blockguards are NOT the solution.

They build heat at the top of the cylinder head. I'll see if i can find you photos of the discoloration of one of my import motors for the top 1/4' of the sleeves. Thats not good for head gaskets.

 

don't be afraid to raise compression a bit...just well...be safe when using pump gas

http://www.jandssafeguard.com/

We had our race honda motor running on Sunoco 94 pump at 13.7:1 compression.



at 12.0:1 or slightly more compression you will be ok if tuned properly running 91oct. Just use a safeguard. Whats nice about it is...it will stop combustion on one cylinder at a time. If cylinder 3 is detonating...it shuts that one down allowing you to keep power with the other 3 cylinders(race application i'm referring to). Daily driving..it simply saves your butt.

 

Good reading for those that want to

http://www.theoldone.com/articles/

 

bump

 

now thats what i call domed pistions

 

Twiddler, you ROCK! I'm blown away by what you're doing.

Being a complete newbie to this world of Scions (and tuning, for that matter), I opted for the dealer installed AEM CAI and TRD exhaust on my xB... which I'm gathering may not have been ideal. So, tell me, did I waste my money? Should I be looking elsewhere for a few extra ponies? Also, who's really making the best headers for this application right now? Honestly, I'm looking for a little low end HP. Seems like the car does alright once I reach 4000 rpm.

Thoughts? Anyone?

Thanks!!

 

Strup header and K&N cai.

That delaer installed AEM (which I bought too) just has too many damn curves.

 

i just ordered my K&N cai from ebay, cannot wit to get that thing in there... it should be arriving just along with my trd quickshifter too... ive had this car for a month and ive already dropped almost 7 bills into it... this is bad... very bad

the k&n design looks nice and clean... im probably going to get some megan headers next!

24whp would be so nice, specially if it were kept n/a.

-jon

 

I don't really think the bends on the dealer sold AEM INTAKE matter too much. It is still a very large, smooth pipe and the engine is SUCKING through it, not BLOWING through it like the exhaust.
I may be wrong and I am sure so many of you are more than willing to point that out, but it is not any more restrictive with the amount of bends in it than the others on the market. Now if you were PUSHING air through it, like with a turbo, then it may make a difference, but with the engine as small as it is, it is getting more that enough air.
PLEASE , Twiddler, correct me if I'm wrong. I'm here to learn too.

 

hmm... well flow is flow, whether its moving in or out of an engine. it might not be as much restriction as we think, but every time a gas changes direction, high and low pressure is created in and around the bend, creating little pockets of low/high density air. it is my guess that these pockets decrease the speed at which air shoots into the intake manifold- maybe that counts for something

also the more metal piping you have, the longer the air has to go up in temperature from flowing through a long hot tube (for those of you with a sick mind please stay out of this LOL). i would think this would make the most considerable difference, since charge air temp plays so much into compressibility (haha i made that word up!) and overall engine performance.

my guess... the best designs use the least amount of piping as possible, with the least amount of bends- giving the engine the least hottest air and filling up the vacuum as fast and efficiently as possible... its been proven with the Injen IS intake on the xB (its so short!), and im hoping the same goes for the K&N on the xA!

-jon

 

Your response makes sense in ways. But like a river, the bends could actually speed up the air in areas(but also maybe make it turbulent). Not to say my AEM is better than your Ingen. It serves it's purpose...a CARB legal scion waranteed CAI and the bends obviously don't HINDER the power, right? I had a '59 baja and I had the air cleaner mounted inside the cabin...I didn't notice a performance loss because the motor still got all the air it needed... and it was pushing 150 HP. Maybe the AEM doesn't make as much power as the others, but it isn't all from the bends.

 

you are definitely right, the AEM wont hinder your power by any means. on top end, it will definitely add power. the only place you could lose some power (and this goes for any intake) is low end.

jon

 

jwa276, you hit the nail on the head... I added the CAI expecting to add some upper-end hp. What I didn't realize was that I'd lose lower-end power in the process. Now I'm looking for a way to compensate for the lower-end loss. Any ideas? Would headers help in this area - or, just cause more of the same 'upper-end gain, lower-end loss' that I'm trying to avoid?

Probably my biggest issue with this little engine is the fact that it seems so sluggish in the lower RPM band (below 3500). Even revving the engine - it's hard to go from 500 to 3500 RPM. Once I cross the 3500 line, revs are quick and responsive... so is the car, for that matter. I have no complaints about the upper-end HP... would just love to add a little lower-end responsiveness and power.

Part of my problem might be my expectations... after all, this is my first 'less than 6-cylinder, smaller than 4.0L engine'. Maybe I expect too much?

Thanks!!

 

well i dont know where the AEM plops the filter in terms of the engine bay, but if its near any really hot areas maybe a heat shield could help to keep that cool air constantly flowing through the tube..

also ive heard of people coating the intake's pipe with a heat resistant coating. my guess is that would make the most considerable difference.

considering everything about how long the air stays in that hot tube, at lower rpm's its going to be travelling much slower, so when you jump on it your engines trying to compress some already hot air, which wouldnt be nearly effective if that air were cool from the getgo.

i think i heard once that every 6deg fahrenheit change in charge air = ~1%hp?

-jon

 

Interesting thoughts, thanks. Although, I'm not sure I agree with the whole "length of CAI increasing air temp" thing... first, because the length actually allows the filter to be placed almost completely outside the engine compartment (literally, behind the fog light location on the left side, almost directly in front of the front wheel) the air entering couldn't possibly be any cooler without placing it outside. Second, I've popped the hood several times after driving... most of the parts are warm/hot to the touch, but the CAI is always cool/cold to the touch... maybe because it's aluminum, I don't know... but, it's NEVER hot. Which makes me think the air can't be too hot either.

Thanks!!

 

yeah, good point. in that case it probably comes down to the bends with limiting your low end. my k&n cai should be arriving in about a week or so (and its a very straighforward design, only 1-1.5 bends). im definitely curious to see whether i will be losing any low end.

jon

 

But if the bends limit the low end, how can you lose torque by replacing the stock airbox? The stocker is a lot smaller and pretty tight bends IMO. The reason we lose torque is because of the actual size is bigger than stock. Same with the header. If you go bigger than stock( or better flowing I should say), you'll lose a little torque.
As for the aluminum heating up, aluminum is NOT a good resistor for heat. I weld aluminum and when it gets hot it stays hot(and it heats up quicker than most all metals). Not to say that the intake gets hot, because mine stays pretty cool too, just aluminum caracteristics in general.
Toastr, the reason jwa276 said it may heat up the air is because there is SO much more of it TO heat up. A lot more surface in the engine compartment to possibly be suseptible to heat.
I think we are getting way off topic here anyway...LOL.

 

haha yeah, intake isnt going to get us anywhere on the road to 24whp!

you raise a good point though, a smaller sized pipe would increase overall speed of flow.

jon

 

I'm currently running 1999 1zz-fe 200cc injectors for my 1nz in my echo ... Yes the spray pattern on the injectors are more agressive than the 1nz injectors... I have this also adjusted the fuel curve with a s-afc but I'm seriously thinking of buying a Blitz Supercharger and add a E-Manage to handle the fuel and timing ...

 

arn't the intake pipes usually the same diameter as our stock tubes to prevent the MAF from freaking out?