jas89tta

How many on here are running with no lid on the airbox? I've been wondering about this I know it pulls in Hotter air from the engine compartment but does it route the air to the turbo to the intercooler. And the air already gets heated up by the turbo right so why would it matter? Isn't the intercooler going to cool the air down? Just wondering if anyone has done any testing on this.

damronjr

I was JUST looking at this a few hours ago. Just for ****s and giggles I pulled the top of the box off just to see what was inside and what might be able to be done performance-wise aside from buying an intake. It would definitely pull hotter air form the engine, but it seems to me it would pull a lot more air a lot faster than with the lid and the tiny inlet coming from a cramped and closed off wheel well. I was also looking at how it would even be possible to make a functional CAI for this car, and (aside from the Secret one being made my a member and his shop here) it would be pretty hard aside from cutting a hole like is being done by the aforementioned. Not sure if just removing the box lid would provide any gain or not. More air, but hotter air, so hard to say, someone here has to have more knowledge on this than me.

HHRSSouth

If we could get a vendor to make a custom hood you could take advantage of the air box without a lid. Maybe something like a recessed v in the hood with a water trap and the air routed to the air box. Forget who it was but someone actually cut his hood above the air box and mounted a hood scoop to route air. I'm not gonna be that brave until my warranty is up 5 years from now (if someone doesn't develop one), plus I would want a water drain, and I don't really want something mounted on top of my hood.

IgottaWoody

gotta watch as when the box top is off the filter has no means of being secured to the box..the lid actually holds the filter in a pocket of sorts,,,, without the lid the filter can come loose from the box....sure is noisy at start up till the rpms kick back to normal....sounds like a hoover.....

XXL

The airbox flows PLENTY for the stock turbo. The only thing you get with taking the airbox lid off is hotter air and more noise. If that's what you're looking for, go for it. If you're trying to achieve some kind of performance gain, you're going the wrong way.

esmarkey

What he said ^

There was a member that ran some flow tests on the stock airbox and found that there was very little restriction. The cooler denser air from the fender will give you way more power than the (very little) gain in flow you will get from removing the lid... but it may sound a little better.

jas89tta

Thanks for the info guys. I personally would not run my car without a lid but I do like to hear the turbo. So I was thinking of fabricating a new lid for mine with small mesh like holes in the top so would still bolt down on the stock air box. Now with the holes in the lid would it still suck in outside air and mix with what air it sucks in under the hood? Not looking for performance gain but not a loss either and was thinking the intercooler would still cool the air down about the same.

XXL

Yes, but it will seek air from the "easiest" source, which is likely to be the holes in the top, rather than down a long, winding tube. Once it is flowing all possible air through those holes, if it still needs more, it will pull more from the stock inlet. It's about pressure. The turbo creates a low pressure zone (vacuum), and the world around it seeks entropy (no highs, no lows). So any air source that has higher pressure than the turbo is creating on the inlet side (remember-- vacuum!) will feed that inlet. If it's hot air from under your hood that's easiest to feed the low pressure zone, then you get hot air.

No, your intercooler is going to do a lot of work for nothing. Instead of cooling warm air to cool, it's going to cool hot air to warm. You will lose (maybe nominal) performance.

THE BATMAN

Since i've been mentioned , I'll chime in.

Ther are existing drain holes in the air box. I am running with out the box cover.
I see no way the filter could come off the tube, And i'm driving on some of the worst streets in the country, short of smacking a curb at 50+ mph. My filter is not moving.
With the cold air intake
Its spooling up quicker, Running cooler and it sounds much better , you now really here the whine of the turbo, and the blow off valve. I am very happy with the results thus far. I just need to figure out a flap solution for those heavy rain & snow storms. I have driven in rain a few times since the mod and have found no water in the box or filter.
Eventualy i will have custom tubes off the scoops running into a custom box.

I had a 1994 mark IIIV That i drilled 300 holes in the air boxes front facing plate, That car ran much better with that free mod. It was just much more free breathing, and resonsive
I'm basicly trying to give the SS all the air it can take, Then when i get the stage kit, and exhaust done, things should fall into place nicely.

Mod it like you want it !! You only live once.

XXL

I call placebo effect. I applaud your ambition and willingness to do the scoop... but it's not running better until you have some way of documenting the difference.

For the stock K04, it's already getting all the air it can stand... and that's even if you're running a mod'd tune up into the 72-7500 RPM range. The K04 simply CANNOT use any more air than the factory air intake system can provide at any speed. Cooler air? That's another story.

Agreed. Just be aware when you're stepping backward from your goals.