thebeansoldier
Member
- :
- '02 Honda S2000
I'm currently in the process of testing Simota's CAI, the Twin Charger. Many of you know of the Simota SRI, but the CAI is relatively unknown. The Twin Charger system uses the Venturi effect, which speeds up the air that goes into the TB. While the transition in pipe diameter isn't drastic: from 2-5/8" to 2-3/8" to 2.5", the overall narrow diameter gives you a good amount of low end torque.
The kit comes in several pieces. While most intakes for the 3 come with only 1 or 2 major tubing pieces, this particular CAI comes with 3: top and bottom tubing and a coupler. This coupler not only connects the two tubes, it's also a joint, and also absorbs engine vibrations (instead of using a small vibra-mount).
Install takes a little more work cause you have to align all the pieces first before tightening all the clamps. The breather tube has to connect to the stock breather tube and I had to cut a little bit off the Simota tubing to remove some of the slack.
Here, you can see that difference in tubing size of the top and bottom, and how the assembled piece looks like the AEM without the sharper bend just before the TB.
Twin Charger vs AEM
Since the design looks like AEM, I'll compare both. One thing I noticed about the TC is that it has more low end torque than the AEM. Also, when you're bogging, AEM (and some other CAIs) produces a very audible ticking sound from a butterfly valve-- you have to either downshift or just wait for it to go away as the RPMs rise. Oddly enough, this intake does have the ticking. It could be from the better angled bend just before the TB. The overall length of the tubing is a tad shorter than the AEM, which contributes to its good throttle response which is a great for bumper to bumper traffic and short fun runs.
During very casual stop and go, the AEM tends to make the car shudder before it gets going. Twin Charger just picks up and goes.
The filter orientation is the same as the AEM-- but the majority of the TC's filter is next to the wheel well ducting, so the filter gets wet a lot. This is great for warm/summer weather, but you have to be really careful during rainy days. I triggered a CEL going on an onramp during the rain- twice. It's no big deal since it didn't go into limp-home mode, and the CEL went away the next morning on both occasions. The CEL was MAF high input. That happens when a local wash doesn't know you have a CAI and sprays the bottom of the car hard and/or you create enough suction to have a mist cool your MAF's hotwire (ecu then thinks there's way too much air than normal, then triggers a cel). I suggest purchasing a pre-filter/outerware instead of a metal splash shield so you don't cover any of the cold air being pulled from the ducting. I put my F2's pre-filter on it and went through that same wet onramp to redline hard with no CEL.
The fiter itself is a polyurethane coated mesh (compared to K&N's cotton), so it flows way more and but might not absorb water as much as a cotton filter. That's all I know about it for now. You can replace it with any filter, including AEM's Dryflow; Or just protect it with a splash shield or pre-filter you can pick up from a local shop.
Here's a filter orientation between the two. I made an outline so you can see how the TC's filter sits while the pre-filter's on.
Twin Charger vs F2
A few things I noticed when comparing these two: with the F2 the engine revs a little quicker on WOT even while starting from lower engine speeds. While the TC puts most of its power down low, it doesn't have the same engine breathing feel at freeway speeds where the F2's 3" diameter shines. Maybe if the TC's bottom tubing was a little bit wider than 2-5/8" or if the top tubing was just a little more than 2-3/8". Completely different designs yields completely different results so it's a little more difficult to compare the two.
Conclusion:
I have not tried just using the top part of the intake (a la "SRI mode"). I had one hell of a time aligning all 3 pieces and don't plan on taking it apart any time soon. I'm not too sure it will work as the filter might keep hitting the frame. The rubber elbow to the TB is made of very tough material that you won't need bracket to hold the tubing in place, but as I said, your filter might keep hitting the frame.
Bottom line, this is one very good intake. Better off the line against the AEM, more low end torque, fun to assemble and costs less than half the price.
The kit comes in several pieces. While most intakes for the 3 come with only 1 or 2 major tubing pieces, this particular CAI comes with 3: top and bottom tubing and a coupler. This coupler not only connects the two tubes, it's also a joint, and also absorbs engine vibrations (instead of using a small vibra-mount).
Install takes a little more work cause you have to align all the pieces first before tightening all the clamps. The breather tube has to connect to the stock breather tube and I had to cut a little bit off the Simota tubing to remove some of the slack.
Here, you can see that difference in tubing size of the top and bottom, and how the assembled piece looks like the AEM without the sharper bend just before the TB.
Twin Charger vs AEM
Since the design looks like AEM, I'll compare both. One thing I noticed about the TC is that it has more low end torque than the AEM. Also, when you're bogging, AEM (and some other CAIs) produces a very audible ticking sound from a butterfly valve-- you have to either downshift or just wait for it to go away as the RPMs rise. Oddly enough, this intake does have the ticking. It could be from the better angled bend just before the TB. The overall length of the tubing is a tad shorter than the AEM, which contributes to its good throttle response which is a great for bumper to bumper traffic and short fun runs.
During very casual stop and go, the AEM tends to make the car shudder before it gets going. Twin Charger just picks up and goes.
The filter orientation is the same as the AEM-- but the majority of the TC's filter is next to the wheel well ducting, so the filter gets wet a lot. This is great for warm/summer weather, but you have to be really careful during rainy days. I triggered a CEL going on an onramp during the rain- twice. It's no big deal since it didn't go into limp-home mode, and the CEL went away the next morning on both occasions. The CEL was MAF high input. That happens when a local wash doesn't know you have a CAI and sprays the bottom of the car hard and/or you create enough suction to have a mist cool your MAF's hotwire (ecu then thinks there's way too much air than normal, then triggers a cel). I suggest purchasing a pre-filter/outerware instead of a metal splash shield so you don't cover any of the cold air being pulled from the ducting. I put my F2's pre-filter on it and went through that same wet onramp to redline hard with no CEL.
The fiter itself is a polyurethane coated mesh (compared to K&N's cotton), so it flows way more and but might not absorb water as much as a cotton filter. That's all I know about it for now. You can replace it with any filter, including AEM's Dryflow; Or just protect it with a splash shield or pre-filter you can pick up from a local shop.
Here's a filter orientation between the two. I made an outline so you can see how the TC's filter sits while the pre-filter's on.
Twin Charger vs F2
A few things I noticed when comparing these two: with the F2 the engine revs a little quicker on WOT even while starting from lower engine speeds. While the TC puts most of its power down low, it doesn't have the same engine breathing feel at freeway speeds where the F2's 3" diameter shines. Maybe if the TC's bottom tubing was a little bit wider than 2-5/8" or if the top tubing was just a little more than 2-3/8". Completely different designs yields completely different results so it's a little more difficult to compare the two.
Conclusion:
I have not tried just using the top part of the intake (a la "SRI mode"). I had one hell of a time aligning all 3 pieces and don't plan on taking it apart any time soon. I'm not too sure it will work as the filter might keep hitting the frame. The rubber elbow to the TB is made of very tough material that you won't need bracket to hold the tubing in place, but as I said, your filter might keep hitting the frame.
Bottom line, this is one very good intake. Better off the line against the AEM, more low end torque, fun to assemble and costs less than half the price.
