i just ordered a whole sh*t load (at least to me it is) of new stuff for my FD. i'm wondering what to do about the intake though. i ordered an Apex'i Power intake to replace the big bulky stocker. when i pull the old filter box, should i leave the stock intake duct inplace to pull air into the intercooler and deposit intake air in front of the new filters... or should i remove all of the stocker intake stuff and buy/build some sort of specialized ducting for the stock IC?

if you think the second idea is better, then any suggestions on where to buy the ducting at or how to make it myself, i would REALLY appreciate it

 

bump

 

If you are running the stock intercooler, keep the stock duct. You will always need some kind of duct for a stock mount intercooler otherwise it will not function properly without airflow. It would be hard to improve upon the stock duct unless you are really good with molding plastic and fiberglass.

 

just fab a peice of black plastic or someting to go over the hole in the ic duct, and get rid of the box above it that goes to the stock intake. the hole that you will need to cover is approx. 4X6 inches.

 

I did what the two above posts said when i had the stock IC. Chris at rx7.com seemed to think it was important to put that piece of plastic over the gaping hole in the IC duct...

 

yea, if you dont cover the hole, the ic does not function as well. and since your intakes are using warmer air, you need your ic to cool the air as much as possible.

 

so, i need to cover a aprox. 6"x4" hole and should probably have a heat sheild fabbed up in an attempt to keep my intake air cooler... perhaps i'll get something like the FEED headlamp cover with the intake built in too... thanks guys the best part of this is that where i work, we have access to a HUGE machine shop that could really easilly make this stuff for me

 

That is not necessarily true.

pugg57, if you don't cover the hole in the IC duct, you need to keep the front cover so it can redirect the air over to the intakes. If you don't keep the cover, then the air will just go straight up into the hood and not do anything productive.

Here's a pic of my old setup:

http://mahjik.homestead.com/files/FD...3/MVC-002F.JPG

I retained the hole and allowed more air into my intake. I'm no longer using the Blitz SMIC so I have a different IC and duct.

 

BTW, someone on the forum is using the top cover (modified) with the Apexi intake. Try searching for apexi and you should find a picture of his engine bay.

 

<----popping the hood and reinstalling duct...what was i thinking?

 

The front plastic transfer duct is a huge flow restriction.

It's also a dangerous way to duct air in this configuration. Mazda themselves have found the ducting to provide an alternate airpath for the stock intake (and in this configuration most likely the cone filters as well) to pull heat-transfered air back through the intercooler and into the intake at high RPM operation.

It IS a bad design, don't use it.

 

so is it good to have it or not?

 

What do you think?

 

Here is a pic of mine with the Blitz intake. I just had to cut part of the stock ducting to clear the filters. The Apex kit is pretty much identical so you would have to do the same thing.

 

Mahjik, so if i leave the stock intake ducting on i'm ok? that seems to be what you and Fumanchu have done.

 

Heres my altered APEXi setup....

 

That's not very likely to happen without a sealed enclosure for the compressors to draw air from, is it? The cone filters will not even in theory be able to create lower pressure at the duct opening than at the backside of the intercooler, and therefore cannot make air move in the above mentioned manner.

 

I agree, it is highly unlikely for it to happen with aftermarket cone filters that have also have external access to air.

It will happen with the stock air box, however.

In addition, I don't really see much productive airflow occuring with the stock intake removed. Might as well make use of all of it for the intercooler.

 

Yes, either leave the cover or patch the opening in the IC duct. I preferred to provide any extra air I could to the intake so I left the hole open and kept the cover.

But, then again, I still have my A/C, PS and AST.

 

I like the plate covering your intercooler. Did you make it? Have it made? Does it direct any air to your intakes, or does all the air go to your intercooler?

 

it was from ASI....i simply cut it to fit....i dont get any relevant gains from it...its for asthetics....