96 sport 4.0 stock air box- what's in front of liitle square opening...?

ok, bear with me- on my 96 sport 4.0, with the factory air box. I'm plotting my custom cold air intake, so I'm looking around at everything, and at the little small rectangular hole/opening for the air to come in. Just in front of this opening, there is what looks like the exact same size and shape 'block off plate' for lack of a better term, that has two screw ends coming out of it, screwed in from behind the headlight. I haven't taken the light out to look at it closer, but to me, it looks like there could be a tube connecting the air box opening to this hole behind the headlight area of the grill, (if the plate wasn't there) which would serve (kind of) as a cold air entry point.
Was this done on other years/models/export models?
My curiosity is peaked.
If I could get a photo to post. I would!!

I have a 96 and thought the same as you. I have removed the cover, rectangular plastic piece, and have left it open.
There is no direct air flow from the front of the vehicle into the cut out in the metal behind the headlight. In the dealer and factory manual, the air box picture shows a piece connecting the air box to the opening in the metal. However, this piece cannot be ordered or so 4 dealers said, there is no part number and the complete air box does NOT come with it.
I had tried using some of the metallic dryer vent to complete the connection, but did not notice any advantage and have since removed the dryer stuff and leave it open, as previously stated. I am sure in the summer/warmer months especially, the hot under hood air getting in there is not good, but again I have not noticed any advantages or disadvantages either way.

My 92 has a plastic piece connecting the air box to the bulkhead. My 96 doesn't. JIM.

My 97 seems to have a solid steel plate blocking things off that can't be removed (unless I'm missing something)

look at the write up on Go-Jeep's website: if you have a stock radiator there should be a gap behind the grill on the drivers side between the radiator and the support structure for the headlight. you can use a piece of rubber or plastic to channel the air from there into the space behind the headlight, and hopefully improve under-hood cooling.

also, insulate the airbox and the air tube. I followed the advice of others on this site and used a cut up sun shield around the tube, and went out on my own using thin ceramic tile, gorilla glue, and aluminum tape to shield the airbox from the exhaust manifold.

seems to work ok, although the temp's been in the single digits lately, so cold air isn't exactly hard to come by.

HTH

-B

I blocked off the hole in front & did the mini-snorkle to the cowl area. It gets plenty of cold air right now. JIM.