Intake Air Box

[r534]

Does anyone know if removing the front intake air box that is in front of the header head shield does anything? As far as I can tell, the engine sounds a little different, but does taking away that plastic box reduce power?

[blynd_spy]

well that box directs the cool air from the outside, so without it i would believe thatd suck in the hot air from the engine hindering performance. not exactly sure though since i cant remember where the inlet hole that the box connects to is located. should just take out both boxes, that one and the filter box, and get a k&n filter and slap it on the end..

[RaiderMP5]

I would go on ebay, get the ebay short ram intake, and put a K&N on it. That is what I did. There is also a cold air intake that goes into the fenderwell. But that topic is a lenthy discussion easily found in searching past threads.

[Lord_Zath]

I have taken off the air box as well as the snorkle. It has helped some. The stock airbox is full of air restrictions and wasted space. Might as well get rid of it!

LZ
Z

[NVP5White]

Since i believe the benefit of drawing cold air through the grill is real, could removing the air restrictors with a dremel and cutting and sealing the snorkle be the best of both worlds? Hmmm.....

[richashley]

If you look around, either on this site or on Mazda Forums there is a good discussion about modifying the stock air intake to actually get cold air (the stock inlet is in an area that doesn't get any fresh air). It should help and it is an alternative to just doing the SRI or CAI thing...which some people think negatively impacts low end torque.

[Clarkbug]

Im pretty sure this is the one richashley is referring to....

http://www.clubprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1977

If not, its worth reading anyway....IMO.

[Mike R]

Since i believe the benefit of drawing cold air through the grill is real, could removing the air restrictors with a dremel and cutting and sealing the snorkle be the best of both worlds? Hmmm.....

Yeah, if you cut the grille and seal the snorkle ot it it would be much better than the stock setup.

[WetsuitxNinja]

I read up on this yesterday, and did the mod today, instead of just leaving the cut plastic empty, I fiberglassed a little ramp towards the airbox, I left the top open, due to it getting dark soon. I rev'd the engine, and it now makes a puff sound, just like my friends who has a CAI on it. I put a piece of reciept paper to the front of the grill, and when I had my friend rev it, it sucked the reciept paper to it with a bit of force. I havent driven with it yet, and I have the stock filter on it, maybe a K&N would help out even more. Just thought I could throw in my 2cents. I can post pictures if anyone wants.

[NVP5White]

WesuitNinja - please post pics.

I took a closer look at that area under the hood. I think I can modify the tray that sits between the inlet and grill to allow car-speed air to directly enter the inlet.

Also, has anyone blocked-off or removed the other boxy elements that hang off the main snorkle. I'm concerned that this might hurt low-end toque in the same way some say an SRI does.

[SlowPro98]

I read up on this yesterday, and did the mod today, instead of just leaving the cut plastic empty, I fiberglassed a little ramp towards the airbox, I left the top open, due to it getting dark soon. I rev'd the engine, and it now makes a puff sound, just like my friends who has a CAI on it. I put a piece of reciept paper to the front of the grill, and when I had my friend rev it, it sucked the reciept paper to it with a bit of force. I havent driven with it yet, and I have the stock filter on it, maybe a K&N would help out even more. Just thought I could throw in my 2cents. I can post pictures if anyone wants.

hell yeah post a pic

[WetsuitxNinja]

This is where you can see where I cut the plastic off, I just used an razor, and beat the hell out of my hands cutting away for a half hour...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/Nofriends/Img03FB.jpg

I did not take any pictures of the fiberglassing part, but basically just tape everything off, and make a thin layer of resin, lay out some cloth over the resin, add alittle more resin (till the fiberglass cloth is clear) and you have the ramp.

Test fitting after taking all the tape etc off and trimming it up alittle
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/Nofriends/Img0C00.jpg

what it looks like right now, Im trying to decide on how to keep it in there, but for now its ghetto chrom'd and taped...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/Nofriends/Img0037.jpg

even being silver, (only color spray paint i had and didnt feel like buying anymore yet) you cant see it through the grill.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/Nofriends/Img0AF1.jpg

[Douggie]

I thought of using the snorkel as well, but two things stopped me from doing it. First of all, the snorkel is quite long and is quite restrictive. The other reason is that the snorkel lies on top of the radiator and so it's constantly being heated up, so it's like flowing air thru a heated pipe.

What I did was remove the snorkel up to the stock airbox, then added a flexible hose to airbox opening. Let the hose hang down near the transmission (below the radiator fan) so it can take in some cool air.

Also added a K&N panel filter in the stock airbox.

[InFlames]

thanks for the pics

[WetsuitxNinja]

Nice, im thinkin about doing something like that too (douggie), I just didnt have the hose and I had all the other stuff from building boxes for car audio etc, so I just threw it in. working for now, ill tinker when I get some time...

[boo-boo]

I thought of using the snorkel as well, but two things stopped me from doing it. First of all, the snorkel is quite long and is quite restrictive. The other reason is that the snorkel lies on top of the radiator and so it's constantly being heated up, so it's like flowing air thru a heated pipe.

What I did was remove the snorkel up to the stock airbox, then added a flexible hose to airbox opening. Let the hose hang down near the transmission (below the radiator fan) so it can take in some cool air.

Also added a K&N panel filter in the stock airbox.


dude is that a clothes dryer vent!...hmmm never would have guessed it...pretty inventive..............but i have heard of guys drilling holes into the bottom of their airbox to allow for more air,, but who knows, ....i got an injen cai pretty cheap, sooo its all good.

[Douggie]

dude is that a clothes dryer vent!...hmmm never would have guessed it...pretty inventive..............but i have heard of guys drilling holes into the bottom of their airbox to allow for more air,, but who knows, ....i got an injen cai pretty cheap, sooo its all good.

LOL. If you MUST know, it's a RV sewage hose (bought new, of course :)). Not as flimsy as clothes dryer hose, and fits the airbox inlet perfectly. Didn't even need a hose clamp.

[richashley]

The snorkle does have a number of restrictions in it that are probably intended as silencers. The snorkle can be opened up, it splits in half lengthwise (you have to force it some) and the restrictions can then be cleaned up and taped over. The tall vertical "box" attached to the snorkle just before the filter box is a Helmhotz (I think that's the correct spelling) resonator and is designed to improve low end torque. What I don't know is how much of a loss in low end there is using an SRI or CAI or how it compares to the gain in top end. I've chosen to open the grill, clean up the snorkle and retain the Helmhotz. I don't know if that is the best solution and it was influenced by the fact that I had already purchased a K&N drop in filter.

[NVP5White]

The snorkle seems pretty free-flowing. There is a large main channel for intake air to flow along the radiator and down into the airbox. I believe the other spaces off the main channel are for sound deadening and as such do not result in increased pumping losses.

I could be wrong, as properly tuning an intake for power can result in an increase in power. Therefore, tuning an intake for sound deadening may result in a decrease in power.

I needed some proof one way or the other so I removed the snorkle, leaving the last 90* elbow with Helmhotz resonator attached and went for a drive. I could have noticed a reduction in low-end pull, but I wasn't shure because that is where the intake noise increases the most. I think I may have fell victum to "its louder so its gotta be stronger" syndrom. Because I didn't feel any real difference in acceleration my mind told me i must be dropping low-end power without the snorkle.

End result: i put the damn thing back on and made no mod to the system. Maybe I'll try cutting in front of the snorkle opening this weekend...

[NVP5White]

Bump for mod'ed intake airboxes...

[Powells85]

When I first got my car and it was all stock I couldn't chirp 2nd at all no matter what (first manual car). I pulled off the over the radiator thing and connectiong piece so I just had the airbox then I connected some dryer ductiong to it directed towards the fenderwell and went for a drive. I was chirping 2nd now (dunno)

[ProFiver]

WetsuitxNinja,

i looked at my grill today and it doesn't have any holes in the back of it to allow the air to go through it. if i remove that plastic piece does it uncover the grill so air can flow thru?

thanks

[protegerider18]

I am having the same concerns I removed my stock air box and threw on a K&N cone filter on the end of the MAF sensor and mounted it to the brass colored mount, similar to the SRI that ebay sells but I don't know if I am benefiting performance the more I think about it. That is why I did this mod because I felt a short ram was not going to gain great performance gains and a Cold Air Intake was just too risky because of it sucking in water.

[WetsuitxNinja]

WetsuitxNinja,

i looked at my grill today and it doesn't have any holes in the back of it to allow the air to go through it. if i remove that plastic piece does it uncover the grill so air can flow thru?

thanks

Yup, cut the plastic out, and the air can flow through the grille and into the snorkle. I ended up doing what douggie did and getting some RV sewer hose from wal mart, it was like 3 bucks. I took off the snorkle, left the long verticle chamber, (I think its a preventitive measure in case water made it that far... its got a hole in the bottom to let the water out possibly, I live where the streets turn to small rivers, and dont want the dreaded hydrolock) I took the sewer hose and ran it to the same location a CAI would be, by the tire. If it rains hard enough to make me worried, I can just pull the sewer hose off the 90 that is facing up, so its more like a SRI. I was in the same boat as douggie, couldnt get it to chirp into second, now it can. it also goes pufff-vroooooom louder, and thats as good as an APC sticker as far as HP goes lol.

[Douggie]

Yup, cut the plastic out, and the air can flow through the grille and into the snorkle. I ended up doing what douggie did and getting some RV sewer hose from wal mart, it was like 3 bucks. I took off the snorkle, left the long verticle chamber, (I think its a preventitive measure in case water made it that far... its got a hole in the bottom to let the water out possibly, I live where the streets turn to small rivers, and dont want the dreaded hydrolock) I took the sewer hose and ran it to the same location a CAI would be, by the tire. If it rains hard enough to make me worried, I can just pull the sewer hose off the 90 that is facing up, so its more like a SRI. I was in the same boat as douggie, couldnt get it to chirp into second, now it can. it also goes pufff-vroooooom louder, and thats as good as an APC sticker as far as HP goes lol.

Darn, I should have patented this RV sewer hose mod :D

Anyway, glad it worked well for you too. Yep, I got it from Walmart for $3 as well. So you placed it in the hole that is infront of the wheel well?

[WetsuitxNinja]

Darn, I should have patented this RV sewer hose mod :D

Anyway, glad it worked well for you too. Yep, I got it from Walmart for $3 as well. So you placed it in the hole that is infront of the wheel well?



Yeah I have it sitting like 2 inches into the hold in front of the wheel. I figured since CAI's go there, it should be a good idea...plus the coolant resevoir holds the hose in place pretty nicely. Have you noticed your filter getting dirty quicker? I live on a dirt road and im worried im going to be going through filters alot...

[Douggie]

Yeah I have it sitting like 2 inches into the hold in front of the wheel. I figured since CAI's go there, it should be a good idea...plus the coolant resevoir holds the hose in place pretty nicely. Have you noticed your filter getting dirty quicker? I live on a dirt road and im worried im going to be going through filters alot...

I haven't checked mine yet. Then maybe you should invest in a K&N panel filter that fits in the stock airbox. It's cleanable and provides better air-flow than paper filters. That's what i'm using now.

[importcrazy]

I was thinkin the other day. What if I replaced the snorkel with one of those intake tubes from ebay (set in the stock location) to pull in air from the grille opening that would get cut out. wouldnt the larger diameter pipe allow for more flow and make it a ghetto ram air? Any thoughts?

[Shane5425]

the only results from this is u get the power from cai.. thats it 5hp ur not gonna force any more air, its just colder air..