How important is the 'factory air box scoop'?

[Albert]

The one that you remove to install a CAI, that's behind the driver side wheel well? I couldn't find mine when I removed my broken CAI and put my stock air box back in. Is it horrible and I'm ruining my engine, or is it not all that bad? How important is it if I decide to get an SRI? The car seems to be behaving ok without it so far.

 

[Darth Vader]

It's a paperweight, the airbox doesn't take air from that area so, it's doing nothing of consequence.

How the hell does a CAI break?

 

[matsuda]

It's a paperweight, the airbox doesn't take air from that area so, it's doing nothing of consequence.

What exactly is it there for?
Certainly it was not put there arbitrarily.

 

[Albert]

How the hell does a CAI break?

The CAI itself didn't break, but the bolt that was glued to the rubber shock mount came unglued, so there was nothing supporting it.

 

[Darth Vader]

Don't ask me what it's there for, I ain't no Mazda engineer. There are lots of little things put on devices that are the product of cautious engineering and don't really do much. It's certainly no special "ram air" system since, it's open on one side and not connected to the air intake. It's certainly no cause for concern it being absent since people run SRIs with their filters well out of any breeze without issue.

 

[MSMS3]

The one that you remove to install a CAI, that's behind the driver side wheel well? I couldn't find mine when I removed my broken CAI and put my stock air box back in. Is it horrible and I'm ruining my engine, or is it not all that bad? How important is it if I decide to get an SRI? The car seems to be behaving ok without it so far.

I'm having problems visualizing the part you are describing. My bad, but maybe you can help me. I'm attaching the AEM install instructions with some photos. Maybe you could find the part you are concerned about from that and tell me more about it? It it the "air director" shown at the top left of page 6, or is it something else?

 

[Albert]

It is the part on the top left of page 6 of the AEM instructions. The cp-e install instructions call it the factory air box scoop. How needed is it with the stock air box or an SRI?

 

[Darth Vader]

Mate, like I said, pretty much EVERY car with a CAI has this part out. Don't you think we'd know if this was causing a problem by now? Stop worrying and rock the car.....

 

[Albert]

Mate, like I said, pretty much EVERY car with a CAI has this part out. Don't you think we'd know if this was causing a problem by now? Stop worrying and rock the car.....

I realize that, and with a CAI, I understand that you remove it so that the air gets to the filter. However, without the CAI, the inlet for the stock air box is relatively tiny, and up in the engine compartment, so having fresh air channeled right to that inlet might be beneficial.

Plus, I was just answering a question. It's not like I'm frantically demanding answers contrary to what you said.

Gonna order an SRI today anyway.

 

[MSMS3]

It is the part on the top left of page 6 of the AEM instructions. The cp-e install instructions call it the factory air box scoop. How needed is it with the stock air box or an SRI?

I agree that it probably has to be removed for just about any CAI install and also agree that while Mazda may have had some reason for it, it is not necessary and the effect of its absence is probably negligible.

My guess, and its just that, only a guess, is that it made no sense for Mazda to provide that nice series of slots in the left front wheel well liner and then allow air entering that to not be directed more vertically to maybe, theoretically, reduce underhood temps a bit. But it's still a long way from the stock air box. Another possibility is that it forms some type of moisture, water shield, not unlike the metal shield on the MSCAI/AEMCAI to keep water away from other parts of the car coming in through those vent slots. Just guesses, though.

But either way, I don't see how its absence would make much difference. There are too many people here running different intake modes with that part removed and no one is having any reported problems.

Although not solicited in your quesiton, why don't you just replace the rubber and bolt CAI mount and continue to use your excellent CAI? Way cheaper than buying a new intake, I would think, and surely replacement parts would be available from cp-e for very little. Hell, you could probably fabricate one very easily or get a local machine shop to make one for next to nothing.

 

[Albert]

Although not solicited in your quesiton, why don't you just replace the rubber and bolt CAI mount and continue to use your excellent CAI? Way cheaper than buying a new intake, I would think, and surely replacement parts would be available from cp-e for very little. Hell, you could probably fabricate one very easily or get a local machine shop to make one for next to nothing.

Thanks a ton for the reply.

About replacing the part, the bolt and metal piece is still screwed into the frame, nice and rusted, and there's really no easy way for me to remove it. I could try to JBWeld a nut to it and try to unscrew it, but it's easier to just get an SRI (or leave the stock box in). I'm kind of weary about putting the same piece back in if I were to reinstall it, because it was just rubber glued to a slug with a bolt on the back. Seems like it will just break apart again. Also, when it broke, it affected my shifting (wouldn't go into 1-3-5 fully, I felt like I was losing my mind!) so I'd rather not have that happen again.

Thanks again!

 

[Darth Vader]

Here's a trick to get that out, if you want to. Lots of pentrating oil, get a vise grip on the protruding part and try to move it slightly tighter. This will break the thread interface and it'll likely wind right off.

If there isn't enough to grab, get 'er up in the air, and file flat and centre punch the remains of the bolt, start small and gradually drill out the bolt. if you're careful, you'll save the threads in the frame.

Then build your own mount using a rubber cork (hardware store) or an old rubber shock bushing or such. Drill a hole centre of the cork and mount a washer on the outside and run a standard M10 bolt through the thing and into the frame with anti sieze on it.

Sounds like alot o' work but easily done in a 1/2 hour or so and leaves you the option of going CAI again. total cost should be under 10 bucks.

 

[MSMS3]

Good suggestion, Darth. We get too used to having other people make simple things for us. Making a new mount ain't rocket science. I'd like to see more of our users get a few basic tools and learn to be a bit more self-reliant rather than giving up on otherwise well performing and expensive mods.

A flat washer on one side of the rubber cork, the head of the M10 bolt against the washer and the threaded part into the frame would do the trick. And yes, good ole Vice Grips and PB blaster can absolve a lot of sins arising from broken bolts or studs.

I came up in a very poor/lower middle class blue collar situation and regardless of my current income, have always put a premium on fixing what is broken if at all possible rather than buying more new stuff. That was the ethic handed down to me by my parents. I think this is still an important value, maybe more important in these economic times than anytime in my lifetime.

Oops, sorry, I'll get off the soap box now.