model. No permanent modification to the vehicle is required; every original part can be refitted. Expect to spend an hour and a half to two hours, and note that the printed instructions in the box run a few steps out of the most convenient order, which this guide corrects. Adapted from a community writeup by RicoMagic on CRZ Forum (https://www.crzforum.com/threads/diy-k-n-typhoon-sri-install.7381/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Flat-blade screwdriver
- Phillips screwdriver
- Ratchet with extension
- 10mm socket
- 4mm Allen (hex) wrench
- 3mm Allen (hex) wrench
- Pliers
Parts Required
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K&N Typhoon short ram intake kit, part 69-1018TS (aluminum intake tube, cone filter, heat shield, and silicone throttle-body coupler)
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K&N 69-1018TS kit hardware: replacement coolant bypass hose, 90-degree breather fitting, edge trim, L-brackets and flat bracket, and hose clamps
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Temporary rubber vacuum caps for the two coolant bypass ports (supplied in the kit)
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Old microfiber cloth or shop towels to catch coolant
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ Work on the coolant bypass line only when the engine is fully cold to avoid scalding from hot coolant.
- ⚠ Expect some coolant loss even after the car has sat overnight; keep the port caps and a cloth on hand and protect the floor, as one owner lost roughly three tablespoons and had to remove the undertray.
- ⚠ Always disconnect the negative battery cable before beginning and reconnect it only once the install is complete.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Disconnect the battery and mass air flow sensor
With the ignition off, unbolt and disconnect the negative battery cable so there is no power to the intake circuitry while you work. Then unplug the electrical connector at the mass air flow (MAF) sensor so the harness is free of the factory intake tube.
2 Remove the fresh air scoop and upper intake tube
Undo the two bolts near the front of the bay that hold the fresh air scoop. Loosen the clamp where the fresh air tube meets the airbox and withdraw the tube. Separate the lower section of the tube and pull off its plastic coupler, the piece shaped like a small shift boot; leaving it in place makes the later assembly steps much harder. Note that this coupler often stays stuck on the OEM air duct rather than coming away with the tube. A drop of oil on it lets you work it loose by hand.
3 Remove the factory airbox
Loosen the clamps that join the airbox and its inlet hose where they meet the throttle body. Take out the two bolts anchoring the airbox to the body. Use pliers to ease the crankcase vent tube off its port on the box, then lift the complete airbox assembly out of the car.
4 Replace the coolant bypass hose
Confirm the engine is cold before touching the coolant bypass line. Release the spring clamp holding the bypass hose at the throttle body and immediately fit a rubber cap over the open port; trace the same hose back to the engine and repeat. Whether the caps are strictly needed depends on how much fluid drained overnight: one owner who let the car sit cold still captured roughly three tablespoons and had to pull the undertray, so keep the caps and a cloth ready and protect the floor. Feed the kit's replacement bypass hose through the factory retaining clip, pull the caps off, then fit the new hose and lock it down with the supplied clamps.
5 Fit the silicone throttle-body coupler
Slide the supplied silicone coupler hose onto the throttle body and clamp it in place with the hardware from the kit. This is what the new aluminum tube will later seal against.
6 Transfer the mass air flow sensor
Undo the two screws retaining the MAF sensor in the factory tube and lift the sensor out. Reinstall it into the K&N intake tube, orienting it the same way, and secure it with the hardware provided in the kit.
7 Install the 90-degree breather fitting
Press the 90-degree vent elbow into its bung on the K&N intake tube. With the MAF sensor and elbow both installed, the tube is now a complete assembly ready to go into the heat shield.
8 Trim and fit the heat shield edge sealing
Cut the supplied edge trim into two lengths: one 42 inches and one 11 inches. Run the 42-inch piece around the full perimeter of the heat shield, and fit the 11-inch piece around the tube opening in the shield. This rubber trim seals against the underside of the closed hood, keeping engine heat out and letting cooler air reach the filter, so use the full lengths.
9 Mount the brackets and secure the tube to the shield
Attach the L-brackets and the flat bracket to the heat shield using the kit hardware. Pass the intake tube through the opening in the shield and fasten it, so the tube and shield become a single unit you can lower into the car together.
10 Install the heat shield and intake assembly
Set the combined heat shield and tube into position and bolt the shield to the factory mounting points using the supplied hardware. Push the free end of the intake tube into the silicone coupler on the throttle body and tighten its hose clamp.
11 Connect the crankcase breather hose
Run the crankcase vent hose from the port on the valve cover to the 90-degree elbow on the intake tube. Shorten the hose by about 1 1/2 inches so it does not kink or pinch itself closed on the routing.
12 Install the K&N filter
Before fitting the cone filter, wipe every trace of filter oil from the inside of its neck and from the outer surface where the clamp will grip. Oil residue is the usual reason the filter creeps off the tube no matter how tight the clamp is; cleaning both surfaces lets it seat and hold. Slide the filter onto the tube and lock it with the supplied clamp.
13 Reconnect, inspect, and start the engine
Plug the MAF harness back in and reconnect the negative battery cable. Sweep the engine bay for any dropped tools or leftover hardware, then start the engine and let it settle. On a CVT hybrid the IMA battery gauge may briefly show empty on the first drive and recalibrate to full after a few minutes, which is normal.
Pro Tips
- 💡 Although K&N officially lists the 69-1018TS only for the 2011 CR-Z and its support line may hedge on newer cars, several owners confirmed the identical kit fits and runs correctly on the 2012, including the CVT model.
- 💡 The plastic coupler frequently stays on the OEM air duct; a drop of oil from the dipstick makes it easy to pry off by hand instead of forcing it.
- 💡 If the filter keeps sliding off, the cause is almost always leftover filter oil on the mating surfaces; degrease the tube and filter neck and it will hold.
- 💡 Swapping in the new bypass hose also lets you delete the factory hose-routing bracket for a cleaner-looking bay, though keeping it is fine.
- 💡 The tube tapers from about 2.5 inches at the throttle body down to roughly 2.25 inches at the filter, which is normal for this kit.
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