airbox mod. on 99 sport

[ford5_0]

actually i have a '99 ohv explorer sport...not a v8..my mom has the '96 v8.....and i think i will give that drilling thing a try....i also already have a k&n filter....had to use the one for the 98 sohc because apparently k%n doesnt have one for the 99's yet according to napa and advance auto parts....i just ordered a 40 series flowmaster today for mine also, so it should sound even better in a little while...thanks

 

[Jornum1]

No K&N for the '99's? never heard of that, I bought my truck in september, and put the filter in about a month later. They had it then at least. How do you like the truck? I love mine its my second. I traded my '95 sport for my new one. I will say its quite a step up, I love it. I just ordered the K&N conical filter adapter kit, and a borla exhaust. I should get them by thurs, I am psyched. I cant wait. Tell me what you think of the mod when you do it. Let me know how the flowmaster is too, that was my second choice. Best of luck
Jason

 

[ford5_0]

ive heard something about drilling holes in the airbox or removing the "doors" on the fenderwall of the car to let more air in..if someone could explain what these people are talking about that would help out..thanks,.....

 

[Jornum1]

Well what they are talking about is making swiss cheese out of the bottom half of your air box. Only below the filter. Obviously if you drill holes on the top, or above where the filter rests it will defeat the purpose of it But thats about it. I did it to mine, I drilled 1/2 inch holes about a 1/2 inch away from each other on about every part of the air box. Not on the bottom though. I would reccomend if you havent already, buy a K&N replacement filter. It sounds much beefier, and it has a little more get up and go off the start, and at passing speeds. The sound isnt noticable at idle, but if you open it up, its great. As far as the fender walls, I think they are talking about the rubber pieces that keep dirt and debris out of the engine compartment from the front wheels. I dont know if thats a good idea, especially considering you will have holes now in your air box. But thats just my opinion. I too have a '99 sport SOHC. I love it. Good luck with the air box if you decide to try it.
Hope I helped a bit.
Jason

 

[Jornum1]

Sorry about that, I mixed you up with another post I was reading. You didnt say what kind of Explorer you had. And from your username, it looks liek you have a V8 so you probably dont have a sport. Just wanted to correct myself
Jason

 

[GJarrett]

The sound is very much like hearing a four-barrel carb kick in on an old V-8. Very throaty.

And go ahead and drill holes in the bottom too. You'll want the drainage should you suck some rain water in through all those other holes.

 

[ford5_0]

you brought up a good point...if u drilled holes the warm air from under the hood would get in..i never thought of that...now im torn on weather to drill or not to drill....ill keep weighing the pros and cons and see what conclusion i come to....thanks guys.....

 

[Keach]

Try the new kurtz air flow modification. They talk about it here alot. I've just purchased mine and i love it. 89.00 for the kit, a 100.00 w/shipping. I had a drop in K&N w/o putting holes in the box, but i removed to cone shaped inlet. The kurtz is providing a noticeable difference. 500 miles and a full "1" mpg increase and great response.

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Keach
98 XLT 4X4 SOHC
Edelbrock Shocks
Granatelli MassAirFlowSensor
Kurtz Kustom AirFilterKit

 

[Nonoy]

Suggestion in drilling air box holes:
- buy 1" bit (i don't know the exact name) but it exactly looks like the one they use to drill a key hole for the door although the size is 1").
- 3/8" flex pipes. Calculate how long you will need. Sears sell it by foot.
- drill holes on the sides of your choice. Insert the flex pipes. Find a place were you want it to suck air. (I recommend back of the head light, there is also one existing holes by the fender weell). Using the flex pipes will deadened the sound of air being suck-in. Dead Link Removed

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NY State of Mind

 

[ford5_0]

also about that airbox mod, i guess im having trouble tryin to picture what the sound is like....is it deeper or what..also why did you recommend not to drill on the bottom of the airbox.....thanks

 

[ExplorGM]

There has been quite a bit of discussion on the benefits of drilling out the air box.
I have to agree with those that say that by doing it, you increase the temperature of the intake air and hurt performance. At least in my case, the additional heat from underhood caused my truck to run warmer and lose performance. I have the stock replacement K&N. After I taped up the holes, the truck ran better again. My next step is to wrap the whole box and intake tube in insulating material. Really provide cool air! The cooler the air, the more dense the mixture...
I'd love to find a fiberglass hood with hood "scoop" to help remove some of the heat from the engine compartment. Anything out there for the 95-97s?
Rick


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Rick
95 Explorer Sport Expedition
Dead Link Removed

 

[Big Poppa]

I drilled 1 1/2" holes all through the bottom of my airbox and got noticeably better power and a great sound under acceleration. I added the K+N afterwards and it helped give a little more power. I would definately do it. And it's FREE

 

[MyExploder]

I have a 98 sport. I took the airbox out and removed that "reducer" that has the inlet behind the headlight. I found a piece of straight flexible duct and used a hose clamp to clamp it to that lip on the box after the "reducer" was removed. The duct is long enough to go past the radistor support and stick right behind the headlight. That "reducer" just "pops" out with a little help of a screwdriver. I also drilled another 1 1/2" hole about 1" towards the drivers side then 1 more on the side that faces the engine. If you live in a hot climate like I do, you won't want to suck to much air from under the hood. I will plug the smaller hole in the summer.
Good Luck! Let us know what you decide to do.

 

[ford5_0]

i think for right now im gonna not drill..im gettin the flowmaster put in tuesday...i might drill later and route some flex-tubing somewhere to gather colder air...but fior right now, the flomaster should take care of sound, performance, etc....

 

[sjfonline]

I just did the drilling of the box.
But made the mistake of drilling out the
bottom thru the wheel well and had to patch
up the wheel well.
then i put about 6-1 inch holes in the side
of the box. Hope it helps, If not will i have to get a new Box?

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[sjfonline]

Update: 1992 Explorer (Air Box)
It works great for me. It made my truck sound
A little louder, gives me a feel of more
power in the seat of my pants.
But i have not seen a better mpg's
I also have added more holes theres about
15 or so.


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