DIY Forced Air Induction - 4.7L (Maybe others)

[FlyinLo]

I had my grille off today because I hadn't installed it correctly. (If anyone is having trouble with their grille, it may not be 'snapped' into place correctly. I knew about the hooks on the very bottom, but not the snaps behind the grille itself.)

Anyways, back on-topic. While I had the grille off I cleaned some bug parts off the radiator and the flat plastic piece on the passenger side. This plastic piece is a large cover to the opening of the air intake.

It got me thinking... if I were to remove this plastic, would the engine be able to breathe a little easier? Seems like it would be a nice little ram air intake if the plastic wasn't there.

I left it alone for now thinking there must be a reason for the plastic piece. Maybe to keep water out? bugs? dust?

If those are reasons, I think water would just puddle up into the bottom of the air cleaner box.

Bugs & dust would probably get sucked into the air filter and clog it up quicker. Of course I could put some screen in place of the plastic which would keep most bugs out. Dust well, maybe the filter would need to be cleaned(K&N) more often.

Am I missing anything? Someone please convince me not to remove that plastic or I just may have to do it!

Here is the piece in question:

http://i3.tinypic.com/w2j32p.jpg

[Edited on 4-22-2006 by FlyinLo]

[blackattack182]

Well, the air filter is going to block out all the bugs and dust and other solid-state objects. As for water, it wouldn't get sucked in, I don't think. Unless you made a straight tube with some kind of air filter in the middle, that led into the air intake tube, I don't think you could turn that into much of a Ram Air. After much research with the WRX, the Ram Air has the scoop pointing forcing air directly down. The bend in the intake tube from the grille to the filter would eliminate possibilites of any slight forced induction.

[FlyinLo]

I think you've got your physics a little off. A bend in the tube isn't going to affect how much airflow actually enters. It will redirect the air, but thats pretty much it.

By removing the plastic piece you are most definetely going to force more air into the air cleaner box, but what are the drawbacks other than the ones I mentioned? Is there such thing as too much air?

[Edited on 4-22-2006 by FlyinLo]

[blackattack182]

Well I think the logical physics that I'm rolling with seem to think that the air wouldn't have the same force flowing in. If it's got to bend, I think it would slow down. That's why forced air is a direct flow, there aren't any weird bends. The Jeep's air has to go in, to the left, to the right, fill the airbox (which would seriously decrease the air's velocity) and make a sharp upturn to the filter. You're not ramming much of anything there.

This would be something; follow me here. Disconnect the intake from the air box, and the box-to-engine tube from the air box. Take out the air box. Now direct connect the two, the intake tube and the engine tube, with whatever you can dig up in Home Depot. Find a way to put a filter in the middle of the two and you may be ramming some air. It's much smoother of a flow, so some minute benefit may be noticed. Unless you're driving 80+ MPH all the time, Ram Air improvements are rare. Since fluid dynamics say that the smallest diameter of a flow tube determines the amount of flow, it doesn't matter how big the tube is. The intake diameter slows the air down to its top flowing speed.

I don't think there is any problem with "too much air." The filter can only pass so much air at once, so it will level out I guess. Since it's all air, it's all the same density, and it could flow in and out.

Get a turbocharger custom fabbed and get some serious forced air. If it wouldn't be $8,000, I would look into it.

[jkram]

I know that on Ford Explorers a few years ago when water would splash into the grille, the engine would suck it in. That would cause the engine to hydro-lock and be destroyed.
Not to rain on your parade, I have to say that. Also what about snow accumulating?
I am going to look at mine later cause maybe it is a good idea.
Flyinlo, your wheels are always turning!

[Edited on 4/22/2006 by jkram]

[FlyinLo]

That happened to a friend of mine with a fairly new explorer, but he went through a 2' deep "puddle"

Nonetheless, hydro-lock is scary stuff, I don't want that.

Louvres would be ideal, something along the lines of an HVAC dash vent design that could be manually opened, & closed for rainy/snowy weather. Even better would be in-cabin control of it.

JKram, I know you have the 5.7 but let me know if you have something similar and what you think about removing the piece.

I know they're always turning, I can't stop 'em! :burnzout::burnzout:

[blackattack182]

If you were to take off that front piece, could you get a K&N DryCharger or something to cover that opening and repel water, but still allow maximum flow?

[FlyinLo]

Not sure what a dry charger is.... would it fit?

[blackattack182]

I thought it was some kind of "sock" for the K&N intkaes, something that covers the filter. Maybe I made it up. I thought it was real.

[FlyinLo]

Oh, well I was going to put a screen and/or pantyhose over the opening. But if it is pouring out it won't stop much water.

Does the air travel through there so fast that water will get sucked through the K&N Air filter?

[blackattack182]

Maybe it's just a bad idea altogether. I'm buying the K&N ACKit.

[Street LX]

not worth the aggrivation for .65 hp

[scirio]

and thats not "forced induction."