Read my post in the how-to section about how to effectively increase airflow to the engine with a big air pipe and avoid all the problems you mentioned. If you aren't going to use a mini-battery then a couple of extra bends in the piping will be required. Any SRI in any engine bay will suck in hot air unless you have the filter in an isolated box with foam sealing out air except for where you want it to come in from a cold source - which sounds a lot like the stock airbox, right?

 

Really have a look at what RalliartN has done it is a brilliant piece of engineering. you get the CAI performance with out the dangers of hydro lock. Best way to describe it is this, he has 2 intake inlets one at the top and one at the bottom there is very little danger of getting water in the intake, since the top will act like a vent, sort of like using a straw with holes in it tones of sucking air but no liquid.

 

OK, now I need someone to give me a dope-slap.

Run an SRI, and still use the snorkel? Do you mean that the snorkel is just open on the back end, not connected to the SRI, but instead you have a cone filter hanging there with the snorkel facing it?

Makes sense.

Oh, I didn't move on to page 4 before I replied. I've seen the instructions and photos of the custom airbox that RalliartN built, but I forgot about it. I'll take another look. Thanks.

 

I read your how to post and I really love it and would like to do it but I don't have the stock box with the snorkel, my car is automatic and the tranny is bigger then the manual one( that's why it's hard to put a CAI in a auto) and I don't have the mini battery (yet).