Ford Mustang: Mustang Tech: Induction: Chicane Fox Box Cold Air Intake Install

Chicane Fox Box Cold Air Intake Install

Chicane Foxbox Cold Air Kit Installation

Chicane Sport Tuning

“Fox Box” Cold Air Kit Installation Article

It’s not just cold air that counts, its how you get it!

The newest 1979-1993 Mustang Cold Air Induction kit to hit the market is unlike any other before it! While there are many aftermarket fox body Mustang Cold Air Intake kits available today, only the new “Fox-Box” from Chicane Sport Tuning delivers straight line, unrestricted airflow from your fenderwell to your engine, to ensure maximum performance levels. Its unique design equates to no loss in horsepower and maintained idle quality. This kit combines optimum performance with downright good looks and meter flexibility, to deliver one heck of a great cold air package.

Now lets get straight to the point on what is meant by “straight”. Chicane developed the Fox-Box to move air from the fender in a straight line with zero restrictions. Other kits also bring cool air in from the fender but unlike the Fox-Box they may actually limit your cars performance. Here’s why: Air is basically lazy and does not like to be redirected. Twists and turns in other designs redirect airflow causing turbulence and restricted airflow. The Fox-Box cold air kit allows a straight and unrestricted shot of cold air, direct from the filter through the mass air meter. Just what’s needed to ensure maximum performance!

Of course performance of this level does not come without sacrifice. The restrictive factory fender air passage must be enlarged in order to facilitate the Fox-Box which relocates a cone style air filter out into the outer fenderwell and repositions the mass air meter directly behind it. The Chicane straight-line power pipe then attaches to the meter to deliver unrestricted cold air directly to your engines throttle body assembly.

If maximum performance alone is not enough to get you excited about new Chicane Fox-Box Cold Air kit then consider its flexibility. Meters as small as your OEM unit, right up to the large 90mm Ford Lightning meter can easily be connected, often without removal the Fox-Box” itself. By simple design, the Fox-Box adopts for use with most common OEM stock and aftermarket air meters. The air meter either bolts directly to the Fox-Box or uses a specially designed adaptor plate, to ensure maximum flexibility. As your performance levels increase, often so does the size of your air meter. It’s nice to know your cold air intake can easily handle the change. With this kit, your only cold air restriction is determined by what size meter you decide is right for your current performance level.

For those of us concerned about under the hood show car appearance, the Fox-Box offers plenty of flexibility in this department as well. The Fox-Box is available in “racers raw” aluminum, gun metal grey or black anodized with the power pipe available in either “racers raw” aluminum, brushed, polished or powder coated finish. Custom colors and finish is also available upon request so you can color co-ordinate your cold air upgrade to perfectly match your engine bay appearance.

The Chicane Cold Air kit comes with the Fox-Box fender insert, Chicane straight–line power pipe, high quality hoses and T-bolt clamps. Retailing at $299.00, with an introductory price of $199.00, one can expect this to be one very popular upgrade with fox body owners.

Now lets follow along as Joe Gosinski at Chicane Sport Tuning demonstrates exactly what is involved for you to upgrade your fox body Mustang, to one of their Fox-Box cold air kits.

Step 1

The Fox-Box kit includes a Fox-Box fender insert, air filter adapter flange, cone style air filter, Chicane straight–line power pipe, high quality hoses, T-bolt clamps, attachment bolts and screws. An air meter adapter flange and gasket is also included if required for your specified meter. While available in a variety of finishes and colors, our kit consisted of a black anodized Fox-Box with a “racers raw” aluminum power pipe.

Step 2

Before starting, Joe identified the following tools to use to complete the install:

Air or Saber Saw (could substitute for handsaw blade and patience)
Channel Lock Pliers
Door Panel Removal Tool
Air or Power Drill with 1/8 Drill Bit
Air Ratchet or Conventional Ratchet
Straight End Screwdriver
Phillips Screwdriver
Short Extension
7/16 and 5/16 Sockets
Awl or Fine Point Punch (missing from photo)

Step 3

Before you can begin the install you first need to remove the existing air intake system from your stang. In our case it is an aftermarket cold air kit but the same process procedure applies to the stock OEM system.

To start loosen the intake hose clamp and separate the hose from the throttle body assembly.

Step 4

Next remove the bolts holding the air meter bracket to the passenger side fenderwell.

Step 5

Remove the four bolts attaching the air filter box to the inner fenderwell. For the stock OEM air box (not pictured), first unclip the air box panel and remove air filter. Now remove the two upper bolts and two lower bolts located inside the air box then remove the stock air box. Check inside the inner fenderwell for the stock air silencer and if there, remove.

Step 6

With all of the attachment points disengaged, remove your old air intake system from the car. If the stock OEM air meter will be used with your Fox-Box installation then refer to Article Sidebar on how to remove meter from your old air intake system.

Step 7

As you can see from the photo, it is easy to see the straightline airflow improvement the Chicane Fox-Box provides, even over the aftermarket unit just removed. Also note the improved angle of the air filter and repositioned air meter directly behind it.

Step 8

Check out the small inner diameter of the stock OEM meter on the left to the significantly larger opening of the Ford 90mm air meter pictured on the right. Now that can make a whopping big difference in unrestricted airflow, especially when matched up with the Chicane Fox-Box.

Step 8

With the old air intake system out of the way, lets begin the installation of your new upgrade. Start by using the door panel removal tool to pop the two wiring harness retaining clips from the inside fenderwell and reposition the wiring harness out of the way.

Step 10

Next use the Fox-Box inner fender panel to mark out how much the restrictive factory fender air passage must be enlarged in order to facilitate your new Fox-Box. Position the inner panel and use a marker or scribe to trace out the inside hole in the panel to your inner fender panel.

Step 11

Now comes the tricky part. Depending on how tidy a job you want and how much patience you have, you can decide to use a saber saw to quickly enlarge the opening or leverage your patience and slowly slice through it with a hack saw blade. Regardless of what method you choose, cut on the outside of the line to ensure a nice snug fit.

Step 12

Taking our time using the saber saw, the operation took less than five minutes and left a very clean and tidy cut.

Step 13

With the dirty work out of the way, the next step is to assemble your new cold air system using the Fox-Box kit. To begin, attach the gasketprovided with your kit, to your air meter.

Step 14

Next attach the air filter adapter flange and air meter to the Fox-Box using the bolts provided with your kit. In the case of certain air meters, an air meter adaptor flange is also included and must be used to attach your model air meter to the Fox-Box.

Step 15

Picture shows air filter adapter flange and air meter attached to the Fox-Box ready to be installed in your car

Step 16

Next use a screwdriver to fasten the air filter to the air filter adaptor flange, using one of the T-clamps provided.

Step 17

Slide the hose and T-bolt clamp over the air meter and use a screwdriver to tighten.

Step 18

Next position your Foxbox in your fenderwell. Check for proper fit.

Step 19

Be sure to run you your Air meter wiring harness behind the Fox-Box and re-attach to the Air Meter.

Step 10

Align your new Fox-Box and Use an awl or other sharp pointed tool to punch 3 evenly spaced attachment holes in the Fox-Box panel.

Step 21

Using a electric or Air drill with an1/8” bit drill the 3 attachment holes

Step 22

Next using a Phillips Screwdriver install the screws supplied with your kit to attach your new Fox-Box to the fender well.

Step 23

Now you are ready to attach the Chicane straight–line power pipe to the throttle body. First slide the rubber coupling onto the throttle body then install 2 clamps supplied with the kit and fit the straight–line power pipe onto the coupling.

Step 24

Use same procedure to attach the other end of the Chicane straight–line power pipe to the Air Meter using the remaining coupling and clamps supplied with the kit.

Step 25

Make sure the Chicane straight–line power pipe are properly seated at both ends and securely tighten all 4 clamps using a 5/16” socket and ratchet.

Step 26

With the installation now completed, its time to fire up the engine and experience first hand how the Fox-Box can maximize your pony’s deep breathing performance.

SOURCES:

Chicane Sport Tuning
1908 Delamo Blvd
Torrance, California 90501

www.ChicaneSport.com

Article and Photos by Scott Halliday, Mustang Enthusiast Magazine

To view complete article, as published in May 2005 issue of Mustang Enthusiast, Click Here (PDF Format)

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