I just finished up making a homemade intake using 3" exhaust tubing, also cut a hole and welded a 3/4" piece of pipe for the hose, with a 3" Spectre filter. As of now im driving with no heatshield (I know, its just sucking in hot air) until I can fit one up. I noticed smoother revs and it seems like it takes off smoother from a stop as well. However after reading some other threads some people dont believe in the cone filter and stick to the airbox so should I just go back?. Also after/if I build a heat shield whats a good way of getting fresh air into that part of the bay?

 

Tut tut tut
haha
Theres no reason to take it off, in reality it may not be a cold intake but its less restrictive than the stock airbox. So leave it on its still giving you a power gain.

 

I agree. Keep it and add a heatshield when you can. Better flow is always good.

 

Get your cold air from behind the drivers side headlight...

 

One thing I wanted to add: deciding between your stock air box vs. cone filter setup isn't as important a choice as the quality of your actual filter element. If you are running a K&N cone filter, you might want to reconsider and get a different one.

K&N and other "high-flow" filters allow more dust and other small particles into your intake, which includes silicates (super-fine sand). Even when they are properly set up with K&N oil according to their exact instructions. That dirt in your system will lower the life-span of your motor.

There are many studies to back this up. I used to run a K&N on my XJ, but then I researched them and ran a more traditional filter so I could have cleaner air. It's worth it to me, even with a little less power.

And with a computer-controlled system, an air filter won't affect your gas mileage either way, since the computer automatically adjusts your fuel-air ratio. On the older carbureted engines, a high-flow air filter would lean your fuel-air mix a little, which would give slightly better mileage.

Seriously ... if you are running a hi-flow filter, consider going to a more traditional filter element. Wix makes very high-quality filters that flow better than cheap paper filters, but still give you very clean air. And I wouldn't be surprised if they had a cone to fit your setup. You can get their phone number on their website, and they have very helpful people to answer your questions. They also make excellent oil filters.