Intake Without Boxes Vs. Intakes With Boxes

Intake Temperature

The intake temperature is one of the most important factors in making power.  

Hot Intake Air Temperature

Hot temps have a snowball effect on turbocharged vehicles.  

 

  • When the temp increases the air becomes less dense so the car will make less power by default.  
  • Hot temps heat soak the heat exchanger and make it less efficient.
  • Hot temps cause the car to become more knock prone.
  • Hot temps cause the car to reduce ignition timing via the IAT Ignition Timing Compensation Table. This is the main reason the cars feel slow and sluggish when it's hot outside. This table is also one of the main reasons most people run less than optimal 1/4 mile times. Heat soaking in the staging lanes causes the IAT to increase and the car is missing 4-8 degrees of timing the whole 1/4 mile (93 octane).

With that said it is always beneficial to run an intake that has a box or is sealed up against the engine bay heat. As a quick example if you are out for a jog and you get heat soaked, you run less efficient and slower, so does your engine when the IAT temperature is high.