Thanks for the pic.
What is the actual function of it?
nothing... it just traps some of the incoming air flow to essentially make the engine quieter
i usually have the whole plastic part of the intake removed, its jsut on there because i need to smog it soon. i actually regularly run my intake with jsut the air filter base (air horn as they call it on chevies) and this setup:
![](http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/3550/pic051808_6.jpg)