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Cutting my airbox

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Old 07-31-2009, 08:56 PM
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Cutting my airbox

Ok...so all of the Aftermarket CAIs for the 280zx are positioned in approximately the same place as my stock airbox. What would be the defecit of cutting out the front of my existing airbox, leaving enough metal intact to still screw the lid down without it wobbling around?
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Old 07-31-2009, 09:13 PM
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The stock ZX air box is already technically a cold air intake.

The black plastic that goes on the intake side of it and into the fender is sucking air from outside of the engine bay. Even on the some where that pieces has gone missing over the years its still pulling in air from the grill area.

Something like a cone filter CAI on a stock N/A 280ZX will get you no noticeable power gains,
just that extra bling point of a cone filter.

The over all effect of cutting your box (Iv seen a few done like that) is a little better air flow into your intake, otherwise its not going to do a whole lot.

Last edited by skib; 08-06-2009 at 04:18 PM.
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Old 07-31-2009, 09:23 PM
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Black plastic??

Mine's Blue metal. :P
There's not black plastic on the opposite side of the box from where it goes to the engine bay.
Maybe my Z's missing something.

Last edited by awilkie; 07-31-2009 at 09:41 PM. Reason: Adding to post
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Old 07-31-2009, 09:46 PM
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the box itself is a metal factory blue box, at the intake side of it theres a black plastic piece that goes from the opening in the box to that hole next to your headlight bucket.

I snapped a pic of my ZX air box so I post a pic in a sec, better than trying to explain lol
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Old 07-31-2009, 09:52 PM
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heres the black plastic piece that goes on the intake side of your air box




and heres a shot of a cut airbox on my friends car


Last edited by skib; 07-31-2009 at 09:57 PM.
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Old 08-05-2009, 09:45 PM
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Interesting...my air intake has some sort of metal device right before the pipe goes through the firewall...your friend's shot does not. Any idea what this thing is & if it would be detrimental to remove it?
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Old 08-05-2009, 10:15 PM
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Originally Posted by skib
and heres a shot of a cut airbox on my friends car

What EFI Setup is he using? Z32? or MS?

Last edited by BlueKitsune; 08-05-2009 at 10:18 PM.
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Old 08-05-2009, 10:23 PM
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Have you taken any pressure readings?? Do you KNOW that there is a problem?
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Old 08-05-2009, 10:37 PM
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What?
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Old 08-06-2009, 01:06 AM
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Originally Posted by BlueKitsune
What EFI Setup is he using? Z32? or MS?
looks like a wolf and EDIS setup.
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Old 08-06-2009, 01:09 AM
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Originally Posted by awilkie
Interesting...my air intake has some sort of metal device right before the pipe goes through the firewall...your friend's shot does not. Any idea what this thing is & if it would be detrimental to remove it?
its the AFM, your car will not run with out it.


Originally Posted by BlueKitsune
What EFI Setup is he using? Z32? or MS?
(good eye hoov)
- Wolf 3D Engine Management
- Custom Fuel Rail w/14mm O- ring injectors
- Sequential Denso Coils


(the 300zx ECU swap is from the Z31 btw)



Originally Posted by bojo68
Have you taken any pressure readings?? Do you KNOW that there is a problem?
what? irrelevant.

Last edited by skib; 08-06-2009 at 03:01 PM.
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Old 08-06-2009, 03:03 AM
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lol, he's got a vacuum leak on his ego enlarger pump...
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Old 08-06-2009, 02:27 PM
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Originally Posted by skib





what? irrelevant.
"What? "

The original question was about cutting a airbox. I don't think it's unreasonable to check pressure before carving things up, regardless of whether or not there a million people trying to sell CAI's.
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Old 08-06-2009, 02:31 PM
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Originally Posted by hoov100
lol, he's got a vacuum leak on his ego enlarger pump...
That's different. I always thought that was a "SUNSHINE PUMP", and worked with PRESSURE, not vacuum. It hooks directly up to one's A**.
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Old 08-06-2009, 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by bojo68
The original question was about cutting a airbox. I don't think it's unreasonable to check pressure before carving things up

Explain this pressure checking business to me, what pressure are you intending to check and how?
just humor me.


Originally Posted by bojo68
regardless of whether or not there a million people trying to sell CAI's.

The stock airbox is already a CAI. Read post #2
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Old 08-06-2009, 04:04 PM
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Originally Posted by skib
Explain this pressure checking business to me, what pressure are you intending to check and how?
just humor me.





The stock airbox is already a CAI. Read post #2
The pressure, or lack of it, just before the throttle body at wide open throttle, close to redline. If there's not vacuum, there's no need to modify anything.
I realize that it is a cai, but the point is he's thinking there will be some benefit to modifying it, regardless of whether it is or is not a cai. One of the benefits hyped by many cai types is reduction of restriction, not simply cold air. A pressure check separates fact from garbage.

Last edited by bojo68; 08-06-2009 at 04:10 PM.
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Old 08-06-2009, 04:09 PM
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yea, but if he has the time/skills to do so, why not?
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Old 08-06-2009, 04:18 PM
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Originally Posted by PurePontiacKid
yea, but if he has the time/skills to do so, why not?
I suppose ya have a point. I have the time and skills to lighten my car up, by cutting 3" holes in all the body skin 1" apart, but I don't do it. All depends on what ya like I guess.
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Old 08-06-2009, 04:22 PM
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Originally Posted by bojo68
I realize that it is a cai, but the point is he's thinking there will be some benefit to modifying it, regardless of whether it is or is not a cai.

again, read post #2

Originally Posted by skib
The over all effect of cutting your box (Iv seen a few done like that) is a little better air flow into your intake, otherwise its not going to do a whole lot.

I already told him its not really going to do a thing. Any differences it makes will be so minuscule you will never notice.
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Old 08-06-2009, 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by skib
again, read post #2




I already told him its not really going to do a thing. Any differences it makes will be so minuscule you will never notice.
And a pressure check will either verify or prove you wrong, but at least then HE"LL KNOW, and not be dependent on somebody else's word.
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Old 08-06-2009, 04:31 PM
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I dont answer tech questions if I dont have a reasonable or correct answer.


Originally Posted by skib
Any differences it makes will be so minuscule you will never notice.
This I know for a fact.

Last edited by skib; 08-06-2009 at 04:33 PM.
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Old 08-06-2009, 06:17 PM
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i still dont get this pressure check thing, dont N/A engines create vacuum? also even though turbo's pressurize the air, it only pressurizes it to the TB, so the airbox is always seeing some for of vacuum, so we would need to flow test it, to see how much more CFM it flow's then with it capped off, but either way a stock L series datsun wont benefit from it, other then creating a louder intake noise.
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Old 08-06-2009, 07:39 PM
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Originally Posted by hoov100
i still dont get this pressure check thing, dont N/A engines create vacuum? also even though turbo's pressurize the air, it only pressurizes it to the TB, so the airbox is always seeing some for of vacuum, so we would need to flow test it, to see how much more CFM it flow's then with it capped off, but either way a stock L series datsun wont benefit from it, other then creating a louder intake noise.
That's kinda the point, everybody claims to know, but nobody knows the test to find out. Imagine that.
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Old 08-06-2009, 08:44 PM
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I dont think theres a point to do it. There next to nothing for the intake side. hence why a CAI does about nothing to start with. just put a K&N Filter in your stock box

OT. skib, think you can tell me more about that Z. I think I like that ECU set up more the megasquirt
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Old 08-06-2009, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by BlueKitsune
OT. skib, think you can tell me more about that Z. I think I like that ECU set up more the megasquirt
The Wolf set up is waaaaay nicer than MS. In that pic hes also running EDIS with the Denso coils.

heres a spec list from that car

Engine: L28 with Euro Flat-Top's
P79 Contundo Circumsonus Head
Customized Air Cleaner
60mm Throttle-body
Custom Intake Manifold/Fuel Rail w/14mm O- ring injectors
Wolf 3D Engine Management system
6 Denso Coils, sequentially triggered
Centerforce light weight flywheel and clutch

The Head and Intake Manifold:

Paul Ruschman of Rusch Motorsports (ruschmotorsports@hotmail.com) is to be credited for work done to this specialty head and intake. The head has been ported, polished and ccd. A stock Nissan intake was used. All protrusions were ground off and openings welded closed. He then relocated and machined new vacuum orifices. The manifold was Jet Coated as are the Headers which have resulted in reduced heat saturization.

The Engine Management System:

Ron Tyler of Prime Engine Management (Ron@primeems.com) not to be outdone, suggested we turn this already modified engine into an even healthier Fire Breathin, Pavement Pounding machine. Ron decided to rip out and throw away the distributor, coil, plug wires and stock fuel injection system. He then replaced all these parts with a Wolf 3D stand alone engine management system.

A multitude of hours has been invested in this engine by Paul Ruschman and Ron Tyler. Without their help this project would have never come to light. After 22 months it is ready.
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