Doing a brain dump for myself while everything is still clear in my head, I figure I might close this thread out with the consolidated detail of the issues I experienced, the process that I followed and pass along any dumb luck knowledge that I may have picked up along the way.


Thoughts?
Suggestions?




1) Setup space to put items that you remove from the car (I used a 4 shelf plastic storage shelf that was 48” wide x 20” deep and 60” tall with the top shelf labeled “Driver”, the 2nd shelf labeled “Passenger”, the 3rd shelf labeled “MISC” and the bottom shelf labeled “Intake & Assc”
2) Setup space close to the car for your tools, optimally you want everything that you will need for the job within arm’s reach (You will be swapping tools a bunch, allen to hex, to socket, extensions, etc, etc)
3) Let car sit a few days to bleed down fuel pressure (or be ready to be sprayed)
4) Disconnect the battery
a. Remove the hatch floor
b. Remove the spare tire
c. IF YOU HAVE AIR SUSPINSION – remove the 4, 10mm nuts and washer that hold down the compressor and push this off to the side (BE CAREFUL of your plastic air lines when you do this, make sure they are not in a bind or otherwise compromised)
5) Remove hood
6) Remove the air intake path
a. remove the air filter box cover, maf and elbow going to the intake (you'll need a nut driver to loosen the clip on the throttle body)
b. remove the 10mm bolt holding down the air box and the 4 plastic push clips holding down the air intake directly on top of the radiator and remove the air box and intake
7) Remove the electric fan
a. using a flat head screw driver push down on the clips holding the fan to the radiator and push then towards the engine (this will free up the fan so that it can be pulled up from the radiator)
b. unplug the large power connection going to the fan directly under the top radiator hose
c. unplug the small power connection going to the impact sensor on the top center of the fan (there are three zip ties holing that wiring in place, 2 on top the fan housing and one on the side, make sure to clip all three before pulling the fan out)
d. pull the hoses out of the hose retainers on the front of the fan (one on each side about mid ways down holding the cross over hose and power steering line and three across the bottom holding the lower cross over hose
e. BE CAREFUL removing the fan as the hose holders get snagged on everything and will either break the hose holder or the item its snagged on – Push the fan slightly away from the radiator and pull straight up on it and set it out of your way. BE CAREFUL of the ears on the plastic radiator retainers, left and right the right one will get hung up on the fan as will the small coolant hose going in to the top of the expansion tank... you'll know what I'm talking about when you get there, watch those.
8) Remove the cabin filter and air box compartment to access the rear valves
a. Loosen the twist lock clips holding the cover down on the cabin filter compartment and remove the cover
b. Disconnect the positive batter lead from the “copper jumper lug” under the plastic cover and move it out of the way (the battery should already be disconnected so no worries of shorting out)
c. Remove the two 13mm nuts holding the air box in place (one will be a single 13mm nut (pass side assuming LHD) and the other side will be a 13mm nut and plastic holder (driver side assuming LHD) for the batter positive cable)
d. Remove the weather stripping that is attached to the air box (it is simple pull off press on, easy to remove and put back)
e. Remove the “air horns” on either end of the cabin filter compartment
i. Lift straight up on each outer edge of the cabin filter compartment ends and the edge triangle shaped air horn piece will unseat and pull straight up, remove both of those
f. Pull slightly up and straight out on the air box and set it out of your way (it is a wee bit heavy and awkward, for hands wouldn’t hurt here)
9)

Once the hood, air intake path, fan and air box are out of your way you’ll want to work your way front to back down each bank of the engine.

Bank 1
10) Empty and remove the windshield washer fluid container
a. Unplug the washer pumps, you will either have two or three depending on if you have the headlight washers or not.
b. IF YOU HAVE HEADLIGHT WASHERS – remove the clamp holding the high pressure line on the headlight washer pump (largest of the three pumps, on the engine side of the reservoir) and pull that line loose from the pump (NOTE – you will need a small hose clamp to replace this factory clamp with)
c. Remove the two 10mm plastic nuts holding the washer fluid tank on (One is against the fender side and one is against the “firewall” side
d. GENTLY lift up on the washer fluid tank about 5 inches looking for the wire harness and water lines coming from the two remaining pumps on the back of the reservoir, gently pull those off and lift the washer fluid tank clear
11)


BRAIN DUMP:
Short and long cap nuts on the VCs are 10NM (8 each side)
Long bolts on the VCs are 15NM (5 each side)
Ground strap bolts in VCs are 6NM (2 each side)
Valvetronic mount and motor are 6NM (4 each side)