Modifying your Airaid air box

[SchwarzerDrache]

Ok, don't flame me for 2 a stupid questions but one I didn't pay enough attention to the stock box and the 2nd question is me being paranoid.

1. Does the stock snorkel/inlet tube just need to be lined up with anything or is it in the right place assuming the box is attached and the snorkel is pushed down to where it is not being bent or stressed/bent by anything?

2. The sensor wire originally was under the tube but with the airaid tube it had to go over top. It seems to be against or near some hot pieces engine this way, but I assume the wire is insulated enough to where this shouldn't matter. Is this correct?

[kga10734]

Originally Posted by SchwarzerDrache

Ok, don't flame me for 2 a stupid questions but one I didn't pay enough attention to the stock box and the 2nd question is me being paranoid.

1. Does the stock snorkel/inlet tube just need to be lined up with anything or is it in the right place assuming the box is attached and the snorkel is pushed down to where it is not being bent or stressed/bent by anything?

2. The sensor wire originally was under the tube but with the airaid tube it had to go over top. It seems to be against or near some hot pieces engine this way, but I assume the wire is insulated enough to where this shouldn't matter. Is this correct?

The stock snorkel just sits there, no need to line it up with anything.

The wires might get hot but that shouldn't effect the air temps the sensor is reading.

[merlin803]

How often do you guys plan on using the cleaning kit to clean your filters?

All these extra holes are bound to bring in more dirt I suppose, lol

[VR Baron]

Originally Posted by merlin803

How often do you guys plan on using the cleaning kit to clean your filters?

All these extra holes are bound to bring in more dirt I suppose, lol

Good question. These filters, or at least K&N's, say clean when the pleats are covered in about 1/4" of dirt if I remember right or if performance falls of etc. . I will just watch and see. It should be the same recomendation as on the other open box cai's I would think. The only time my old k&n on my LS1 got dirty really fast was when I had a ram air duct attached from underneath and the airlid sealed to create a pressurized condition. It got dirty really fast!!

[Toasty]

I've been following this thread since it's beginning, trying to decide if I should order the Airaid. I like the dyno results that Jannetty got in the lower RPM range vs the Injen. Problem is that I'm heasitant to order up an Airaid, and then immediately need to be drillng holes and modifying the filter box. It's for this reason I'm considering the Roto-Fab CAI that was just introduced. I know they didn't make it into the Jannetty CAI test, but the dyno numbers they posted on their own do seem to look OK. The numbers seem to give them not quite as much in the way of gains vs the Airaid in Jannetty's testing, but even Airaid's own dyno sheet is not as good as the Jannetty tests. (yeah, I know that different dynos/days/vehicle used can change the results)

So, is it really worth it to order a brand new Airaid and then have to hack it up to get the temps to stay more constant? I like the look of the Airaid a bit better than the Roto-Fab, but the pricing is about the same right now.

[merlin803]

Originally Posted by Toasty

I've been following this thread since it's beginning, trying to decide if I should order the Airaid. I like the dyno results that Jannetty got in the lower RPM range vs the Injen. Problem is that I'm heasitant to order up an Airaid, and then immediately need to be drillng holes and modifying the filter box. It's for this reason I'm considering the Roto-Fab CAI that was just introduced. I know they didn't make it into the Jannetty CAI test, but the dyno numbers they posted on their own do seem to look OK. The numbers seem to give them not quite as much in the way of gains vs the Airaid in Jannetty's testing, but even Airaid's own dyno sheet is not as good as the Jannetty tests. (yeah, I know that different dynos/days/vehicle used can change the results)

So, is it really worth it to order a brand new Airaid and then have to hack it up to get the temps to stay more constant? I like the look of the Airaid a bit better than the Roto-Fab, but the pricing is about the same right now.

I had the same concerns but thought about it like this, the holes just make it more "Injen" like (and they don't have any sort of box), with getting more air and colder air but without the worry of having water get sucked in (whether it is a valid worry or not....) and the hassle of the Injen install.

I can't speak on the Roto-Fab but I was happy with the confirmed test results for the Airaid, and that was before any box modifications.

[VR Baron]

Originally Posted by Toasty

I've been following this thread since it's beginning, trying to decide if I should order the Airaid. I like the dyno results that Jannetty got in the lower RPM range vs the Injen. Problem is that I'm heasitant to order up an Airaid, and then immediately need to be drillng holes and modifying the filter box. It's for this reason I'm considering the Roto-Fab CAI that was just introduced. I know they didn't make it into the Jannetty CAI test, but the dyno numbers they posted on their own do seem to look OK. The numbers seem to give them not quite as much in the way of gains vs the Airaid in Jannetty's testing, but even Airaid's own dyno sheet is not as good as the Jannetty tests. (yeah, I know that different dynos/days/vehicle used can change the results)

So, is it really worth it to order a brand new Airaid and then have to hack it up to get the temps to stay more constant? I like the look of the Airaid a bit better than the Roto-Fab, but the pricing is about the same right now.

I hear ya, I wouldn't want to hack into a new cai either to make it "better" but as I already had it why not, wasn't going to spend another $350 on a Ingen for 4 hp max when I could do it for free(if I did get more?) Do know it responds better and exhaust is louder and deeper now having let the max air to get to the filter. As I have said before if we did get a power increase to be close to Ingen or CAI its only a small one that probably cant be felt but throttle response can be but not actually showing up as a power increase. We may have gotten one or both but will never know, maybe JRE can do the holes and retest in the controlled situation they have and we could find out(?)
I do like the Roto-Fab and what they did with it on the design, and you can color match which is cool. Power seems good so far. I will go out on a limb and say theoretically the Airaid design seems better then the other open box cai's other then CAI and Ingen. It makes the same or more hp and thats with it being a little strangled of air, get in enough air and it seems up close to Ingen's design I would think, again only testing will tell.

On a side note on power remember as you add exhaust, headers etc the overall power wont neccesarily stack up so maybe if you add a catback first you may only see 8-10 hp from a cai that makes 15 by itself. Saw that alot with the LS1 engines, LT1's too. That being said I saw alot people's dynos with the lower then advertized numbers but at the track they got times and mph increases as if they got the full power increase from just that one part . Kinda strange but

[SchwarzerDrache]

Originally Posted by Toasty

I've been following this thread since it's beginning, trying to decide if I should order the Airaid. I like the dyno results that Jannetty got in the lower RPM range vs the Injen. Problem is that I'm heasitant to order up an Airaid, and then immediately need to be drillng holes and modifying the filter box. It's for this reason I'm considering the Roto-Fab CAI that was just introduced. I know they didn't make it into the Jannetty CAI test, but the dyno numbers they posted on their own do seem to look OK. The numbers seem to give them not quite as much in the way of gains vs the Airaid in Jannetty's testing, but even Airaid's own dyno sheet is not as good as the Jannetty tests. (yeah, I know that different dynos/days/vehicle used can change the results)

So, is it really worth it to order a brand new Airaid and then have to hack it up to get the temps to stay more constant? I like the look of the Airaid a bit better than the Roto-Fab, but the pricing is about the same right now.

I had a buddy hold the box and I drilled the holes with a 1/2 inch bit in about 3-4 minutes. No big deal.

[Toasty]

Yeah, I am still leaning towards the Airaid.... does the Airaid air box go back further towards the firewall than the stock box? in some of their pictures it seems to, and almost looks like it may make it harder to reach the oil filter?

[SchwarzerDrache]

The box is bigger so it might go further back but I really didn't pay that much attention.

[merlin803]

Originally Posted by SchwarzerDrache

The box is bigger so it might go further back but I really didn't pay that much attention.

It seemed to me that the air scoop ends up in about the same place as it was on the original box, so I am not sure that there is much, if any difference in how close it is to the front.

[VR Baron]

Originally Posted by Toasty

Yeah, I am still leaning towards the Airaid.... does the Airaid air box go back further towards the firewall than the stock box? in some of their pictures it seems to, and almost looks like it may make it harder to reach the oil filter?

The back side comes to a 1/2" from the + batterey post and is about 2" from the oil filter area. No problem with the oil change. You can alos remove the box if you want, its easy.

[kga10734]

Originally Posted by merlin803

How often do you guys plan on using the cleaning kit to clean your filters?

All these extra holes are bound to bring in more dirt I suppose, lol

The filter with the modified box shouldn't get anymore dirt then the others. It is now pulling air in from the same place as the K&N, CAI and others like those designs.

[Toasty]

I wonder how much of the power gains that the Airaid has is from the box design or the tube design?

If it's the tube, wonder if a handy person could fab up a block off-plate similar to the roto-fab/K&N instead of the box