2004 Ford F-53 Air Intake

[Retird2Golf]

The stock air intake on the 2004 Ford V-10 is 3-1/4" (I.D.) at the engine, increasing to 4-1/4 at the air top of the filter housing.

From there it is all "downhill" !! It reduces to 2-1/2" thru the filter Housing and terminates 1" above the house batteries in a plastic shroud, that is 2" from the radiator and the trans cooler !!

Gotta change this!! Any suggestons ..... all help accepted and appreciated !

I'd include a picture if I could figure out how to get in the Post !!

[Retird2Golf]

The stock air intake on the 2004 Ford V-10 is 3-1/4" (I.D.) at the engine, increasing to 4-1/4 at the air top of the filter housing.

From there it is all "downhill" !! It reduces to 2-1/2" thru the filter Housing and terminates 1" above the house batteries in a plastic shroud, that is 2" from the radiator and the trans cooler !!

Gotta change this!! Any suggestons ..... all help accepted and appreciated !

I'd include a picture if I could figure out how to get in the Post !!

[ISLAPP]

One possibility would be to get a cold air intake kit from one of our sponsors here. The have one out now for some time for the Workhorse chassis and will soon have one for our Fords. You could talk to Mike at Brazel's and see what he has to say.
The link to their site is HERE

Mike

[Retird2Golf]

Thanks ISLAP, for the reply. I have checked the sites and they do not seem to have a product yet. I went with the K&N Filter hoping they would have something in the near furture. Banks has one with the Exauhst system.

I'm thinking about cutting out the front of the bottom Filter housing similar to creating a "cold box". What do you think ???

Best Regards, Clyde

[tderonne]

I've used the very similar (same filter) Mustang airbox on many an engine dyno run. The easist way we found to improved the flow was to simply cut away the housing exposing the airfilter. We were in a controlled environment though. Water ingestion could be an issue. But it may actually improve it, I think the velocity of the air coming through the small inlet actually draws water up into the filter. With an open element, the velocity would be much lower. So unless it got directly spashed with water, you'd be ok. And that depends highly on the design of the front end of your own coach. A homemade box, or even just some shielding, around an opened up stock filer could work very well. An upside down bucket comes to mind. Hmmm...

A K&N element does help in a stock housing. There is very little clearance around the stock filter. A K&N has more taper to it, opening up that clearance.

The numbers I'd like to see are pressure drop across the intake system. No "my gas mileage improved by 7 mpg" or "I got 98,000 more horspower". A simple homemade manometer would do the trick. I haven't measured mine yet, but I plan to. The lower the drop, the better the system.

[ISLAPP]

Brazel should have their unit out very soon. The Banks one can be gotten by itself without exhaust if you want. They run about 330.00 for just the ram air kit. I dont have any info on what would happen if you cut out the box as you are thinking. I really am not sure that our rigs need a change. I just havent been able to find that much info that tells me the pro's and cons to changing. But my own personal opinion is that I would keep the OEM filter over the K&N if that was all that I was doing.
I am personally waiting for Brazel's to get their kit in and "convince" me that I need to change.
Mike

[Retird2Golf]

Thanks for the reply, Ideronne, I'm thinking leave a 3" section of the housing inthe front
to eliminate a marjority of rain water problem
and cut out 4" slots on each side. Leave everything else in place until I find a better system. Thanks again, Clyde

[Retird2Golf]

Thanks ISLAP, I did send Mike @ BRAZELS an E-Mail and asked for advice or direction.
Like you I'll wait and see what develops.

What would us retired guys do if we didn't have something to "Tinker" with !!

[pzalos]

Before upgrading to the Banks PowerPack with the air induction system, I removed the bottom flared tube from the stock filter. I bought a cheap flexible plastic funnel, cut off the tip high enough so that the hole was wide enough to slip firmly over the attachment point at the bottom of the filter housing. This kept water out and created a kind of venturi effect. Mostly if got the filter off the batteries.

I can't imagine how the engine was expected to breathe with the filter literally only an inch above the battery. Would that also not suggest that caustic gases would end up in the filter and beyond??

[Retird2Golf]

HI pzalos, thanks for the reply.
Exactly my thoughts ... and the to add a thin plastic shroud, they probably consider a rain shield ... go figure !!

"Ride it like a Ford"

Best Regards, Clyde

[Retird2Golf]

OK, After reading the remarks, and looooooking at the setup , what I decided to do was .... Pop the plastic fasteners from the right (Looking at the engine from the front) leaving the left side attached, securing the loosened side to the bar behind the grill.

This creates a "cold box", away from the batteries and radiators with free air flow.
We shall see if there is any inprovement.

"Ride it like a Ford"