what is this thingy?

[Resurrection Ranger]

I was thinking of running some flex pipe for a home made C.A.I but than I noticed this hockey puck lookin thing on the far end of the intake before it goes to the header panel. I'm guessing some sort of sensor as it had a vac hose running back to the airbox. Can anyone identify this "hockey puck" with this lame attempt at explaining myself? What is it for and is it a MUST!
Thanks.

 

[Bryan22]

i think what your talking about is the thing that mixed hot air with cold air when your truck is cold. don't remember what it's called now. but the vaccum line should run from that 'hockey puck thing' back up to the airbox and through a little diaphram in the air box. if that is what you talking about, you can remove that line alltogether and plug the other vaccum line going into the diaphram.

 

[Resurrection Ranger]

i think what your talking about is the thing that mixed hot air with cold air when your truck is cold. don't remember what it's called now. but the vaccum line should run from that 'hockey puck thing' back up to the airbox and through a little diaphram in the air box. if that is what you talking about, you can remove that line alltogether and plug the other vaccum line going into the diaphram.

Ok. Now that you worded it that way the "hockey puck" kinda looks like a diaphram on the outside of the air induction assembly down near the nose of the inner fender. So this is not a requirement? See there is so much plugged into the whole airbox assembly that makes it difficuly to include all original gadgets if I wanted to rig up something freeer flowing and maybe get an intake whistle out of it in the process. I know that the whistle is worked out of an air intake by factory.. but might sound cool to me don't know yet.

Yes I could just go get a drop in K and N which is what I might end uo doing. For now I am looking at different options to do things as I fix her up.

Thanks for the reply.. I always forget to look where I last posted or do the email notification so I miss things

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

the "hockey puck" is called a preheater. the hockey puck part is a vacuum motor that operates a blend door inside the intake tube. during cold weather, vacuum is applied to the vacuum motor which moves the blend door and deflects intake air in from a shroud around the exhaust manifold, thus warming the engine up faster, reducing throttle body icing, and improving cold weather drivability.

you can get rid of it, and you might not even miss it....but then again you might. since you arent going to get any more power out of modifying the intake upstream of the throttle body...why delete the preheater?

 

[mongo]

because he wants to?

 

[Resurrection Ranger]

Ok.. So essentially a vehicle is set up with a cold air intake of some sort but with restrictions and gadgets right. So I left the gadgets figuring they have some sort of purpose but removed some of the restriction and WALAHH..
A cheaper alternative to buying a cold air intake but with just about the same outcome.

Between the airbox and the throttle body was a scud missle lookin baffle shoved into the tube.

No tools.. two fingers and it was gone. Dropped in a K and N and now I have what people pay 300 bucks for for less than 50.

What I noticed:
An "intake" sound at mid to full throttle that makes it sound like it has a little more snot than it does. And a slight whistle at idle. It is also a bit more responsive which is what the ultimate goal was.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

thats the intake air silencer (hense the increase in intake noise you noticed). its a common mod to rip it out. nice description though: "scud missle lookin baffle"