I was out in my shop this afternoon when I got home from work and I was just poking around the car. I've read of airbox mods for other cars (MB and other brands. I decided to take mine off and see what it looked like on the inside. See if I could find any cheap improvements for flow. I noticed a bunch of tall ribs that ran against the airflow. In my mind taking those off would greatly improve the flow. Especially the ribs just before it heads to the intake/throttle body/MAF area. I don't know why they would be in their in the first place. Possibly to quiet the intake or make the airbox more sturdy? Either way, I took them out via a dremel and a pair of pliers. I also used some thick rubber gasket material I had in order to increase the volume of the airbox a little. It's more or less the same concept as the Renntech box for the other engines- it's pretty much a smoothed out factory box that's slightly taller (more volume). Granted, the Renntech is CF, it's still roughly the same concept.

Was my theory correct? Just curious what everyone else thinks. I know there won't be very much gained, but it sure looked like it couldn't hurt. Before and after pictures.

 

Did you happen to get a chance to install it and take it out for a spin?

I'm interested to see if the intake got louder, and although I doubt there were any performance gains to be had, it sure would be nice.

 

The idea is sound. Smoother flow perhaps.

Hope things are good. Mang, your countdown to going pro is getting smaller and smaller.

E

 

I am wondering if the sound increased a little bit to where its a bit more noticeable. Update once you take it out for a ride.

P.S.- Nice table!!

 

Nice Table

 

The table in the pictures is actually the top of my bar out in my sunroom/4 season room. It was a work in progress for a little while

I ended up making my own version of the LET intake that's available for the C32/C55. I hollowed out the airbox and used my rubber material I had as a spacer to creat a tad more volume. I then took off the factory snorkles on the front of the car and used some spare 3" tubing I had from my Focus tuning days, along with a couple clamp on universal filters right in front of the intake holes in the radiator support.

I first drove it with the K&N filters I had in there to begin with, hollowed out airbox, and factory snorkles. I didn't notice any difference in performance, but maybe a shade louder under acceleration or free-rev from idle. When I used my home-made franken-intake, it may have spun up faster from around 4.5k to redline. It sure seemed like it did, but then again, the mind seems to experience what it wants to from time to time. The intake also seemed to be a little louder. Overall- I think I will leave it with the hollowed out airbox and my snorkle/filter setup. I looks better, sounds better, and seems like it might be a little faster. Even if it isn't faster, it sure seems like it is.....kinda the same concept behind a SprintBooster

If anyone decides to do something like this- be sure to plug the two 1/4" holes in the bottom of the stock airbox. If not- the engine will be sucking in unfilter air from those two spots.

 

Interesting post. I was just thinking of modifying the airbox on my M272 3.5L to see if there was anything to gain in there.

Could you retrofit an airbox off a 3.0L or 3.5L on to your 2.5L? That is assuming they are in fact larger, are compatible and would fit under the hood...

 

I asked that same question a while back. A few of the long time members said it wouldn't work because the intake manifold was a lot different. I never really looked into it any further. I am sure you could mod it somehow to get it to work, but then I wonder if it would look hacked together? They also told me that the factory airbox on the M272 was a better design than the older engine.

I just know that the shape of the intake tubes/the bottom section of the airbox not shown in my pictures forces the air to the top of the airbox- right into the ridges that I cut off. Again, not sure if I truely accomplished anything, but it sure seems like I did, so that's good enough for me.

 

You mean my countdown to my ***** being lopped off and sitting in a jar above the fireplace? I still have around six good months left in me.

 

Right on!

 

hmm, interesting. Logic is sound and you should have better airflow with the ribs removed. Might have to crack mine open and consider this.

 

Yes & yes pretty much, although you don't need that much support really, its not like its supporting alot of weight. It is mainly more so for sound. With K&N airbox panel filters you will get more sound and maybe a bit more airflow.

 

Wild thought, but is it possible it is supporting the integrity from vacuum forces (keep it from collapsing in wards with a hot engine)? I mean, it's not like air is being forced into the engine as much as it is being sucked.

 

i'd like to think it's got that much suck, but i kinda doubt it. went i get back from my business trip, i hope to get a little more drive time. i never drive the car, but the weather is great this week- too bad i had to leave last night.

 

No, Mercedes / AMG always use sound baffles to quiet up the cars. This is no different than their supercharger noise baffles they install to quiet up the SC whine. They are just trying to make the car sound as refined & quiet as they can.

Also your physics is backwards... Air is never "sucked" in, its forced in by natural atmospheric forces at roughly 14psi, Air is PUSHED into the cylinders not pulled in.

 

bumpnzx3
do you think you could post some pictures of post mod?

 

lol, i did the same with my air box few weeks ago, how come i didnt come upon your thread?? weird..anyway, same conclusion, no significant difference.....

...awaiting my new intake parts, will post photos when complete.....this is extreme intake design.....i think i have some kind of theory to solve our intake problem i hope im right

 

what's your theory? lol

 

cant tell.......in few hours, it should be done ...awaiting to punch out at work and go home , all parts have arrived today

 

dude hurry lol.

Andy

 

Update?