MODS to avoid

[MarineDeuce]

Have had a number of folks with modern hot rods sing the praises of CAIs to me and urge .e to install one. I have taken the view that some data might be helpful before doing such a thing. The car displays the outside temperature on the radio. Bought a $3 Chinese OBDII Bluetooth reader and loaded Torque app on phone to read Intake Air Temp. Without mods the difference usually settles around 7 or 8 degrees F. This results in an exceptionally small percentage change in air density - near unnoticeable. If, however, you just have to have it colder, I suggest the following; remove the air filter box, top, bottom and inlet tube. Wrap all of these as completely as possible with aluminum backed foam of eight inch thickness, sticky back. Reassemble. Remove the IAT/MAF sensor and examine the thermistor to assure it is clean. Reinstall. Run down the road and note the temperatures. In my car today, outside air was 42 degrees F and intake air was 43.5 degrees F. NO AFTERMARKET CAI WILL DO THAT with no other mods like a tune. Spend your money on a tuner like HP.

 

[Svtpilot]

You are correct ,an aftermarket CAI will not provide colder and therefore denser intake charge than the stock airbox. The name "cold air intake" is a misnomer and left over from the Fox and SN95 Mustang days when after market CAIs actually did provide colder air by relocating the air filter from the engine compartment to the space between the inner and outer fenders, better isolating it from engine heat. However what you are not taking into account is the greatly increased airflow provided by after market CAIs, and they in fact should be called High Flow Intakes instead of Cold Air. This combined with retuning to handle the additional airflow is where the power and torque gains come from. Not from reduced intake air temperature as the name CAI implies.

 

[MarineDeuce]

Hey, thanks for the reply. Having done some machining work on the efi intake for some late 80s Vettes, my conclusions about air flow are that the throttle body is the biggest culprit. Changing out heads for bigger valves and cams for lift and duration helped but opening the throttle body to flow more and headers and exhaust made those pups come alive. I would like to see data for an open throttle body - straight oversized pipe no air filter with a maf and intake air temp on a dyno vs a factory cold air intake with same sensors. I'm betting 5 horse max. Could be wrong but that's my guess.

 

[Red_LX]

"Cold air" intakes aren't worth much on these cars alone, most tuners recommend them just for the increased air flow when you do a tune. Is it necessary, I dunno, probably not. The tune is where you get all the power. Not sure what car/engine you have exactly but good mods on these cars are generally tune, long tube headers, full exhaust, cams, and a charge motion delete. Throttle bodies give you next to nothing and aren't worth the money unless you have forced induction-even then the cost-to-return ratio is questionable.

 

[MarineDeuce]

"Cold air" intakes aren't worth much on these cars alone, most tuners recommend them just for the increased air flow when you do a tune. Is it necessary, I dunno, probably not. The tune is where you get all the power. Not sure what car/engine you have exactly but good mods on these cars are generally tune, long tube headers, full exhaust, cams, and a charge motion delete. Throttle bodies give you next to nothing and aren't worth the money unless you have forced induction-even then the cost-to-return ratio is questionable.

I agree. Mine is a standard 2013 coyote. I run a 125 hp nitrous system with a homemade HP tune that adjusts timing a bit retarded over all maps, a 7500 rpm redline and a few other things. Also NGK 94862 plugs. I run at 6000 feet elevation so that softens the nitrous hit a bit. Pretty impressive performance IMHO.

 

[cbxer55]

I have cais on all my vehicles. First thing I do when I buy a vehicle. The WeaponR intake on my Mustang came with a velocity stack that is mounted in the grill, and a hose that routes from there to the filter, or somewhere in close proximity to the filter. The cai on my 3.0 Ranger, I have two tubes routed to very close proximity to the filter. The cai on my Lightning is an old style JLP set up which has a scoop that mounts in the grill or below the fascia, and a hose that routes to and connects to the end of the filter.

In any event, I do it as much for looks as for increasing intake noise. The Lightning is fairly quiet with the stock intake muffler. With any cai, it gets loud fast. And during the winter, the cais on all three are cold to the touch when I open the hood after prolonged driving. Obviously there is absolutely nothing you can do when it's hot and humid outside. Not even the stock set up is helpful in 100+ weather. When it's hot, it's hot. When it's not, it's not. Operate accordingly.

Weapon-R® - Secret Weapon Aluminum Polished Short Ram Air Intake System with Black Filter

Ford Mustang 2007, Secret Weapon Aluminum Polished Short Ram Air Intake System by Weapon-R®. Weapon-R air intake parts are engineered and built to make your engine breathe more smoothly, resulting in increased performance and reduced fuel consumption.

www.carid.com

 

[cbxer55]

This site acts funky some times. Cannot edit the above post. Cursor won't place. The pics in the above post are first the Ranger and second the Lightning. Much better looking than the stupid crinkly black rubber hoses that connect the MAF to the TB on both vehicles. Even though the Ranger is mostly an overly busy looking engine compartment. Too damn many hoses and whatnot.

I did the intake on the Mustang the second week I had the car. I just don't have any pictures as of yet. My Ranger is my daily drive "beater". I drive it when Mother Nature is acting badly, which is often in Oklahoma. BWAHAHA! Weather looks promising this weekend, so I'll drive it out to my favorite scenic picture taking spot, Lake Stanley Draper in Oklahoma City and get some pics.

Mod to avoid though? Really? I tried putting the stock intake on my Ranger one time. It ran so piss poorly compared to how it runs with the cai, I took it all off and threw it in the round-open-top file so I'd never be tempted to do it again. The 3.0 Ranger's intake tube is pinched down way too much from the MAF to the TB. It's that way because it increases low end power, but restricts top end. The tube on there now is a full 3.0 inch from MAF to TB. Stock was pinched dow to maybe 1.5 inches. It revs to the moon with the cai on there, where with the stock it didn't. The chip on the computer raises the shift points on the transmission noticeably higher and it works well with the intake and the no muffler shorty exhaust to really make it sing a tune.

In aircraft flying, there is something called the "three H's". High, Hot and Humid. You really have to be careful flying a light general aviation aircraft in those conditions. Takeoff will be longer, landing will require higher speed. And no matter what intake you have on your vehicle, there is nothing you can do when it's Three H weather. All my vehicles run sweet in the winter, and there's a reason us in the Lightning community refer to cold weather as Good Boost Weather. Even with a cai.

Iv'e been driving and modding vehicles since 1976. And always, the first thing I do is change the intake. Always have, always will. YMMV! ;-)

 

[Sycostang67]

I no longer trust the filters these kits come with. I bought a new AFE intake for my 2001 cummins with a dry washable filter. After 6 months there was a layer of dust on the inside of intake tube. I tossed the kit and put a giant paper filter back on, problem solved. I just checked it the other day and no dust at all. I've seen too many dusted diesels running K&N filters to put one of those in anything either.

 

[cbxer55]

Dust huh? Dust isn't going to harm anything and will burn off in combustion. LOL!!

The Ranger above has has that intake on it for 20 years. Never had a problem with it. It will change over to 168,000 miles real soon. Doesn't burn any oil. The Lightning has had that set up on it for 10 years, never a problem. It has 69,000+ miles on it. Doesn't burn any oil. I had the intake off the Lightning in July last year to put a new blower on it, the Magnum Powers in the picture. Intake was perfectly fine, no dust, a thin layer of oil, which is typical on Lightnings, so I re-did the PCV system to accept an oil separator.

For several years, I drove a 78 Trans with a Am with a 455, fitted with a cowl induction hood, carburetor sealed to the hood scoop by a pan with thick foam around the edges. Sitting on the Holley four barrel an open top velocity stack. Drove the living hell out of that, never experienced a problem. Also rode several motorcycles, four cylinder, fitted with open top velocity stacks. Never a problem. But hey, I'm 58. Guess I'm just old school. ;-)