I can't fathom the idea of purchasing steel piping with a cone air filter for 200 and some change, or better yet the Um-Nitza (spelling) which is a carbon fiber box for the same price.

So I said to myself is $200 really worth it? No. The gains are minimal/negligible. It's just for show and sound, IMO. The only intake I would ever consider getting would be the Weapon*R.

Here are 3 modifications to the stock intake that I did:

1. Intake resonator removal. (Courtesy of Doc. I.) ~$3
2. K&N Drop-In Filter. ~$45
3. Piping after airbox removal. This pipe is supposed to make the intake work like a CAI. After realizing the pipe drops about 6 inches lower than the airbox, I came to the conclusion that it probably isn't that beneficial. FREE.

Results:

Nothing really significant, but sound. It gives a deep growl like a CAI/SRI.
Power gains are negligible.
I bet it gives as much whp as the Um-Nitza . Just my opinion.



During the whole process, I disconnected my - terminal. Once I finished, I connected it back, turned the car on and let it idle for about 5-10 minutes to reset the ECU.

 

haha

old old old

i took out the bototm of my intake box a long time ago. all i did was tape the filter to the upper half of the air box.


ya yoru right it does nothing but sound :D

but its great to have :D

 

i've heard someone's tC who did that and sounded nothin like a CAI/SRI...

 

All 3?

 

That peice of pipe after the airbox DID make it act like a CAI in a sense. You are now pulling air from directly around the airbox in the hot engine compartment instead of air from the fender area

 

yo come see me, ill help you fix that ugly power wire just hanging there lol j/p man good stuff

 

The opening in the airbox is so far away from the engine/exhaust manifold while so close to the fender area, I really don't think it makes that much of a difference. Plus the inlet pipe on the box was not that far down in the fender area to begin with.

Also when the car is actually moving there is a constant flow of air in the entire engine compartment which I'm sure negates "heat soak" on that side (to a degree).

If this were the case, why would there be a such thing as a SRI (aside from pulling in more air)? The air would get hot from "heat soak", which = a loss in performance. And if I'm not mistaken colder air is denser than hot air and dense air = better combustion?

Test it. Run your car for a while, like a couple miles. Pop the hood and put your hand on the intake box, the fuse box, the inside fender wall, and whatever else. Its not that hot on that side.

 

so, can you get a sound clip or something?

 

Unfortunately that I can't do.
I don't have a digital camcorder, and the digital camera I have can record avi's but with no sound.

 

Well at least its running through the firewall and not the quarter panel.

 

and lets see stock piping with a good 90 degree bend in it, and cai with softer 120 or so, sharp bend=more turbulence...let me guess you have a turbonator cus you think it really works...

granted this is all based off my understanding of air flow, I could be wrong

 

This is true......you should see some of the "ghettoness" i see, where in philly you at?

 

Did I say that there are no points in getting a aftermarket intake???
I say the gains are not worth it.

Relax buddy.

 

Now take it to the next step and connect the airbox inlet to the grille-hole in the front of the bumper with some flexi-tubing. Then you have yourself a true CAI. Next step for me is to pick up a few pieces of Spectre's Modular Intake tubing, and smooth out the upper piping. As the MAF is mounted to the airbox, I figure all the upstream bits should go about $50-60. Once it's wrapped and painted black, it should look stock enough to evade The Man.

Been doing that mod to cars for awhile now: the GFI... Ghetto Fabulous Intake.

 

Keep us posted.

 

Had time and extra money on my hands, both of which are a dangerous proposition. Cost for the Spectre pieces about 50 bucks. Looks good, works good, doesn't sound any different (at least that I've noticed).



So my setup consists of: smooth piping above the airbox, K&N drop-in, and flexible tubing attaching the airbox inlet to the opening in the front bumper. True cold air intake, plus minimal heasoak (OEM upper pipe suffers horribly from heatsoak).

 

It is true that the upper part of the intake gets hot. But how long does air stay in that portion of the intake? I dont think long enough to make that much of a difference. It's all about the air temp while entering the intake. IMHO.

BTW - Can't see the pics while Im at work, will check them out later.

 

The air temp coming in the inlet is only the first step-- sure, you want it to be as close to ambient as possible. But the ECU bases it's air/fuel decisions on the temp given to it by the IAT-- so if you're taking in air at 65º, but the IAT has suffered heatsoak up to 105º, the ECU is going to provide fuel for the hotter air; hence, you won't be able to take advantage of the cool air you've plumbed in. A chain is only as strong as the weakest link and so on and whatnot.

 

And this is where all SRI (inc the Um. one) will fall over.

My remorte radar has a temp probe thingy, which for a while I had zip tied to the clips on teh outside of the air box, now granted while driving around the air there is only a few degrees above air temp, once you stop it climbs scary fast (2-3 deg a second) so a stop at a red light, when you floor it on green the air in that area is 120deg + not good. I've now got teh temp probe mounted inside the airbox between my K&N filter and the carbon filter) and air temp is 1-2 deg over ambient when driving (pretty much what you'd expect from a CAI) but when you stop it take much much longer for the air in the box to heat up at all, and as soon as you floor it and suck new air in it goes back to nromal.

In my humble opinion, apart from air flow gains (which I am sceptical about), I can't see any reason for performance gains by using a CAI or an SRI over the stock box with a decent filter, apart from the performance gains from it looking and sounding cool.

 

For VW's... the airbox is designed so well that you can achieve equal gains from removing the lower piping and getting a good filter as supposed to buying a CAI or SRI.

Save your money for exhaust mods... as well as camshafts and head work when available.