Dry Ice in airbox

[DunerDude]

An old friend of mine told me the other day that when they go wheelin they put dry ice in there airbox (OEM type, obviously not a CAI) and claimed that it helped alot.
Has anyone else heard of this????!
Thoughts???

[Comanche]

Dry Ice evaporates into CO2, so no it would not help. It would most liklymake the plasic airbox every brittle and the engine probably would run like **** because it doesnt have the needed oxygen to run.

[fishinjeeper]

X2 on what comanche said

[1998zj]

What did they claim it helped with?

[Unlimited04]

Originally Posted by DunerDude

An old friend of mine told me the other day that when they go wheelin they put dry ice in there airbox (OEM type, obviously not a CAI) and claimed that it helped alot.
Has anyone else heard of this????!
Thoughts???

your engine uses fuel and oxygen (O2). Dry Ice is CO2. CO2 doesn't burn or help combustion in any way.

Think of it this way - you breath oxygen. So does your engine. No oxygen, you die. Same with your engine.

Now please ask your friend how breathing CO2 is going to help.

[muddy93]

I've seen pictures of something similar, where regular ice was placed in a box that was around the air tube(air was NOT drawn directly through the ice, rather, through a tube that was surounded by ice). supposedly it helps to cool the incoming air.

but as others have mentioned, placing dry ice directly in the air box(so that the co2 would be drawn into the engine) is only going to hurt performance.

[FITZER123]

I would have to assume it's only to cool the incoming air, hence, more power. I don't believe the 'melting' dry ice would melt fast enough to choke out the engine. I imagine the cooling effect of the intake air would out weigh the harmful effect of the dry ice co2.

Either way, don't think I'll try it.

[Jerry Bransford]

Originally Posted by FITZER123

I imagine the cooling effect of the intake air would out weigh the harmful effect of the dry ice co2.

I doubt that. I can't believe some of the ideas that some people come up with.

[XJisTHErightWAY]

The point of dry ice ::not that I agree with its use:: is to cool the air that flows through. Many local "dragsters" use this. I'd imagine the rate that of melting and producing CO2 would not create any harmful effects to the engine, but I personally would not do this myself. I have seen external slings that strap around smaller airboxes i.e. civic.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by XJisTHErightWAY

The point of dry ice ::not that I agree with its use:: is to cool the air that flows through. Many local "dragsters" use this. I'd imagine the rate that of melting and producing CO2 would not create any harmful effects to the engine, but I personally would not do this myself. I have seen external slings that strap around smaller airboxes i.e. civic.

It can also be used to cool the top of the motor and cool the fuel. The more dense the air and fuel are the more power that can be porduced from them. But I can't beleive a junk of ice in the air box would accomplish anything. They will usually stack ice on top of the motor when it is not running. Any benefit form this is short lived but in drag racing if it gets you off the line faster that may be all it takes to win.

[Bigbob]

Cold air intake.

The dry ice would work if you packed it around the intake tube. But make sure you have a metal intake tube so the plastic don't break. I'd guess a big enough piece in the air box would prevent the engine from even starting as it will displace the O2. Many folks, including me, have used dry ice in gas tanks to displace the O2 so you can weld on them safer. It works much better than filling the tank with water. You have a hard time getting a good weld with water directly on the otherside of the metal you are welding.

On a Jeep the power gain is minimal. On most computer controlled rigs I'd imagine it will take a while for the engine to understand and figure out the new colder air and by the time it does the ice would be melted.

Next week we'll discuss giving a cat a dry ice enema. Always exciting!

[06WranglerX]

Dry Ice can be used inline with an intercooler, and there are various other designs, this website ARE Cooling (Aluminium Radiators & Engineering P/L) goes over some guys doing it. Has the pro and cons ect so forth. Doubt it do anything put into the airbox, I guess this is another urban legend hah.

[Unlimited04]

Originally Posted by Bigbob

Cold air intake.

The dry ice would work if you packed it around the intake tube. But make sure you have a metal intake tube so the plastic don't break. I'd guess a big enough piece in the air box would prevent the engine from even starting as it will displace the O2.

icing/cooling the intake tube or manifold is definitely a good idea for dragsters. pretty common to see bags of ice packed around superchargers or intake manifolds in the pits. but they're worried about shaving 0.5 sec off their ET. when's the last time you drag raced your Jeep 10+ passes in a few hours? they also don't actually put dry ice in their intake system...and if they do, they're morons. they should just run NO2, its cold as hell too and actually brings O2 into combustion

Originally Posted by Bigbob

Many folks, including me, have used dry ice in gas tanks to displace the O2 so you can weld on them safer. It works much better than filling the tank with water. You have a hard time getting a good weld with water directly on the otherside of the metal you are welding.

thats brilliant

[mylt1]

Originally Posted by Unlimited04

icing/cooling the intake tube or manifold is definitely a good idea for dragsters. pretty common to see bags of ice packed around superchargers or intake manifolds in the pits. but they're worried about shaving 0.5 sec off their ET. when's the last time you drag raced your Jeep 10+ passes in a few hours? they also don't actually put dry ice in their intake system...and if they do, they're morons. they should just run NO2, its cold as hell too and actually brings O2 into combustion



thats brilliant

ice on the intake isnt going to shave .5 of a second off your ET's. it really has little to no effect because of the time you run from where your parked to the lineup then to the starting line. by the time your at then line you engine is almost up to normal opp temps if not at temp. i ran the same ET's in my Z28 without ice on the intake as those that did use ice.

[Auto-45]

Believe it or not,DRY ICE,can be used as an explosive device.I once blew a dog house up with a piece know bigger than your thumb.So watch what you are doing.Make sure that everywhere is vented where you use it.