So i installed this $60 Ebay no name intake a few months ago. CAI And i always wanted to seal it off from the engine bay, just never got around to it. Well my buddy was tuning it and told me if i got my IAT's down he could add a little more timing (idling for 20 minutes or so in the Texas heat with the A/C on full blast my IAT's were at 135*). So he suggested i seal off the air box. I did one better and made a crappy little scoop that gets fresh air from under the front bumper. Well i tried the idle for 20 min with A/C blasting test (outside temp was about the same) and my IAT's came down to about 115*. Even better is once i start moving they drop down to outside temp in a few seconds. Before at a stop light they would climb from 90* to about 117* then very slowly drop back down when i started moving. Now they climb from 90* to about 95* and drop back down to 90* in about 4 seconds after i start moving. I know it looks goofy but i don't care, it works.
All i used was some waxed cardboard i had laying around, flashing tape (you use this stuff to seal around doors and windows in your house) and some thermal barrier stuff. Spent like $20 total.

 

Oh i also repositioned the neck on my water pump because the radiator hose was on the bottom of my intake tube, which would heat it up. Also went ahead and took out my thermostat today and it's running quite a bit cooler, so my IAT's might have come down even more.

 

I like the Idea. would like to see a cleaner version of it but well done.

 

neat idea . . . got any more shots of the bottom of the scoop

 

you took out the thermostat?bad idea

 

Everything about me wants to agree that removing the Tstat is a bad idea, but I ran my LT1 without a Tstat for two years without a problem.

Do you have anything specific that you know of thats bad about no Tstat?

 

oil will not get up to temp and will sludge. will even do it with a 160 t-stat if the system lets it stay cool enough.

 

I guess your location comes into play. I live in Florida and run Amsoil 10w-30, never had an issue???

Motor would run at about 140* constantly when it was 95+* sitting in traffic

 

People need to stop believing everything they read and experience stuff first hand.Did it in my SS and after 70k miles i pulled the motor apart and it looked perfect! no signs of oil sludge.
Plus, I have my 40k GVW tranny cooler on the way, a PT3200 stall in a 6,000 lb truck that sees 95% stop and go traffic and my A/C is always blasting. After i took my thermostat out my driving around town engine temps went from 210* to 190*(The 210 was with a 160* thermostat in it.). I live in Texas and have three big coolers/condenser in front of my radiator. So the air it does get has already been heated up a good amount.
If i ever notice the engine not getting up to operating temp when it cools down outside I'll throw a 160* in it. Takes a whole 10 min.

 

I run Castrol full synthetic 5w-30 in this and my SS i used to punish.
I've been working on these motors for about 10 years now so i know a thing or two about what they like. Motor in the SS looked brand new when i took it out. I would drive that thing 90 miles a day with a non lock up 5400 stall, th350 (no overdrive), no thermostat. 60 miles of that was all highway so 70 mph was about 3,500 rpms.