without an air filter, STOP. They are too cheap to do without. You can epoxy, (or use the silicon grey in a tube), those cracks in a couple of hours, so there's no reason to do without. And the upgrade to a Pop charger is the first thing to do anyway, about $80. Look through classifieds for a used one if money is that tight. ... And don't worry about cleaning out the intake area. Whatever crap you brought in is already gone.