Does anyone know what kind of restriction this tube has? It looks like it has some sort of silencer molded into it. I'm thinking of replacing it with one that has smooth pipe all the way to the airbox.

 

i just took it off...works better

 

If you are talking of that downward tube, I believe that is a water seperator when it rains etc.

 

I don't want to remove it completely, it's a good area to get air to the box.

 

I agree, definately a water catch.

 

onasled, it's the one that goes from the radiator support to the bottom of the airbox. I have a screen over the intake that comes up behind the grille, I don't think rain would make it all the way to the throttle body.

 

i think you guys mean this tube here....



yeah i believe that lower tube is for drainage of water as theres
a tiny hole in that at the bottom....

 

Cooper_Si that is the one. Do you think there is a air flow restriction with the molded things hanging off the other side?

 

If there is, it is probably unnoticable. I would just leave it as it will collect any water sucked in through the front just as a precautionary step. I believe all OEM cars have something along the lines as we have.

 

i take it you mean the part that attaches to the front panel ?
hmmm...yes and no...if the car was standard then id say no...but looking at the mods youve done to your car then yes. I removed mine completely before selling my s and it was amazing the difference...

 

Was there really that big of a difference?
If you removed it completely,did you plug the hole in the lower air box?
BTW,those are some cool lookin' wheels on your car.

 

dont plug the hole......thats the intake matey

oh and my sig...i wish it was my car...had loads of people say that
read the following link HERE and all will be revealed

 

there was a discussion 2 to 3 years ago about this tube on mini2. several people swore it's a "helmholtz" resonator to reduce intake tract noise.

notice that it has some funky shaping to it where it joins the main pipe; the "sound" guys said that looks like a resonator, not a water trap.

i toyed with cutting it off and having a poor small man's hai

 

hmmm there is that possibilty...but looking at the mods he has i dont think he would hear the difference

 

With it removed wouldn't you be getting much hotter engine air going into the intake then then just the cooler air from outside (that's routed through the intake tube)? I would think it would be far more detrimental to have the hotter air. I have the Alta, and after a long run I stick my hand on the inside of the heat shield (by the filter) and then on the outside of it and I notice a HUGE difference in temerature. I would hate to have that hot engine air going into my air intake.

- John

 

I always thought about hot air was a bad thing...until i saw on here the HAI upgrades and all the good comments about it....look up HAI in the search

 

Cooper_Si if you remove it and don't do anything else, you'll be sucking hot air. I'm from the school where colder intake air is better.Especially if you're compressing it before it reaches the cylinders,compressing air heats it up.
The HAI just does not compute.I can't see feeding the engine warm air.
I think flyboy is right, but we always called them silencers.

 

see my gallery with my performance rolling road figures...this was done with the pipe removed...my friends mini with a performance air filter and removed rear silencer had less power..depends what you want to do at the end of the day