Well lets consider this, many members on this site are running 15.7 stock with no mods.

With a CAI and a short shifter, ive seen numbers anywhere from 15.2 - 15.5

Every horse makes a difference.


Not that this has to do anything with your post, but a CAI does have a good power/cost ratio.

With that being said, the CAI is only 200 dollars.

200/5 = 40

Youre paying for $40 for 1 wheel horse power

If you look at the supercharger, which costs 3200 from the dealer, you're getting roughly a 50whp increase.

3200/50 = 64

You're paying 64 dollars for 1 wheel horsepower.

and of course, a CAI makes a great supporting mod for headers and exhaust.

 

hmm.. no one really knows about the HKS CAI, hmm?

but uhh.. i have the injen.

 

you cannot compare different peoples 1/4 mile times... 15.7 is so so on a stock 5spd.. I have seen people turning timeslips of 15.4 stock.. so you cant go by that.

You WILL NOT gain a third of a second with a CAI. They all produce minimal gains.. so you arent going to notice a ton of difference between any of them. Sorry, but you arent going to feel a difference between 3whp and 4wp gain.

And yes every horse counts... if you are racing all the time and maxed out everywhere else.. that is hardly the case with most.

There are plenty of holes in all of the comparison tests as well. Statistically none of the testing data can say much one way or the other. Plus, a dyno can show more variation pull to pull than the entire gain any of the CAI's produce.. so you lose a lot there as far as comparison.

They do give a little over stock I think mostly due to the larger piping, less restrictive filter, and maybe a tiny decrease in air temp.. but you are pulling from almost the same spot.

So you have nicer sound and small gains. I got one at about the best deal you could (it was given to me because someone else was installing a turbo.. very cool guy :D ). It was the K&N. It is hard to tell if it made much difference, but definitely added appeal to the engine bay and the sound of the car. However.. as lots of people are finding.. in a few weeks it breaks the bracket off the motor mount that it is attached to.. so I removed it once that happened. I now hear of a few with the injen having the same issue... so which ever one you buy, unless you have an engine damper, create a better mount for it. I will for mine and will put it back on eventually unless I go FI first.

 

K&N has sleeve, so no hydrolock there
and if you remove the drivers side vent on the bumper, u get cold air coming in
since the filter sits right behind it

but i did pay $200 for shiny blue pipe

 

lets just stick to the topic and say handsdown the winner for best cai is.....drumroll plz.........and the winner is injen.. yeah i know lame huh

 

I keep hoping AEM will come out with a V2 intake for the tC, and i really like their new dry filter. Also have many people taken out those little plastic things in the bumper? I was just looking at how ugly they are yesterday and am tempted to yank them out. But as with anything i do to my car i try to get as much info as i can first. So, any downside to taking them out? Sorry if it's off topic but i thought doing a search on "bumper vent" would probably produce a lot of unrelated posts.

 

it might help out just a little tiny bit but then it would just be an opening for dirt.bugs to clog up the filter not to mention rain getting in

 

I'm not that concerned about any benefit other than the looks, but i'm not sure what's behind the vents so i am worried about rain and such. Don't wanna screw anything up just because i want to lose the cheap plastic look.

 

a true CAI would be getting air from here





I got my intake because it sounds and looks good.

 

i used the weapon r intake and ram air kit which i ran thru the fender and aimed it thru the fake air vent. rather than remove the air vent, i just drilled holes thru it, so that big pieces couldn't make it thru. also, it looks stock still, except for the holes.

 

Don't get me wrong - I am a fan of CAIs. I love the sucking sound and the look, but the reality is you don't really get much of a performance boost. Yeah, they claim a hp gain, but how did they get those numbers? Not by slapping it on a tC and putting the car on a dyno. They typically have the engine just sitting there, with the intake sitting out in the open, with cold air blowing right on it. Not exactly real world. Plus I can't stand the people that put a CAI and exhaust on their 4-banger and think they can take on a Ferrari. Sure it sounds cool, and may get you .1 off your 1/4 mile, but an intake exhaust system does not a fast car make.

Bottom line - do what ya like. You like the sound and the look? Buy it. Want better 1/4 mile times? Learn how to drive better....

Just my opinion.

 

How do you make sure the rain wont get into my engine?

 

Both of the cars pictured have "GFIs", which retain the OEM airbox and filter, replace the upper pipe will smooth, mandrel bend, and have a "snorkel" that attaches the airbox inlet to the front bumper, so the intake is effectively a true cold air. I know, because the blue one is mine, and the other guy (ALAS from ystc.com) copied mine.

 

I want to install a cai on my 06 tc. the problem is i live in Ca. and cant seem to find a C.A.R.B. legal system. Do any of you have info on this ???

 

INJEN!

 

Someone keeps mentioning peak gains.... That's misleading as well... Gains have been shown all across the RPM band... so maybe it's only 4 or 5 at peak but what about not at peak where it's 6 or 7???

Yes, the CAIs draw air in from only slightly lower than the stock airbox... But stock airboxes are in fact restrictive. Even with a highflow K&N or other, the airbox is still restrictive, compared to a CAI.

To say that a CAI is a waste is a bit harsh. Anytime you ease the engine's ability ingest air, you'll help power and throttle response. Anything you can do to get more air into the combustion chamber helps volumetric efficiency. A good intake, header and exhaust combo with some fuel tuning can certainly increase power. (although usually sound like crap.)

 

Mine came with a cotton(not certain its cotton but definitely not paper) panel filter from the factory. GSC dyno saw a loss with K+N panel filter. May have just been a bad run but i'm inclined to believe it did not gain anything.

How much real world AKA G-tech gains are you seeing with your setup? (if you exaggerate your numbers their no better than false dynos.)

What type of piping did you use from bumper to air box? What piping from air box to throttle body?

I've already ordered the injen...so I hope your just being pessimistic. Still have'nt ordered a G-tech yet maybe next payday.

 

if it is 4-5 peak then it is not EVER making 6-7.. hence the words 4-5 PEAK.

 

this is semantics... most people will talk about a gain in peak horsepower, not a "peak gain".... meaning if my car makes 140 at the wheels, peak horsepower and I do something to it and it makes 150, then I've got a gain ot 10 at the peak of the HP curve... however what if this same mod changes the HP at 3500 RPM from 105 to 120?? I'm just saying most people talk about peak HP but the best gains aren't always seen at the top of the curve.... my first post was poorly worded...

 

I think he meant 4-5 @ peak in the powerband. The injen shows a nice horsepower increase(about 8hp) around 3700rpms on multiple dynos.