Air Filter & Inner Fender -- What is this?

[DennisG01]

OK, I should of taken a pic, but I think it's easy enough to explain. I'm talking about the inner fender where the air comes into the filter box. I looked into the fender and there is a piece of sheet metal (I'm assuming that it's there to strengthen the fender) that looks like it diverts a good portion of the air flow AWAY from the hole in the fender. Would it make sense to try and make something to cover up that area? Seems like a lot more of the intake air would be able to reach the filter.

[gmctd]

Pic is worth a thou.......well.....you know.

[DennisG01]

http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/photopost/data/519/Fender_Obstruction.JPG

The front of the vehicle is to the left. I used my hand to give a perception of depth for reference. Where my ring finger is the depth from this "plate" to the outer fender is about 2.5". So, I'm thinking *lightly* hammering that plate towards the outer fender a little bit, then taking a piece of thin sheet metal and using some 3M 4200 to make a nice transition from the outer fender to the plate (where those holes are).

Maybe someone in the know can enlighten me, though. It just seems like since this fender was originally designed with the use of a snorkel in mind, that it's not as efficient as it could be.

[TurboDiverArt]

I always thought about making the hole into the air box bigger and enlarging the fender hole equally. My assumption is that the restriction with the stock airbox is the small hole into the box itself, not the actual fender.

Art.

[gmctd]

Good pic - my truck's not like yours, so I needed that.

Appears to be the mntng brace for the snorkle - put your handy-cam in there for a couple more pics so you can decide how to take it out - would prolly help for normal street driving, but would reelly reelly help if you're racing - at hi air-flows, that prolly acts like a mostly wide-open throttle or choke plate

Another of GM's wunnerful little power-limiting ploys, I betcha.

[Turbo Al]

Yep snorkel mounting holes and snorkel hole. Bigger is better ( :