The "CAI" is NOT a "performance" modification.

diponyou50 said:
i had a stock 96 aod mustang,thats couldnt even spin the tires form a stop,then added a cai and i could roast them for about 1 sec.so obviously it does something

Man, that is just really sad. Your car must be running like crap. I had a 88lx FOUR BANGER that could spin the tires from a dead stop. Yeah, all 90lb of torque. And before you say I drop the clutch at high RPMS, it was an auto.

But seriously, being able to spin the tires VS. not spinning them depends on what the road conditions are. Was there are small dusting on the road? Where your tires a little more run down? Maybe you hit a small wet spot. Basically, what Im getting at is that spnning your tires in NO WAY tells you how much power you have.

Hell, I can set my car sideways and let the smoke cloud form from a 40 MPH ROLL.. yes, driving 40 mph in 2nd gear and put the pedal down and watch the smoke show. Does that mean anything? NO, it means I have steep gears and tires that can't handle it. My fathers 800HP Fairmont doesn't spin a single tire from a 4,000 rpm launch... does that mean it has less power than my car? I sure hope not. Now, stop talking like ur CAI is a beastly power maker based on such trivial things as tire spin.
 
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Good point ponypower89...there are several on here that don't understand (one that is very prominent on this board - not mentioning who it is) doesn't understand that principle. Suspension/tires/age/flex/power/pavement type and condition all play major rolls in "spinning the tires"...A zo6 or 03/04 Cobra won't spin in 1st gear from a low rpm roll...does that mean I'm faster...NOPE...
 
I can take my tire off the car and sorta put my hand on the top and slap the side really hard and it will spin a bit. And thats with no intake at all. Heck, I didnt even need a car for that. I can manually spin my tires.
I attribute this awesome performance to the uber cool "ford hat" that I was wearing at the time. I tried smoking my tires once but it kept gumming up my rolling papers and I was coughing too much so I had to stop.
 
Ok so I started this thread knowing exactly what would happen...create a stir, and that's what happened. For the most part the thread was directed at the poor souls who put out the $$ in hopes that the "CAI" they order from MAC/BBK and others will be the mod that wakes up their car from its performance snooze. Some time ago I was out and about in a my 88 which carries the mods found in my signature..a pretty decent combo in my opinion that I had put ALOT of time and effort into. Effort not only in the installation an tuning, but also in research an selection. Though obviously not the premire combination of parts, it carries HUGE fun factor..not to mention is quite a little runner. Now here's my story, and reason for my initiating this thread..A young man pulles next to me, and asks me to "pop the hood"..ok I agree..and he does the same. First thing he says to me is.."you don't run a CAI?? you really should get one..it will wake that engine up!"..so I look at his car, and yes there it is..the infamous BBK "CAI"..the item he informs me will take me to the promise land. I just agreed with him, mostly to avoid a moot conversation, but in my head all I could do was laugh. Another case of a rookie laying out 200$ (canadain) because he was misinformed by false advertising. Yes the "CAI" did look nice (though the only SHINNEY thing in his filthy engine bay)..but purchased out of misleading information..leading him to beleive this item would make a GREAT difference. I posted this thread initially in hopes I could make even just one nubie see these items for what they really are..show items. Ok maybe some of the high end ones do affect performance..maybe..but I'm not convinced...however I do know the BBK and realated items are nothing more than a show mod, plain and simple.
 
I don't no man, I just painted my intake plaque and increased my horsepower by 6. :rlaugh: WTF?

Everyone knows that a CAI is only good if you need to have it for forced induction applications.

The best CAI is the stock box, K&N with the baffle removed. Period!
 
There is a guy on stang tunning, who monitored his intake charge temps, with the help of tweecer. With the cai it was 20 degrees cooler this was a metal pipe bbk and it was on a n/a car. The other setup he ran was the cone right off the tb so....
 
So what you are saying is we are suppose to trust you over some one else DMAN? If i go to my buddys work (lincoln tech institute) and take three pulls w/ a stock air box with a k & n filter, and three pulls w/ my bbk cold air intake and tell you the results will this finally put this to rest? I really dont know if i'm right or wrong but i noticed a difference when i put cai on my car. I still have stock intake and stock heads so just let me know.
 
All I know is that the reason I bought the Anderson Power Pipe was because it and one other brand are the only one out there that would accomodate a 90mm Lightning mass air meter and a 75mm throttle body. Do I expect a huge gain from it because it says "Power Pipe" on it? Naaaaaaaah. Do I expect a gain because It will open up my intake tract up to and including the install of the larger throttle body? Of course I do! Is it any better than the CAI kit I've got now? Sure... only because it's larger and again, will accomodate as large of a throttle body as I see fit to install.

I'd never install a kit that pulled hot engine bay air into the intake tract. The Kenne Bell warms the air up enough. The March Ram air kit that's intalled now would have been a complete waste of money had I purchased it for the sole purpose of gaining horsepower.
 
DMAN302 said:
...and so it begins again...BBK CAI=20 degees eh??...don't see how, but what ever you need "some guy" to tell you for you to hold as true..so be it.
If you took the time to read what is said was the bbk was 20 degrees cooler than the CONE ON THE TB, which I was wrong it was the amf power pipe
What I was getting at was the cai was not much cooler than the under the hood heat. And there is a graph on there for you too, btw I was never supporting that cai worked but it looks a lot nicer than that gay ass red box cluttering your engine bay :flame:


http://www.stangtuning.com/showthread.php?t=2620
 
5spd GT said:
diponyou5.0 - Your on the verge of being banned:)

Was all the variables the same when that car "roasted 'em"? Same weight in the car? Was it on the same pavement? Same tread on the tires? One second of spinning is not roasting them...I'm not sure what cars your used to...but good luck.
ok,for one,you have to be a f'n nerd cuz all you do is sit in this room looking for arguments.hey,its not my fault you dont get any :taco: and you have to jack off while you read my posts.get a life buddy.
for two,when i was roasting my tires so furiously for that 1 second,it was in the same exact spot rite in front of my house an hour later.
for three,get a life,i try to pg-13 this post for you cuz obviously you cant handle some words.nerd
for four,yea four,i am immature so dont waste ur time saying it,cuz i can fortell you saying that,cuz thats exactly somethin a nerd like you would say.
for five,get a life
 
diponyou50 said:
ok,for one,you have to be a f'n nerd cuz all you do is sit in this room looking for arguments.hey,its not my fault you dont get any :taco: and you have to jack off while you read my posts.get a life buddy.
for two,when i was roasting my tires so furiously for that 1 second,it was in the same exact spot rite in front of my house an hour later.
for three,get a life,i try to pg-13 this post for you cuz obviously you cant handle some words.nerd
for four,yea four,i am immature so dont waste ur time saying it,cuz i can fortell you saying that,cuz thats exactly somethin a nerd like you would say.
for five,get a life


Damn dude... I think it's past your bed time. LOL
 
Woodrow said:
If you took the time to read what is said was the bbk was 20 degrees cooler than the CONE ON THE TB, which I was wrong it was the amf power pipe
What I was getting at was the cai was not much cooler than the under the hood heat. And there is a graph on there for you too, btw I was never supporting that cai worked but it looks a lot nicer than that gay ass red box cluttering your engine bay :flame:


Oh..I did miss read your post..sorry about that..as for the "gay red box" in my engine bay...sorry you don't like it..but hell you can't please every idiot that comes along can you.
 
darthcual said:
So what you are saying is we are suppose to trust you over some one else DMAN? If i go to my buddys work (lincoln tech institute) and take three pulls w/ a stock air box with a k & n filter, and three pulls w/ my bbk cold air intake and tell you the results will this finally put this to rest? I really dont know if i'm right or wrong but i noticed a difference when i put cai on my car. I still have stock intake and stock heads so just let me know.

The dyno test has been done SEVERAL times..the results on the BBK type cai is there was no increase to warrant the switch from the Stock set-up/K&N filter. Listen friend I'd want it to work too, hell I'd love to grap a product and by taking a half hour out of my day, gain 10-20HP.
Compliments of Mr.Yount:
http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2002/03/coldair/