RUDEINC

Am I the only one that hated the way the bracket fit, looked, and had to be bent on the 2.2L ? It bothered me so much after looking at the pictures I posted of my painted valvecover I had to do something about it. So instead of sleeping at work last night, I went roaming around for the right parts. After making 3 other brackets that I hated also, I fabricated the most simple and easy and best looking bracket out of the 4, so here are the pics. Maybe this thread will lead CGS to make a bracket that actually fits. Or maybe I should produce this one as an alternative for my 2.2L HHR family.....
Regards.........

RUDEINC

SoCalHHR

Great idea but:

a) CGS has no plans to prouce a separate intake for the 2.2L.
They are happy selling (one intake that "fits' both vehicles).

b) Your curved bracket will not properly support the intake tube. Try pushing down on the tube and the bracket will simply bend allowing the tube to give way. I would suggest that you finalize a short, straight bracket that is the correct length to support the tube, which connects to the valve cover as was intended.

Keep plugging away - the 2.2L owners will thank you!

RUDEINC

The bracket is made out of heavy gauge stainless steel and had to be bent that way. It's not like that from the weight of the tube. Plus the way the filter gets wedged in the fenderwell, there isn't much room for movement anyhow.......Regards

SoCalHHR

Still, you need a straight bracket. Go out to the car and push down on the intake tube. Right now, the throttle body elbow is taking stress by holding it in place. The elbow is reinforced rubber, but it is not made to take the stress you are allowing. Have a friend start the HHR, then shut it off while you watch with the hood up. The engine (and intake), move around quite a bit. I can see your elbow eventually cracking from this movement eventually causing an intake leak. The intake tube should be solidly mounted to the valve cover.

Not trying to shoot down your idea; just trying to help you improve it!

hvrod

seems lots of people are getting the spray cans out for the engine compartment..

courthousedeb

I will definitely keep and eye on this thread. I know I've had some fitment issues with mine as well. Got it bent right so it would fit, and now it hits against the hood strut and has scraped the paint on both parts and rattles when it starts. As an interim solution until I can do more adjustments, I have attached a piece of rubber hose on the strut and taped it in place. Next step is to stop by Home Depot and get some foam insulation and put it on both. No access to a vise at the moment, and it's a little more difficult to bend that without one. Always a work in progress with one thing or another on the HHR...but it's all good and all fun.

RUDEINC

I can understand the concern about the elbow, and I'm grateful for any feedback, because there can be very simple things overlooked when modding. But the stress on the elbow is very minimal if hardly any. I could remove it and the tube would stay right in its place. The bracket is holding 99% of the weight of the tube and filter. The only thing that the elbow is doing is keeping everything lined up. Granted if enough pressure is applied to the tube it will flex, I will give you that. But that elbow looks to be a pretty heavy duty piece of material and should be able to take some flex without fail, or why would GM choose to make it out of rubber?(oh,nevermind....LOL ) I suppose I'll just have to keep an eye on it, only time will tell......Thanks Again......Regards

SoCalHHR

Because the stock airbox is supported by three different areas (on the valve cover), and none of the weight falls on the elbow.

PLEASE take my suggestion and have someone else start the vehicle run it, and shut it off while YOU watch. Then you will see how much the engine shakes and the intake tube moves. I have put a ton of intakes on HHR's here, and I can tell you firsthand it needs more support.

Any curved bracket such as yours will continue to flex on an arc, you would have to make a bracket from cast aluminum to hav an arc that won't flex. Add torque multiples from accelerating in gear under a load, hitting bumps and potholes, etc, and and your tube will be moving around a whole lot.

It looks fantastic, but you really need to evaluate how much it will allow the tube to move under driving conditions.

Hope it helps,

thedonn007

I would have to agree with mike on this one. If you can push down the tube with the new bracket even a little bit it will add stress to the rubber intake hose that was not designed for. the factory intake was desinged with more than one mounting point so there would be no stress on the intake hose.