General Tools: 1/4"
and 3/4" socket sets with extensions. Have a magnet antenna
handy. Wear gloves when breaking bolts loose. Optional: vacuum
gauge to measure manifold vacuum levels before and after (Should be
18-22inHg roughly, and identical before and after the install). Stay
Organized as there is a lot that comes off the manifold that will need to
be replaced on the new VI. Keep bolts/gaskets/tools together in an
organized fashion.
VI ASSEMBLY -Unpack
your VI and misc parts. Quickly identify what parts are used for
what. Consult the schematic for bolts that look similar. -Start
by inserting the O-ring into the outer right depression where your rod
will insert. -Lube contact points on the rod and insert into the
VI. Make sure the Right end of the rod will rotate and touch the
contact plate on the VI. -Install all 6 butterfly valves using the
smallest screws, 2 for each valve. You may want to dab some silicone
adhesive or Loc-Tite on the threads to insure that they will not break
free. -Align cover gasket and collector cover using the 9 cover
bolts. -Attach the vacuum lever to the VI (2 bolts), making sure the
end connects to the rod end properly to rotate the valves open and
closed. -Unscrew the brake booster vacuum port from your stock manifold
and install it on the VI, maintain proper orientation.
STOCK MANIFOLD
REMOVAL (Order not strictly important in some
cases) (bolts are 10mm and 12mm) -disconnect all connections coming
of the rear harness that overlies the manifold. You do not need to
label these as their position, size, and color will guide
reinstallation. -unbolt all brackets on the top of the manifold.
Replace each bolt you remove immediately to their corresponding position
on the new manifold to keep organized. -swing harness off the the left
and out of the way. -Unhook throttle and cruise cables and their
brackets. -PCV tubing: Unclamp the hose leading to the PCV where
it attaches to the manifold and remove the entire unit (including PCV
valve). You can choose to install in on the VI at this point or set
it aside. -TB: Loosen and remove the 4 retaining bolts.
Handle the gasket with care as it is thin and can easily be cracked. If it
is stuck on, release it with the tab that is on one of the edges.
You do not have to remove the intake hardware. -IAC: Loosen and
remove the 3 retaining bolts. Before you can remove the upper rear
bolt, you will need to remove the 10mm bolt that holds in the bracket that
impedes access. Let the bracket fall as it is held by leads that are
attached to the EGR guide tube. As with the TB, handle the IAC
gasket with care. If it is stuck on, release it with the tab that is
on one of the edges. -EGR guide tube: should now be in view with
the IAC unit removed. It is held in by two bolts with two fat
washers--make sure you secure the metal gasket and washers as you pull out
the bolts. -Rear Manifold retaining bolts. Located on each side
at the rear of the manifold. They are near impossible to see and
need to be felt. I would recommend a 1/4" ratchet with 12mm
socket. -Front retaining bolts: remove all five 12mm bolts along
the front ports of the manifold. -Coolant hoses. You will want to
do this LAST. Just below the EGR guide tube are two coolant
hoses. You need to try to rotate the clamp so that you can loosen
them with pliers by squeezing the tabs and remove the hose.
Lift up the end of the manifold to give yourself room. Very little
coolant will leak out once done.
VI INSTALLATION
-first, place the new upper-to-lower manifold gasket in the
proper orientation and alignment (with tab in front and to the
left). -carefully place the manifold ports over the gasket while making
sure the rest of the manifold is fitted properly in place at the same
time. You may find it useful to remove the cylinder bolted to the
firewall that the cruise control cable is attached to, so as to facilitate
proper placement of the rear of the manifold. Before you install the
5 front retaining bolts, you will need to thread in the two rear retaining
bolts. Hold the front ports in place over the gasket by installing
and loosely tightening only the left and right front bolts. You will
probably need to vary slightly the position the rear of the manifold to
thread in the two retaining bolts. -reverse the order of manifold
removal (above) for reinstallation of the rest of the components.
RPM Vacuum Actuator
Subsystem -Required components: RPM Switch (ie.
Harlan), Relay, Control Solenoid, Vacuum canister, one-way check valve (if
not built into canister), ~3ft rubber hose (no greater than 3/16" I.D. but
preferably a tad smaller than that, if available), one 3/16"
T-piece. -RPM Switch: Positioning the RPM Switch is done by
personal preference. You may find that if using a coil pack input
signal that an engine bay location (ie. near relay box) may be preferable
and that if using the TAM screw in your gauge cluster that a *****pit
location may be preferable (ie. gearbox, underneath dash,
etc.). -Relay. Connect the Switched Ground from the RPM switch to
the ground of your relay. Connect the car's 12VDC supply to the 12V
switch input and supply terminals on the relay. The 12VDC output on
the relay will connect to the control solenoid. The relay serves to
convert the RPM's switched ground output into a switched 12VDC line, so
that the solenoid does not ground through the limited power capability of
the Harlan circuit. -Control Solenoid: powered by the switched
12VDC line from the relay and grounded to the car's ground. A pair
of grounding bolts is conveniently found just in front of the intake
manifold which can serve this purpose. The main vacuum line of the
solenoid should attach to the vacuum lever of the VI ("the golden
globe"-like object). The default port of the solenoid is left
unterminated, open to air. The switched port of the solenoid is
connected to the vacuum canister output. -Vacuum Canister:
Supplied by manifold vacuum. If your canister does not have a built
in one-way check valve like the NAPA unit (large nipple is the input,
small nipple is the output), then insert a one-way check valve in between
manifold vacuum and the canister input. Make sure the directionality
is correct (ie. flow of air TO the manifold vacuum source). -Manifold
Vacuum: Many potential lines are available for T-piecing. I
suggest the Fuel Pressure regulator which is close proximity to the front
right corner of the VI.
TESTING -Test the
Harlan RPM switch for proper capture of either the coil/Tach line.
When setting values, make sure you press each settings button for
>2sec. It is desirable to set the RPM set point low for easy
testing (ie. 1000rpm). Even without connecting anything to the
Harlan, the LED on the circuit board will light when the switched ground
is activated at the programmed set point. -Test the vacuum system to
insure that the canister is producing suction at it's output. Simply
start the car and put your finger on the canister output and feel for
suction. The vacuum canister should store vacuum that is equal to
manifold vacuum. -Test solenoid function by either connect a 12VDC line
from the battery (with car idling and vacuum system connected), or after
the whole system is set up, by pulling on the throttle cable and watching
the VI vacuum lever activate (again, test set point of 1000rpm on the
Harlan).
Pictures
Mishmosh

Directly facing the IAC, this pic of the right side of
theIAC shows the 10mm bolt that you need to remove to get the bracket out
of the way of one of the 3 retaining bolts. That cable you see is
connected to the EGR guide tube.

shows some butterfly's installed. Pay particular attention
to how the end of the rod lines up with the stopping plate (on the right).
The butterfly's are not sided so any side is fine. The rod has one side
rounded and the other flat so there is no question which side to mount the
valves.

Rear retaining bolt that you need to feel out and remove.
12mm

Side view with the stock intake manifold out. Key
structures: Mounting brackets for the two manifold retaining bolts. EGR
guide tube. Rear coolant hose. TB/CAI. throttle/cruise cable along
firewall with that cylindrical structure attached to the firewall (which I
removed cause it made position the new VI a little difficult).

Right rear side pic showing EGR: note the 12mm bolt and
the fat washer. In the lower right corner of the pic, you can see the
coolant hose. There is also another one on the other side of the EGR (out
of view).

Side view of the installed vacuum actuator. Manifold
vacuum fed from the Fuel Pressure Reg vacuum line down below >>
Vacuum canister >> Switched port of the solenoid >> main port
of the solenoid to VI vacuum lever.

Ground bolt--a convenient place to ground.
xHypex

Relay that activates MAP switch. Can you tell which
it is? (I don't have ABS)

Vacuum Canister mounted near the strut mount (it will be
painted soon)

Nissan vacuum canister adds to the OEM look

Nissan MAP switch

Nissan Check Valve connected to the FPR vacuum via a F
fitting

After installing the VI your EVAP will not have a place to
mount. On the '99s the EVAP is a small electrical sensor and sits
nicely on top of the manifold. 95-98s have a mechanical EVAP which
is larger.

Vacuum actuator arm moves forward when the vacuum kicks
in.

Side view
Here's the FSM diagram of the MEVI

Click picture to view Large Version
Large, Closeup pictures of the MEVI Collector
38U Collector
38U Collector
38U
Collector
MEVI Installed on Ian's Car
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MEVI with Cover on my car

Wiring Diagrams
(courtesy of Keven97SE and Mishmosh)
![]()
Alternate Wiring Diagram

Click picture to view Large Version
FSM Vacuum Diagram

Click picture to view Large Version
Dynos
Ian's Dynoes: Dyno Run 1 and 3 were baseline runs and on 5
the VI opened at 5k.
Dyno HP Dyno
TQ Dyno
HP & TQ Spreadsheet
with RPM, HP, TQ
speedtrip's dynoes:
CAI/Y-pipe (baseline)
CAI/Ypipe with VI
Hybrid/Ypipe with VI Spreadsheet
with RPM, HP, TQ
Credit: xHypex, Mishmosh, and Keven97SE |