Airbox Mod

[05silvycrew]

I've searched for the airbox mod but haven't been able to find good detailed pics, so I did this myself and snapped some photos.

 

First of all, I'll say that the GM designed airbox isn't that bad. it pulls all the air from the passenger side fender, but if you've ever looked at the opening, it's smaller in size than a dollar bill. This mod has more than doubled the available opening for air to be drawn into the box. all without costing any higher IAT readings (more on that later).

 

here's the results:

 

looking from front to back, I drilled 4 pilot holes and cut this out using a jigsaw

 

you can see how much the cutout increases the available opening

 

with my airaid filter in place. the bottom of the filter sits about 1" above the top cut line

 

Looking from back to front in the engine bay

 

The opening was cut as far away from any heat source as possible, and draws air from behind the passenger headlight and the fender where the two meet. now, as for the skeptics who feel this pulls in hot air and ruins any kind of CAI advantage, MY results prove opposite.

 

baseline testing with the intact GM airbox revealed IAT readings of the following.

highway: 1-4 degrees above ambient temps

city: 10-15 degrees above ambient

 

testing with the modded airbox shows nearly the same results.

highway: 0-4 degrees above ambient

city: 10-20 degrees above ambient

 

I also did a test to get a worst case scenario reading with the modded airbox. I got the truck up to operating temps running around town. ambient temp was 80-81 degrees. I then let the truck sit in a parking lot with the engine running for 5 minutes with no air moving through the engine bay (aside from the E-fans). I recorded IAT readings of 91-97 degrees. but, as soon as i went back out on the road, the temps came back down.

 

I've had this mod done for about 2 weeks and I feel as though the truck has a little more pep, but that could be the placebo effect. I do feel that this combo (airaid JR. with the box mod) is just as efficient of an intake, and helps the engine breath just as much, as a full CAI. all for about a $100 less.

[silverad03]

Looks good to me. I don't see why it wouldn't work any better than an aftermarket CAI. All the CAIs I've seen effectively just replace the factory airbox with a cone filter - I don't see how that is more effective at keeping heat out than the factory airbox - they may flow better but the air is not necessarily any cooler.

 

Looks good!