Modded stock air-box snorkle for more airflow

Today I took out the stock air-box snorkel (the piece coming from the air-box going to the fender). I cut a 3" hole into the side of it and installed a 3" tube connection adapter. I installed the assembly back into the truck and immediately noticed much better throttle response.

I plan on hooking a 90 deg elbow to the tube connection and then run a 3" tube down to the front bumper inlet. This will be a true cold air intake for sure.

In total I've spent an hour of my time and a whopping 5 bucks for the 3" tube adapter.

I'll post some pics when it is all completed.

Oh and I already have the K&N drop in filter too.

Paul

Alright way to go,i'd like to see your pics.
I love homegrown engineering,anybody can spend money,i have more respect for the guy who does his own fabbing

Great!

There are a few threads about this. I did a 4" tube to my front bumper. True CAI.. and improved throttle and the best part.. Full 0.5-1mpg better on the highway.

Greetings! We don't have Lowes or Home Depot close by, but Menards had everything I needed.

I carefully marked where I could cut the 3+" hole. Not having a hole saw, I drilled 1/8" holes around the circumference and then used my Dremel tool to finish off the opening. I cut the top inch off the collar of the street elbow with my hack saw and smoothed the edges with sandpaper.

Originally I was going to epoxy the street elbow, but noticed that when using the Dremel tool that the air box material would virtually melt from the friction. Instead of using epoxy, I used an old soldering gun to melt pieces of the cutout from the air box to form a bond between the street elbow and the air box. When the airbox material was molten, I could press it into the gaps using an old kitchen knife. It was almost like frosting a cake and the street elbow is locked in place. I even checked after I was done and it is water-tight too.

I hit the street elbow with a couple coats of flat black before reinstalling the air box. The solid drain pipe is an accordion that is about 2.5' before you pull it out. I attached it to the street elbow and ran it down against the inner fender well and routed it just behind the front fascia.

The total, not counting the paint, was less than $10. For the past three weeks I have been comparing my IAT against the ambient temperature. At highway speeds, the IAT would be between 14 and 17 higher than air temperature. Since doing this mod, the difference between IAT and ambient air temperature runs from 2 to 7 degrees. I took it out to show my "service guy" at the dealership and he was impressed.

After a few weeks, I decided to extend the drain pipe over to just below my front license plate behind my front bumper. I drilled 1/2" holes in the plastic bumper insert to let air flow better. Super happy with this inexpensive mod. Have checked my K&N filter during heavy rains and it remains dry. Most recent trip to and from Chicago (350 miles round trip) showed 22.3 mpg! Not bad for a Hemi at highway speeds and 3 hours of stop and go in traffic!



3" 45Deg PVC Strt Elbow

Model Number: K04415C | Menards® SKU: 6892393

4"X8' Solid drain Pipe

Model Number: 54021 | Menards® SKU: 6893771

4" Metal Worm Gear Clamp

Model Number: MC4ZW | Menards® SKU: 6399369

< This guys barfs in his mouth a little, with his $400 CAI with scoop accomplishing the same thing.
Nice work, both of you.

This is definitely creativity and ingenuity at its best but anyone who spent money on a CAI shouldnt regret it. They are still using the facotry air accordian from the TB to the airbox which aftermarket units replace. Ive dont plenty of DIYs and I dont regret the money I spent on my Vararam this time around. Nonetheless good work for all who are attempting this, paired with a smooth tube this would work even better!

Mopar_Express said:

This is definitely creativity and ingenuity at its best but anyone who spent money on a CAI shouldnt regret it. They are still using the facotry air accordian from the TB to the airbox which aftermarket units replace. Ive dont plenty of DIYs and I dont regret the money I spent on my Vararam this time around. Nonetheless good work for all who are attempting this, paired with a smooth tube this would work even better!

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I don't disagree at all! Thanks for the comments. I would appreciate a suggestion on where to secure a "smooth tube" from the AB to the TB.

Thanks!

audio1der said:

< This guys barfs in his mouth a little, with his $400 CAI with scoop accomplishing the same thing.
Nice work, both of you.

Click to expand...

Do not be so quick to lament; you can always return to stock. He's gotta buy a new air box to do that.

i did the same thing with my k&n



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Casper you gotta be the most negative guy around,he did a nice job,and all he'd have to do is melt a cover over the hole to return to stock.

I for one think he did a hell'va job.

And the acordian tube isn't as big a restriction as you think,the boundary layer air principle works in it,replacing the tube won't gain you any "Seat of the Pants" feel

Here is the final product. 15 bucks total. Cheap and very effective.

Nice job! I have an Express without EVIC, but I have been curious about IAT. I bought a Indoor/outdoor thermometer with an external temperature sensor. I mounted the external sensor close to the flex tube inlet. My Scan Gauge tells me IAT. The external readout from the indoor/outdoor thermometer is usually within 1 degree of my dash readout. When I start the truck in the morning, the IAT and the inlet air temp. stays within 1 or 2 degrees unless I get bogged down in traffic or end up stopped at lights. Even if the IAT goes higher due to heat soak, several highway miles bring the two numbers back to similar readings. I have definitely felt "seat of the pants" improvement and my mileage has improved.

Appauldd said:

Here is the final product. 15 bucks total. Cheap and very effective.

Click to expand...

Awesome job! What kind of tubing did you use to run from the air filter box down? How did you connect it to the air filter box? Thanks!

I got one of the flex tubes and the adapter on this page....

http://www.spectreperformance.com/in...omponents.html

I got them cheaper though. AutoZone and a coupon.

The adapter has to be cut down a bit to fit inside the snorkel. You have to cut a 3" hole in the snorkel and then insert the adapter from the inside. Keep trimming away the mounting lip until the adapter fits flush inside the snorkel. Then for the final installation put a thick bead of silicon on the underside of the adapter and press it into the 3" hole in the snorkel. Lastly run a bit of silicon around the edges of the adapter inside the snorkel to make nice smooth transitions for the airflow.


Paul

I did this same exact mod on my truck about 6 weeks ago. I live in the immediate suburbs of Philadelphia so I and constantly in stop and go ( traffic light every 2-3 blocks ) and don't really show much gains around town, however this mod really works well for me when on the highway for an extended trip. took a 3 day trip last weekend, and averaged 20.1 MPG round trip. this guy is really happy lol. cause my average local mpg is 13.3 over 6 tanks of fuel so far.

Since doing this mod and changing my oil to Royal Purple my avg MPG has not gone below 16.

Appauldd said:

I got one of the flex tubes and the adapter on this page....

http://www.spectreperformance.com/in...omponents.html

I got them cheaper though. AutoZone and a coupon.

The adapter has to be cut down a bit to fit inside the snorkel. You have to cut a 3" hole in the snorkel and then insert the adapter from the inside. Keep trimming away the mounting lip until the adapter fits flush inside the snorkel. Then for the final installation put a thick bead of silicon on the underside of the adapter and press it into the 3" hole in the snorkel. Lastly run a bit of silicon around the edges of the adapter inside the snorkel to make nice smooth transitions for the airflow.


Paul

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I found the adaptor/hose combo at AutoZone for 19.99. I'm going to pick it up tomorrow. Where did you route the hose too? Is it pointed downward or facing forward behind the bumper somewhere? Thanks!

The hose will stretch to below the frame of the truck. I simply curved the end of the tube up slightly so the opening faces towards the front.

I also took the area where the right tow hook would go and I drilled out the plastic to make it look like a normal grill. This allows fresh aid to pass over towards the intake tube.

Appauldd said:

The hose will stretch to below the frame of the truck. I simply curved the end of the tube up slightly so the opening faces towards the front.

I also took the area where the right tow hook would go and I drilled out the plastic to make it look like a normal grill. This allows fresh aid to pass over towards the intake tube.

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One last question... How did you (or did you) attach yours to the area where the took hook would be? Thanks for all the fast replies...

Alfonsio said:

One last question... How did you (or did you) attach yours to the area where the took hook would be? Thanks for all the fast replies...

Click to expand...

A mechanics best friend.....I used a few Zip Ties.