Modding the Air Box

[cpchase]

Ok I am new to this so please dont call me retarded but... I understand how a CAI works. But couldn't I drill a couple holes in the air box to achieve a similar effect??? lol

[azkid110]

what most people don't understand is that the air box is designed to pull in fresh air, most people get the CAI for the sound it makes, and the small performance increase. drilling a few holes into it will not make a big effect on performance if any at all, and you can possibly lower performance.

[cpchase]

ok thnx, I think I'll keep my stock box.

[PontiacFan27]

Originally Posted by azkid110

what most people don't understand is that the air box is designed to pull in fresh air, most people get the CAI for the sound it makes, and the small performance increase. drilling a few holes into it will not make a big effect on performance if any at all, and you can possibly lower performance.

That's a rather rash statement to make.

It depends on the car. The majority of stock intakes on cars are designed to be cheap, and fit pretty well in the space thats given. We're talking sharp bends, tube diameters smaller than the hole in the throttle body, really really long paths. It's usually a mess. An aftermarket CAI on average frees up about 10-20 horsepower on stock vehicles, depending on the stock design. The power gain increases exponentially the more power your motor makes, because it will need more air.

However, the most important thing about aftermarket CAIs is where they draw the air from. Most stock cars draw air directly from the engine bay. Yes, that is fresh air. However, as any high schooler taking a science class could tell you, colder air is denser air. Which means, air drawn from underneath the car (rather than air in the engine bay, hot!) will contain more oxygen for the amount of space that it takes up. This, in turn, means that more fuel will be injected resulting in bigger BOOM, also known as "more power."

It should be noted that CAIs are not a gift from the high Lord himself sent down for Circle K racers to masturbate on. But they do help. You will feel a difference.

And to finally answer the original question. No, drilling holes in your airbox will not act like a CAI. If drilled into the filter box, it may allow more air to reach the filter, but that isn't the problem with stock intakes. It's the bottlenecking from the small piping and convoluted path. Holes drilled into the piping itself will mess with your A/F ratio, since it won't be read by your air flow/ pressure sensor.


(This turned out to be much longer than I thought it would. Cliffnotes : You're both wrong. Have a good one.)

[cpchase]

Ok well i have a LTD CrownVic. I'ts air intake is about a metre long. 1/2 of it a snorkle like flat tube that sucks air the front of the car. From there it hits the air box where it converts to a larger rippled tube... I use the term rippled because I completely blanked on the proper word...

I have included some pics...

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[newyorker]

it definately doesnt free up 10-20 horsepower for the import guys. All i know is when I took my cold air intake off the other day, and I noticed that I had a little push (boost if you will) after 4500rpm, and now its gone and feels a bit slower. no dont drill holes in your intake, there is more to it than that. Full systems can be had for cheap on ebay, and are decent quality. Mine served me well for a year before i took it off. While I was taking it off the mounting bracket broke but I didnt care. GL!

[PontiacFan27]

Originally Posted by newyorker

it definately doesnt free up 10-20 horsepower for the import guys.

I think you mean it doesn't free up 10-20 on small motor guys. Though, those would be on the 10 end of the spectrum.

OP, what you have is a factory ram air setup. For my money, I would say a CAI isn't worth it unless you plan on doing other go-fast mods.