New Intake or Just A Bunch of HOT Air?….You Decide

[Homeboy981]

I have talked to a few members in DFW about this and what they have done to get MORE AIR THROUGH THEIR INTAKES! Most of it is really $%^& expensive!

Here is a ROUGH sketch of an idea for an INEXPENSIVE Cold Air Intake system. You guys would know better, so let's hear it.

Open to ideas, trying to accomplish the following:
1). Keep it reasonably priced. I like Pedro's designs but wanted it to look more presentable, no offense Pedro - I like MOST ALL your other solutions.
2). Dump as much air through the MAF as it will take, without re-programming. How much is that BTW?
3). Get rid of restrictions, unnecessary twists and turns…in the factory design.
4). Utilize a K&N Cone-Shaped Filter where the base of the SNORKEL used to be - in the COLDER AIR! I know it will work since I have "rough fit" the one from my truck. The only problem seems to be tubing related.
5). Re-use the Factory Airbox's MAF tubing section AND Firewall seal section (will need to be widened from 'Snorkel size').

Put some of these "engineering minds" around here to work, but please speak English and BE GENTLE. After all, I have not seen too many other members that have something workable…I KNOW YOU ARE OUT THERE - So Ring in and help a Poor P-car owner out!

Signed,
...Looking for More Horses

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Homeboy981

...Looking for More Horses

You will be hard pressed to find them this way............

[Meir]

i assume, your biggest challenge will be to isolate the air filter it self, from the engine compartment.
the aftermarket products are offering some kind of metal buffer that acts as the air box.
common sense tells me, that the air inside that box, will be hotter then the OEM plastic box.
best solution IMHO, will be to fabricate some kind of a fiber glass box with multiply layers and isolation material.
not an easy job, especially when a lot of people (just like JFP) say it will result without significant results (if at all) in performance.
on another hand we have this thread:
Finally: Dyno charts of de-snorked 986S!!!

also check out this tread, and have a look at post # 127, might give you some ideas.

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by Meir

i assume, your biggest challenge will be to isolate the air filter it self, from the engine compartment.
the aftermarket products are offering some kind of metal buffer that acts as the air box.
common sense tells me, that the air inside that box, will be hotter then the OEM plastic box.
best solution IMHO, will be to fabricate some kind of a fiber glass box with multiply layers and isolation material.
not an easy job, especially when a lot of people (just like JFP) say it will result without significant results (if at all) in performance.
on another hand we have this thread:
Finally: Dyno charts of de-snorked 986S!!!

also check out this tread, and have a look at post # 127, might give you some ideas.

The aftermarket intakes come with a plastic shield/box .

[Meir]

Originally Posted by Johnny Danger

The aftermarket intakes come with a plastic shield/box .

My bad.
Looks like folded metal sheet in the pictures.
Would have been nice if someone will dyno test it before and after ( like iwith the deshnork mod). Do you have one on your car JD?
If yes, what is your impression?

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by Meir

My bad.
Looks like folded metal sheet in the pictures.
Would have been nice if someone will dyno test it before and after ( like iwith the deshnork mod). Do you have one on your car JD?
If yes, what is your impression?

I have the Evolution Motor Sports intake on my vehicle. And, to answer your question, yes I've dynoed my vehicle after the intake was installed. However, this coincided with the installation of a few other mods at the same. So, it's difficult to estimate just exactly what hp gains can be attributed to the intake. My guess is that the actual gains are minimal. Maybe 3 to 5 hp if any. But, the sound it produces is just ripping ! I guess that alone made it worth while.

[Meir]

Originally Posted by Johnny Danger

I have the Evolution Motor Sports intake on my vehicle. And, to answer your question, yes I've dynoed my vehicle after the intake was installed. However, this coincided with the installation of a few other mods at the same. So, it's difficult to estimate just exactly what hp gains can be attributed to the intake. My guess is that the actual gains are minimal. Maybe 3 to 5 hp if any. But, the sound it produces is just ripping ! I guess that alone made it worth while.

Thanks for the reply JD.
now let's see what homeboy will bring to the table.

[Meir]

Originally Posted by Meir

i assume, your biggest challenge will be to isolate the air filter it self, from the engine compartment.
the aftermarket products are offering some kind of metal buffer that acts as the air box.
common sense tells me, that the air inside that box, will be hotter then the OEM plastic box.
best solution IMHO, will be to fabricate some kind of a fiber glass box with multiply layers and isolation material.
not an easy job, especially when a lot of people (just like JFP) say it will result without significant results (if at all) in performance.
on another hand we have this thread:
Finally: Dyno charts of de-snorked 986S!!!

also check out this tread, and have a look at post # 127, might give you some ideas.

Forgot to attach the link in previus post.
That's the one. Look at post 127.
http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/31693-maf-throttle-body-diameter.html

[The Radium King]

Google cayman cold air intake. There is a product out that mounts an oval cone filter in the fender- very easy to fab yourself.

[Topless]

Wouldn't it be great to have an air filter that was serviceable from the side intake vent instead of the whole process of putting the top in service mode, pulling the top forward, removing the carpet piece, removing the engine cover, opening up the stoopid airbox design, removing the old filter element, dropping a bunch of leaves sticks and crap down into the clean side, vacuuming out the airbox, replacing the element, reverse assembly procedure...

After racing motorcycles for many years and servicing the air filter between races I came to enjoy a quick airbox element removal. I would love that on my Boxster.

The fly in the ointment: Water ingestion IMO. Our air intake is in a fairly vulnerable spot and I think a lot of the airbox and snorkel design was to prevent water ingestion and foreign debris from entering the intake. Eliminating the stock airbox and snorkel will surely improve airflow to some extent but it may put the motor at risk if some big 4x4 blasts through a rain swollen puddle and nails the left side of our car. Continuous dousing while traveling next to another car on the hwy may also be a problem. We need Randall to test this the next time he gets a good ol' Texas flood.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by Topless

The fly in the ointment: Water ingestion IMO. Our air intake is in a fairly vulnerable spot and I think a lot of the airbox and snorkel design was to prevent water ingestion and foreign debris from entering the intake. Eliminating the stock airbox and snorkel will surely improve airflow to some extent but it may put the motor at risk if some big 4x4 blasts through a rain swollen puddle and nails the left side of our car. Continuous dousing while traveling next to another car on the hwy may also be a problem. We need Randall to test this the next time he gets a good ol' Texas flood.

It is interesting to see people talk about hydrolock concerns so often. It is nearly impossible to hydrolock an engine without completely submerging the intake pipe. Don't believe me, try drinking through a straw with half the straw opening outside of the drink. It is nothing to worry about unless you plan to go driving into a three foot deep puddle.

This is why you've never, ever heard of a Boxster hydrolocking.

[j.fro]

Homeboy, what you've drawn is pretty much the set up I am using. My air filter is located outside of the engine compartment, just inside the fender intake scoop. I'm using a cone filter, air is completely isolated from the engine heat, and there are no restrictions in the flow path. However, there are down sides. I was able to locate the filter there mainly because I have completely removed the convertible top and all of the sound insulation around the engine compartment. The plastic channel that the snorkel is located in is way too small to house a cone filter, so that's gone, too. So...now the air filter is right behind my left shoulder. And my left ear. You know that "glorious howl" everyone talks about when desnorkling and/or adding a CAI? It's good that the only time I am ever at WOT I am also wearing my helmet, because it is deafening. So, the big question...how much HP did I gain? I've done just about all of the bolt on mods, and the car pulled 244 rwhp on the Dyno. Given 15% drive train loss, that would put me at just under 290 fwhp, so I've gained about 40.

[Homeboy981]

Originally Posted by Topless

Wouldn't it be great to have an air filter that was serviceable….

They make one that is a "screw-in" type but I have not found the adapter piece to make that work. I can post pics when I get out from under the car tonight.

@j.fro - that was something like what I was going for….what SIZE cone filter did you try to shoe-horn in there?

Thanks for the help everyone! Keep the ideas coming!

[j.fro]

The cone I have now is 6X6. Anything smaller won't flow enough air (I learned this the hard way).
Here are some shots of my set up

[The Radium King]

i'm back at a computer now - post 152 of this thread:

987 v 986 Air box

[Topless]

Originally Posted by blue2000s

It is interesting to see people talk about hydrolock concerns so often. It is nearly impossible to hydrolock an engine without completely submerging the intake pipe. Don't believe me, try drinking through a straw with half the straw opening outside of the drink. It is nothing to worry about unless you plan to go driving into a three foot deep puddle.

This is why you've never, ever heard of a Boxster hydrolocking.

Interesting. I've never seen anyone mention hydrolock concerns. I certainly never mentioned it in my earlier post. I do believe ingesting large amounts of cold water is bad for Boxster engines but that is a different issue than hydrolock. Of course it wouldn't take much water to hydrolock an 11:1 motor:
http://www.mini2.com/forum/first-generation-faults-fixes/3832-water-damage-engine-air-intake-susceptible-sucking-water.html
http://forum.roadfly.com/threads/8196227-Hydrolock-in-4-6-inches-of-water
http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32285

From K&N
"Are Cold Air Intakes safe in the rain?
NO CAR should ever be operated during flooding. Unlike short ram intakes, cold air intakes draw air from a relatively low position. Your vehicle can technically ingest water from rain puddles, streams, floods, etc if your car is lowered or the water is deep enough, and damage your engine. To prevent this, you could install the appropriate sized AEM Bypass valve onto your Porsche 911’s AEM or X3 Cold Air Intake, however, we instead recommend switching to your vehicles stock intake system if you anticipate driving through flood conditions. K&N FIPK Intakes do not require bypass valves since their design is higher than AEM and X3, and are relatively safe from water ingestion."

Yes, water ingestion is a very real potential problem with a modified air intake system especially on a Boxster, which is why our stock intake is so contorted. Choose wisely.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by Topless

Interesting. I've never seen anyone mention hydrolock concerns. I certainly never mentioned it in my earlier post. I do believe ingesting large amounts of cold water is bad for Boxster engines but that is a different issue than hydrolock. Of course it wouldn't take much water to hydrolock an 11:1 motor:
Water damage to engine - air intake susceptible to sucking in water - MINI Cooper Forum - MINI2 Mini Cooper Forums
Hydrolock in 4-6 inches of water...
http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32285

From K&N
"Are Cold Air Intakes safe in the rain?
NO CAR should ever be operated during flooding. Unlike short ram intakes, cold air intakes draw air from a relatively low position. Your vehicle can technically ingest water from rain puddles, streams, floods, etc if your car is lowered or the water is deep enough, and damage your engine. To prevent this, you could install the appropriate sized AEM Bypass valve onto your Porsche 911’s AEM or X3 Cold Air Intake, however, we instead recommend switching to your vehicles stock intake system if you anticipate driving through flood conditions. K&N FIPK Intakes do not require bypass valves since their design is higher than AEM and X3, and are relatively safe from water ingestion."

Yes, water ingestion is a very real potential problem with a modified air intake system especially on a Boxster, which is why our stock intake is so contorted. Choose wisely.

It sure looks like you're talking about hydrolocking? If not, what exactly are you referring to?

I have a buddy who hydrolocked a HUMVEE, anything can be hydrolocked, but like I said, you have to completely submerge the intake to do it.

Every car is injesting water, especially while driven in the rain. Some even inject it for cooling the intake charge. There's nothing to fear in taking in water droplets.

Has anyone ever heard of a damaged engine on a Boxster due to water? The car is 15 years old now, surely someone must have injested enough water to damage the engine by now?

[Johnny Danger]

The Dangermobile is designed to act as a submarine when needed. I just wrap the intake with cellophane . No problems with hydro-lock here .

[The Radium King]

i don't think hyrolock is the concern, but rather that the oem airbox is purposely convoluted to decel the water before it hits the filter, then drain out the bottom.

more 'direct line' intakes don't do this, so there is opportunity to saturate the filter element. uncertain what this would do - ruin it? wash all the oil off and cancel any filtering abilities? reduce ability to breathe? dunno.

the other concern is where the low point in the intake lies. on the oem box it is before the filter, so any water, condensation, etc., will pool and drain here. in more straight line systems, the low point may lie after the filter which could send a big shot of agua at the motor on start-up, or the low point could be the filter itself, which might cause the problems listed above.

no experience here, just what my concerns might be. that's why i thing the cayman box is the solution - big filter element, straight line for airflow, proper diameter piping, etc.

[Kenny Boxster]

For those of you wondering what the stock air setup in our cars are like:


What Homeboy proposed certainly has merit, and some people already have a set up like he proposed. I would be surprised if you didn't manage to free some horsepower. Personally I would love to hear the growl of the castrated engine with such a set up!