Took off CAI today, car has LOTS MORE RESPONSE!!!!

[AznGA]

So when you have WAI and drive in hot summer, should you worry about engine running hot?

[Ant]

i wouldn't think that warm AIR intaked would make your car run THAT much hotter as opposed to ~30 degree cooler air...

[Azrael]

A good compromise I could think of for WAI is to keep the stock filterbox and somewhere in it mount a thermally controlled DC fan (computer geeks will know where to look) or two. So when the engine compartment temp starts getting higher; the fan will push more air from wherever the filterbox goes up to the cone filter. Just an idea to combat higher temps while stopped.

[Avsguy01]

Originally posted by MikeNT256
man im not doing something right then cause i ran the same time with borla and cai

Maybe our altitudes are different, making me run more efficient

[StarFire]

I definitely notice a big loss in lower rpm range because of the change in the torque curve. As soon as I got my Granatelli MAF, it all came right back. Your MAF has a lot to do with the "mushiness" of the car in the lower RPMs.

[logicalgt1]

You guys have me confused and questioning a few things about the CAI. Someone said a shorter pipe yielded better acceleration etc... So is it possible the civic mod is better than a two piece cai? I don't have the civic cai but I believe it uses one pipe and it's shorter. I do realize you have to cut your car to do this but man if the acceleration and times are better maybe it's worth it. Also if I do the civic mod am I stuck with using a 3 to 3" adapter that looks right off a toilet pipe or can I buy an adapter that looks nice that would do the same thing as the one from let's say home depot?

[IanGT99]

Well, I have the Civic conversion CAI. I must say that I love it. I have the 3" to 3" black coupler from Lowe's. It's not overly pretty looking by any means, but it's not bad either. I'm sure you can get colored ones from somewhere, but mine does the job. As far as the performance goes, I don't have anything to compare to since I've never owned a two-piece CAI. But I can say that I absolutely love the power gains I get with the Civic CAI. It is in fact shorter, and you really have to work on it a little to get it to fit right. I did have to cut my car slightly, but you can't even tell it's cut. I've never had any troubles with "mooshiness", either. My stock MAF likes my CAI

[digitalballz]

I also have the civic CAI, and I love it. I didnt feel any mooshiness when i put it on. I just got my SLP put on and i feel a little loss of low end power, but not much. The only question is what to do next.

I'm not sure whether to dispair or be inspired that a thread about a few horsepower has gone this far. The argument is incredibly simple: it's about the power curve. Drag racing is essentially about three things: power curve, gearing/shifting, and traction. There are many other variables, but those three are the most important.

Since your intake only affects the power curve, that's what I'm going to focus on.

In a drag race (in GAs) your low end power only matters for 60' times. Also, since the car is FWD, I'd rather have my power high end than low end, to keep spinage to a minimum.

So, you can have a WAI that adds some HP down low, which would affect your 60' times, and maybe help you burnout a little more to look cool for everyone.

OR you could get a CAI which would take a little bit out of your low end, and stick even more on your high end, which you're in the entire race after your launch.

Hmmmm....

[mr_eh]

the fastest grand am has a hybrid warm air/ram air intake

case....... closed....

Originally Posted by mr_eh

the fastest grand am has a hybrid warm air/ram air intake

case....... closed....

I'm sure that was the only factor in it being the fastest GA.

[kamikaz16]

I'm with Eidolon on that one

[Irate]

Originally Posted by kamikaz16

I'm with Eidolon on that one

Ditto - we're talking about maybe 1 hp here...

[logicalgt1]

[quote]

Originally Posted by Eidolon

I'm not sure whether to dispair or be inspired that a thread about a few horsepower has gone this far. The argument is incredibly simple: it's about the power curve. Drag racing is essentially about three things: power curve, gearing/shifting, and traction. There are many other variables, but those three are the most important.

Since your intake only affects the power curve, that's what I'm going to focus on.

I think this is one of the best threads ever IMO. I want to focus on the intakes as well. I believe their are a lot of variables to be discussed and experimented with. The following are examples; Intake pipe size(diameter), length, filter (inverted vs non inverted, size), two piece vs one piece etc. The CAI may have been talked about sooooo many times but I think these are important variables. Of course their will always be peoples opinions but that what were on the boards for.

[mr_eh]

if the fastest ga uses it, there has to be reason

do you think he cant afford to put a cai in and see if it makes his times better? cmon.

[aleroboy]

Originally Posted by mr_eh

if the fastest ga uses it, there has to be reason

do you think he cant afford to put a cai in and see if it makes his times better? cmon.

[mr_eh]

...well excuse me, but they make it out like making the pipe longer is some trick that people have been using for hundreds of years, when in fact all muscle cars have their `intakes` sitting on the top of their engine, but us sport compact guys, us, we're gonna route the things like pretzels and get real performance... cause we know better

the only `racing inspired` design that people use to get more fresher air is thru hood scoops ( and not the ones that are molded into the hood either )or iirc cowls like nascar uses towards the back of the hood...

[KpazzH0ly]

Cai, wai, or ram air, all matters what ur doing to ur car. Intake isn't going to increase any noticable power. I dont see how your so worried. A cai, wai, or ram air, may help in the long run with some other mods. I dont think taht anyone expects awesome performance gains from an intake? If you put some money down into your GA, and then u need an intake for performance gains, I can understand that. Personally I like the top end from the CAI. I can see how CAI is better than WAI for turbo, cuz you want to run cold. ANd I agree with EIdolon with top end for a FWD car. Well thats my input on this. Hope this helps. Or not...W/E

[kamikaz16]

You're right, sports cars have the intakes mounted directly above the intake manifolds. They also usually included some sort of CAI.

Mustang: Its mounted off to the side of the engine, sealed off in a box. Very easy to make a fenderwell CAI (and I know alot that do)

WS6/SS: Air is inducted from outside the vehicle (cold air). GM says its a 20hp gain.

I think you're confusing throttle response with speed. The CAI, hands down, is the best way to get air in for the 1/4. The longer pipe will make throttle response lower, but the overall denser air will increase engine performance where it counts.

You may think a WAI is better just because you feel it immediately....but lets line up a CAI car against a WAI and compare. I got money on the CAI.

To expand on what Eidolon said, you're just moving the power curve with the intakes. The WAI intake keeps the power band to the left, meaning you have "slightly" more power right away at low RPM's. So at low RPM you're theoretically able to make more power at WOT. The CAI moves the band to the right, placing the power farther up in the RPM's...BUT the maximum hp on the CAI curve is higher. With a CAI you have increased power. Hands down. With a WAI its merely response..."seat of the pants" if you will.

CAI > WAI 95% of the time.

[mr_eh]

and thus is born the hybrid

shorter pipe for quicker response
cold air ducted to it = `denser air`

thank you, good night