Plans for plumbing Air intake through custom bumper

[jwy]

So to make a long story short. I was rearended by a Jaguar a couple of months ago at a stop light and it pushed me into a semi. So I now need to replace both bumpers...

I have been doing quite a bit of research on a new intake, and would like the following:

1. Open Element
2. Pull coolest air possible (preferably being forced in, like a couple in the air intake thread under IDI Articles)
3. Easy to convert to use with a turbo later down the road

So, I thought I would try and take care of both projects at once. I think the pictures explain it better than I can in words. I kind of went crazy with Powerpoint to make the plans.

After relocating the driver's side battery, I would plumb the air opening behind the expanded metal on the driver's side up behind the headlight and into a closed box with a the filter element (probably a K&N) and then plumb that back into the intake with a setup similar to the Ghost Tube.

I am not sure I like the bumper design on this pickup. It would look better on a '92 or newer. But I am planning on painting the pickup dark blue, repainting the grill, and puting in new headlights. Then I will put on a bugshield and maybe a half-moon visor. I think that would tie everything together more or less.

I am very open to new ideas and critiques. Thanks.

 

[F350farmboy]

I was going to do my dual ram from the same spots as you want to, but the stock bumper was too close to the wheel to plumb pipes to the intake box.

Looks good to me though!

 

[Papabear]

i am very interested in this concept please keep me posted as the only real idea i have come up with is an external air canister similiar to on the older highway tractors or an air scoop/snorkel design but the later seems to restrictive and i think he first one would just look dumb i was wanting to increase breathability as you do and also perhaps incorporate a heated air intake for cold starts utilizing a glow plug similiar to some of the cummins i have heard about. an i was wanting to design and build a winch bumper with tool boxes incorporated into the design to hold all the recovery gear for the winch ie. snatch blocks, slings and other misc. rigging equipment. and fabbing up a rear bumper to also function as an air tank for an air suspension, and to perhaps run air tools.

 

[F350farmboy]

I wouldn't think it would be too safe to have the PSI real high in that tank in case you'd get in a collision and have the tank rupture and explode. Reminds me of the old pintos with the fuel tank/rear bumper.

But I dont know much about air tanks, compressors, etc...

 

[Papabear]

good point maybe i should just make the rear bumper a tool box as well perhaps to store load securement and find some highway tractor air tanks

 

[jwy]

I will definitely post pictures as I go, start to finish will probably take a while. Before I do anything else, I have to syphon the 7 gals of unleaded gas out of the rear tank that my wife put in a couple of days ago. hmmm. oh well, at least she noticed and then put #2 in the front tank. Got to love her.

 

[jwy]

Step 1 complete

Well, I finally got started. I relocated the driver's side battery tray to the passenger side this weekend. I basically just reused the brackets from the driver's side mount and added a piece of angle with a couple of cuts and bends to mount it on, except the tray support bracket is now connected to the fuel filter head instead of the inner fender wall. Here is are some pictures:

I went a little crazy with the spray paint on the new brackets

The second battery sits a little higher than I would prefer, but the leads don't touch the hood. There are 3 things that concern me:

1. The heater hoses going directly over the second positive lead
2. Both grounds are connected to the same bolt on the block...is that a problem? I don't think it would be.
3. I will need to watch all the wires and hoses closely to make sure there is no major chaffing. I think it will work out okay.

This definitely leaves a nice big hole on the drivers side where I can build a air filter box as you can see in the picture. Now I just need to get to work on the bumpers. Maybe I can get started this weekend.

 

[trj]

The bracket to the fuel filter mount may be a problem. I wouldn't recommend anything attached to the engine like that.

 

[punkmechanic]

^^^^^^^^^^ I second that. these shake a bit if any little thing goes out of new spec (fuel quality, cold start, etc). that vibration is going straight to your fender and batteries. batteries dont like vibration and neither to body bolts (loctite helps though).

good luck. keep us all posted, you got me thinkin about the arb on the front of mine now, may stuff some storage in the big empty thing.

 

[GenLightening]

I'd run that bracket down to the frame. And how about just turning the battery around so the hoses run near the negative terminal?

 

[91f2504x4]

I have to agree, I don't think that you new battery tray would last very long fastened to the engine like that. Something would give out pretty quickly once you started driving it. I have seen people mount stacks in the bed without a piece of flex pipe and it broke brackets and even split the floor in the bed from engine movement and vibration.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

I'd run that bracket down to the frame. And how about just turning the battery around so the hoses run near the negative terminal?

What Doug said - remove that brace ASAP and run it to the frame instead, or something will break the first time you stomp on the throttle good. Other than that, it looks good. The hose I probably wouldn't worry much about, just put another piece of hose over it so it ain't rubbing directly on the battery.

 

[jwy]

Good point, I didn't even consider the twist and vibration of the engine, it looks like I am back to the drawing board, like mentioned, I think I will run it down to the frame instead. Thanks everyone.

 

[jwy]

I made a little more progress over the weekend, I got the old bumper off, cut the hole in the grill wall below the drivers side headlight. I petty much got the new bumper fabricated. It isn't really heavy and probably wouldn't be much good in a wreck, but it does meet the air intake requirement and I think it will look pretty decent, I guess it will do for a 2wd pickup. I used the original mouting brackets to bolt it to the frame. I still have some finish work to do but that will wait until tomorrow because I need to get another spool of flux core.

 

[jwy]

Work was called off due to snow today, so I got the bumper done, gave it a quick rattle can paint job and got it on the truck so it is driveable. I think I will do a herculiner paint job later on. Sorry the picture isn't the greatest, I was in a hurry and took it with my phone. Now it is time to get to work on the rear bumper and the air intake.

Jared