Mounting a stock truck air box

[72MARIO]

Keith.

In your opinion using a k&n replacement filter in the stock box is a good idea or not ?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

So where did all the cold air people come from in the aftermarket?
Sounds like they are going backwards with their design

They are, but they don't want you to know it. Their goal is to sell their product and they will pummel the market with advertising (whether true or not) in order to sell as many as they can.

K

[Keith Seymore]

One more story:

I mentioned earlier that water is the bane of any engine induction system engineer's existence.

The problem with the GMT800 was that not only was the truck new but the engines were a new design, too. That meant there weren't many around and you sure as heck didn't want to damage one.

Water ingestion testing is, by definition, a destructive test. If you put enough water in the cylinder you will break it, the rod, the piston or whatever is weakest. If you don't break it you don't know how far you can push it.

We debated for a couple months about how (and if) we were going to test our design. Finally we hit upon an idea: we found an "old" prototype GMT800 radiator support and fender in the trash, so we added those to a carryover GMT400 pickup, and then installed our new induction system to emulate the new front corner. We remote mounted the engine air cleaner in the existing truck and then plumbed our new system to a shop vac (and generator) in the pickup bed. That allowed us to (a) drive the truck in the water trough, (b) not damage a current production engine (c) flow air through our new system in a somewhat representative environment and (d) collect and measure any water that was drawn in. Pretty clever, I think.

I still remember the first time we hit the 1000 ft trough at 25 mph with 12" of water: water was spraying over the top of truck and flowing big time into the cab through the heater box. I felt like I was on the Titanic, pulling my feet up on top of the instrumentation and screaming like a little girl. But - our basic idea worked and we were able to continue the development process.

I was still pretty nervous, though, the first few times we had rain once we started driving the new GMT800 trucks on the road.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by 72MARIO

Keith.

In your opinion using a k&n replacement filter in the stock box is a good idea or not ?

I'm going to withhold commenting on level of filtration, but I will say you should never use an oiled filter with a mass air flow sensor.

K

[mongocanfly]

those behind the scenes stories are great Keith. ..

[BIGglaSS]

Will the stock air box work with upper passenger mounted A/C pump?

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I'm going to withhold commenting on level of filtration, but I will say you should never use an oiled filter with a mass air flow sensor.

K

I'd like to know why this is. Mine runs fine and for 4 years now.

[ls1nova71]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

I'd like to know why this is. Mine runs fine and for 4 years now.

Because people tend to over-oil the filter and it ends up on the small heating elements in the MAF. I run a K&N in most of my cars as well without problems, but I have half an idea what I'm doing. LOL!

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

I'd like to know why this is. Mine runs fine and for 4 years now.

Oil contaminates the heating element and sensors of the MAF.

I am not commentating on the filtration because I no longer have data to back up my assertions and wouldn't want to be accused of slander or libel.

K

[Steve Cole]

Thanks for sharing all your wisdom (and stories) with us Keith! Very enlightening.

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Oil contaminates the heating element and sensors of the MAF.

I am not commentating on the filtration because I no longer have data to back up my assertions and wouldn't want to be accused of slander or libel.

K

Understand Keith. I was just wondering if the oil was the problem. I hardly even coat mine.

[Steve Cole]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

My cold air box from a 90's caddy. Pretty simple to.
I got less than $20.00 bucks in the parts except the filter.

1. 90 model Elderado air box.
2. 2-4" couplings from Lowes
3. 1- 4" Ninety from Lowes

First closed off the factory opening and sealed it. Then drilled 4" hole in bottom of box. Drilled 4" hole in radiators support. Put one coupling inside the box then the ninety. Placed the other coupling in hole of support and attached to ninety. Done I did add a small flat bar of aluminium to mount the box with.

Andy, I really like what you did, do you have any pictures of the box and how you mounted it? Thanks!

[Andy4639]

Not at this time but I can get some. The 2 couplings and ninety pretty much hold it in place. I took some flat bar stock and made a hanger for the bottom of the box to hold it in place once installed.
I'll try and get some pictures this week for you but it's really pretty simple.
I would really like to find a better top that would have the tube straight over to the engine but so far I haven't found anything that works.

[mongocanfly]

for the part of the pvc going thru the radiator support you could use a threaded male adapter and a couple of conduit lock nuts to hold it in solid...
that may be what Andy did but I can't tell..

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

for the part of the pvc going thru the radiator support you could use a threaded male adapter and a couple of conduit lock nuts to hold it in solid...
that may be what Andy did but I can't tell..

Or just use the production squarebody "bird cage", with the deflector intact or with the deflector cut off.

K

[mongocanfly]

^^^^even better^^^^

[Andy4639]

This is basically what I did.

Put the flange coupling through the support then the ninety then put another coupling through the bottom of my air box and pressed them together.They fit good and snug once together.





You can see the flange in the circle:




You can see the flange:




Then install the ninety: You can see where I sealed off the caddy factory opening.

[Steve Cole]

I like what you did Andy, but I am going to have to figure out another way to do this. Where you drilled the hole in the core support won't work for my 68' because that is where my turn signal and grill center bar is. I wouldn't get enough airflow there I'm sure.

[Steve Cole]

I would need to be up in this area, which means I would need to enter the side of the air box rather than the bottom.

[ls1nova71]

It would work fine behind the grill bar. You're looking for fresh air, not a ram air effect. The square bodies have a plate that covers the opening, but stands off of it a bit, I would assume to help keep rain water from being forced in it.

[Steve Cole]

Makes sense, guess I was thinking the ram air location would be better. That definitely gives me more mounting options. Thanks!

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by Steve Cole

Makes sense, guess I was thinking the ram air location would be better. That definitely gives me more mounting options. Thanks!

Yea you can mount it about any place as long as it can breath cooler air than under the hood. Putting it behind the bar are lights want matter.
I have drove mine in some pretty good storms in the past with no effect on it that I could tell. I had screen across the opening for a while but it would get covered in bugs and I just took it off it hasn't made any difference. I just clean the filter no and not both.
I have always wanted to buy the 4x4 spoiler with the hook cutouts and run dual lines up into one for it but never have followed through with it.

[Steve Cole]

Hey Andy,

Was that black, flanged, coupling in the plumbing dept.? I looked around Lowes for 20 minutes yesterday and didn't see any flanged couplings. I see there are holes drilled in the flange, what is this used for? It doesn't look like a plumbing application. Thanks.

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by Steve Cole

Hey Andy,

Was that black, flanged, coupling in the plumbing dept.? I looked around Lowes for 20 minutes yesterday and didn't see any flanged couplings. I see there are holes drilled in the flange, what is this used for? It doesn't look like a plumbing application. Thanks.

Steve that was just a googled picture of what I used, sorry.

Yes I bought it all out of the PVC area at lowes.


https://www.lowes.com/pd/Charlotte-P...itting/3132779

If my memory serves me right I bought these and cut the threads out of it and left enough for the flange.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Charlotte-P...itting/3132721

[Steve Cole]

Okay, thanks Andy!