Mishimoto Silicone Intake Boot R&D!

Mishimoto · Jun 18, 2015

Hey guys,

Along with an intake system, aluminum radiator, and aluminum expansion tank, we are also taking on a set of silicone intake boots. Check out the details regarding this project on our blog or posted within this thread.

http://engineering.mishimoto.com/category/bmw-e46-3-series-silicone-induction-hose-1999-2005/

BMW E46 3-Series Silicone Intake Boot Development!

During the development of our new intake system for the 2000***8211;2006 BMW 3-series, we identified yet another component that would be a vital upgrade as the E46 chassis begins to age (gracefully though, right!). With a lack of support in offerings for a silicone E46 intake boot set, we decided to design a set that would replace the failure-prone stock rubber units. If you***8217;ve ever owned a BMW (E30, E36, E46, etc.) that utilizes such rubber intake elbows and hoses, you may have experienced failure at some point. Typically the area of flex begins to develop cracks and tears over time. The unmonitored air entry results in a rough running straight six ***8230; not exactly ideal. So let***8217;s get to the project!

Stock Intake Boots

First, check out the factory-equipped boots!

Stock BMW E46 intake boot assembly

Stock BMW E46 intake boot assembly

The stock E46 intake boot uses a two-piece unit with three individual ports. The two-piece design allows for easier installation.

3D Models

The start of our design work began in Solidworks. We collected dimensional data from the stock hoses and began modeling our counterparts.

First, check out a couple renderings of our throttle-body connection hose!

Throttle-body hose 3D model

Throttle-body hose 3D model

One feature you will notice on this piece is the lip on the inside of the throttle-body connection. Like the stock rubber piece, this lip is designed to fit into a groove on the throttle body for an optimal seal. Below is a shot of the throttle body, showing the groove!

E46 throttle body

Next, check out the second portion of this induction hose assembly. This part attaches to the throttle-body hose via a CNC-machined connector and then attaches to the MAF housing.

MAF hose 3D model

MAF hose 3D model

Functional Prototype Images

We worked up a few initial prototypes so we could move forward with the test-fitting process. Check it out!

Mishimoto prototype E46 intake boot set (top) and stock E46 intake boot set (bottom)

Mishimoto prototype throttle-body boot (right) and stock throttle-body boot (left)

We noted the lip on the throttle-body connection and translated from our model, which is shown on our prototype below.

Mishimoto prototype throttle-body boot lip (left) and stock throttle-body boot lip (top)

As you can see in the images above, we designed a CNC-machined adapter that will mate with the two hoses. We could have used a plastic component, but we wanted to eliminate the chance of failure, so aluminum was selected as an ideal material. Check out a close-up shot of this piece!

Mishimoto CNC-machined hose connector

This is not the only CNC-machined component here! The two other hose-connection points were manufactured from aluminum as well.

Mishimoto CNC-machined barb fitting

Installed Shots!

Once we compared the two hoses, the Mishimoto prototype BMW E46 intake boot was installed. Check out a few images with this kit fully installed on an otherwise stock vehicle.

Mishimoto silicone induction hose kit installed

Mishimoto silicone induction hose kit installed

Discounted Presale

Along with our full intake system, we will be running a discounted presale for the E46 intake boot kit we developed. Check back soon for more details on pricing and shipping information if you***8217;re looking to pick up this kit!

Thanks for taking a look! Feel free to follow up with any questions or comments.

-John

Zell · Jun 18, 2015

Mishimoto is pumping out the E46 parts these days

Mishimoto · Jun 18, 2015

Yes, we sure are. We managed to block out some of our schedule to focus on older BMW chassis'. Being a BMW guy myself, it has been enjoyable to offer product advice and watch our engineers develop some neat products.

evanr614 said:
I'm not super fond of the red. Otherwise nice addition to the cold air intake.

It is a bit flashy for some folks, completely understandable. These boots will be available in black, blue, or red.

Thanks
-John

evanr614 · Jun 18, 2015

I'm not super fond of the red. Otherwise nice addition to the cold air intake.

dck8267 · Jul 15, 2017

00pl0ppⁿqa@a@@@a

Zell said:
Mishimoto is pumping out the E46 parts these days

Mishimoto said:
Yes, we sure are. We managed to block out some of our schedule to focus on older BMW chassis'. Being a BMW guy myself, it has been enjoyable to offer product advice and watch our engineers develop some neat products.

It is a bit flashy for some folks, completely understandable. These boots will be available in black, blue, or red.

Thanks
-John

Sent from my SM-G955U using E46Fanatics mobile app

Tbone8ty · Jun 18, 2015

Sweet! I'm all over this!

Mishimoto · Jun 19, 2015

Thanks!

Tangent_ said:
Will the lower boot fit with a stock upper and will you sell them separately? If it fits with stock upper it'll also fit with other aftermarket intakes like the K&N I have... And I'm with evanr614, not a huge fan of the red, but not a huge deal by any means.

We will only be selling the boots in a kit and it is unlikely they will be compatible with stock boot connections. As noted above, we will offer these in black and blue as well.

MARKS330I said:
I'm in for a set of the reds!

Great, thank you!

ben99 said:
Any idea if there will be an increase in power?

Very unlikely Ben. These hoses are more of an upgrade in terms of durability and longevity.

TRITONAL said:
Well this went from announcement to functional prototypes pretty quickly. The CNC machined F-connector is nice - never have to worry about that again.

I don't see any hose clamps being used. Is that going to be a problem down the road with vacuum leaks?

Yes, it was a quick project for our team and did not require an extensive R&D process like our intake system. That being said, it is still a high quality piece and is a nice replacement for the stock rubber units.

We will be including clamps for this kit!

AndreBXP said:
This is cool! Any idea on pricing? The nice thing about the stock boots is that you can replace both every 5 years for $60. Curious to know.

Not at the moment. We will post up our pricing information once the pre-sale is ready (hopefully next week). The first batch of units will be available at a discounted rate for forum members.

DiceyOne said:
Looks very nice. All black, even the aluminum please.

Thanks for the kind words! I don't think we intend to anodize the aluminum components for this kit but I will certainly pass on the recommendation!

mosmmc said:
what sizes do you have. i have a 330ci,

Pole position said:
Sweet, will this and the intake kit be available in 330 size? I would buy this today if so!

We are also working on a kit specific for the 330 and will be checking fitment on our prototype soon! More details on that coming soon. The kit referenced in this post fits 323/325/328 models only.

The intake kit we offer is applicable to non-330 models only at this time. We are potentially tackling a 330-specific kit in the near future. If we do, you will certainly see an R&D post here on the forums for that.

illuminated said:
Another great addition by Mishimoto. All over this if it's not outrageous in price

Thank you very much!

wildirish317 said:
Kudos for doing this! I haven't replaced mine yet, and this is a great option. I'll have to choose the University of Kentucky blue over the Alabama red though. Black is usually a safe color.

Thanks!

YYCZHP said:
Ooooooo finally!!! I am so in!!!

Great, thank you!

Ceric said:
Sign me up, sign me up to be the very first official customer. You already made a sale with me. I want one in black for a 325i.

Thanks Ceric!

Xarmius said:
mmmm have one in black and you already got my soul.. well if i had one so take my money.

Thanks Xarmius! We may consider souls as partial payment depending upon age/condition.

mslev said:
Looks great, I'm in

Thanks!

Berti_00 said:
they better not cost an arm and a leg but I can almost guarantee you this wont be anything less than $80-$100 other wise they look super nice

Pricing will be very competitive on these hoses. As noted above, we will be launching a discounted rate for forum members prior to release.

Thanks for all of the interest guys!
-John

Tangent_ · Jun 18, 2015

Will the lower boot fit with a stock upper and will you sell them separately? If it fits with stock upper it'll also fit with other aftermarket intakes like the K&N I have... And I'm with evanr614, not a huge fan of the red, but not a huge deal by any means.

MARKS330I · Jun 18, 2015

I'm in for a set of the reds!

ben99 · Jun 18, 2015

Any idea if there will be an increase in power?

tks · Aug 21, 2015

25 hp over stock.

get two for your honda.

TRITONAL · Jun 18, 2015

Well this went from announcement to functional prototypes pretty quickly. The CNC machined F-connector is nice - never have to worry about that again.

I don't see any hose clamps being used. Is that going to be a problem down the road with vacuum leaks?

AndreBXP · Jun 18, 2015

This is cool! Any idea on pricing? The nice thing about the stock boots is that you can replace both every 5 years for $60. Curious to know.

DiceyOne · Jun 19, 2015

Looks very nice. All black, even the aluminum please.

mosmmc · Jun 19, 2015

what sizes do you have. i have a 330ci,

Pole position · Jun 19, 2015

Sweet, will this and the intake kit be available in 330 size? I would buy this today if so!

illuminated · Jun 19, 2015

Another great addition by Mishimoto. All over this if it's not outrageous in price

wildirish317 · Jun 19, 2015

Kudos for doing this! I haven't replaced mine yet, and this is a great option. I'll have to choose the University of Kentucky blue over the Alabama red though. Black is usually a safe color.

YYCZHP · Jun 19, 2015

Ooooooo finally!!! I am so in!!!

Ceric · Jun 19, 2015

Sign me up, sign me up to be the very first official customer. You already made a sale with me. I want one in black for a 325i.

Xarmius · Jun 19, 2015

mmmm have one in black and you already got my soul.. well if i had one so take my money.

mslev · Jun 19, 2015

Looks great, I'm in

Berti_00 · Jun 19, 2015

they better not cost an arm and a leg but I can almost guarantee you this wont be anything less than $80-$100 other wise they look super nice

Patton323I · Jun 19, 2015

I would be interested in a lower boot for my E53. It has the 3.0 and I believe that the lower boot is identical to the E46. But maybe not.

Mishimoto · Jun 23, 2015

It appears as though they are different part numbers, but they do appear rather similar. Without fitting this hose kit on that particular engine I would not feel comfortable confirming 100% that it is compatible.

evanr614 said:
I'm thinking this lower boot wont be as much of a PITA to get on as the OEM one, which is a plus haha

Although I did not install these myself, I spoke with our team member who performed our test fit and he noted it was a rather simple process. We will be highlighting the installation in the form of a video guide as well.

A-to-the-J said:
What about a combined group buy special for these hoses and the intake? I think a lot of members would be interested.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

WhatsAnE46 said:
+1

Thanks for the interest guys! I don't think we have plans for such a combination, although they will both be offered at a discounted pre-sale rate at the same time. Despite them not being packaged together, it would still be a great deal.

e46t said:
Looks awesome! I would be interested in one for a 330i. Keep us posted.

Thanks,

Solidjake said:
Nice work, in for 330 boots depending on the price.

NoGuru said:
Yep, in for 330 boots as well.

Thanks guys! We are working on test fitting our prototypes to ensure they fit perfectly. Once confirmed we should have pricing and ship date information.

ChuckyVee said:
I'm in for a set in black!

fth001 said:
Count me in

illuminated said:
Forgot to add, I will gladly purchase as a pre-sale Given a reasonable price, 'in' for 325xi boots

Thanks guys! Our pre-sale will be up next week for the 323/325/328 boot kit. Our 330 kit will launch a bit later.

Thanks
-John

evanr614 · Jun 19, 2015

I'm thinking this lower boot wont be as much of a PITA to get on as the OEM one, which is a plus haha

A-to-the-J · Jun 19, 2015

What about a combined group buy special for these hoses and the intake? I think a lot of members would be interested.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

WhatsAnE46 · Jun 19, 2015

a-to-the-j said:
what about a combined group buy special for these hoses and the intake? I think a lot of members would be interested.

Sent from my iphone using tapatalk

+1

e46t · Jun 19, 2015

Looks awesome! I would be interested in one for a 330i. Keep us posted.

Thanks,

ChuckyVee · Jun 20, 2015

I'm in for a set in black!

fth001 · Jun 20, 2015

Count me in

Solidjake · Jun 20, 2015

Nice work, in for 330 boots depending on the price.

Mishimoto Silicone Intake Boot R&D!

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