DIY Cowl Intake

[Sam410]

Hello!

I just finished putting together my DIY cowl intake and am very happy with the result. I used a ford windstar air intake filter housing I got from the pick and pull and a 90 degree reducer I got off amazon. All in... about 60 bucks!

I loosely followed this post from wrangler forum: https://www.wranglerforum.com/threads/how-to-install-ford-windstar-intake-on-jeep-tj.2412700/

I have attached a photo of the end result as well as linked below to my YouTube where I filmed the full install:

Thanks!
Sam

 

[Wildman]

Nice job & video.

 

[jjvw]

...

Thanks!
Sam

You're welcome!

 

[Sam410]

Nice job & video.

Thanks!

 

[kmbarreiros]

Great mod. Would you be willing to sell me your stock intake box?

 

[ItchyDong]

I see a hydrolock in your future.

 

[Wildman]

I see a hydrolock in your future.

How & why? There are a few members who have done something similar on their rigs.

 

[ItchyDong]

Eh. Not for real. But it does seem like it’s asking for trouble. OP lives in Cali. It never rains there.

Keep that cowl drain clean.

 

[astjp2]

Measurements from the top down to the edge of the hole? Also from one side?

 

[jjvw]

I see a hydrolock in your future.

Here is what happened with my one and only experience. The cowl drain was plugged during a heavy rain storm. It filled up with water and soaked the air filter. That was enough to choke the engine to a crawl. I pulled over, opened the canister, removed the wet filter and drove to an auto parts store to buy a dry filter. I go home, clear the cowl drain and put everything back together.

That was many years ago in the middle of my 120k miles with a Windstar intake. Nothing like that ever happened during dozens of water crossings, sometimes with water washing over the hood.

These days I deliberately spray water into the air intake on almost every drive.

 

[astjp2]

I see a hydrolock in your future.

The snorkel from the Windstar should be about above the water line and can drain out before it locks up the motor.

 

[jjvw]

The snorkel from the Windstar should be about above the water line and can drain out before it locks up the motor.

The canister has a small drain hole on the filter side. Clearly it wasn't enough to prevent soaking the filter in my case.

 

[ItchyDong]

Here is what happened with my one and only experience. The cowl drain was plugged during a heavy rain storm. It filled up with water and soaked the air filter. That was enough to choke the engine to a crawl. I pulled over, opened the canister, removed the wet filter and drove to an auto parts store to buy a dry filter. I go home, clear the cowl drain and put everything back together.

That was many years ago in the middle of my 120k miles with a Windstar intake. Nothing like that ever happened during dozens of water crossings, sometimes with water washing over the hood.

These days I deliberately spray water into the air intake on almost every drive.

Yeah that’s the worst case scenario. Rare, but not impossible. I see you’re in Colorado. Not much rainfall there either. I can see this working just fine out west, but idk that I’d want to risk it where it rains often. Just me though. This is the first I’ve ever heard of this mod, but after some searching it seems like people have had good luck.

 

[jjvw]

Yeah that’s the worst case scenario. Rare, but not impossible. I see you’re in Colorado. Not much rainfall there either. I can see this working just fine out west, but idk that I’d want to risk it where it rains often. Just me though. This is the first I’ve ever heard of this mod, but after some searching it seems like people have had good luck.

I have driven through countless long and heavy rain storms with only one incident. Never mind all the water crossings I have been done. Keep the cowl drain clear and the likelihood of these intakes locking up the engine is highly unlikely.

 

[ItchyDong]

What’s the purpose of it? Was it the real estate you were after?

 

[jjvw]

What’s the purpose of it? Was it the real estate you were after?

Initially it was real estate. Today it is for the supercharger.

 

[Wildman]

Yeah that’s the worst case scenario. Rare, but not impossible. I see you’re in Colorado. Not much rainfall there either. I can see this working just fine out west, but idk that I’d want to risk it where it rains often. Just me though. This is the first I’ve ever heard of this mod, but after some searching it seems like people have had good luck.

NashvilleTJ added a small piece of tubing to his on the inside of the cowl to turn it up just a little to try and eliminate this possibility. I haven't had mine running long enough to comment yet but I'm in the PNW and we see rain. Jeff is in TN & I don't think he's every had issues.

 

[ItchyDong]

Initially it was real estate. Today it is for the supercharger.
View attachment 622914
View attachment 622915

Sweeeet

 

[Wildman]

What’s the purpose of it? Was it the real estate you were after?

Mine was no real good way to get cooler air into the engine.

 

[ItchyDong]

Mine was no real good way to get cooler air into the engine. View attachment 622917

Superchargers and V8’s make this make way more sense.