Well, I finally did the zip-tie shim. I only used two ties, as close to 180 degrees apart as possible. Compressor works fine now. My slight concern is that the gap is not quite as even all the way around as I would like. It's about .3mm in places, but a bit over .5mm on about 1/4 the diameter of the...

My two cents to add for any future readers: Use the smallest utility screwdriver you can find. If that doesn't widen the area enough to fit a zip tie, you can then progress to a slightly larger screwdriver after the first one is put in.

Tapping the screwdriver in with a small hammer helps.

FWIW, I did go back and apply a zip tie to every other semicircle. So I did end up using 3 zip ties total.

That is indeed a very tight area with a lot of stuff going on. Have you tried getting a small mirror in there? Get as much light as you can too. I'll wear a headlamp, use a flashlight, and even mount small LED lights into tight places to get a clear view.

Glad you found the source of the leak. Yea, those plastic snorkels do deform/crack over time. I installed one of those IPD silicone turbo inlet hoses last year. Do make sure it's clamped on tight to the turbo, or else it will come off over time, and cause your call to stall. Ask me how I know. : ) S...

One more tip, now that I think of it. I had a bit of a time getting the IPD hose around my MAF. A heat gun softened it up nicely, so as to help me get the hose on.

Also, you'll have to dremel off part of your PTC to fit it into the IPD hose, but you perhaps already knew that.

You'll need to cut off the rubber grommet, but I believe you also have to file or dremel off the plastic lip of the PTC. Here's a before and after of mine. Just a thought, if during installation there's more dialogue on this, maybe a new thread for installing the turbo inlet hose would be in order, ...

Just FYI, here's a good thread that discusses some of this.

ipd's modified turbo intake hose? has anybody tried it?
viewtopic.php?t=48893

Yep, abscate was 100% correct. The IPD silicone turbo inlet hose that I installed over a year ago had come loose at the turbo. Well, that would also explain the rough idle I was getting for the first 2-3 minutes after a cold start. I suspect it would also explain the odd sound I was hearing when the...

I'm so sorry for your loss. You have my sincere condolences. I just went through this four months ago myself. I'm thankful that your family is there together.