Sealing Airaid Intake

B

boostedflex

New member
Hey guys,

I have been doing a lot of datalogging, and as most people have noted I am seeing elevated IAT readings because of my Airaid intake.  I was thinking of trying to seal the top and sides of it to force all air in thru the front "horn" of the intake.  Any thoughts on using Lexan to do this, or any recommendations on a material?  Figure this could be good for an easy few horsepower.
 
I've seen someone else trying to insulate their K&N intake some more from the engine bay, they were lining the inside of the box. And tentatively are seeing some good results, but are still testing. At work right now, so don't have time to dig up the thread.
 
Here is the thread,

http://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php?topic=3238

A lot of what you are seeing is heat soak related as opposed to air getting in from the engine bay. I believe that the Airaid tries to prevent this in a decent way. With some good results I used this stuff http://www.designengineering.com/category/catalog/boom-mat-acoustical-products/floor-tunnel-shield-ii-heat-sound-insulation

And I found more stable IAT in both the K&N and the stock box (which I insulated only the bottom of the box.) you could even try something like this material before building a lexan cover and gauge your results. Heat soak is a real issue on our cars and trucks. Both the front turbo and transmission are right there and the tranny can reach temps of 85-90C. At least that's what i have found in my tests.


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boostedflex said:
Interesting reading thanks all, I will start with the insulation first, seems easier than making a cover so that is a bonus :)
Click to expand...

You could even use the boom mat or similar for a temporary cover and see what that does.


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I am in the beginning stages of doing this as well with my airaid! You will probably beat me to it though as I have limited spare time so I look forward to your results.  I was going to use lexan as well with some 1/16 aluminum angle for "sides" and then just bungee cord it in place for now.  The challenge is the airaid box has some interesting contours so a flat lid won't fit...the filter even gets in the way so it will require some custom bending etc...I am mocking it up in cardboard first.

I was just going to try and seal it off with the cardboard to get it started as an experiment (and still may) but if you don't bend it around the filter it will sit on a decent portion of the filter element and potentially block it.

Long term I was thinking about doing it all in Google SketchUp and then using our 3D printing rapid prototype machine here at work to create something that could be reproduced by anyone who wants to do this...that will require a lot of work though.
 
Sounds intriguing... I like the plastic idea... CF maybe?    It should transfer less heat and stay cooler longer than metal.
 
Isn't the molding going around the airaid supposed to seal against the hood?  I presume it's not making contact if this is a problem. 
1.  Get some weatherstripping to place on the underside of the hood to seal where the airaid molding is supposed to be sealing to.
2.  Use a plexi top, drill a hole in each corner of the airaid's bottom and a corresponding hole in the plexi.  Then you could use some allthread with a nut on each end or a long bolt + nut to pull the plex down onto and seal the factory molding.
 
dalum said:
Isn't the molding going around the airaid supposed to seal against the hood?  I presume it's not making contact if this is a problem. 
1.  Get some weatherstripping to place on the underside of the hood to seal where the airaid molding is supposed to be sealing to.
2.  Use a plexi top, drill a hole in each corner of the airaid's bottom and a corresponding hole in the plexi.  Then you could use some allthread with a nut on each end or a long bolt + nut to pull the plex down onto and seal the factory molding.
Click to expand...

It is supposed to be sealed to the hood, so is the K&N for that matter. I guess we will find out soon enough when someone seals the top. I am this close to tossing my K&N.
If this works I may just get an Airaid.


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I am hoping to get to some testing this weekend...I was actually going to take some chalk (yes chalk) and coat the top of the rubber gasket on my airaid.  Then I was going to close the hood and see where it contacts and where it doesn't...that should give us an idea on how tightly sealed it is.
 
Sealing that airaid box is a factor,with the majority of us with the airaid moulding coming off and letting hot air in, I was thinking a way to compensate heat loss,and better iat temps by making a cutout on the box,by drivers side and install a portable electric fan,and then use the battery for power and ground,since its so close to the airaid box,if any members would chime in,i think it will be a COOL idea to generate better IAT temps.
 
ZSHO said:
Sealing that airaid box is a factor,with the majority of us with the airaid moulding coming off and letting hot air in, I was thinking a way to compensate heat loss,and better iat temps by making a cutout on the box,by drivers side and install a portable electric fan,and then use the battery for power and ground,since its so close to the airaid box,if any members would chime in,i think it will be a COOL idea to lower IAT temps.
Click to expand...
Interesting idea!  I have the hole in the side of my box already and I use a duct to get air from the fenderwell area but it is cramped.  I suppose putting a fan there might help keep the fresh air flowing when sitting at idle.  obviously won't do much while running as I would expect the front fresh air duct to win that battle at speed...You'd need a relay to turn the fan on and off with the ignition or accessory power.
 
ecoboostshi, their is a very good chance you will beat me, I have a 3 year old and an 8 week old sitting at home, so not as much free time as I would like :)  Please post your results if you get to this first, otherwise I will post them up when I get a chance.  I have seen IAT's as high at 140 degrees when ambient is 90, not sure if me having a Flex means those seals are even less efficient since presumably the hood is higher and further away from the Airaid's seal.
 
boostedflex said:
ecoboostshi, their is a very good chance you will beat me, I have a 3 year old and an 8 week old sitting at home, so not as much free time as I would like :)  Please post your results if you get to this first, otherwise I will post them up when I get a chance.  I have seen IAT's as high at 140 degrees when ambient is 90, not sure if me having a Flex means those seals are even less efficient since presumably the hood is higher and further away from the Airaid's seal.
Click to expand...
Congratulations on the new baby!  That said I will take that bet...I've got a 4 year old and one year old twins so it's a bit crazy in my house as well!  I only have limited time to work on this stuff before my wife sticks her head in the garage and asks for help. :)
 
Thanks ecoboostsho, yep same boat with wife, but I am going to try and play with insulating and sealing this weekend, and if IAT's drop significantly maybe see if Torrie can add back a bit of timing :)
 
More considerations :)  I also just realized that the IAT's I had measured must be from a sensor after the turbo's (was thinking 140 was a bit high), so I need to redo my baselines before anything else so I can measure gain
 
boostedflex said:
More considerations :)  I also just realized that the IAT's I had measured must be from a sensor after the turbo's (was thinking 140 was a bit high), so I need to redo my baselines before anything else so I can measure gain
Click to expand...

Typically what I have seen there is only a 10 to 20C difference between IAT1 and CAC temp. Sometimes even less


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