dhays

iTrader: (1)

Not sure what that big black hunk of plastic is that sits on the IC. I took it off today to get a better look at the radiator fans and started to think about what it's function really is?

I don't have the stock airbox but it looks like the plastic piece has an opening for the airbox? It this to provide cool air for the airbox?

The plastic piece also has a channel that looks like it routes air to the stock battery box. I replaced it with a TurboJeff tray and 51 battery recently so don't know what I would need that.

As it stands now, it appears that much of the air entering the IC scoop in the front is going into this baffle and then out into my engine bay where the stock airbox was and around the IC towards where the stock battery box was. Seems to me that I'm loosing potentially cooling air from an already inadequate stock IC.

I'm not interested in upgrading my radiator or IC at this time. Would blocking the air that goes into this plastic baffle piece help provide more airflow over the IC or am I missing something obvious?

SLOASFK

iTrader: (5)

It's very functional. What happens is, air enters the ducting from above the radiator and channels it directly into the intercooler, rather than the air passing through the rad first then to the intercooler.

This is also how the stock airbox intakes air. The ducting is two parts, a large plastic pyramid type piece that actually does all of the channeling of the air, then there's a big plastic piece that sits on top with the Mazda logo on it. Without this piece you'll have to put duct tape or aluminum foil over the opening in the pyramid shaped duct to prevent the air from escaping.

If you remove these pieces, your charge temps will go up drastically.

dhays

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, that much I figured out.

That is my question. Since I don't have the stock airbox, I don't have the piece with the Mazda logo on it. So air enters the IC but also the air that would be going to the stock airbox is just going into the engine bay on the passenger side. Also, the air that would be going through the battery box is just going into the engine bay between my 51 battery and the IC.

OK, bad descriptions so here are pictures. BTW, I found out that this big hunk of plastic is called the Fresh Air Duct.

My setup as it is now:


This is the opening that would normally go into the stock air box. It is the bottom of the passenger side of the Fresh Air Duct.


This is the opening from the back of the IC ducting that would go into the stock battery box. Now air would just be venting into the engine bay.


Here, the Fresh Air Duct is removed and this is the hole in the top of the IC ducting that would then vent air into the Fresh Air Duct.


So it seems to me that I'm loosing a bunch of air into the engine bay that should be going through the IC. It looks to me as if I should block off the hole into the Fresh Air Duct, as well as blocking off the hole that used to go to the battery box. If I did that, I could just remove the Fresh Air Duct completely but frankly my engine bay looks better with it in place. It it's current location, I don't think it creates any problem just being there.

So what do y'all think?

IRPerformance

iTrader: (41)

Either block off the opening of the fresh air duct, or make a plate to cover the hole in the intercooler duct. The stock intercooler is marginal as is, so you don't want to make it perform worse. You cause use plexiglass and secure it with some rivets.

dhays

iTrader: (1)

Good suggestion. Thanks.

Prophet7000

I just bought some sheet metal from Lowes, used tin snips to cut it to cover the hole left in the the IC shroud, and riveted it in place (also put some ultra black between the shroud and the plate to make sure it was sealed up tight). Not pretty but it works.

dhays

iTrader: (1)

Another good idea. Until I come up with the something that is going to look decent (other than fabricating a new shroud and intake), I went with the ghetto solution of transparent duct tape. At least I painted the bracket.

Warren Zock

I just used the old air box and dremeled the hell out of it to make seals. toss in some silicon sealant

dhays

iTrader: (1)

Good idea. The material is stiff enough and certainly can take the heat. I just want to hang on to my stock airbox in case I ever want to go back to stock.