2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.
Sponsored by:

pics of custom intake boxes

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 10-27-05, 08:28 PM
  #26  
just dont care.

iTrader: (6)
 
jacobcartmill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 9,387
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Originally Posted by jacobcartmill
that stock airbox is a restriction. it was DEVELOPED BY MAZDA for stock cars, stock boost, and slow NA's. have you ever installed a cone filter on a TII that has a full exhaust? what happens?

i'd like to see your input to this makenzie. please, enlighten us.
Old 10-27-05, 08:30 PM
  #27  
...94% correct.

 
Makenzie71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: High Texas
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by MrDirt
I'm sorry, but almost all of that is false. Most modern day cars have several seperate air chambers and mufflers for the purpose of noise reduction. Increasing the capacity of the intake system can make a drastic difference in noise, and it IS a primary concern when engineering a car. Even in an intake system such as the factory FC, where the pre-filter tract is very short and not as restrictive, there still is not a lot of noise generated by the system. When changing over to an open filter, most people will notice quite a bit of difference in engine noise. I can verify this by experience with installing systems on about 20 different cars. On cars with stock exhaust, the intake noise will completely drown out the exhaust.
I'm sorry but your car is not modern...and increasing the capacity of the filter box will have ZERO effect on performance.

By kit, I was referring to the aftermarket, as well as non-restrictive open systems. Even still, as said before, the factory intake sucks air from behind a plastic shield which is above THREE heat exhangers.
I don't know where you bought your car from, but the factory intakes on all 7 of my RX-7s have ALWAYS sucked air from in front of the coolers.

Regardless of what you think, even the crude air boxes as shown will make a positive difference.
Not as much as a propper cold air pipe, and not any more than the stock intake assembly with a good filter.
Old 10-27-05, 08:31 PM
  #28  
...94% correct.

 
Makenzie71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: High Texas
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by jacobcartmill
i'd like to see your input to this makenzie. please, enlighten us.
Go back and read. I never said that the stock assembly couldn't be improved. I said they're going about it wrong. Building another airbox is a total waste of time and resources and it's a hinderence on airflow.
Old 10-27-05, 08:32 PM
  #29  
affen

 
speed_monkey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 913
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by ZeroDrift
-An ideal material for any airbox is alluminum, or stainless steel. Both help prevent any heatsoak, and would allow the charge air to remain cooler. The reason for removing the headlight was to allow the maximum ammount of fresh air w/o cutting the body/chassis. Mind you the front end is a hackjob as it is :P.
You would have to have a duct or something, go look behind your headlight.

Aluminum conducts heat quite well... I would think you would want something that doesnt.
Old 10-27-05, 08:35 PM
  #30  
just dont care.

iTrader: (6)
 
jacobcartmill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 9,387
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Originally Posted by Makenzie71
Building another airbox is a total waste of time and resources and it's a hinderence on airflow.

ok that is wrong. please stop posting stuff like this.

go put some T25's on your TII

Last edited by jacobcartmill; 10-27-05 at 08:38 PM.
Old 10-27-05, 08:37 PM
  #31  
...94% correct.

 
Makenzie71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: High Texas
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by jacobcartmill
ok that is wrong.
glad you could share that wonderful information with us.

Anything added to the intake system that either allows air to expand or causes to to change direction abruptly causes turbulance and is nothing but a restriction. Why do you t hink people use large radius, smooth mandrel bends for everything? They're pretty?

You're not honestly going to tell me that a series of bends, an airbox with a filter in it, then another series of bends connecting to the intake/turbo is going to be less restrictive than a near straight pipe right off the turbo or dynamic chamber leading to fresh air, are you?
Old 10-27-05, 08:42 PM
  #32  
just dont care.

iTrader: (6)
 
jacobcartmill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 9,387
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
still waiting on your reply


Originally Posted by jacobcartmill
that stock airbox is a restriction. it was DEVELOPED BY MAZDA for stock cars, stock boost, and slow NA's. have you ever installed a cone filter maybe even a TID WITH A COUPLE BENDS!?!?! on a TII that has a full exhaust? what happens?

edit: wait, dont you have an NA?
Old 10-27-05, 08:47 PM
  #33  
Rotary Enthusiast

iTrader: (1)
 
ZeroDrift's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Denver
Posts: 776
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by speed_monkey
You would have to have a duct or something, go look behind your headlight.

Aluminum conducts heat quite well... I would think you would want something that doesnt.
-lets look at the whole picture shall we?
in my civic, when the car is moving, or has been, the airbox is quite cold due to the large volume of air that it is in contact with. i know if it were to sit in traffic for a while, it'd get quite warm... but that'd be the least of that cars concerns..

-yes yes, i know alluminum transfers heat quite well, i wasnt thinking about how other people would design an airbox.. oh well.
Old 10-27-05, 08:48 PM
  #34  
...94% correct.

 
Makenzie71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: High Texas
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by jacobcartmill
still waiting on your reply
apparently you forgot to do some reading...

edit: wait, dont you have an NA?
I have both...not that owning a TII would be the only way to have any kind of common sense about this.
Old 10-27-05, 09:35 PM
  #35  
Senior Member

 
MrDirt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Posts: 418
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Makenzie71
I'm sorry but your car is not modern...and increasing the capacity of the filter box will have ZERO effect on performance.
I assumed when you said that "boxes are not designed around noise reduction" you were referring to cars in general. Also, please point out where I said that increasing capacity would increase performance. I said that it would decrease noise.

Originally Posted by Makenzie71
I don't know where you bought your car from, but the factory intakes on all 7 of my RX-7s have ALWAYS sucked air from in front of the coolers.
The factory intake is above the oil cooler, but only in front of the other two by a few inches. Also, dont forget that the factory intake sits over the radiator shroud, and partially ON TOP of the radiator. That might just have a SLIGHTLY negative effect on that "cold air" it is supposedly drawing in.

Originally Posted by Makenzie71
Not as much as a propper cold air pipe, and not any more than the stock intake assembly with a good filter.
Not true, these cold air boxes dont suck hot air from around the radiator, and arent made up of plastic tubing that recieves direct heat from the cooling system.

Originally Posted by Makenzie71
Anything added to the intake system that either allows air to expand or causes to to change direction abruptly causes turbulance and is nothing but a restriction. Why do you t hink people use large radius, smooth mandrel bends for everything? They're pretty??
OK, lets see, I think it was back in middle school when I first learned that heat causes air to expand, and removal of heat does the opposite. That would mean that the entire engine bay is a restriction because it is hot, and a cold air box would not be a restriction because it is a heat barrier.

Regarding an abrupt change in direction, where is that coming from? The air that a cone filter sucks in is around its circumference, and the air in the box has very little, if any velocity that is not generated by the vacuum from the intake. This would mean that a cold air intake would be more restrictive under this rule, unless it were facing directly into the incoming air, in which case it would still be forced to turn 90 degrees to enter the engine bay.

Originally Posted by Makenzie71
You're not honestly going to tell me that a series of bends, an airbox with a filter in it, then another series of bends connecting to the intake/turbo is going to be less restrictive than a near straight pipe right off the turbo or dynamic chamber leading to fresh air, are you?
The difference would not be as drastic as the difference between a cold air system and the stock system, or a cold air system and an open filter in the engine bay.

Originally Posted by BuffDaddy915
Hey MrDirt, I personally would like to see the differences on a dyno from open filter, air box, and a CAI build-up. Could you do the CAI? You didn't mention it.
My set up will ultimately have a CAI. I am not saying that the CAI isnt better than a cold air box. Makenzie is 100% right that it is the best reasonable setup for power, but the cold air box is better than he makes it out to be. It is a step up from the factory intake, and much better than leaving an open filter in the hot bay. For people who cannot be bothered to relocate the washer fluid bottle, or cut holes in their cars, it is a good, worthwhile option. As far as dyno results, my cold air box will be extremely crude so that it doesent permanently alter the engine bay, but I will test with one to show that it does make a difference. The results will be more drastic than your average car, because the baseline will be much higher than stock. All I care to do is show that it makes a difference over stock, and unshielded setups.

Last edited by MrDirt; 10-27-05 at 09:39 PM.
Old 10-27-05, 10:51 PM
  #36  
RX-347

iTrader: (2)
 
digitalsolo's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Posts: 2,115
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I have seen and documented differences from open cone to a cold air intake.

On my GTP, I saw a 32* difference in temperature from open cone in a hot, supercharged engine bay, to a properly sealed cold air intake box, with an open draw from a fender sealed from engine bay heat and free to draw air from the outside.

This temperature difference changed my knock retard (spark retard) from 5.2* to 0* This is a change of nearly 15* of timing, which is approximately 20 HP in that application.

The concepts in the FC are no different.

edit: By cold air intake, I mean a cold air box sealed from engine bay heat.

What is often referred to here as a "Cold (or cool) air intake" is actually a Fenderwell Intake.

Last edited by digitalsolo; 10-27-05 at 10:54 PM.
Old 10-27-05, 11:02 PM
  #37  
just dont care.

iTrader: (6)
 
jacobcartmill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 9,387
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
makenzie, please try to prove everyone wrong again.
Old 10-27-05, 11:18 PM
  #38  
...94% correct.

 
Makenzie71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: High Texas
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by MrDirt
I said that it would decrease noise.
It was simply added...no implication.

The factory intake is above the oil cooler, but only in front of the other two by a few inches. Also, dont forget that the factory intake sits over the radiator shroud, and partially ON TOP of the radiator. That might just have a SLIGHTLY negative effect on that "cold air" it is supposedly drawing in.
Plastic isn't a very good conductor of energy in any form...the interior of the ductwork is rather uneffected by being near the radiator. Also, the snorkel pulls air from in front of the coolers...no matter how much you'd like it to be behind them.

http://www.somertoncarimporters.com/...gine%20bay.jpg

Not true, these cold air boxes dont suck hot air from around the radiator...
Neither does the stocker.

...and arent made up of plastic tubing that recieves direct heat from the cooling system.
No, they're typically made of metal...a far superior conductor of energy.

OK, lets see, I think it was back in middle school when I first learned that heat causes air to expand, and removal of heat does the opposite. That would mean that the entire engine bay is a restriction because it is hot, and a cold air box would not be a restriction because it is a heat barrier.
Making the airbox a part of a sealed intake system makes the entire intake system subject to it's turbulance. The effect may be minimal, but a straight pipe fed by cool air would be far less effected.

Regarding an abrupt change in direction, where is that coming from? The air that a cone filter sucks in is around its circumference, and the air in the box has very little, if any velocity that is not generated by the vacuum from the intake. This would mean that a cold air intake would be more restrictive under this rule, unless it were facing directly into the incoming air, in which case it would still be forced to turn 90 degrees to enter the engine bay.
See above...

The difference would not be as drastic as the difference between a cold air system and the stock system, or a cold air system and an open filter in the engine bay.
(misread that, sorry)
Of course not...that's been covered already. The point is that the box idea is going to have an effect on the car's abillity to breath and the least restrictive method (a straight pipe fed by cool air) is going to be able to supply the engine with more air at cooler temperatures.

Originally Posted by digitalsolo
I have seen and documented differences from open cone to a cold air intake.
Obviously, but the difference between going through some misguided effort to rebuild an airbox vs a propper cold air intake is what's being discussed.

Originally Posted by jacobcartmill
makenzie, please try to prove everyone wrong again.
I could care less whether you think I'm right or not...I'm not out to prove anyone here is wrong and if that's what you think I'm doing you've missed a lot of reading. Rebuilding the airbox is a waste of time. I never said some of these ideas aren't superior to the stock box in one way or another. What I did say is that it's not very wise to spend the resources and time in building the box when you can achieve superior results with less time, money, and effort involved and travel down a proven road while doing it. Aftermarket boxes aren't available for very many cars because there's simply no point.

Last edited by Makenzie71; 10-27-05 at 11:23 PM.
Old 10-27-05, 11:24 PM
  #39  
Rotary Enthusiast

iTrader: (1)
 
ZeroDrift's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Denver
Posts: 776
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
its not about being right or wrong. makenzie has his good points- some air boxes dont do too much..

has anyone tried to tune an intake for the rotary? i hear the engine has alot of strong pressure waves that i'm sure can be taken advantage of! (thinking along the lines of AEM's V2 intake)

Keep the pics up! its great to see all of these interesting ideas!
Old 10-27-05, 11:26 PM
  #40  
Now With 10th AE Fun!

iTrader: (1)
 
1SWEET7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: CA
Posts: 1,869
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You just can't admit being wrong can you makenzie, it makes people feel good to customize their vehicle no matter what part they are customizing. If it takes longer, or wastes time why should you care?
Old 10-27-05, 11:29 PM
  #41  
...94% correct.

 
Makenzie71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: High Texas
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by ZeroDrift
has anyone tried to tune an intake for the rotary?
There's not much to tune. Everything in front of the throttle body just has to be as free-flowing as possible.

Originally Posted by RED1990GTU
You just can't admit being wrong can you makenzie
Because I'm not. Sorry.

...it makes people feel good to customize their vehicle no matter what part they are customizing. If it takes longer, or wastes time why should you care?
Perfectly ok, but that's no excuse to not understand superior ways to approach things.
Old 10-27-05, 11:34 PM
  #42  
just dont care.

iTrader: (6)
 
jacobcartmill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 9,387
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
running the stock airbox is not "superior"
Old 10-27-05, 11:37 PM
  #43  
...94% correct.

 
Makenzie71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: High Texas
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by jacobcartmill
running the stock airbox is not "superior"
Feel free to point out where I said that running the stock airbox (with a drop-in) was superior to anything but an open element in the bay.
Old 10-27-05, 11:39 PM
  #44  
Senior Member

 
LaRazaUnida's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: North Texas
Posts: 648
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
LESS TYPING MORE PICTURES! DAMN!

Oh, and I will post mine later, I made it purdy and now am in love with Aluminum Tape!
Old 10-27-05, 11:42 PM
  #45  
Rotary Enthusiast

iTrader: (1)
 
ZeroDrift's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Denver
Posts: 776
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
how do you figure theres not much to tune?? its kinda like saying that theres no difference in a short air intake vs a longer cold air intake (sides if its warm air, or cold), and that intake runner lengh doesnt do jack..... i know for a piston engine, it makes quite a difference.. http://www.aempower.com/V2.htm the the quickest explination...
Old 10-27-05, 11:44 PM
  #46  
RX-347

iTrader: (2)
 
digitalsolo's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Posts: 2,115
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by Makenzie71
Obviously, but the difference between going through some misguided effort to rebuild an airbox vs a propper cold air intake is what's being discussed.
I am in fact discussing building an airbox. The setup I designed and built is made of 1/4" thermally insulated polycarbonate, cut and adjusted in a manner which keeps any gaps which would allow engine bay heat to the cone filter inside to a maximum of 1/4"

here is a picture with the lid off-



Lid on





This is not dissimliar from what was previously shown on the thread. It is simply made of better materials with an eye for sealing it from engine bay heat. The filter is still in the engine bay, it is simply shrouded by this box. The design of the box allows it to "scoop" air from the hood gap, as well as from behind the headlight and the inner fender. This is not intended as a "Ram Air" feature, but rather to evacuate any ambient heat brought about by the engine heat.

It does work, I have emperical evidence, and if you'd like I can post the scans from my fuel management system interface software showing the temperature drop, and increased available timing.

My FC will have a similiar setup ducting fender and bumper air into a similiar cone. I have IAT sensors on the LS1, and I'll take open cone vs. custom air box temperatures again, as well as comparing maximum commanded (and available) timing.

I'm not arguing that a half *** box is going to be outperformed by a fenderwell intake, rather that a properly designed box will perform within the margin of testing error of a "cold air intake"

We're done now.
Old 10-27-05, 11:50 PM
  #47  
...94% correct.

 
Makenzie71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: High Texas
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by ZeroDrift
how do you figure theres not much to tune?? its kinda like saying that theres no difference in a short air intake vs a longer cold air intake (sides if its warm air, or cold), and that intake runner lengh doesnt do jack..... i know for a piston engine, it makes quite a difference.. http://www.aempower.com/V2.htm the the quickest explination...
Dynamic tuning happens after the throttle body (stuff like plenum capacity and runner length and what not). The only thing that needs to be done before the throttle body is to ensure that the intake path is as free flowing as possible, with as much ambient air as possible.

Originally Posted by digitalsolo
It does work, I have emperical evidence, and if you'd like I can post the scans from my fuel management system interface software showing the temperature drop, and increased available timing.
You, sir, are simply not reading.

Last edited by Makenzie71; 10-27-05 at 11:52 PM.
Old 10-28-05, 12:07 AM
  #48  
RX-347

iTrader: (2)
 
digitalsolo's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Posts: 2,115
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by Makenzie71
You, sir, are simply not reading.
Perhaps you shall enlighten me?

You have stated that the stock airbox is not a restriction, then stated a cold air intake will net you gains, but an intake box will not. This is neither logical or true.

A temperature drop of 30* is very significant. Assuming proper fueling, this will allow more timing as cooler air better resists detonation because of lower cylinder temperatures, and thus more HP.

A denser air charge also allows more fuel to be burned, which will also allow more power to be extracted.

As always there are more variables here, but throughout this thread you've been generalizing dramatically, and some of the assumptions I've seen made are untested or simply flat out wrong.

Perhaps you've failed to make the intent of your statements clear.

edit: A couple examples:

Originally Posted by Makenzie71
The stock civic doesn't have a very good air supply. I bet an aftermarket box won't see any higher a gain on a civic than with an open filter.
Assuming their box is nearly as efficient as mine, a 30* drop in temperature will net a HP gain.

Originally Posted by Makenzie71
Glad you're amazed. The people running aftermarket boxes in race applications don't do for horsepower gains. The ones that do run aftermarket or custom boxes for power gains run sealed boxes designed as plenums...and they're attached to ridiculously modified engines (look at indy car applications). You might want to do some looking around yourself, becuase you'll find many more race cars that do not use a filter box then you will the opposite.
Wrong again. First of all, race environments do seal the filter from engine bay heat to gain HP. When you're in an environment where 3 HP can win or lose, you do everything you can to make that HP up. Not to mention the extreme heat output by a racing engine and the effects that has on engine bay temperature.

Originally Posted by Makenzie71

Also, stock boxes have very little to do with noise reduction and aren't designed with that as a prioraty at all. An open element filter is barely noticeable around the rest of the engine noise. Stock air boxes are designed to neatly protect a filter and supply adequate amounts of atmosphere to the motor. If they can make the car a little quieter in the process, then they do it...
If you are under the belief that NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) were not a top priority in the design of the stock intake, you are sadly mistaken.

Originally Posted by Makenzie71

See first statement. Cars that use them typically do it for one of two reasons:

...the owners are like you guys and think a box is cool business or something with no real insight as to how it works, what it's supposed to do, or if it actually is anything more than engine-bay decoration.

~or~

...they're run for added protection in extreme enviroments.

Something that you WILL see with boxes used on professional race cars is that the are completely sealed...a lot like your stock cold air box and not like these hack jobs seen here.

...the one with the headlight scoop is the best...
See first time you were wrong.

I do agree that a POS hack job intake will do a poor job of insulating, no doubt.

Last edited by digitalsolo; 10-28-05 at 12:20 AM.
Old 10-28-05, 12:15 AM
  #49  
...94% correct.

 
Makenzie71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: High Texas
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by digitalsolo
You have stated that the stock airbox is not a restriction, then stated a cold air intake will net you gains, but an intake box will not.
No sir. I stated that an aftermarket box was a waste of time, that the stock box is not the most restrive portion of the stock intake (not even near the top of the list, actually), and that a straight pipe fed by ambient air will be superior to all else.

However, I do feel that the stock box, with a good filter, will be superior to most of the concoctions we'll see here.

A temperature drop of 30* is very significant.
...who stated otherwise?

A denser air charge also allows more fuel to be burned, which will also allow more power to be extracted.
...who stated otherwise?

Perhaps you've failed to make the intent of your statements clear.
I think I've been pretty clear...it's hard to be unclear with "and that a straight pipe fed by ambient air will be superior to all else."

Last edited by Makenzie71; 10-28-05 at 12:17 AM.
Old 10-28-05, 12:17 AM
  #50  
RX-347

iTrader: (2)
 
digitalsolo's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Posts: 2,115
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Let's see some emperical data that the straight pipe will outperform the cold air box. In testing a fenderwell intake in my car, I saw less then 1* of air temperature change, which is well withing margin of error for testing.

In regard to where you stated otherwise. Read my edited post.


Quick Reply: pics of custom intake boxes



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:06 AM.