Allright I've seen mention of this as a "free mod" that works well but I can't seem to find anything about how to actually do this? Something with pictures would be ideal. I really want to play with my intake because the stock setup seems very restrictive. Any help is greatly appriciated. BTW I already have done a search.

 

Here's what I did:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...69415897EoHPbc

Just take out the filter housing and fog lights and fog light ducts, cut out the squares in the housing like in the pic, and add an HVAC elbow for "ram-air". The duct was the PERFECT size to go from where the fog light used to be to the filters.

 

Thanks for the tips. I was kinda hoping to retain my foglights though... Any thoughts?

 

You should be able to retain your foglights. You don't have to run a tube up to the filter area. Even if you do, it doesn't have to go to the foglights. Just make sure you don't screw up the wiring for them in cutting stuff. The most difference is probably made by just cutting out that crap under the filters. That's what I did - definitely a simple mod EVERYBODY should do to their TPI.

 

yeah, its a great idea if you gut the boxes... more flow=better performance.

Now, i hear its a myth, but should i dissconnect my battery for a little and then alow my car to relearn its new breathing capacity or is that bull?

 

That's a really good question - probably best suited for the DIY PROM board. I work on my car nearly every weekend, and always disconnect the battery first (shorted the valve cover on the alternator too many times ), so it doesnt make a difference in my case. The guys on that board should know then.

 

Hi guys....

Was wondering about the gutted airboxes too and found this at Hawk's
http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/in...il?v=1&pid=779
I have heard and was wondering about it that if you gut the airboxes and do a ram air that you could get water (rain) into your engine. Is this a risk or not? Thanks!!!!!!!!

 

depends on where you live really. People have said that they suck up water, some people get zero. I just gutted the boxes, and i dont drive it in the rain so im not worried about that. You can make your own for a lot cheaper if you really want to.

 

Here's what I did: click here

 

You might read the article below before you start chopping. Some air cleaners (ex: 86 T/A) flow from from the inside out so by cutting holes in your airbox you render your car "without an air filter).

Double check your system flow.


http://www.gmtips.com/3rd-degree/dox...low/warn-1.htm

 

You would have to be a idiot to do that to the wrong box and not know it would be sucking unfilter air in. Sometimes people just do stuff they read about without even thinking about what is actually happening.

 

does anyone have any data to back up the worth of doing this mod? I've been searching around and haven't really found what I'm looking for. Does it improve track times? Any slips to back it up? Any data around to see if doing the "ram air" setup flows cooler air, and manifold temps any cooler at all? I'm just curious to see the results before I venture into gutting my airbox and foglights etc. Thanks..

 

If you gut the boxes, can they ever be returned to stock? Or is it a permenant thing?

 

No, no data on more hp or anything.

And once you do this, you cant repair it unless you melt the platic back together. Its a one time deal, you would have to buy a new one to take it back to stock.

 

I don't think anyone has done back to back dyno's or track times with only doing this mod. It's just a no-brainer. If you look at the way it's constructed under the filters, you'll be shocked. Clearing that stuff out and getting it to fresh air only makes it breath better. On stock engines and low speeds, the difference will be approximately zero, but if you're at all interested at going fast, it's a necessary mod, that, if for nothing else, will give you peace of mind that it flows easy through there, and that's the bottom line. There's no good reason not to do it.

 

sums it up quite well, theres no reason not to do it since its so obvious that it can only help. as for the rain thing, i never had a problem when i had my ducting in there but i never drove it in too much rain either so i can't really back it up 100%

 

Alright, no one actually answered my question. How do you actually do this? Is there any benefit of just cutting the stuff under the filters if you dont have any ducting to put in its place?

 

Yes, it will flow a lot better. Still, it would be better if you formed the tubes to get the "ram" effect, but cutting the boxes will do nothing but make the air flow better. Have you even looked below the filters? You'd be amazed at the crap they put right there! Just take a look, you'll see what to cut out.

Just in case, though - take out the entire assembly that holds the filters, set it up vertically, and use a hack saw(or something similar) to cut out the material below the filter, so they're just open squares. That's basically it - you can't screw it up if you look at it.

 

BTW, look at the picture in the link BuckEyeROC posted at the top, and imagine that without the ducting. This is what it should look like when you're done cutting - just a open squares.

 

Yea I have looked at it already. And I can imagine how much better it could flow. How does this affect the air going to the radiator?

 

Ok, to do it, take off the air cleaner, then there are a few plastic bolts that hold it down(i belive there plastic) and unscrew them. The plastic housing that set into the nose will come out. Take a saw (dremmel is highly recommended) and just cut the boxes. Make sure you leave the little lip so that the filters can sit on it. I did it in 10 mins. Also, wear a long sleeve shirt if your gunna do it with the dremmel. 20k RPM's+plastic=hot plastic goes flying. I put 2-3 cutting disks together and let her rip. There are some thick parts, but you its no match for the dremmel. Installation is the same as removal. dont forget to put the filters back in.

 

Just cutting the bottoms of the airboxes will do nothing to the radiator's airflow. However, if you seal up the foglight openings and tube them up to the airboxes, that changes things quite a bit. However, as long as your deflector piece is intact, the radiator should still be able to get plenty of air from under the front clip as opposed to through it.

If you're not planning on tubing it, you don't even need to worry, but even if you do, there shouldn't be a problem anyway. If you noticed major temperature differences, this would be cause for alarm and change, but chances of that are slim.