View Full Version : stock air box
kirkmears
07-07-2009, 10:25 PM
so now i gotta ask...
how many people are still running a stock air box (http://www.nloc.net/classifieds/data//6/large/lightning_engine.jpg)?
should i finally break down and install the cai now that its no longer a daily? lol
dboat
07-07-2009, 10:41 PM
not I :icon_mrgreen:
I still have the airbox but it is modified to double the area between the fender and the airbox. I ran 12.5 1/4-mile with this set-up.
HARLEY/SC
07-08-2009, 09:55 AM
im thinking on going back to the stock set up myself. If ur thinking of selling it, let me know bro?.
Mark #2
07-08-2009, 05:16 PM
Leave it stock
http://www.kennebell.net/techinfo/ford-techinfo/Lightning54only/tech-tuning-tips.pdf
99WhiteBeast
07-08-2009, 10:58 PM
I think I have three or four in the attic from various mod parties at the old 'safe' house.
kirkmears
07-08-2009, 11:41 PM
sounds like i have some homework to do...nice article though:tu:
i've picked up many mod parts the last few years and now i guess i figure out if i really needed them or not :rolleyes:
HARLEY/SC
07-09-2009, 09:02 AM
I think I have three or four in the attic from various mod parties at the old 'safe' house.
How much u want for one of them Steve?..
dboat
07-09-2009, 12:38 PM
Leave it stock
http://www.kennebell.net/techinfo/ford-techinfo/Lightning54only/tech-tuning-tips.pdf
hmmm, interesting... wonder if they recommend that you put a hole or two in the box? I just didnt think that they flowed that much air even after the changing to a K&N filter..
Dana
boostaholic
07-09-2009, 02:02 PM
Leave it stock
http://www.kennebell.net/techinfo/ford-techinfo/Lightning54only/tech-tuning-tips.pdf
not to start anything but i beg to differ. in a personal test i saw higher AIT with the stock air filter and the truck seemed to be a lil sluggish with throttle response. it seemed that maby it did take a lil lower to get through the power band but only a dyno would tell that and not my butt-o-meter. this is just in my experiance with my truck.
there was a guy with a 01 (i think) TransAm that was running a APS twin turbo (turbos are mounted on the stock manifolds). he ran his charge pipe through the stock air box and even had it go through the silencer too but it was all strait pipe. it was really cool b/c you couldnt tell his car had anything done to it until it was too late. if you wanna keep the truck looking stock maby mod it in this way?
not to start anything but i beg to differ. in a personal test i saw higher AIT with the stock air filter and the truck seemed to be a lil sluggish with throttle response. it seemed that maby it did take a lil lower to get through the power band but only a dyno would tell that and not my butt-o-meter. this is just in my experiance with my truck.
Higher AIT compared to what and measured where? If you are talking about AIT measured at the discharge of the SC, the effiency of the supercharger and the amount of boost has much more effect on temperature than the filter
Air flow through the filter is all about surface area (air velocity feet-per-minute) and resultant pressure drop across the filter. The stock air inlet opening in the fender is 4" diameter. Air inlet condition has a bigger effect on pressure drop than almost any other component in the air intake system. The only advantage that conical filters yield is the eliminiation of a 90-degree turn. If the inlet area through the fender is not increased the net gain in efficiency is very small.
The JLP type CAI helps by adding an extra intake in the bottom of the filter enclosure. IMO, the typical aftermarket CAI is mostlyl about appearance and sound affect (you can hear the whine from the SC better)
boostaholic
07-13-2009, 12:59 PM
i was using a SCT X3 and was monitoring the AIT before the supercharger. i was just playing around with it when i first got the truck to see if the blower would be louder with or w/o the CAI and just seeing what the x3 could monitor just happened to see the AIT. like i said this was just in my case thats all. im sure i could go out right now and find way different results with the setup i have now... or many it would be the same i donno.
boostaholic
07-13-2009, 01:03 PM
the biggest variable here would be the power levels and the engine setup as well. im sure a 600HP turbo truck wouldnt like a stock box but thats just common sense... or am i wrong? i like to be schooled so let me know.
Silver_2000
07-13-2009, 01:25 PM
When I had a ford scanner a long time back I did some informal testing and found that the air coming into the IAT1 and IAT2 was hotter with the open element filter than the airbox - up to a certain speed
Once you were going 30 or 40 it made no difference - but think about it the first 40 mph of any run in a lightning is VERY important
the biggest variable here would be the power levels and the engine setup as well. im sure a 600HP turbo truck wouldnt like a stock box but thats just common sense... or am i wrong? i like to be schooled so let me know.
Only two ways to get more HP. Increase spark and/or increase fuel. Only way to increase fuel (assuming same F/A ratio) is to increase air mass. The lower the AT the better for two reasons; 1. air has more mass/unit of volume the cooler it gets. 2. Compressing air makes it hotter and increases risk of detonation forcing a conteracting reduction in spark to keep it safe. Therefore when engine is warmed-up and running, and your not moving, temperature in the engine bay is elevated signifigantly above ambient (lets say +50-deg F). Now, if you want power for drag racing, in oder to get lowest 60-foot time you want to intake the coolest posible air. As Doug said, after you accelerate past 30-mph, it makes little difference. Now, if you are after HP for road racing (or just for Dyno bragging rights) the the looks of the intake system is probably more important. As are most things in life there are trade offs and each individual needs to establish whats important. So it's all good as long as you have the most important thing----a great vehicle like the L:nana2
Mark #2
07-13-2009, 07:30 PM
When I had a ford scanner a long time back I did some informal testing and found that the air coming into the IAT1 and IAT2 was hotter with the open element filter than the airbox - up to a certain speed
Once you were going 30 or 40 it made no difference - but think about it the first 40 mph of any run in a lightning is VERY important
Same data as I borrowed the scanner for a while back in the day.
You could relocate the IAT1 outside engine compartment to fool the computer for a second or two to get to 30 mph and IAT2 is not under boost at idle so it is primarily governed by the intercooler temp, a bigger intercooler might help too... I think ;)
kirkmears
07-13-2009, 07:39 PM
When I had a ford scanner a long time back I did some informal testing and found that the air coming into the IAT1 and IAT2 was hotter with the open element filter than the airbox - up to a certain speed
Once you were going 30 or 40 it made no difference - but think about it the first 40 mph of any run in a lightning is VERY important
thanks for the info guys. that makes sense now as i'm starting to see the light :icon_cool:
what a loaded question that was...lol but i can see why there are so many different opinions on it. a dyno wouldn't be that accurate because the vehicle isn't moving and the heat under the hood isn't taken into account.
different strokes...
Same data as I borrowed the scanner for a while back in the day.
You could relocate the IAT1 outside engine compartment to fool the computer for a second or two to get to 30 mph and IAT2 is not under boost at idle so it is primarily governed by the intercooler temp, a bigger intercooler might help too... I think ;)
Bigger, or higher heat rejection capacity, is better:tu: Heat is the big bad wolf, at least when it comes to lightnings.
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