Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) SO, ya want more AIR do ya!

[Gary - K7GLD]

... To yer engine, that is...



Well, ONE way fellas think works well, is to punch more holes in the stock airbox down below the stock filter in the walls of the plastic filter housing.



First, remove the cover from the airbox, then remove the air filter and place in a clean safe spot. Remove the 3 Torx bolts holding the lower box to the inner fender sheetmetal - a 13/32 standard wrench or socket will fit... Then remove the box and place it in your work area - here's what the box looks like:



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(next post for more... )

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

FROM the bottom, here's what you'll see - notice the standoffs raise the box bottom quite a bit - and will let in quite a bit of air from holes in that area...



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Here's the pattern of 2-inch holes I decided to use...



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(more below)

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Here's what the filter was "seeing" as it's only air supply prior to adding additional ventilation - as with openings in prior year's Dodges, somewhat restricted - what you see here at the back of the opening, is a baffle - the actual opening fo incoming air is to the front and rear of the opening you see here, and was rather small...



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The drilled lower box - ready for the filter to be installed, and cover replaced.



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Once everything is back in place, the only new hole visible is the one at the front of the box - and you have to LOOK for that one!



How well does it work? I'LL let you know in a couple of weeks, after my trip up to Payette Idaho - the next step MIGHT be a K&N-type low restriction air filter - if not, and I don't see good results, a BHAF conversion will be in my future!

 

[Whitmore]

Gary

Good pics and a good mod I think for the stock application. The fact still remains that the oem filter only has so much cu. In. of surface area, the big filters (BHAF) if you cut the filter and laid it flat it would have 2 to 3 times the surface area, and if you pulled all the pleats out of it it would prolly have about 10 times the surface area respectfully. So for the bombed trucks the box is one problem and the filter is yet a whole different problem.



We have some huge blowers at work that supply 75 million cubic feet a day to a big furnace, I find it interesting that the supply line of air from the filter housing is 48" pipe and there is a spool piece just before the blower that necks down to a 36" inlet ... . This is so there is NO or LITTLE restristion to the inlet of the blower, with that being said if you look at our hose it is 4"and the blower inlet is I think 3" so the same principal is being used here, but thru testing of filter flow in the last TDR issue it is evident that the stock filter is bottlenecking the blower, cant member the numbers but I think the BHAF flowed almost as much air as when they had no filter at all. I like that ... ... ... . Kevin

 

[98rammer]

it's a great mod for the k&n that fits in the stock box. but with a stock-type filter, i didn't notice a thing after i had drilled holes in my airbox. now i have the k&n out in the open. the only thing though is that the holes will suck in warmer air from the engine compartment.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Kevin, I suspect you may well be right - and I was just about to go straight to the BHAF, but figured there is nothing to lose by at least TRYING this approach... Funny thing is, the air filter on the much bigger displacement Ford Power Stroke diesel is only about HALF the size of our Cummins...



ANYWAY, it will be interesting to see how well this works out... .



Rammer - we were both posting at the same time~



Yeah, the stock filter MIGHT not benefit from the mod, but I *do* know that with the new, clean filter in the stock UNdrilled box, a long hard RV pull with my Comp-equipped HO sucked my filter-minder down 2/3 of the way!



SO, I'm sorta curious as to whether the restriction is in the element, or the inlet to the housing - this mod will certainly tell me!

 

[Whitmore]

Gary, I suspect your mod will infact help your egt as well as spool-up time but it has been proven here many times before I had the BHAF that the big filter does the best that we can ever ask for.



Another side note , I just last week put some 5"stacks on and I lost another 50 on the pyro at wot, I cant get the temp over 1300 (pre turbo) at 11K elevation with a load now , AND I had the Jardine 4" before that. I still have the Jardine downpipe and the magnaflow muffler that feed my stacks.



My take on the diesel engine in general is... ... . 0 restriction on air in and 0 restriction on exhaust = best performance



JMO Kevin

 

[98rammer]

Originally posted by Gary - KJ6Q



Rammer - we were both posting at the same time~

i was 10 minutes behind... ... ... i guess i'm just slooooooooooooooooooow:{



(shoulda paid attention more)

 

[Texas Diesel]

Warning! A member here posted that his dealer denied warranty claims until he bought a new air box ($$$) and put it back to stock.

Seems they didnt like the air box drawing hot (?) air from the engine compartment.



I drilled several holes in the bottom of the snorkel so it would be cheap to return to OEM. After drilling the holes in the snorkel it stopped setting the filter minder.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

If my Comp doesn't bust my warranty coverage, I'm sure not gonna worry about a few holes in my airbox!

 

[Bandit1]

first i had jsut a k&n in the stock box, i noticed a little more spool up and alot more sound, then i drilled 2 2" holes in the box and it made it sound alot louder and i noticed alittle faster spool. then i got a BHAF and i dont notice a dif in egt. maybe it is jsut me but the BHAF still sucks hot air in around the engine compartment. i am working on a way to get some more cold air, maybe a sort of forced induction into or at least around part of the BHAF. hopefully i can come up with somethign that will maybe work alittle. any ideas let me know

 

[WadePatton]

Nice photos and all Gary, but geez I can rip the box out and put a BHAF on in 3 minutes or less for ~45 USD.



Warranty schmarranty I don't want those monkeys under my hood for ANYTHING.

 

[John Berger]

I took my snorkel out. I tried a member suggestion last year right after I got my EZ installed. I drilled holes in the snorkel to increase air flow. The turbo sucked the snorkel right out of the fender and deposited it into the bottom of the air box. The snorkel now rests comfortably on the top of my storage cabinet in the garage.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Wade sez:



"Nice photos and all Gary, but geez I can rip the box out and put a BHAF on in 3 minutes or less for ~45 USD. "





AHHHhhh but Wade, that's just YOU!



Not ALL fellas here install power boxes, or tow heavy loads in the hills - and for THEM, a no-cost intermediate mod MIGHT just fit the bill for OCASSIONAL extra bursts of loud pedal!



I mean, ya don't swat gnats with a sledge hammer - so why instal a Big Honkin' Air Filter, when your NORMAL expectations from your rig are relatively SMALL?



YEAH, for you and ME, the BHAF may ultimately be the best - but this MIGHT get the job done - and didn't cost me a PENNY!

 

[Charliep]

Joe's dyno tests

In the latest TRD issue Joe Donnely reorted that he tested the stock box/filter vs box without filter and registered ZERO difference. Didn't say what the state of tune of the engine was. This suggests that the box is a major airflow problem, and any wholes punched in it would be helpful. I'm doing mine as soon as I can scare up the 2" drill.

 

[WadePatton]

Originally posted by Gary - KJ6Q

I mean, ya don't swat gnats with a sledge hammer - so why instal a Big Honkin' Air Filter,

Who told you what I swat gnats with? Have you seen what I shoot deer with?:--)



Anyway, the BHAF just looks so dang cool when you raise the hood and is WAY cheaper than all those other jobs--that every riceburner and mustang has clamped on their intakes.



But if the budget is that tight, by all means whittle the crap outta that airbox! Oo.

 

[SOLER]

Hot air issue

I saw a post yesterday or day before. Same thing with the holes, but attach a tube to the holes, and feed it to the front. It will draw frash air from the front of the truck thru the grill.



Soler