I like the stock air box :smile:. I like the sophisticated sound it produces. I like the way it looks under the hood, like it belongs there. I like the ease with which the air filter can be changed in minutes rather than the entire afternoon process needed to clean, dry, and oil an aftermarket piece. I like the fact that 10 can be purchased, changed regularly, and still cost less than a full aftermarket CAI. I like the fact that power (lots of it) can be produced with the stock air box in place .

 

nice outside the box? or inside the box comments? Airbox that is..... I love the Rouge CAI, but you got some valid comments about the stock airbox... Put the $200 bucks you saved not buying a CAI into a driving school ...

 

Does that make you like a [once] secret admirer?

 

I can't say that I agree with you.

After this free mod : https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...7&page=1&pp=25 I like the fact that I still spent $0 on an intake.

Some things that I dont like about the stock airbox:

1. Flow. My 05 MCS died at 5500 w/ the stock airbox. With my free mod it now pulls strong all the way to redline+

2. Sound. If you like the sound of the stock airbox, you'll love the sound of my mod (or an aftermarket one).

I'm glad that you're amped about the stock box, but I for one found it rather dull.

 

I often see intake comparisons where the stock air box is used as a baseline and it makes me wonder whether the stock filter is well used. I recently asked one of the participants in a high profile comparison if the stock filter was the one the car for its 2000 mile life and it was. When I change my filter at around the 5000 mile mark it's relatively clean but when I changed the filter on a city dwellers car with the same mileage it was almost black. A filter like his could be quite restrictive. One of the questions that come to mind is what we have seen in the way of gain difference between stock and aftermarket intakes an absolute based on equal starting points?

I saw some numbers for air mass flow on a head modified MCS motor running on a dyno without an air filter. I compared them to my head modified motor with the stock air box & clean filter and they matched. How can my car, on a very hot day, with major heat soak & astronomical IAT’s, flow that much air with a supposedly inept intake?

I know that flow is not an end all for acquiring power. Using my naïve logic; my point would be if the stock intake is as bad as it’s supposed to be, the incoming air for my car should have been choked off resulting in much lower mass numbers.

 

Approximately how much power would you gain with the filter and airbox taken out?

 

Although the part number is the same the stock air filter has changed. It’s now made in the Czech Republic rather than the U.K. The pleats are more numerous 73 as opposed to 52 for the old; however, the available top filter area is 10mm narrower. The new filter is very flexible instead of stiff like the old and the paper is lighter oiled than the former style and as you can see the foam edge is pink. BTW, the standard cooper has been this type for a while.

 

Glad you are happy with your stock setup.. I just purchased the JCW intake.. It is stock looking but comes with a new partition that allows cold air in from the rear near the winshield. It's quiet like stock until the rpms hit 4500 and then the flap opens and lets more air in and more SC whine out. A perfect setup for the "keeping the stock look" kind of owner like myself.. It's quiet when you want it to be and louder when you want to play.... perfect for my tastes...

 

The stock intake also has about a 1 inch diameter rubber tube that connects the air box to the cowl box.

Alan

 

I’ve seen the data showing minuscule pressure loss across the older model stock filter and I’m aware of the many variables affecting gas mileage; let’s agree from the start this is not empirically validated evidence. But, some good news about the stock air filter part change; mileage has increased on my vehicle by 1.5 mpg compared to the previous stock filter. Neither the BMC cotton panel filter (which is see-through) nor the Alta CAI caged foam filter had this impact.

 

1) It seals well so you don't get hot air in.

2) It's made of plastic, so it insulates pretty well too.

There is one bad part: It doesn't get enough air into it before the filter.....

The flat panal HAI here will work a lot like the other HAI, it will be a bit snappier in response (though not as much as the HAI just on the TB) than stock, but a lot of the pressure gains are negated by injesting hotter air.... But it's cheap (and I always like cheap) and with a heat shield, should be pretty good......

I'm thinking that just opening up the hole in the back of the stock box to the cowl A LOT and sealing it well from the engine compartment may be the ultimate low cost intake!

Matt

 

Or mod the box like I did and get the best of all worlds.
See my gallery.

 

I'm thinking of upgrading to the JCW intake, so my question is: will the sound be different, and if so, how so? Also will there be increased airflow? I have an Invidia cat-back exhaust and the popping on deceleration which was cute with the stock pipe has become excessive with the new pipe, so will increased airflow somehow balance the increased flow through the pipe and reduce popping back to "cute" levels.

 

Buy a Dinan intake- looks stock except for the emblem, works and sounds great!

 

is that the hole i saw when i drilled out my back wall to 4" ? ha !! the horror ...

 

4" hole saw he he ...watch those pesky brake lines.

 

Left you some questions.

 

What questions and where did you leave them?

 

Comments in your gallery under the pictures, just trying to understand the details.

 

Ah. Ok.

To answer your comments.
The stock air box will only accept a flat pannel filter. Most of the aftermarket cold air intakes have a high-flow cone filter. The cone has more surface area than the panel filter and will allow the engine to breathe easier.

Since I'm cheap and like to work on the car myself, I decided to try and make my own cold air intake. Much testing has been made here on NAM recently with guys trying to get more cold air into the engine. Things like insulating the aftermarket cold air intakes and putting lids on them. All in an effort to shield it from engine heat. The stock air box is made of plastic and has good insulating properties. This is great for cheap me.

Most of the aftermarket intakes have you make holes in the cowl partition between the intake and the cowl area by the windshield to get fresh air. The stock air box has a small hole to this cowl are in the lower portion of the air box. One of the photos you saw was where I used a 2.5 inch hole saw to make this hole bigger. I also used foam to seal the connection from the stock box to the cowl. Anyone can do this without having to replace the stock air filter or someone who wants to use a k&n drop in filter.

In order for me to use a cone filter in the upper portion of the stock air box I needed something in there for it to mount on. I got a 3 inch 45 degree pipe elbow and hacked the ends off and made it such that when attached to the box it made the filter sit at a slight angle. This was so that I could get the largest filter possible in there. Well, as large as I could find and be satisfied with. I was pretty picky about the filter and spent way too much time researching them. I also chose the 3 inch pipe so that the opening would be larger than the stock opening. If you look carefully the stock intake pipe is offset in the lid. This made it hard to find a filter to fit and I wanted to make sure that the pipe I put in there didn't restrict the intake pipe.

I hope this all makes some sense and answers your questions.

 

Just got the JCW airbox installed with the bigger injectors and software upgrade. Instant payoff! Throttle response is crisp right through the range, gone is the need to slip the clutch for jackrabbit takeoffs, and the sound when the "flap" opens at 4,000rpm.....oh, baby!

Can't wait to take her for a real drive this evening!!

 

Very cool mod. I have been thinking along these lines for some time. I want to take it a step further myself with an Alta hose. Thanks for the motivation, you cheap DIYer. I mean that in all and the BEST possible ways cause we think on the same lines.
Thanks, norm

 

[quote=k-huevo;661760]... but when I changed the filter on a city dwellers car with the same mileage it was almost black. A filter like his could be quite restrictive. One of the questions that come to mind is what we have seen in the way of gain difference between stock and aftermarket intakes an absolute based on equal starting points?
......quote]

i completely agree with keith on this. i'd add ditto with spark plug comparisons.

here's another $0 stock airbox mod

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...=carnation+hai

 

So I made some minor changes and am using the new OEM filter which I think I'll call Pinkie.

 

here's the airbox [edit] with the first set of holes
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com...=17995&cat=500

this is a old trick we used to do with motorcycle airfilters.

There were aftermarket plastic/foam filter insert you could plug in the holes

I put and ALTA flat filter in the stock box and it worked better than stock.