They work fine from here.....

 

I know there not the same but I saw both and wasn't sure which was better.

I think I'm just going to do a cowl.

 

Pros:

• Cold air from outside the engine bay. Some people swear that the cowl is the best place to take air from because of the cold air pooling up at the base of the windshield. Those "CAIs" that replace the stock airbox under the hood with a dam and a cone filter are still taking warm air from under the hood, especially on the later models that do not have the pass-through hole in the front panel for cold air.
• Intake is higher, theoretically reducing the likelihood of water ingestion, although some people have posted concerns that water washing over the hood would go right into the cowl.
• Relocation of the intake means you can get rid of your stock airbox. Then you can enjoy the extra space or put something else there, like a compressor or second battery with an isolator.

Cons:

• The intake is near the intake for the ventilation system, so that it transmits intake noise and air suck noise right into the cabin. Some people like the noise. Some don't. There was some talk here a while back about making a 90° turn under the cowl to point it away from the intake, but I don't know if anybody has succeeded in making a fix.
• Some people really don't like the filters that come with the Spectre. I believe the Thor puts the filter in the cowl itself, which means you have to remove that panel to service the filter.

I have the Spectre intake, which is usually around $145. I actually ordered mine from Advance Auto for $117 with a coupon code. I was surprised they had it. The Thor intake looks a lot better, but I prefer the location of the Spectre filter.

You can also build your own with individual parts from Silicon Intakes. I really don't like the elbows on the Spectre because they're not smooth turns but are slivers of straight pipe welded at angles. At some point when some of my other mods are done, I'll probably order a couple of elbows from SI to replace them.

 

Maybe try a search for cowl intakes, DIY. I've seen some that use the stock air box.

 

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/search...archid=5341120

 

The ones that use the stock airbox have the advantage of giving you cold air with the stock filter (or a drop in rectangular filter), but you don't get the advantage of freeing up the space the stock airbox takes up. I'm planning to put a second battery in that spot, so I need the space.

They also take their air from the driver's side cowl (in LHD vehicles), which is not covered. That's why the Spectre and Thor cross over the top of the valve cover to the opposite side of the engine rather than making a very short run to the driver's side cowl. The passenger side of the cowl is covered so that it is protected from rain, snow and other stuff. It probably doesn't matter, since any crap that sucks down from the driver's side will probably settle in the airbox and not make it to the engine.

You could do a DIY that runs the pipe from the airbox to that side, but by the time you do that you might as well have just made your own pipe direct from the cowl to the TB.

 

When you run it to the passenger side is there a hole above it or is it 100% covered. If it's covered how does it get air?

 

I have a river raider,

 

If I did a cowl CAI on the passenger side would I need to cut the top of the jeep user the wiper blades or keep it covered

 

Maybe a picture would help.



The passenger side is covered (where it says "Cowl Panel" and points an arrow) so that you don't suck rain into the cabin air intake, but the cowl is hollow all the way across. The Spectre and Thor intakes take advantage of that sheltered area.

Does that pic answer your question? The Spectre and Thor require you to cut through the firewall below that sheltered area with a hole saw, but it doesn't require you to cut anything on top.

 

Yes! Thank you