Unfortunately I believe this mod could be a power loss as well. Needswings as well as any other intake that is in the CAI category gets rid of the restriction through the radiator support. Anything that opens up a restriction will benefit air intake.

In this case, yes, you are eliminating a obstruction in the air path. However, in this case you are also removing surfaces meant to guide the air in the proper direction. By removing these you may be introducing more turbulence and hurt air flow in the higher RPM range.

I will be curious to see results on a dyno vs. an unmodified elbow on the same vehicle and setup.

I applaud all the work you have done to date and don't wish to be negative, but as we all strive for that little bit extra power, sometimes we end up loosing it in the process.

Cheers!