<<i was thinking the same thing - but wont drawing in warm air from the engine compartment reduce HP? isnt cold air more dense, and colder, denser air is better for fuel/air mixture?>> Wait! Before you get out the Dremel there is something you should know about airboxes. First, if your engine is carburetted you will throw off the fuel jetting. The air/fuel ratio is calibrated by the amount of air/fuel metering. If you increase the air intkae, you need change the jet sizes to maintain the fuel/air balance. Airboxes also contriibute to the Venturi effect, that is , air that is drawn thru a smaller opening lowers the air pressure inside the airbox. This air pressure differential "sucks" the air into the intake . You are ridding your self of a benefit if you omit the airbox. Also the airbox dampens intake noise. As Chris points out, the air thru the intake is cooler and denser than the warm air in the engine compartment. The denser air increases combustion effeciency. Finally, the airbox protect the filter element and prevents large pieces of dirt and debris from damaging or obstructing the airflow. I noticed that a Jetta airbox that had holes bored in it was much dirtier inside that ones left alone I saw in a junkyard.
The air box was engineered with all this in mind and ridding yourself of it all is a slap in the engineers face- Ok just kidding- but you know they had to figure this out and not by accident. Merry Christmas! Robert 1982 westfalia _________________________________________________________________ Make your home warm and cozy this winter with tips from MSN House & Home. http://special.msn.com/home/warmhome.armx |
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