JBrady

Since this is a question I get PM'd about frequently I thought I would make a thread with pictures showing how I have modified my airbox and created more air flow and shielded the underhood heat.

Someday I will replace the ugly blue foam but for now it works fine and is barely visible with the parts together. So for now, it works GREAT.

So, I will post each picture along with descriptions. Here goes:

JBrady

Here is one angle of the modified air box. The following pictures will show a couple other angles to help people understand how much I cut off of the box.

JBrady

Another angle

JBrady

the stock box

JBrady

modified box installed

JBrady

here is the seal around the headlight I removed to allow as much cold air as possible to the front of the modified air box. It averages over an inch all the way around and the area now flowing to the filter is very large and fed directly from cold air entering the grill

JBrady

here is a view showing the front of the filter as seen from under the grill area. this shows how nicely the cold air feeds to the filter itself. I have driven in very heavy rain and the water never gets to the filter. The angle the air travels separates the water and nothing but cold air gets to the filter.... LOTS of it!

JBrady

Here is a view with the air box front removed. You are looking at a piece of foam that I cut to fit around the MAF. With the back of the box installed as shown the foam is wedged between the box, the metal under the box and fits around the MAF. To the right this piece of foam meets with the other by the ABS distribution block. It seals against the bottom of the factory cold air snorkel and forms a fairly good seal when the snorkel is installed.

JBrady

Here, with the snorkel installed, if you look closely you can see the seal made between the foam and the snorkel.

persian451

looks very solid jbrady.. i hope i aint the only one asking too many questions

I take it any material works fine as long as it blocks the heat

JBrady

persian, any material that will block the heat, stay in place, not rattle or abrase another part, and not break appart under vibration, heat, or other environmental conditions... is fine. The only concerns about the cardboard is it looks temporary at best and if water reached it the possibility of it falling apart. Since the hood is virtually always closed the looks aren't a big concern and I have driven it this way for months including lots of heavy rain and car washings. NO problem. Peter Scott of Planet Soarer used closed cell foam to form his heat shielding on his BFI (Big F'n Intake!) and it looks good and has passed all the tests. If you haven't done so already I highly recommend viewing his site. http://planetsoarer.com/
I almost bought some of the foam but the store only had it in yellow and that seemed to be as bad as the cardboard. When I find some in black or dark gray that will be my next change.

JBrady

I changed the cardboard for dense foam a long time ago. The color was not my preference but is what I could find at Walmart (sleeping bag pad). I would rather have black but with the components assembled you don't see much except the wrap around the TB tube.

This first picture shows the filter housing mounted over the foam insert.

JBrady

This picture shows the air filter and front cover removed from the housing.

JBrady

This picture shows the entire air filter housing removed and only the foam in place. The foam literally wraps completely around the bottom of the housing and keeps hot underhood air away from the filter inlet. It also seals the area around the stock filter inlet junction.

JBrady

Here is another angle so you can see how the foam wraps around the housing creating a cold air space between the front of the filter and the air flow from around the headlight area.