Specter Cowl Intake
#106
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Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
I myself had no problems with the THOR, I preferred the Spectre for two simple reasons though,
But now with the Spectre going with a "Performance" design (which that is even questionable because of lack of cold air) instead of "Deep Water" design, I would love to get a THOR if I could now.
- It was cheaper, I typically could find them for $135 on sale with discounts vs. the THOR was $175 if I remember right
- I did not have to remove the cowl cover to clean/replace the air filter.
But now with the Spectre going with a "Performance" design (which that is even questionable because of lack of cold air) instead of "Deep Water" design, I would love to get a THOR if I could now.
#107
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Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: HO 4.0
Bummer that they redesigned this thing to be exactly like all the other over priced intakes on the market...
When they told me they were updating the design, I thought they were improving on the Cowl design... I guess not.
I was seriously considering the Spectre cowl design. I was just a few months too late on pulling the trigger.
The Thor design, in itself looks like a 'homebrew' build. I do not think any bright lad would have problems replicating it on the cheap.
When they told me they were updating the design, I thought they were improving on the Cowl design... I guess not.
I was seriously considering the Spectre cowl design. I was just a few months too late on pulling the trigger.
The Thor design, in itself looks like a 'homebrew' build. I do not think any bright lad would have problems replicating it on the cheap.
Last edited by xjcherokee2000; 02-18-2016 at 04:50 PM.
#108
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Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee(XJ)
Engine: Golen 4.6L
As I am trying to understand this, I would be ditching the little flappy thing at the opening of the intake box and the tiny hoses at the back of the air box but how will that affect mpg? Won't it cause the fuel to run really rich (then again I don't know if rich fuel is good or if it varies with engine temp.
I have a cowl intake and like it, but being completely honest I doubt it does much, if anything, for MPG or power on a stock motor. CAIs usually have two big selling points. One is that you get cold, dense air into the engine, where you get better combustion. The other is that the filters on CAIs are usually claimed to provide better flow of air than stock filters, so that you don't have as much of a restriction on air flow getting into the motor.
It all sounds good in theory, but the biggest difference comes from the butt dyno. Sound travels through air, so a filter media that lets more air through also lets more sound through. As a result, CAIs tend to make your engine seem louder. That louder sound makes it seem like you're going faster. Your senses will work together in that respect to make it seem like your butt is being pressed into the seat when you press the skinny pedal.
I may be seeing a little bit of benefit from mine, but that's in conjunction with a 4.6L stroker and $1300 of exhaust upgrades. I have it primarily because I like the sound.
My second thought is that although it's no longer a cold air intake, it does have a bigger filter, so it probably flows a little better than that tiny filter in my cowl intake.
So I'll just wait a while until people start getting desperate, take mine off and sell it for $300. I've been halfway considering going back to the stock airbox with a K&N drop-in panel filter anyway.
#109
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Year: 2000
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I was debating selling it to get rid of the noise but I flipped it in the engine so it points toward the front. Then when I wheel I'll connect it back to the cowl.
I would go back to OEM box but it will no longer fit with the goodies I have in there.
#110
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Year: 1998
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Engine: 4.0
Well I will have the Spectre and my Daughter's XJ will have the Snorkel, as I finish up both projects and start wheeling them I will be able to decide which one I like more.
#111
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I've been bummed about Spectre stopping their cowl intake as well. I think I found all the parts from Spectre that I'd need to build my own system though, so if I ever get around to it I'll show what I managed to do. They still sell their 4" inline filter/housing, so really all you need are tubing pieces to get from the intake manifold to the cowl with the filter in the middle. Could us PVC, exhaust tubing, etc... to accomplish it.
#112
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Year: 2000
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I've been bummed about Spectre stopping their cowl intake as well. I think I found all the parts from Spectre that I'd need to build my own system though, so if I ever get around to it I'll show what I managed to do. They still sell their 4" inline filter/housing, so really all you need are tubing pieces to get from the intake manifold to the cowl with the filter in the middle. Could us PVC, exhaust tubing, etc... to accomplish it.
Everything but the filter.
#113
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#114
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Here's a search where you can see lots and lots of pics of store-bought and home-built intakes and how they're routed. I would suggest exploring that for a while to get a good idea how you want to do it. Remember, you're in custom territory here, so there's not really a "right" or "wrong" way.
site:cherokeeforum.com cowl intake
#115
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There's no reason you can't use the stock rubber tube. Most people don't because it's not smooth inside, and one of the goals of this exercise is to get air ramming down into that thing as fast and as smoothly as possible. It's unlikely that it really makes any difference at all, but it's sorta the principle of the thing that if you're going to go to the trouble, why not make it as smooth as you can?
You can, but you will probably want to route your pipe to the other side of the engine bay instead, like the Spectre and Thor units. If you take the cowl cover off, you'll see that the driver's side has a big hole in the top of the cowl there, while the passenger side is completely covered. The idea is that if you take air from the covered side, there's less of a likelihood of ingesting rainwater or wash over the top of the hood.
Here's a search where you can see lots and lots of pics of store-bought and home-built intakes and how they're routed. I would suggest exploring that for a while to get a good idea how you want to do it. Remember, you're in custom territory here, so there's not really a "right" or "wrong" way.
site:cherokeeforum.com cowl intake
Here's a search where you can see lots and lots of pics of store-bought and home-built intakes and how they're routed. I would suggest exploring that for a while to get a good idea how you want to do it. Remember, you're in custom territory here, so there's not really a "right" or "wrong" way.
site:cherokeeforum.com cowl intake
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