that's the BY PASS VALVE.. from AEm

 

Hey guys, keep in mind that there is a reason that large companies like Injen and AEM are still in business and will continue to be for a long, long, time. Countless hours, days, and weeks are spent developing an intake and they will not and refuse to release a product that will cause serious problems in rainy situations.

If you let yourself drive in water that is knee high (enough to reach the filter), you've been asking for a lot more trouble that just hydro-locking the engine.

On another note, polished intakes to have a tendancy to heat up quicker than a plastic one. BUT... it also does not hold heat like a plastic intake. With the amount of cold air entering the filter, the polished piping will cool down much, much quicker than the plastic. Metal dissapates heat much more effectively than plastic and it looks much better to have a shiny polished intake than a colored piece of plastic.

Just keep in mind, when Plastic intakes get hot... They stay HOT!!!

-Steve

 

NOT SO! THE PLASTIC THAT IS USED IN THIS DESIGN REJECTS HEAT NOT CONDUCT IT!!!!!!! YOU CAN ASKED ANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SYSTEM ON THE CARS WILL TELL YOU THAT IT DOES NOT GET HOT, LIKE THE METAL ONES... MY CAR WAS DRIVEN ACROSS THE US FOR 28 HOURS NONE STOPPED AND THE PIPE WAS NOT EVEN WARM WHEN WE HAD RETURNED BACK TO CALI....

 

Whatever happened to ICE MAN intakes? Havent heard from them in a while.

Anyways, i could be wrong, but from my understanding a metal pipe will get warm, but it really doesnt matter too much because the velocity of the air will reach the throttle body before it heats up.

I do agree with bBist, AEM and INJEN have done their share of R&D so i doubt either company will make a product that will not work. Whether it composite or metal, they will both work well. I doubt you will ever feel the 1 or 2 hp you lose or gain from either material. If anything the bypass valve will loose more HPs then the material.

 

You're arguing over trivia. The air spends so little time in the intake that it cannot pick up or lose much energy there. The temperature of the intake will be the temperature of the air passing through it. If the air is hot, the intake will be hot. If the air is cold, the intake will be cold. The material of the intake doesn't make any difference.

George

 

I've got my SCION PANT Parts & accessory News Today bulletin in front of me...
skipping the BS and going to the features section:

Patented AEM Air Bypass Valve

Eliminates the chance of hydro-lock in the unlikely event the filter on the Cold Air Intake system becomes submerged in water.
Valve shuts down induction at the filter when it becomes submerged, rerouting air through its internal diaphragm to keep water out and air flowing in.

And the only cars I've seen hydro-locked were cars from the Allison flood, and my friend's Prelude (also with an AEM intake) that he hydroplaned & flipped into a 12 foot, water-filled ditch.

 

Search google. There is a formula that states XXX colder denser air = + XXXX hp.

 

I am happy with my SPFR intake, I feel the difference and I would not go with anything else.

bunnyblue

Hippity Hop my box Rocks!!!!!!!!!

 

I purchased with the AEM cold air intake on my 5 spd xB, though I've done no comparison, I'm certain that it adds power, especially in the mid-range, sounds good too. As for water damaging your engine, it can't. The AEM cold air intake (V2) has a silicone valve to prevent hydro-lock. Should you ever run into water (but that would be very deep water!) the valve opens to protect your engine. Go to AEM's website for a better explaination.

 

the aem bypass valve also bleeds air through it making it very inefficent - as it's still sucking warmer air near the top of the motor through the bypass - probably loose a few potential HP just because of that.

i dont think hydro-lock would be a problem with any of the current xB cai's unless you want to be fording rivers with your box

Brian

 

I feel they are worht it...look at the dyno slips....

 

i put a CAI on my tc last week there is about a foot and a half clearance from the ground and the only way u can mess ur car up is if u drive under water or in a huge puddle

 

You'll see a few (very few) horsepower from any of the brand name aftermarket intakes, if any at all. Like fishing lures, many are designed more to catch fishermen than to catch fish...

The lack of real numbers is telling- No Zero-60 before and after figures, and none for the 1/4 mile, either... but they'll give "up to" XYZ horsepower gain...

Which is not to disparage any of the equipment available, but rather to tell potential buyers not to expect any miracles...

If heat soak were a serious issue, then intakes would be insulated, which would be very easy with the short ram aftermarket units. Even though homecenters don't usually have the larger sizes, any plumbing supply outfit will have pipe insulation large enough for the purpose...

 

I've driven through quite a few downpours since having the FX1 intake installed. The filter element was wet each time. After one of the rain storms, I unhooked the intake and checked it over. There was no water anywhere inside the intake, just the outside around the filter element.

 

Just curious,
I too, am considering a CAI for my box, how much impact does it have on the MPG?

 

I have gotten up to 37 MPG with my intake--but that was going slow without AC. It should have no negative impact on MPG............

 

after my xA got totaled last christmas I put my Injen cai back in it's box cuz I bought a Tc. from personal experience the injen cai is the best looking of all and performance wise it had very noticeable gains. just ask in the scikotics forums how many a$$e$ I handed with just a cai and a magnaflow axle, including a supercharged xB many times. mine was 5 speed, his was auto and a couple more with pulleys and extras. I have mine in box with new licence frame, maybe instructions and stickers. willing to let go very cheap. PM me.;-)

 

I have the K&N Typhoon on my xA, I'm very happy with it. I managed to get it from Crutchfield using a coupon code found online (its expired now) for 170 shipped. I have no numbers to prove it but there absolutely feels like an improvement in hp. Even if there wasnt, this thing sounds incredible when you get on it. Completely worth the money.

 

Several people have gotten water into their CAI by driving through shallow water or deep puddles. The CAI intake is usually right behind the driver side fog light about 2-1/2 feet off the ground, and the water on the ground can be a lot less than that to get splashed into it.