CAI - weight savings??

[008]

The best reason to go with an aftermarket filter setup on a stock Protege is that you get rid of the tear-prone intake hose.

 

[tweety2300]

Fi cars will respond way better to intake and exhaust mods than an na car. Comparing gains between the 2 is like comparing a ford focus to a Lambo

 

[zoom zoom sp20]

The car in the video is not a NA car it is a R33 SKYLINE with a catback exhaust

 

[tweety2300]

The car in the video is not a NA car it is a R33 SKYLINE with a catback exhaust

Didn't refer to that video as it is bs for multiple reasons.
That's an Sri not a cai which is right near the radiator
Just for a reference an ms3 makes 15-20 whp more with an cai
It's a skyline obviously the intake system is Gona be freaking awesome
Filter looks like a spectre which is cheap garbage
I watched my brothers civic on the dyno and it made a 10 whp difference when they removed the filter
You can't expect a ram air to work properly like that when its just a fan blowing into it clearly there's Gona be more air going down the track at 100 mph

I'm not defending it by any means at all just stating my opinion. I make fun of people saying an intake will give a car 15 hp when most of the time it won't but there are certain cars that it will, mostly depends if its na or fi and how well the stock intake system is set up. On the protgs it's pretty decent so not much point in it other than noise and looks

 

[destineal]

Tweety. I had the very same problems with the video.

 

[zoom zoom sp20]

Didn't refer to that video as it is bs for multiple reasons.
That's an Sri not a cai which is right near the radiator
Just for a reference an ms3 makes 15-20 whp more with an cai
It's a skyline obviously the intake system is Gona be freaking awesome
Filter looks like a spectre which is cheap garbage
I watched my brothers civic on the dyno and it made a 10 whp difference when they removed the filter
You can't expect a ram air to work properly like that when its just a fan blowing into it clearly there's Gona be more air going down the track at 100 mph

I'm not defending it by any means at all just stating my opinion. I make fun of people saying an intake will give a car 15 hp when most of the time it won't but there are certain cars that it will, mostly depends if its na or fi and how well the stock intake system is set up. On the protgs it's pretty decent so not much point in it other than noise and looks

It's good to hear your opinion on CAI Tweety and yes I agree about the protg.

 

[bachman]

IMO, adding the CAI isn't a big gain but people do it for different reasons; Sound, looks on the motor, peak hp gains of 6 - 8 or more? maybe on some cars. Heck, look at dyno results/variations on the same car but different dynos.
If a vehicle has a limited, restricted or just plain poor intake flow due to OEM plumbing, I'm sure the CAI can and does help. The only problem I read of by users; They can induce problems is in wet weather / heavy rains.

 

[008]

I commuted 25 miles each way and one particular week of heavy rain gave me no issues with the CAI. The previous owner even cut the lower part of the inner fender away to access the filter easily.

 

[bachman]

Sounds like yours passed the rain test ! That's a good thing. ~lol~

I'm sure it's not a frequent problem, just one that can happen and has caused a few people to reconsider going CAI. Even if one does, the car can easily be restored to OEM if needed.
My guess is those that do have issues in rain may have much to do with the car design, front end, wheel wells etc and the air-water flow in those case by case designs. The CX-7 (my wife's ride) sits up pretty good whereas my car sits quite low although Colorado is pretty dry anyways.

I'm swapping out the intake tube on my car soon but will retain the OEM airbox versus going CAI. Reason being, the OEM plumbing is as good and maybe better than a cone catching air under the hood. The stock intake is said to be a 'hush' design (quiet baffle) and admittedly, I'm going for a more throaty sound and a gleaming high-polished mod look - haha ! The real key is I can do so for about $60.

It would be interesting to measure/graph cfm air flow at various speeds to see what vehicles benefit with CAI versus stock induction.

 

[008]

I'm swapping out the intake tube on my car soon but will retain the OEM airbox versus going CAI.

Not sure what you're doing here, but keep in mind the stock tube is attached to the engine and the airbox is mounted on the chassis. The flexible link is the intake tube between the throttle body and MAF. If you replace that with something rigid something has to give. The long tube CAI systems have enough silicone couplers and rubber mounts to allow the needed flex.

 

[bachman]

Not sure what you're doing here, but keep in mind the stock tube is attached to the engine and the airbox is mounted on the chassis. The flexible link is the intake tube between the throttle body and MAF. If you replace that with something rigid something has to give. The long tube CAI systems have enough silicone couplers and rubber mounts to allow the needed flex.

Thanks .... yeah this is a "Z-tube" type swap so the intake tube is non baffled like the Nissan Z350 whereas Infiniti uses a slightly different one. Lots of swaps just go to the Z350 tube but this aftermarket one is a nicer looking, easer to get and probably less expensive - a win win win.
It comes with new couplers, has the OEM hose fitting and no CAI type filter but rather than assume, I did email them to make sure it's a 1:1 fit replacing the plastic one.

~brian

 

[tweety2300]

The couplers will still let it flex...

 

[bachman]

Yes.
A rigid connector from the air box to the throttle body would seem less than ideal.
Nothing about this configuration is different from OEM in the respect of a tube and a coupler at each end. It's supposedly a bit nicer sound and we all how the horsepower claims go! (rolleyes)
With this mod and a new replacement K&N sticker under the hood, nobody will be able to catch me!

 

[bachman]

I put the new intake tube on the G coupe Saturday and it looks nice and fits good. For $58 and a few extra shipping, I'm happy. It's set up for CAI but I figured I could make it fit/work as to OEM airbox hook up and the K&N in place.
Even though my email questions about that were "no, it is not designed to work w/ OEM", it fits - works fine.
The only fitment issue is a slight offset angle but it's well within working tolerances with supplied couplers. Just thought I'd update.

I'll either email them so they know they can confidently says it works this way, or I might just write a short review for them.

http://www.z1motorsports.com/350_g35/popup_image.php?pID=3929&imageNum=2

 

[MrsZR7]

The best reason to go with an aftermarket filter setup on a stock Protege is that you get rid of the tear-prone intake hose.

That's the main reason why I did it. I am tight on funds, so $35 for an OEM replacement vs $218 for the Injen seemed logical too, but how long would that have lasted? Replacing it was a real PITA.

 

[MrsZR7]

I'd worried about the flex last week, when it started running like crap again. I checked all the connections, and the elbow wasn't very tight against the throttle body. I fixed that and checked all the other connections, replaced the #1 plug that was fouled somewhere in the process, and its running great now.
It does seem like it could use a little more room for flex.
On a side note, any complaints about the relocation of the coolant overflow? I don't like how it needs to be mounted now. It doesn't seem very sturdy.