It can certainly breathe a _little_ easier without it. Probably not noticeable. The valve can be tested by popping in the fridge for a bit and then warming it with your hand. I live in the warm part of the country and would only need a month or so a year... -----Original Message----- From: jordan rubin [mailto:nuttenschleuder@xxxx] Subject: Re: [DML] Re: air inlet valve Just curious. Is there any performance gain to this.