Well I did it. I took a hacksaw to my CAI, to make a SRI for winter.
On Sunday, I made a SRI from the injen CAI. I don't have plans to go back to a CAI in the spring so I took out the hacksaw. I cut about 3" off the pipe that connects to the turbo at the MAF side. I took off the flange (about 1/2 an inch) on the part that would normally go into the fender well, and I cut with the radius of the bend about 2" past where the temp sensor goes in. I sanded it all with 400 grit emory cloth to remove all the metal shavings and reassembled it.
First, it works.
Second, I know my filter is dirty (which is one major reason for making a SRI - I hated cleaning my filter because it's such a pain to get to).
Third, it seems like throttle response is a TOUCH faster. Maybe I'm just imagining things.
So how does it work? Well, I have external temperature gauge on my review mirror. I have an intake manifold temp gauge. With the CAI, at a stop light (one wait, average stop length), the IM temp didn't rise at all. Now, it rises about 2-3 degrees. However, with less than 45 seconds of driving the IM temp is back down to about a degree above the exterior temp (which is where it was with the CAI all the time). It will stay at the exterior temp with any sustained driving over about 50 kph (haven't tested it at lower speeds). I also haven't sat at idle for a long period of time in rush hour to compare that, but even with the CAI the IM temp would rise to 55+ degrees celcius, then come back down to the exterior temp (our IM is heated by rad fluid from what I understand). These comparisons were all made in exterior temps of around 3 or 4 degrees celcius. We'll see how it goes in the spring time, but for now I'm glad to have the filter in my engine bay....
On Sunday, I made a SRI from the injen CAI. I don't have plans to go back to a CAI in the spring so I took out the hacksaw. I cut about 3" off the pipe that connects to the turbo at the MAF side. I took off the flange (about 1/2 an inch) on the part that would normally go into the fender well, and I cut with the radius of the bend about 2" past where the temp sensor goes in. I sanded it all with 400 grit emory cloth to remove all the metal shavings and reassembled it.
First, it works.
Second, I know my filter is dirty (which is one major reason for making a SRI - I hated cleaning my filter because it's such a pain to get to).
Third, it seems like throttle response is a TOUCH faster. Maybe I'm just imagining things.
So how does it work? Well, I have external temperature gauge on my review mirror. I have an intake manifold temp gauge. With the CAI, at a stop light (one wait, average stop length), the IM temp didn't rise at all. Now, it rises about 2-3 degrees. However, with less than 45 seconds of driving the IM temp is back down to about a degree above the exterior temp (which is where it was with the CAI all the time). It will stay at the exterior temp with any sustained driving over about 50 kph (haven't tested it at lower speeds). I also haven't sat at idle for a long period of time in rush hour to compare that, but even with the CAI the IM temp would rise to 55+ degrees celcius, then come back down to the exterior temp (our IM is heated by rad fluid from what I understand). These comparisons were all made in exterior temps of around 3 or 4 degrees celcius. We'll see how it goes in the spring time, but for now I'm glad to have the filter in my engine bay....
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