MWS Hardline™ Kit installation instructions. If your current boost control lines look like this when you take them off, then the Hardline™ Kit is for you. There’s nothing more depressing than opening up a Z32 hood and seeing a mass of rubber (or expensive Silicone) hose running all over the engine bay with Tees everywhere. The example here was pulled from an actual customer car. The problem with a setup like this starts when you first read the instructions on any electronic boost controller: “keep the length of the hose down to a minimum”. Most instructions prefer less than 1 or 2 feet. The picture here shows about 10 feet or more, of rubber hose being used for controlling boost. The main reason they don’t want 10 feet of rubber hose is for a few reasons. The main being: hysterisis; the flexing and heaving of the walls of the hose as it becomes pressurized and de-pressurized. The next reason is, again; we are fighting this ever-longer path from the turbo’s compressor signal to the wastegate actuator. The last reason is more practical: you do not want miles of rubber hose controlling boost, to get torn, pinched cooked or ripped. All of that happens pretty easily in a cramped engine bay. All of those issues get addressed by the fact the Hardline Kit replaces most all the hose with steel tube, which is more durable, placed better, shorter in length, and able to withstand more heat.

The location of the main steel tubing is crucial, since it represents the shortest distance between the two sides of the engine, and the least obtrusive and most elegant install point: on the firewall, behind the motor. Once installed, it’s not that easy to spot.

Another critical installation aspect of the Hardline Kit is the way it routes the tubing to each wastegate actuator. Again, it’s the shortest, safest, and most durable path possible. And all the steel tubing is installable and removable with the engine in the car.

The next important issue is the fact the Z32 turbos are some of the only turbos out there that do NOT have a nipple near the turbo’s compressor housing itself. On a Z32, the nipple is on the IC outlet tubes, going towards the throttle bodies. That’s about 6-7 feet away from the compressor itself. That “late” signal is sent to the wastegate and is expected to provide snappy response and accurate boost control. The diagram here is

from a popular vendor, intended to show you how to install “boost jets” at this location. In the case of the Hardline Kit, you’ll be capping them off permanently… not adding another 10 feet of hose as most boost control installs do.

The last issue the Hardline™ Kit addresses is the re-placement of those nipples to a place where they belong. The compressor outlet tubes or J-tubes as I call them, are the perfect place to install a nipple to provide the shortest, quickest-responding and least-likely to get torn or pinched boost signal to route to the wastegate actuators and your electronic controller.

Hardline kit installation specifics: Remove the battery before starting. Whether the engine starts as being installed already or not in the car, you NEED the battery to be removed. 1] Cap old boost nipples on induction tubes: This nipple is even smaller than 4mm. Make SURE you size something that fits it snugly, and get zip-tied down. Inspect it every so often. It’s not far from the exhaust manifold and can get cooked. On a custom application, weld this nipple shut, and never worry about rubber cooking again.

2] Cap the short, angled IC tube nipples where the stock boost signal comes from, right before the throttle bodies (underneath the 2” tubing). DO NOT cap the long skinny 6mm steel tubes on the IC tubing that provide the signal to the recirc valves. 6mm caps should work. Use zip-ties. Weld them shut if it’s a custom application and the tubing is out of the car.

3] Applying the Short Hardlines: If the engine is out, this will be easy. If it is installed, this will be the most difficult part of the installation. 3a] Engine out: Place the Right and Left short hardlines in position as per the photograph above. Ziptie in place. Usually I use a ziptie on the PCV valve on each side. You do not want it to be so snug, you cannot move the hardline a bit. Especially after the engine is in and you need to move things a bit to make the hoses fit everywhere. With some 6mm hose, attach the lower end to each WG actuator nipple. Leave the other end open for now. 3b] Engine installed already: You’ll need access to the J-tubes already in your car. The passenger side is not so difficult, but the driver’s side is a bit of work. That J-tube comes out when the tubing it front of it is gone, of course. The trick is to wobble it loose

and pull it out forwards, towards the throttle body. The boost solenoid plug “might” still be attached to it. Break it off if you need to. You will not be using the plug, nor the solenoid, again. Once those are out, block the turbo outlets with some wadded paper towels to ensure nothing falls inside. Remove the over-boost control solenoids. Throw them away. Get the Short Hardlines installed, starting with the passenger side, since it’s the most challenging. I usually use at least one set, maybe two sets of long handled needle-nose pliers to carefully pull the hoses off the boost control solenoids, and the steel Y-junction that also has a long hose going down to the WG actuator on the passenger side. If the hoses are being stubborn, and/or it’s really cold, use a blow-dryer or a heat gun to warm them up a bit. And some WD-40. DO NOT remove the hose down low on the passenger side WG actuator unless you want to get under the car and try to work another hose (and clamp) onto the downward-facing WG nipple and get around the engine mount and a mile of cable and other obstructions. It’s insulated and usually still in fine shape. Holding the Hardline end in one pliers, and the hose end in the other, work the Hardline into the hose, ziptie it and then place the hardline in position and ziptie the Hardline to the PCV valve. Driver’s side: you can feel free to replace this hose. As a matter of fact, the existing one is probably too long. Installation may require figuring out from what angle to work it down into the engine bay. Try it a few times and you’ll find it can fit in place. 4] J-tubes. PLEASE take this opportunity to replace the short rubber tubing that joins the J-tubes to the compressor outlets on the turbos. And while you are at it, replace the clamps as well, if possible. When the engine is installed, the driver’s side is difficult. Snake it in the same way the other one came out. From the front, by the Throttle body, in towards the back and lower down into position. Once in place, it is VERY important to snake your hand down in there and hook up a decent length of 6mm hose to the nipple. Sometimes I even put that length on before putting the J-tube in place, and just grab it and pull it up by the brake booster in preparation for the next step. The passenger side should be easy to slip some hose on the nipple at any point during the install. 5] The Long Hardlines: Engine out or in, is “about” the same. Slightly easier with engine out. I’ll describe with the engine in, since it’s basically the same; The Long Hardlines mount to the firewall in two places. One is provided with the grommet that is in place (passenger side) and the other is an existing metal tab in the engine bay that holds the wiring harness on the driver’s side, by the booster. Remove the brake booster hose that goes to the plenum, and flop it up and away from the motor. Get a large screwdriver or small crow bar and carefully bend the main steel tab that holds the harness right by the brake booster forward /away from the firewall enough to make a Vee the Hardline can sit in and rest. To place the Long Hardlines in position, (the battery is removed, remember?) stand on the driver’s side, and face the firewall. Hold it in your right hand and use your left to move small hoses and wires out of the way. Point the passenger end down towards the battery and slip that end under the battery cables. Tilt the Hardlines towards the booster and you should see that it will comfortably want to sit in that Vee you made with the harness tab by bending it forward slightly. It will be a bit tight by the brake booster. AT THIS POINT: you may figure out that you need to slide the Long Hardlines right or left to get the best position. You may even want to BEND SLIGHTLY the

positions of the ends of the tubes, to get the best fit. ONLY do this if you’ve carefully looked things over and you can tell it needs adjusting. If you break it, I won’t warranty it. If you want, mark the firewall on the passenger side and drill a hole large enough for whatever self-tapping sheet metal screw you want to use (preferably something short, like 90% of the screws in the engine bay already). You will VERY likely not hit anything. That well is for the wipers, and not much is going on on that side. But do so at your own risk!! DO NOT DRILL DOWN TOO LOW or you will hit some passenger compartment wiring. 6] Hose routing: You’re ready to route hoses and finish the job: The lower Long Hardline is for the J-tubes. The upper Long Hardline goes to the WG actuators. But…how do they both talk to your boost controller? You will be using the steel Y’s or Tees the old stock system was using. Pull the hoses from the stock setup off of them and clean them up. Or buy some 6mm Tees from Kragen. Mount the boost controller solenoid/stepper motor loosely/temporarily somewhere in the area of the battery, but obviously not blocking it. Put two 2” long pieces of 6mm hose on the two Long Hardline ends on the paseenger side. Then put the Tees in the hose. Clamp with Zip ties. Now, remember what we said about hose routing and make the other end of those Tees go to the corresponding destination; The lower Long Hardline to the J-tube and the upper goes to the Short Hardline that routes to the WG actuator. Repeat this on the other side, but without Tees. The ends of the Tees go to the IN and OUT of your Boost controller using more 6mm hose. Try to make the hose as short as possible and with no kinks or tight bends that could fold flat. Finalize where the controller will be mounted and zip tie everything you can get to. I like to use an additional 4mm Tee on the balance tube to get the pressure signal the boost controller needs to know the boost level (MAP sensor).