CAI systems

[mtnbk]

Gentlemen/Ladies,

I've read numerous threads and posts about CAI systems. Allow me to offer these thoughts.
Before investing in a CAI system, ask yourself exactly what it does. It allegedly offers colder air to the intake, it reduces restriction, and it increases airflow capacity.

I offer for your thoughts my own solution.
I first removed the plug from the lower artificial ram air scoop and replaced it with a grill made from a rain gutter leaf catching screen. That provided me with true outside air, in a ram air intake scoop.

I then removed the lower air filter housing. I removed the OEM snorkle (with a restricted diameter of 1-7/8"), drilled an additional 1-5/8" next to the OEM hole (it's necessary to leave room for the filter), and attached 2-1/2" and 1-1/2" shop vac hoses. The open ends drop to just above and behind the ram air intake. I also cut and attached to the hoses velocity horns from football game rally horns. Bernoulli's theory works in plastic too.

I then opening the front of the wheel well splash shield and closed the openings in the cavity with plastic cut from a storage bin and installed with mounting tape. That created a "chamber" behind the ram air opening into which the air intake hoses dangle. I cut small drain chutes in the bottom of the splash shield. This setup allows the rainwater, which is heavier than air and has more inertia, to splash into the plastic and drain out while the cold air is being drawn up the intake hoses.

I also put a short rectangular chute (cut from a juice bottle) to protect the left front airbag sensor, which is located just behind and to the right of the ram air intake.

Lastly, I removed the sound baffle from the inside of the air filter box's upper half. CORRECTION: the "sound baffle" is actually a carbon filter.
http://tijil.org/Scion_Docs/Scion_06...r/2azfeint.pdf

In summary, I now have a true cold-air ram intake, capacity improvement of 93% (measured), reduced restriction, and no danger of ingesting water.

The performance improvement is dramatic, especially at speed.

Total cost:
2-1/2" hose $20
1-1/2" hose $15
mounting tape $6
plastic bin $8
juice bottle free

Enjoy.

[navylife59]

A true modder at heart indeed. Just goes to prove that everything does not need a brand name label on it. You did forget one crucial part that CAI kits have that makes them a cut above. The decal? Where's the decal. Every brand name CAI kit comes with a decal that is worth atleast 10WHP. If your lucky and there is two in the box, well, you are looking at 20WHP! Gotta have that decal.

Kidding aside, interested in seeing a few picts of your mod. What did you do for the Helmholtz Resonator?

[mtnbk]

Thanks.

I did nothing for the resonator. I left the box in the side of the intake. I liked the tone the way it was....however, I added the touch of covering the entire induction system with thermal barrier/insulation, which also damps sound, and that nice purr at WOT almost disappeared. Interesting, because I had already previously gutted everything from the B-pillars back, put structural dampener (the same as Dynomat) on all the sheetmetal and then layered everything including the walls of the cavities with carpet padding to reduce sound...which it did....amazingly well. The structural damper I order from the manufacturer at about 60% less than Dynomat, and the carpet padding I got at Building 19, a warehouse discount "junk" store, for $6. I tested the padding for thermal stability (it begins to destabilize at 400F) and flammability (it's totally inflammable). No signs of outgassing either. End story, I got added power at speed, retained my mileage should I decide to drive consevatively, and have a much quieter ride too. One CAN have one's cake and eat it too. I should add that I lost about 2mpg when driving aggressively. The added power comes from the gas, after all, not from the air. The loss of mileage simply means I truely am getting more power and my MAF sensor is working perfectly.

The decals say "Lowes".