should i lose my airbox?

FYI - nothing wrong with your airbox unless you're racing.

The cone filters allow raw engine-bay heated air into the intake, including prop-wash - your airbox is connected to a duct to the front of the truck, where much cooler air is available.

Also rejects radiated turbo\exhaust manifold heat

Cool intake air means greater efficiency - and the airbox blocks all the dust and detritus stirred up in the prop-wash, so the filter stays clean longer.

Matt, the biggest concern with the factory airbox setup isn't really the airbox itself, -but the intake snorkel that runs through the fender.

Some guys (myself included) have removed the factory airbox only to find out that even though the factory airbox was restrictive, -it does in fact grab cold air.

The whole cold air deal probably isn't a big deal in the wintertime, -but in the summer, it is a really big deal, -both in terms of performance, -and engine temps. Running with a filter clamped right to the turbo works just fine in the winter, -but I found that in the middle of summer, -mine just wasn't very happy with that setup.

So, here's something you could try, -take a holesaw to the factory airbox to "ventilate" it. Be sure to do it on the correct side of the filter (obviously).

If when summer comes and you find that the truck is a dog, -and the engine temp is running higher than normal (ask me how I know), -you can duct-tape the holes up that you made so that it draws air through the snorkel.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I wished I hadn't thrown my factory airbox away. The ideal setup would be to somehow plumb a decent size pipe to the airbox that either grabs air from the front of the truck, -or through a fender like chevydave did.

Chevydave made a sweet looking setup on his truck with custom made airbox, -the whole deal. He's got pic's, -maybe in his garage, -I haven't checked.

Whatever you decide to do, -don't be an idiot like I was and be so quick to throw that factory airbox away, -especially if you already have a K&N for it.

what exactly is prop-wash?

Dave put a 'scoop' on his fender?

what exactly is prop-wash?

Prop-wash is the hot air coming through the radiator and turbulent from the cooling fan. As a case in point, here in Minnesota, the temps have been conducive for me to remove the air box cover for more air. I also have removed the cooling fan. So far, so good. The engine is even coming up to normal operating temps quicker and running better. I did not notice a gain in power by removing the fan but I have noticed my mileage go up (about 1 -2 mpgs) because the computer cuts the fuel back running at normal temperature.

This past summer I measured a 20F increase in intake air temperature from air taken from the engine compartment over air brought in from the outside (during city driving). There was only a 3F difference at highway speeds. Every 10F increase in intake air temp reduces power in an engine by about 3 percent. That's because there is less oxygen available for combustion in thin hot air than in dense cold air. Keep the airbox.