XJ Cowl Intake Question

[MuckSavage]

My brother in law mentioned doing a cowl intake setup on his '01 XJ. I'm just wondering who's done it & how. Did you purchase a kit .or source parts & pieces to make your own? Specs, pics and/or kit manufacturer are appreciated. If I see something I like, I may consider installing one on my '96.
Thanks in advance!

 

[docwatson]

My brother in law mentioned doing a cowl intake setup on his '01 XJ. I'm just wondering who's done it & how. Did you purchase a kit .or source parts & pieces to make your own? Specs, pics and/or kit manufacturer are appreciated. If I see something I like, I may consider installing one on my '96.
Thanks in advance!

I did mine with some PVC and a hole saw on my last jeep lol. There is a thread on Cherokeeforum that has several ideas for it. Most of the DIY setups are on the driver side of the cowl which is more covered, but also more difficult if you have ABS. Thor and Spectre are the two big names I have seen as far as kits and they both put the filter under the cowl on the passenger side.

This is the thread I was talking about. 34 pages of cowl intake goodness. http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/my-version-cowl-snorkle-67919/

The relatively easy to do with Spectre flexible intake piping and reportedly drop intake air temperatures to about 10 degrees above ambient.

 

[iluv83vettes]

I have the Spectre kit. It's alright I guess. It's loud and the intake temp is not cooler than the ambient air or with a stock air box. It does open up a nice space to put a second battery and air compressor though which is the reason I got it. I think when I put in my hood vents it will help with the intake temp. I also plan on wrapping the intake tube with heat wrap to help.

 

[Lurch]

Everyone I know that's done a cowl intake complains about how loud it is inside the cabin. May not be a big deal to you but it's something to consider.

 

[docwatson]

This is the article I was referencing earlier in regards to intake temps.

http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/cowl-intake-effectiveness-165025/

As far as noise concerns my DIY was loud at start up, but after about 15 seconds it sounded the same as stock.

 

[GunnarBHungry]

MuckSavage,

here's a good YouTube video of a DIY Cowl Snorkel done by a channel called BleepinJeep. He's got a lot of useful vids, especially if you own a Cherokee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE5W0VJiJRs

 

[Stumpalump]

The first mod to an XJ intake should be to swap in a 1999 or newer intake. Spray it with ceramic paint and fab up a piece of sheet aluminum under it to limit heat soak from the header. This is the time to bolt on a fresh header. There are cheap ones available that flow better. The stock header is cracked or is going to crack untill the stock motor mounts are upgraded. Next you mod the driver side headlight bucket and trim to flow fresh air into the air box. An old license plate or similar is used along the side of the radiator to force the air in front of the radiator around to the air box and to stop the air behind the radiator from getting to the box. Does any of this help? The 99 intake will and the rest might but you won't notice. If you want an extra battery then mount it on the floor behing the passenger seat. XJ's are a little nose heavy and the extra 70 lbs is better suited further back especially if you stuck a winch and bumper up there.

 

[Bobs boot camping]

The Banks revolver header made a noticeable difference on my buddys 99 xj. plus it looks way cool and has a warranty against cracking.