K&n

[chetzar]

Any 1993 Explorer XLT owner's out there with a K&N Air Intake? I cannot seem to find one anywhere for mine, just the air filter. I've checked Auto Zone, Advanced Auto, Nappa, JCWhitney, and Autopartswarehous.com, oh and even K&N's website. I've found Air filters and Oil Filters, (which if i cannot get a K&N Air Intake, i'll get the air filter), and oil filter either way.

 

[BrooklynBay]

It might not be available anymore if it's not on the K & N website. Did you check Summit Racing?

 

[glfredrick]

I'd say that unless you are looking for the max potential power at wide-open throttle, a drop in will do almost as good, for far less money.

With the heat of the engine compartment, an open filter in there is likely to produce the same or even less power than the stock setup.

On mine, I modified the air box to draw in air from the back edge of the hood and used a drop in filter (True-Flow -- less susceptible to water/mud damage). That setup actually added noticeable power.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Do you have a picture of your intake set up?

 

[glfredrick]

I don't have much, but this is how it looks on the outside:

Inside, I used poop-pipe connections for an RV (available at any camper store, or even NAPA if you ask) which are available in 45 and 90 degree fittings and flexible hose, which holds up really well under the hood of the truck.

I pulled the stock inlet fitting out of the box and in its place, hole-sawed a hole for a 45 degree fitting, which I siliconed into the box. I drilled the bottom with about 5 1/2" holes for water drainage just in case (filtered air heads up through the cover to the intake, not down, so the holes are fine). I used a 90 degree fitting, which I again hole-sawed through the hood, held in place by two sheet-metal screws, and covered by the eBay $9.95 plastic hood scoop.

Very low-tech... Works PERFECTLY. No water problems to speak of (and I've been in it!) and it picks up a few HP on the road. I sort of took the idea of a cowl induction setup like the old 70s hot street cars used to run for the basis of my plan. The base of the windshield is a high pressure area, so it acts like a ram air system. It is also just about right for a simple snorkle. Any deeper than that and all my electronics are fried anyway, so for me, the top-of-the-hood scoop is perfect. I'm doing the exact same thing on my Ranger project.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Maybe you could make a step by step how to when you do it for the Ranger? I'm still not clear on how water doesn't drain into the intake when it rains. Do you have a flexible pipe connected to the inside of the hood which bends when you open, and close the hood? Constant flexing combined with the heat of the engine could cause it to crack eventually.

 

[glfredrick]

I hooked it up almost exactly as you think -- with flexible hose between the hood and the airbox. As far as a step-by-step, I just about gave it to you above. Just pull out the stock air inlet tube, saw a hole in the box where it went, and stick in the fitting for the flex hose.

Run the flex hose to a spot where there is room on the bottom of the hood, hole saw the right sized hole, stick in the fitting for the hose, silicone everything in place and cover it with the scoop.

I think it took me less than an hour to do the entire job, start to finish, incuding pulling the air box. It is very simple and it works.

Water is no problem. It runs out the holes drilled in the bottom of the air box. Also, a bit of water in the air stream won't hurt an engine -- and can actually give it a boost. Just ask any old drag racer that used water injection.

Anyway, I've never had the slightest bit of problems with water. After all, even the stock front mount breather hole sucks in water when running in the rain. Just normal for most engines. At least my design lets it run out of the box if it really gets full.

About the flex hose cracking, yes, I guess it can and likely will. No biggie... That stuff is only about $9.00 for a 10 foot piece. You get three runs out of one piece, so for $3.00 I can replace it if it cracks. So far, I've run it for almost 2 years with no cracks, so it is holding up very well.

Again, it is RV flexible poop-tube.

Here's an example of what I'm using -- works PERFECTLY (no recommendation for this particular site -- just a reference)

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-toilets-tanks/heavy-duty-rv-sewer-hose.htm

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-toilets-tanks/sewer-hose-fittings-ez.htm

Here's the hood scoop:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Blac...9QQihZ002QQcategoryZ33646QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If I get a chance in the next day or so, I'll snap an under-the-hood picture to make it more clear.

Oh, and I do get that thing in the mud/water...

Saved my bacon this day... As you can see, I was in over the top of the grill before I came blasting out the other side. Another participant spend an hour sitting in this same hole, with water up over his engine, flooding it and filling it... He ended up rebuilding everything.

I lost the fan clutch and water pump from plugging the radiator with mud and crud, which sucked the bearings out of the pump, plus killed my fan clutch. The price of wheeling... But, no mud in the air box. With the stock intake, I would have been dead.

This is what I see out the windshield:

 

[sn0border88]

KKM makes one, I have it on my first gen.

 

[Jason94sport]

K&N doesn't make a air intake for a 1st gen X. Sorry. You only options are KKM, Ifab or custom.