Cold Air Intake Question...

[Kriesel]

Has anyone had any problems with a CAI? I worried mostly about water getting into the engine if I drive out in the rain, not in puddles mind you, but just out driving. I've also seen a couple intake with a like bypass air filter half-way up the intake to prevent water getting in the engine or something. Basically, has anyone had any problems with a CAI and water. I've held off getting an intake because I'm a little worried about water getting up there. I've been looking at a Ractive CAI with a heat shield filter. Thanks to anyone that can help me out a little. I think I'm just too worried about this...

[SpeedFreak03]

Yea getting water in the intake with a CAI is a problem, and it is something you should worry about, so your not too worried . Anyway those CAIs with the bypass like you said, work well. But I would just go with a short-ram intake. That 1-2HP difference just isn't worth the risk of water in your intake, and you won't notice the difference in power. I'd rather sacrifice 1-2HP and get a short-ram intake, rather then risk a $1000 engine by getting a CAI.

[MRX]

the bypass is like $20 on ebay or whatever and its a safety $20 as opposed to a seized engine because it sucked up some water. Its basically ur call, a cold air intake will only yeild like 7-9 hp and the bypass will take away about 2-3 hp some times in the powerband. This has been discussed with no conclusion really. IMO losing 2-3 hp and having the undoubted security of ur engine not blowing up is the way to go...all ur decision tho...good luck whatever it is

[phatdoughnut]

just get a SR, CAI suck! there is only like 1-2 horse power difference, and by the time you slap on the bypass valve, your under The performance of a SR.

plus the response of a SR is awesome..

[Kriesel]

yeah, i think i'm sold to the idea of a SR now... thanks guys

[GrayCar]

Ok, the CAI and water thing...

I understand if you hit enough water to submerge the intake you're toast, but what about rain?

I see all these Subarus and what not running around with hood scoops, wouldn't they have a problem with rain getting in especially since it looks like it would run right up the hood?

Wouldn't they NOT make a car with a hood scoop like that if it could screw your motor?

[SpeedFreak03]

To my knowledge, the hood scoop thing is fine because its only a little water at a time (a few raindrops here or there), the water will just evaporate from the high temps, no problem. But hydrolock occurs when a shitload of water gets sucked in at once, the piston trys to compress the water, and since water can't be compressed, well, you have some bent rods and a seized motor. Of course your gonna get some water in there with any car, but what doesn't get "sponged up" by the air filter (and evaporates eventually) will evaporate from the high temps in the combustion chamber.

[GrayCar]

Now that's what I thought, but nobody in any of these discussions ever make the distinction between rain and submerged.

I love the look of a the small hood scoop and it seems like a cool way to make a somewhat of a SR/CAI.

[SpeedFreak03]

Hood scoops do look awesome and they are very functional. Yea its fine if its just small little raindrops, but when your air filter is submerged in a puddle, with mostly water and hardly any air coming in, you have hydrolock. Its just too much water to evaporate at one time.

[Kriesel]

i've seen TWO db7's with hood scoops that worked... i was thinkin of doing the same to mine. wouldn't be hard since i'm pretty good with metal work. i've got pics of those two DB7s with scoops if anyone would like to see them...

[SpeedFreak03]

Man a CB7 with a scoop, that would be awesome! I think the CB7 would benifit from a hood scoop. I saw on Horsepower TV they had some custom car with two engines that had a really functional hood scoop(s) - its hard to explain but Ill try. There was a really big hole in the hood, then attached to the top of the engine was a big duct that would stick out of the hole in the hood. At the bottom of this duct (it was like a 90 degree duct) was a circular air filter. I attached a ghetto diagram of what im trying to describe. I think if you built a much smaller duct, and had a regular cone air filter, it would be an excellent design. A lot of people just have scoops that pour cold air into the engine bay, but its not channeled anywhere. With this type of design, you get cold intake air, and a cooler engine bay.

[GrayCar]

Right, between the scoop and the airbox/intake you would need some sort of seal between the hood and the top of the air box.

Nothing major.

They have a few WRX style scoops on sale through Ebay and such.

My only concern is since they're fiberglass, first off, getting a nice good bond to the hood.

Secondly, since the hood flexes so much, either cracking the scoop or the paint around whatever bonding material/filler you used to mount it.

I'm not a body guy, so if somebody can shed light, that would be rad.

[SpeedFreak03]

Well with the HP TV hood scoop, they just had a hole in the hood. The scoop was actually mounted to the engine, so when you lifted the hood, the scoop was still there. That way you don't have to worry about bonding things, just get out the jigsaw .

[GrayCar]

The scoop mounted directly to the engine is called a shaker scoop or shaker hood.

Old hot rod terms.

[P M]

i have a generic ebay intake right now... but im thinking of upgrading to a CAI of some sort... thing is with the CAI there's more power available towards the lower rpm range of the power band... where as the short ram is geared to more top end power... im more for lower power as our cars are not 'race cars.'

i was also thinking of doing a custom cooling box for the short ram so that it is enclosed and isolated from the hot engine bay... but im still deciding between CAI or SR