Thread: open air filter in engine bay

if i dont remove the whole air box and just the lid will the comp. inside just fall out or is it strapped in ? i know this is a STUPID question but i would rather ask instead of tear it apart then put it back together and go buy a filter then go home and tear it apart again . so is the comp strap inside the air box or is it sorta just loose in there ? i figure i will run just a open air filter where the lid use to be until i can afford either the k&n intake or maybe some other brand . help please thanks .

Originally Posted by bayareagtp

if i dont remove the whole air box and just the lid will the comp. inside just fall out or is it strapped in ? i know this is a STUPID question but i would rather ask instead of tear it apart then put it back together and go buy a filter then go home and tear it apart again . so is the comp strap inside the air box or is it sorta just loose in there ? i figure i will run just a open air filter where the lid use to be until i can afford either the k&n intake or maybe some other brand . help please thanks .

As I recall the computer sits in the back part and one of the mounting nipples is on the bottom of that piece. I would either gut the box or leave it be. IMO openign it up to the underhood temps is not a good thing. If you like I can try to shoot some pictures of my gutted airbox this weekend. Its only about a two hours job to gut, just messy.

Indeed, if you dont mind, send me some of those pictures. I have an air box I started work on but never completed and Id kinda like to get an idea of how to go.

yea please post some pics or maybe even a how to . thanks ! yea i wasent sure if the comp exposed to the open engine temps was gonna be so good .

if you go to 3800performance.com and look at their air intakes they have a tray for $70.00 . if you look at the install instructions you can get a pretty good idea of how make 1 your self .

Originally Posted by bayareagtp

if you go to 3800performance.com and look at their air intakes they have a tray for $70.00 . if you look at the install instructions you can get a pretty good idea of how make 1 your self .

Yep but I thought you were talking about leaving part of your stock airbox in there. If that is the case then that tray or the $16 GM Blazer PCM tray won't work. As I recall, people with FWI buy those.


And for those curious, I'll try to get those picures of the gutted airbox tonight.

oh no sorry i was posting back to toastys comment .

sorry i need to learn to quote the comment i am commenting about . yea i was tring to keep half of the air box in the car so i didnt need to buy a tray .

Originally Posted by bayareagtp

sorry i need to learn to quote the comment i am commenting about . yea i was tring to keep half of the air box in the car so i didnt need to buy a tray .

Got ya. Yep I don't believe that would work or look good either.

Sorry I didn't get these for you last night as I sadi, but the camera is the wifes which I couldn't find. Anyway I remembered I emailed these to someone a long time ago, but had to figure out which computer I put them on. Here is the thread link.
http://www.grandprixforums.net/f18/g...html#post13689
If you pull your airbox out and look at it, you'll see how much of a difference this can make. It is also NOT visible to the epa, if that is a concern.

my k&n intake has a pcm tray built in..

Originally Posted by kyle99gtp

my k&n intake has a pcm tray built in..

how do you like your k&n ? everyone tells me bad thing about it .

Originally Posted by bayareagtp

how do you like your k&n ? everyone tells me bad thing about it .

the k&n's arent 'bad' but if they are overoiled, they can cause poor MAF readings and major tuning problems.

i have tested a few intake systems, and the best bang for your buck, is to pull the stock air box, and just run an open cone in the engine bay. just need to secure the pcm down (or wrap it in some towels), and there ya go.

this has been beat to death, but i have seen WAY more airflow with the warm air intake than the cai. maybe for a basically stock car, the CAI would be best, but i wouldnt bet on it. heres mine, and it works very well.

Why did you buy an IC?

Originally Posted by Fish

Its questions like that that irk me.

Why do the slower cars swear by CAIs and the faster cars open cone??

Flow>temp in this case.

Look outside of our group and see what the faster higher end cars run. Now if you are talking the track on and IC car with the headlight out and the weatherstripping off then ok. However, on an average car an open cone is.... arrggghhh. Anyone that has been under their hood when the fans kick on will quickly realize where that 180-220* air is going. Cold air flow is better than hot air flow when it comes to performance anytime. Very few cars are starving for air with a CAI or FWI. You can't always go by the MAF either. There is a point where, a little less flow with a colder intake charge will make more power than more flow of hot air. Someone that knows engine thermodynamics please explain the effects of colder air in the intake charge versus hot air.

Here is something Kenne Bell has on their website about Hot Air Intakes and as far as know they don't sell CAI
http://www.kennebell.net/techinfo/ge...AirWARNING.pdf