By intake box I am reading this as "air filter box" and that you're wanting a different air filter (not a different intake manifold. I don't see why you'd "damage" the engine. However, the computer uses those inputs for emissions controls and possibly one or two other things. If the emissiosn don't work right, I won't properly regulate boost and performance may decrease. In this way the 124 5 cyl is much more fussy than earlier 6 cyl models. The later cars regulate boost thru the computer, in early cars it was "mechanical".

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Brian Toscano