Keep the stock airbox and get a snorkel for it... I have never seen a true CAI for a cherokee and you dont want one if you even go thru a 2" puddle. your not gonna get cold air anyways just look where the intake manifold is on the 4.0 right next to the exhaust. spend the money on and exhaust upgrade or internal motor mods.

 

Yeah you already have the upgraded intake

 

Thanks, Zach, that does help. I wonder if there's a way to supercool the air going in, if that would make any difference? Let's see who's the first to mount a 12-v swamp cooler to their intake.
Here's my setup with Spectre parts, but I rock a 4-banger and I don't know if a 4.0L engine's cone filter would fit in the space between the front panel and grill. Initial idea was to free up space for my second battery (going in soon) but I like the filter a little more out of the engine bay. I guess you could call this an LWAI (Luke-warm air intake).

 

hmm thats interesting. so since i have the upgraded intake if i ant more perfromance i hve to make one or buy an intake?

 

I like your set-up, problem is that filter is really exposed and you go through any decent sized puddle and you're screwed. As far as cooling the air going into the engine goes. IF you wanted to go full-out you could take the evaporator from the AC system and re-route it inline on the air intake. It'd give you air thats about 40degrees. thats chilly! And then wrap your exhaust and intake manifolds to keep the exhaust from bleeding heat and the intake from absorbing it.

 

Yeah, a snorkel would be more practical for water crossings but I hate getting my XJ in more than a foot or so. I've dealt with the rust buckets underneath that stupid sponge of an undercarpet. Luckily I live in an arid climate and don't deal with anything really deep. I'm curious though, about the cowl induction. Doesn't any precipitation enter the intake, or is there a rain trap of some sort? I would think in a torrential downpour it would suck in the layer of water on top of the hood. Furthermore, that isn't practical unless you're shoving air over the vehicle at high speed, right? Doesn't seem appropriate for nimble offroading...
I read somewhere that for every 10 degree drop you can expect about a 1% HP gain. So dropping to 40° F in a 90° climate would only yield a 5% HP gain... enough to be worth it? Sounds like quite the mod...

 

According to this article, the dude lost 5hp on his '98 4.0L when he switched to the new, and supposedly improved, intake. IMHO, and you get what you paid for it, the exhaust system is the best place to start. Also, when you remove the drivers side headlight, there seems to be a panel(s) that could be opened up, to allow more outside (cool) air flow to the factory air box inlet.

http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticl...ies/index.html

 

I wasn't being serious. Its way more work than would be worth it. Wrapping headers would probably be worth it if you already had them out, could at the very least keep your underhood temps down while wheeling.

somehow I don't believe that at all. The newer intakes were designed to keep the power up on the 4.0 while making it conform to new emissions regulations. http://www.jeep-xj.info/HowtoIntakeManifold1.htm

 

Oh well, who you gonna believe, one dyno or the next. From my hot roding experience, one can change intakes on a stock engine 'till they're blue in the face with little to no improvement UNTIL changes after the intake are made..........head, valves (diameter, lift, duration open), exhaust, etc., etc. Once the air passes the 90 bend (old intake), it provides a nice long straight shot to the intake port and straight is good. It just seems that if the new intake was a major power adder, that dyno results would consistently reveal same............but obviously they don't.