Air cleaner box

[jhpfennig]

I have a 2005 model 3500 4x4, 5. 9 HPCR, & 48RE. The air cleaner housing does not fit flush against the inner fender. It barely touches the foam strip that is supposed to seal the connection. The negative battery cable seems to be holding the box away. Is this normal ? Two dealers have told me it's okay. What are your thoughts ? Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving !

 

[AABEN]

I would remove the box and put more foam there so that it did not draw hot air in.

 

[EArp]

jhpfennig, if you loosen the negative cable, are you able to move it enough so that it does not impact the airbox? If i remember right, on mine the cable is close to the airbox as well, but it looks like if I loosened up on the cable I could push the cable in the direction of the firewall for a bit more clearance.

 

[LRutigliano]

The airbox is real simple to remove. It has one 10mm hex nut holding it onto the front radiator support bar at the front of the truck. In the back, it has two rubber grommets with plastic male nubs that fit into the grommets.



This is of course, after you remove the lid.



Take the air box completely out and see if you can get the cable installed better. Having a gap to the seal is not normal and will allow warm/hot engine compartment air into your engine.



When I bought the aFe stock type box, it also didn't seal up against the seal, so I returned it and went with the PSM Buick system and the DPP cool hose:



Performance Systems Manufacturing, LLC



Super high quality and lots of cold dense air. Please see my photo gallery for pics.

 

[Tinman]

Mine did/does the same thing. I don't worry about it, I have the psm in so I get plenty of cool air from below.

 

[jhpfennig]

Thanks for your suggestions. I'll put them to good use as soon as it warms up enough to work outdoors. Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[steved]

One member did an experiment and found under hood air was not all that hot... if it was such a big deal, guys would not run BHAFs.



Unless its really bothering you, I would not worry about it...

 

[pwr2tow]

The CR trucks use an IAT sensor located at the air box. intake air temperatures make a difference. The vp trucks really don't matter as much.

 

[steved]

Been running with a drilled airbox for over 125k and pulling mileages most can't touch... so it must really make a significant difference???



Here again, real world experience, not a theory...

 

[LRutigliano]

Been running with a drilled airbox for over 125k and pulling mileages most can't touch... so it must really make a significant difference???



Here again, real world experience, not a theory...

SteveD



I too was running with a drilled out airbox and was "happy" until the rains started and filter and inside of box was getting wet. Also, I found huge bug splatters inside the box. I drilled out the front of the box and the air, rain and the bugs had a clear shot into the airbox...



I bought a new bottom half of the airbox at the dealer and then did the PSM Buick mods. Truck runs even better than before and doesn't get filter wet.



Pete Tomka did real tests, not just theory... Performance Systems Manufacturing, LLC has all of the theory and test results.

 

[steved]

I have none of the issues you describe... never have.



As far as research by a vendor, well what better way to sell a product. You can make numbers say anything...

 

[EArp]

The airbox is real simple to remove. It has one 10mm hex nut holding it onto the front radiator support bar at the front of the truck. In the back, it has two rubber grommets with plastic male nubs that fit into the grommets.



This is of course, after you remove the lid.



Take the air box completely out and see if you can get the cable installed better. Having a gap to the seal is not normal and will allow warm/hot engine compartment air into your engine.



When I bought the aFe stock type box, it also didn't seal up against the seal, so I returned it and went with the PSM Buick system and the DPP cool hose:



Performance Systems Manufacturing, LLC



Super high quality and lots of cold dense air. Please see my photo gallery for pics.

I'm using the same type of mod as the PSM one except that I did it myself with a dryer hose and a clamp from Home Depot. It works great and I believe it makes a noticeable difference in power from the increased airflow and reduced intake temperatures. I'm also using the AFE super stock drop in filter, which I might add works great. I checked it after 15k miles the other day and the top of my airbox and the intake hose were clean as a whistle.

 

[BKneeland]

2004.5 5.9L air filter Box has pulled away from the fender cold air inlet.
Unsnapped and lifted of the top of the filter box and removed the air filter. Removed the 10 mm nut at the front bracket and lifted (pulled hard) the inner side of the filter box (closest to the firewall) to get the 2 plastic nubs (which are mounted of the shelf protruding on the battery bracket) to release the air filter box so that I could get it removed. I noticed that the front bracket where the 10mm nut goes is bent (from plastic creep) and the plastic nub on the battery case bracket (closest to the engine) was bent down or otherwise not level with the inner nub.
The AIR FILTER BOX HAVING PULLED AWAY FROM THE FENDER - appears to have been caused by the battery cable pushing on the air duct connected to the air filter box.
I loosened the cable clamp and rotated the cable clamp towards the air duct to relieve contact with the air duct.
I tried to straighten the bent (rotated) front air filter box bracket with a heat gun but not totally successful. Not sure how to go about "the pushed down" plastic nub which is about 1/2" lower than it should be.
I SHOWED THIS TO A FRIEND THAT HAS A 2007 AND HIS BOX IS STARTING TO PULL AWAY ALSO.
Maybe I can shim the battery bracket (to level the left side of the filter box) and try heating again to straighten the filter box front mounting bracket?
ANY ONE HAVE A SOLUTION.

 

[CVR222NV]

I'm not sure if this will be any help but here it goes. A lot of guys have replaced their stock air boxes with aftermarket set ups and you can pick up a used box for around $50 (that's the price I was seeing when I purchased mine). I wanted to do the Home Depot cold air intake modification but did not want to modify my original box so I purchased a used one. When it arrived one of the nubs on the bottom of the box was broken off. I just drilled it out and bolted it though the tab off the battery case and it really cinched the box down tight. In fact, the next time I remove the box I will do the same to the other nub on the other (engine) side. My problem is I have no foam strip to seal the box to the inner fender that is mentioned in this thread. Any ideas on how to seal the box to the inner fender when the foam strip is missing?

 

[seafish]

Years ago when I did the Home Depot mod to my airbox, I replaced the foam while I had the box out with thicker open cell foam, then also drilled a small hole one each side of the intake that went through the box, the foam and the fender and then used long machine screws and a couple of wing nuts to pull the box up against the foam and fender...it's been fine ever since.

 

[CVR222NV]

Seafish, thanks for the information. Looks like I have a new project!

 

[BKneeland]

Foam to Seal Air Filter Box

Most of the Lowe's, Home Depot, Ace Hardware,etc. sell 3M adhesive weather sealing foam rolls in different sizes.
Will be finding out what Dodge Service says about my buddy's 2007 diesel truck's "pulled away air filter box" he is taking in for service
and let all know their COMMENT/SOLUTION.

 

[BKneeland]

I have not fixed my air box GAP between the fender and the box since I last posted on 7-3-2014.
An interesting point is that I have had all my generation 3 (2004 - 2007 so far) friends check their GAP and every one
of them have this problem. Some caused by the battery cable pushing against the box forcing it away from the fender
side air inlet opening. Also, some appear that even if the cable is not forcing the box away from the fender there is
some amount of separation and an air GAP exists. This kind of "its not the battery cable" problem maybe that the
front plastic box bracket (which attaches with a 10 mm hex nut) is not string enough to resist plastic creep from engine heat
and in combination with the battery tray assembly where the air box male nubs fit into the female grommets.
EVERYONE SHOULD CHECK THEIRS AND REPLY.
Thanks for every ones input.
More to follow!

 

[CVR222NV]

As I indicated previously my foam is gone. I have looked at the foam alternatives but would really like to see what others have done to solve this problem. When the dirt roads we run on do not get rain for a period of time they develop silt beds that literally explode with a talcum powder type dust and I'm sure with this design I am getting that directly to the air box through this opening (even if properly sealed). Has anyone devised a solution to be able to just close the fender intake while running on dusty dirt roads? Sure would be nice to have a functional hood scoop!

 

[seafish]

Like I wrote above, when I modded my airbox, I replaced the foam with a deeper closed cell foam, then added two SMALL machine screws with wing nuts that went through both the filter box and the fender at 9 and 3 oclock. Using the nuts, I drew the box up against the fender and it has been fine ever since.

I ALSO like to use a light coasting of vaseline on the top side of the actual air filter that seals up against the box lid to help seal the filter to the box on the "clean" side of the intake.

All that being said, the fender intake hole on the side of the air box still goes into the filtered (ie dirty) side of the intake box, so despite your concerns, your air is still being completely filtered (as long as the box lid is sealed correctly), despite being drawn in from the engine compartment instead of the fender opening.