Renegade Airbox Mod

Well, now that the CVT has been snorkeled, I needed to complete the project by waterproofing the air intake. Rather than raising the factory inlet, I opted to remove it entirely and open up the airbox lid. This serves two purposes in that the air inlet will be higher than I could've gotten it under the pod, and the CVT intake and engine intake won't be competing for the same air.

First step is to remove the front plastic, side panel from the left side and the outer cover of the box (inside left front fender) that contains the factory engine and CVT intakes.. You will now be able to see the factory "snorkel" running from the airbox to the underside of the left front fender.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn191/4stangs4/IM001626.jpg


It is secured by a 10mm bolt and a pushpin, remove them. There are 4 rivets holding it to the airbox. I removed the airbox lid, removed the factory air filter and placed a clean rag in the intake to prevent any debris from entering. Now, you can drill out the rivets, remove the factory "snorkel" and clean off the gasket material from the airbox.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn191/4stangs4/IM001781.jpg


I used a piece of 1/8" plastic to cover the hole. Secured it to the airbox with 3 rivets (in new holes) and sealed the perimeter and all holes with black RTV.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn191/4stangs4/IM001780.jpg


There are several companies that make material to cover the openings that will be cut into the airbox lid. My research led me to choose water repellent FrogzSkin intake screens (Frogzskin, The best in snowmobile accessories!) which are manufactured by GTL, Inc. in Minnesota. I spoke with the owner, Wayne Nicholson, before purchasing them and he was very insightful. His product was developed for use on snowmobiles, primarily to aid engine cooling while preventing snow & water from passing through. This was a key factor in my decision to use the FrogzSkin brand, along with the fact that these vents are flexible and the Can Am airbox lid has many contours to it.
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With the airbox lid removed, I chose the locations for the intake screens. I used three of the 2.5" (outside diameter) FrogzSkins after doing a few math problems. The stock opening (that we covered over) was 1" X 3.25", giving us a total area of 3.25 square inches. The intake screens have an inside diameter of 1.5", which yields a total area of 1.767" (radius squared times pi or .75 X .75 = .5625, .5625 X 3.1416 = 1.767). I had to get my kids to help on that part, since my math skills hadn't been tested in some time. :: D OK, so each screen has an area of roughly 1.75" and I believe Wayne mentioned an estimated 30% restriction from the screen material (I may be off on that figure, don't quote me). Total area of the three screens will be 5.25", less 30% leaves us 3.675 square inches, which is almost a half inch larger than stock. This represents a 13% increase in the total area, even with the 30% restriction. Hopefully, this won't require the addition of a fuel controller, I will be checking the plugs frequently to be sure. Here's where I chose to put them:
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn191/4stangs4/IM001783.jpg


I used a 1 1/2" holesaw after drilling a pilot hole in the center of the holes I marked. Clean off all of the plastic shavings and burs around your new holes.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn191/4stangs4/IM001784.jpg


The instructions included with the FrogzSkin screens are very detailed and explain that the area around the holes should be clean and prepared with denatured alcohol for best results. I was pleasantly surprised at the bonding strength of the industrial grade adhesive used on the product. The instructions give a thorough explanation of the best way to apply the screens on the first attempt. One area that I must note is on the hole in the curved area of the lid. The hole that I drilled is actually elongated larger than 1.5", due to the curvature. The only way that I thought I could prevent this would be to use a Dremel to make the hole, but I felt my results would be better by just centering the screen over the slightly longer hole. It was off slightly less than 1/8" on top and bottom, the sides were dead on.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn191/4stangs4/IM001785.jpg


I also installed a Uni filter after many recommendations regarding the stock filter's ineffectiveness at catching small particles.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn191/4stangs4/IM001788-1.jpg


I've only tested this setup on a few bursts up and down the street, as I have yet another torn CV boot. rotest: However, I can say, without a doubt, there is NO loss of power. In fact, I tend to feel there is a subtle increase, as the front end came up quite effortlessly. I usually don't "hotdog" in front of my neighbors, so I wasn't trying to wheelie, it just seemed to happen easier than it used to. As I stated earlier, I will be monitoring the plugs to detect any lean condition due to the increased airflow, and I'll post any findings here. Once I get the CV boot replaced, I plan on finding some deep spots to give the CVT snorkels and airbox mod a thorough workout!
:club: