Two great American brothers
with only high school educations
had a DIY project
that they eventually called the 'Airplane'
but like the Wright Brothers
you need to do your DIY project with careful testing.
If you want a real answer you can trust about an air intake design,
then........
Go down to Sears and buy one of the $30-70 multimeters with the temperature
probe. Sometimes they are on sale for $19
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes
or
http://tinyurl.com/ywcsxv
http://s7.sears.com/is/image/Sears/0...=2.56&fmt=jpeg
Later you can use this relatively cheap multimeter and its Type K thermocouple
to 'balance' your exhaust gas temperatures by swapping around the highest
flowing fuel injectors to the highest flowing intake ports....but that is
another story.
Then buy one of these $30 gauges that can measure low pressures and buy a
length of plastic tubing about 10 feet long to attach to it:
http://flw.com/olash2.htm#1490
Get the 30/30" pressure model.
If you don't want to spend this money you can also make a simple "U tube
manometer" with just a 20 foot length of clear plastic tubing and a yardstick:
Now drill small 1/16 th inch diameter holes in your stock air filter housing
and air inlet tubing,
like at:
1. at the begining of the inlet tube
2. in front of the air filter element
3. behind the air filter element
4. near the throttle body connection
Put a fresh new air filter element in your stock filter box. Go out on a road
with little traffic and measure the temperature and pressures at your small
hole test points of the stock system when the engine is at wide open throttle
through the 2000 to 6000 rpm range.
If you find between two points that the temperature goes up, then the air is
picking up heat in that length between the two points. (i predict you won't
find much heat pickup)
If you find that the pressures go down between two points then there is
restriction in that section, like across the filter element ( i predict you
will only find a small restriction across the paper element of the filter)
Now try moving the air inlet to the stock filter box from its stock location
to other places - like the grille top or bottom. Look for a place where the
pressure is highest and the temperature is lowest. (I predict you will find
that the cavity behind the firewall and below the windshield will be best -
this is also where your air vents pick up air to ventilate the truck's cabin)
Now, if you are a bit more adventurous try the following experiment:
With all the stock air system in place, put the truck in 2nd gear and measure
with a stop watch how many seconds it takes to accelerate from 3000 rpm to
6000 rpm with wide open throttle. Do this test 3 times and average the
result.
Now if you are a little more daring and have found a clean road with little
dust in the air, think about doing the following 2 tests (it is optional but
informative)
Do the same test from 3000 to 6000 rpm, but with the paper air filter removed
from the box, and the box closed back up. This is the 'no filter but cool air
pickup' test.
Then do the same test, but with the air intake system removed and the throttle
body opening sucking the hot air from underneath the hood. This is the 'no
filter hot air pickup test.'
{The above tests sound dangerous without an air filter, but I can tell you
that many highway patrol officers removed the air filters on their cars in the
1970s. I have personally seen people pour uncooked rice down carburetors to
scour out carbon deposits. Lack of an air filter over long periods will cause
the bore walls and piston rings to wear out much quicker, but a quick test has
little effect unless you are unlucky enough to get a large chunk of something
down the throttle. If you are worried you can cover the throttle opening with
some eighth inch hole window screen material or mesh stocking}
Now go order the aftermarket air inlet systems of your choice and repeat the
pressure, temperature and 3000-6000 rpm acceleration tests in 2nd gear. Send
back the systems that don't do as well as the best for a refund of your money.
Report your results to automotive forums.
You will be a hero to some,
the worst possible news to others selling junk.
Help: Making Cold Air Intake Homebrew
