I can tell you that at parking lot speeds and lower that the extra sealing likely does help hotter under hood gases from getting to the filter. But as speeds ramp up, the incomming flow of air that is being channeled to the filter is more then enough to prevent contamination from any hotter air surrounding it, so at speed it's not going to have a effect on temps. I would argue that the extra sealing likely reduces the amount of time it takes to cool down the intake charge after the car has been sitting for a while and your driving in town stop and go.

"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke

G35 6mt

 

If sealing makes any difference in inlet temperature or temperature vs time, it should bring it closer to OEM values. The stock box is very, very well sealed off from ingesting hot air from the engine compartment.

"as speeds ramp up, the incomming flow of air that is being channeled to the filter is more then enough to prevent contamination from any hotter air surrounding it"

Possibly and possibly not. It depends on the volume and dynamic pressure of incomming ram air and the engine consumption rate. With the box left unsealed, is the volume of air moving through the ram air ducts greater than the engine consumption rate?
After observing the relatively small ram air flow paths going under the hood with all their various restrictions, twists and turns, I suspect it is not. I have no scientific evidence for it, but my overall impression tells me it should be sealed.

The only way to insure the Stillen box is not sucking heated air from the engine compartment is to physically seal it off. And as for temperature vs time... Upon start up, it should only take a minute or two for the filter to equilize with ambient air temperatures.

I would bet a dollar that hot air ingestion is the reason some people lost HP with their pop-chargers. There is nothing wrong with the PC *filter or velocity stack, it just cant compensate for the hot air ingestion.

(*)In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the PC filter has a lower pressure drop than the stillen filter.

It would be interesting to see a before and after dyno of a stock air box in comparison to a pop-charger shrouded in a well sealed Stillen air box.

Tony




2004 G35 6MT Blk/Blk Sedan Stillen Air, Stillen Exhaust

 

Tony, I said what I said as a point of fact after testing a setup that was sealed far worse then the stillen, but certainly not pop charger like. I have spent the last 3 day's watching ACTUAL MAF intake temp readings. Imagine if the Stillen had a top lid, and you were to remove it. The temp readings I got once the car was moving at 30mph and higher were extreamly close to oem intake temp readings in comparision to ambient . As soon as I slowed, temp readings quickly rose Only with factual MAF temp readings do we know if said intake is actually drawing cold air, in town, on the highway or if said system is suffering from heat soak in city driving.

Btw, we all ready have Stillen CAI MAF temp reading data to show the system does as well as the oem setup for keeping the incoming air cool. And we have the same info on the Pop Charger.

"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke

G35 6mt

 

What sort of differences did you measure between the Stillen and PC?
Tony

2004 G35 6MT Blk/Blk Sedan Stillen Air, Stillen Exhaust

 

Come to think of it. If you have the capability to monitor intake temp realtime and have a Stillen air box available, it would be interesting to see the before and after effect of sealing the box in the manner described above.

Real data can't be beat! ;-)
Tony

2004 G35 6MT Blk/Blk Sedan Stillen Air, Stillen Exhaust