Reducing Intake Air Temps

If it's stock, put the heat shield back on. If not, make one. The forum is full of stories of tape wraps eventually causing header rot.

Yes, the Randall is the best solution. Plenty of owners have made DIY versions cheaply, and while they're probably not as efficient as the FM product, they have to be better than any scheme involving a cone filter. Hope you still have your OEM airbox. Search miataforum for examples.

Based on your experience with the Randall unit, do you think it could be made to help the under-hood temperature with a turbo.

My idea was to have it draw air to a point right above the air filter.

Obviously this would not as good as a direct connection to the OEM airbox, but maybe better than just drawing in the hot air from under the hood?

Assuming I keep the car, I also plan to add a turn signal intake, maybe on both sides. When the car is running hot, I can take the driver-side turn signal out and it knocks the temperature down a few degrees according to one infrared thermometer I have used to measure the difference.

Pat

Previous owner installed the monsterflow and didn't pass along the OEM part. Maybe I can find someone interested in trading.

Header is J.R.so, no bolt up points. I'll have to get creative here.

Chris

Probably not. The Randall is rigid carbon fiber, made to connect to the OEM snorkel hole in the airbox. Every Miata turbo I've seen is smack in the way.

For a CAI system to work, it must be sealed from the underhood environment, so the intake receives only outside air, preferably under positive pressure. As an engine bay air inlet, I'm not sure how well a hole in the firewall would work. It might become an outlet.

For that matter, I've read claims that Miata TSIs actually act as air outlets. Dunno if that's true, but airflow is complex, and may not behave the way you'd think.

Hood louvers might work OK...unless they'd bleed off air needed to cool the transmission or something. I suspect that nothing on the Miata was done by accident, and everything is there for a good reason.

Thank you, sir. That makes sense to me.

The previous owner claims to have modified the temperature gauge to be more accurate.

Not sure how that was done, but it always shows a little higher than the stock gauge does on other Miatas, and in the summer during the hottest part of the day it climbs to an uncomfortably high point.

The infrared thermometer verified that the temperature was still within normal operating range. It only takes a few degrees to move the needle a good amount.

Removing the turn signal caused the needle to drop back down almost to where it sits during the colder times of the year.

I am guessing that having no driver-side turn signal, or a turn signal intake will increase the air flow going in to the engine compartment and that this is a good thing on this car. I am not, however, positive on anything even related to most simple matters, certainly not on complex subjects like air flow. :-)

Thanks again!

Pat

I will keep an eye out for a 1999 OEM intake for you.

Will an intake from any 1999-2005 Miata work? (excluding the MSM turbo Miata, of course).

Pat

Bad wording there, the temp gauge/sensor was modified to be more sensitive to fluctuations.

Any idea how this would be done? The accuracy is actually off because it shows a little hot when it is at normal operating temperatures, but small temperature changes that would not register at all on my previous stock temperature gauge will cause the needle to move on this one.

Pat

I think so. I know there were some variations but I don't think they would be functionally different, would they?

Chris

My NB knowledge is quite limited, especially compared to the NA.

Can someone who is more familiar with the 1999-2005 model Miatas offer some advice on this?

Thanks,

Pat