cold air intake

i was going to make a custom cold air intake and i was wondering what the hell is that black square box on the middle of the stock air intake and what does it go to? what does it do? should i leave it on?

It's a silencer, also works well as a particle seperator. if you take it off, your air intake will be niosy and your filter will get dirty sooner.

It's a silencer, also works well as a particle seperator. if you take it off, your air intake will be niosy and your filter will get dirty sooner.

He said MIDDLE that is JUST there to reduce noise

the one on the very front of the intake also REALLY restricts the airflow by a LOT.

He said MIDDLE that is JUST there to reduce noise
I know he was refering to the box attached to the bottom of the intake silencer tube. Here's how I see it , applying what I know about particle seperators (I was a helicopter mechanic in the army so I understand them). When the air enters the silencer (and yes I agree it is quite restrictive) it is forced to make a 180 degree turn, at that point heavy junk is forced to drop through the hole on the bottom and into that box. The result is that less dirt makes it to the filter. I have lived in the same place for 20 years and driven many cars under the same conditions during that time. Every other car has needed a new filter after 8,000 - 12,000 miles. I have now driven my 2 old Escorts 250,000+ miles and not needed a new filter in either one yet. I can only attrubuite the amazing fact to the best designed intake system I have ever owned. So modify yours if you want, but I'm leaving mine stock. I believe changing will result in only a negligable increase in power, and would not be worth it unless other more extensive mods to the exaust and engine were done that would require increased air flow.

yeah clean what ever...who cares about how ofter the filters changed when your looking for performance and gas milage?

and you can get about 3whp and 5tq from an intake...thats not negligable...not to mention you also will get better gass milage....so you have to clean the filter about every 30k...big deal.

hell Ford Sold ZX2's that CAME with an aftermarket intake and no resonators in it....you know what? i get 42mpg HW and have yet to clean my filter (48k)

Do you still believe in Santa Clause too? And if you want a high preformance car why do you have an Escort?
You said it yourself, when the factory used a high preformance intake they also modifyed the exaust, you can't get more air in if you can't get more out. And BTW more air always means more fuel to keep the mixture correct, I don't care who you think you are, but you can't change the laws of physics.

Do you still believe in Santa Clause too? And if you want a high preformance car why do you have an Escort?
You said it yourself, when the factory used a high preformance intake they also modifyed the exaust, you can't get more air in if you can't get more out. And BTW more air always means more fuel to keep the mixture correct, I don't care who you think you are, but you can't change the laws of physics.


Umm no it's the same 1 7/8in exhaust as on every other ZX2. You don't need to change the exhaust to make power from an intake. Also removing restrictions in the intake DOES give better gas milage, and no it doesn't keep the same mixture. The design of the intake can make the car run leaner or richer. Trust me I've see the A/F ratios change greatly with different intakes used a wideband o2 with a dyno, they not only give more powe but allow you to run a little richer.

In fact in an intake dyno test people can get 4whp/4wtq at peak from JUST an intake....not to mention more in some other spots of the powerband.

Ive seen the tests(on multiple cars)....and I've DONE the tests. I know.

Infact the exhaust is not a major restruction till you move to and intake, ported intake manifold and 57mm TB. THEN the stock exhaust is a real restriction.

Oh and most fords run Rich from the factory...so they already technicly have the WRONG mixture.

Sorry Altec, I'll have to side with midwayfreak. If you put on a cold air intake the temp sensor and the flow sensor will say to the Power Control Module, Hey more air and cooler air. Richen the mixture. If you take the sensors off the PCM will send a signal for a richer mixture by default. The stock intake was designed by an automotive engineer to get the max mileage to offset other Ford vehicles that didn't get good mileage.
Until I get an engineering degree I'll have to go with the stock intake for max fuel mileage.

In the old days we used to cut out the intake manifold runners to match the carburator bores, and match the intake ports in the head to the intake runners, then rough up (not polish) the inside of the runners. This will definatly increase power and milage, NOT because it got more fuel into the engine, but because it got less liquid fuel in. This simply will not work with ported injection. I have yet to see any usable improvement by simply removing the air filter silencer.
My 2 Escorts are a '91 LX standard shift, and a "95 LX standard shift, now listen carfully to this:
The "95 gets 40-42 mpg
The '91 gets 36-38 mpg and is noticeably faster than the '95
The only difference I can find is that the '95 has a larger bore in the MAF
The EEC has the same part # in both
The '91 runs a richer mixture because of the SMALLER bore in the MAF senser, and no EGR, this makes it faster.
Your dyno must be wrong

realy? a dyno in PA and one is CA are both wrong? on 2 differnt cars? Im sorry but the facts flat out prove you wrong. the stock intake only sucks in a 1in hole to breath..that is NOT enught fro the car. which is why on ANY intake they dyno more power...they can flow much more air. So do it yourself, changin teh intake will also change the A/F ratio of the car.

and for the record the PA dyno show was a Nationaly known i4 specializing Ford Racing shop.

oh and here is the flow chart for the intakes:
http://www.zx2racing.com/shootout/data/flowbench%20results.htm

here is the dyno numbers:
http://www.zx2racing.com/shootout/data/data_chart.htm

Ok Altec, I decided to try it myself. I took the silencer assy. off my '95 LX and ran a full tank of gas through it. Here's what happened, no change in the milage at all, still right at 42mpg, and if there was more power I couldn't tell. Before putting it back toghether, I removed the filter also. With the filter and silencer removed I did a test where I accelerated from 0 to 50 several times noting the point on the road where the spedo reached 50. Then repeated the same test with the filter put back together. Not a sicentific test I know. MY test results are: opening the intake up allowed the car to go 10-20 feet further on a 0-50 acceleration, but did not improve the gas milage. So we are both right there was an improvement , but it is not enough to warrent makeing changes unless you are racing the car, since I like my car to run as quiet as posible I will continue to use the stock silencer.

we arnt talking just filter and air box fix (which Ford racing dynod 1whp from a K&N filter on a ZX2) we are talking a full intake.

we arnt talking just filter and air box fix (which Ford racing dynod 1whp from a K&N filter on a ZX2) we are talking a full intake.

I didn't mean to start an arguement. i just want to know what the tube that is conected from the square box is going. it looks like it goes to the manifold. and if i took the tube off would i have to put a small filter where the tube goes?

Josh I tried to give you a straight answer, till Altec decided you wanted to drop over a grand on aftermarket parts that will only give you 3 hp. anyway your answer is, it's only a silencer that makes your air filter quiet, if you take it off it wont help anything, no you dont need to put another filter in the hole. Think about it this way, if it didn't serve a usefull purpuse the factory would not have put it on, they could have saved hundreds of thousands dollars by leaving it off.

since when is a 50 filter and a 130 intake over a grand?

Josh I tried to give you a straight answer, till Altec decided you wanted to drop over a grand on aftermarket parts that will only give you 3 hp. anyway your answer is, it's only a silencer that makes your air filter quiet, if you take it off it wont help anything, no you dont need to put another filter in the hole. Think about it this way, if it didn't serve a usefull purpuse the factory would not have put it on, they could have saved hundreds of thousands dollars by leaving it off.


its a SILIENCER!!!! to meet NOISE REQUIREMENTS!!! tell the 1000's of people that have run w/ out them and gotten both better power and gas that they are wrong.


www.teamzx2.com <--go ahead try and tell them...they will tell you your retarded.

Just changing from the stock air filter to an open element K&N air filter my gas milage is better then what the car is rated at from the factory, and I beat the piss out of the car, I do not drive it easy.