Putting The Airbox Back In My Car Over The Pod

[TUF250]

Hi all,

Givent the amount of airbox vs pod threads on here I thought I might share my experience.

My car is no power house, it is a S2 r33 gts-t with a turbo back exhaust, r34 gt-t intercooler and until now a K&N pod.

The reason I love this car is its responsiveness which is why I have kept the mods to a minimum. I enjoy its peaky style compared to my old pushrod v8.

Now I have finally sourced an airbox, bought myself a BMC filter and installed it. I also made a scoop which ducts air from behind the grill into the snorkle (figured it might be worth a few kw at road speed?)

Now I have noticed lately as the weather has warmed up that my car has become less responsive when leaving the lights (fast or slow) no doubt due to the fact that the pod/engine bay had heat soaked while sitting still. I also noticed when cruising slowly that if you put your foot down (rolling start) that it was not performing that well and even hesitated sometimes.

So I have finally sourced all these parts and put them in, what a difference!!

The car is sooooo much more responsive now, I dont think it makes any more peak power but in any circumstance when you accelerate, standing still or in gear its better! the car also dosnt hesitate anymore.

This was probably the best 'mod' I have done to the car and will be a great thing next time/if I get pulled over

Anyone 'deciding' which way to go with the pod vs airbox debate should read this carefully before selling their airbox I think

to make sure I wasnt making the improvemtn up in my head I gave dad the keys (he is a car nut himself) and even leaving the court he noticed a difference, once I told him what I had done he was quite shocked it was so difference from just that mod.

airbox and high flow filter FTW!

[Trozzle]

Anything to reduce heatsoak is going to be a win. I still have my shitty foam mushroom pod filter on my 33, but have purchased a fibreglass cold air box to enclose it off a fellow SAU member here in Canberra. He had also lined the inside of it with that heat reflective shiny foam shit to help....and it definitely makes a difference. My pod used to feel hot to the touch after driving before, and now it's barely warm.

[DVS JEZ]

pics of your snorkel you made???

[TUF250]

ill get some. basically just some folded aluminium which mounts with the same screws that hold the snorkle to the rad support. it bents down with a curve behind the grill so it scoops incomming air up into the snorkle. dont know how much it helps but it certainly cant hurt!

[Yeedogga]

I have to say in my experience i totally agree.

It might be placebo effect, but my car (r33 gts-t)

runs the absolute best with the factory airbox

and snorkel fitted... and i have tried alot of combos!

[Checkbuzz]

It's not the pod's fault that you just stuck it in a hot engine bay!

Most people who install pod filters fit some kind of heat sheild and/or cold air intake to work around this issue.

In saying that though I've heard that the stock airbox with a good quality filter is good for up to 300rwkw and is much less bother with the cops!

Personally I love the sound of the intake with the pod filter (I am running an Apexi pod in a fully enclosed UAS aluminium cold air intake box)

[Hanaldo]

+1 ^

I made my own heatshield/box out of 5mm aluminium and lined the inside with insulation material; there is no noticeable difference between driving when it's cold or driving when it's hot. Obviously when ambient air temperatures get hot enough you notice a bit of reduced throttle response, but panel filters would feel the same effect.

It's well known that pod filters will be less effective if they are exposed to the heat from the engine bay. Simply box it, problem solved.