Theory on aftermarket intakes

[dan]

the argument
many argue a stock air box makes more power than a cold air intake because the engineers that designed the car in the first place had it right too begin with, and many others argue that a aftermarket intake gives you great power gains, but some people like me think it all depends on several factors, you cant just throw a Cold air intake on a vehicle running it on a Dino and expect too get results, we have too ask ourselves several questions, there is just a lot being over looked. keep in mind as you read on these are theories of mine, i am not typing them as if they are facts…

Intakes

Short air intake/open cone
the idea behind a short air intake is too replace all the ducting, baffling, and corrugated tube that supposedly causes restriction buy the stock intake with short straight forward ducting and usually a large cone filter, this is supposed too increase power buy making it easier for the engine too breathe, but often it is argued that this can be bad because it causes the engine too breathe in hot air.

Cold air intake
a cold air intake ducts your intake too a separate part of the engine bay allowing your engine too breathe in cooler air that is more condensed, as well as replacing a panel filter with a cone filter, and the corrugated tubing with smooth tubes for freer flow.

theory

1 how much of a demand is there for intake air from your cars current engine and how restrictive is the stock intake in your car?
many people often go installing cold air intakes or open cone intakes thinking there are going too be major performance increases, the issue is how restrictive is the stock intake really too your current car. some vehicles have a engine that do not draw in much air and the stock intake may not be as restrictive as others, so installing a cold air intake or a short air intake on one of these vehicles may not result in much of a power gain over all, while some vehicles engines for performance could benefit from a increase in air flow and there stock intakes are restrictive too reduce induction noise, but even then still you will be lucky too get a 10% power gain from a aftermarket intake, a aftermarket intake really comes in handy when a car is HEAVILY modified… forced induction, cams, higher compression, being tuned for higher revs, these things demand more air, and at that point a stock air box can become very restrictive too the system, in this point noticeable power gains can be had from a aftermarket intake as the increase in air demand goes up

2 can your PCM compensate for the increase airflow?
this is why i laugh at people who put a car on a dyno, and do a stock baseline run, then right afterwards slap a aftermarket intake on and expect some results, then when the dyno says they have lost power they either go “derp…. this proves that aftermarket intakes are useless.” or they cry about it, and the truth is all you have done is run the engine lean! why? because the PCM has not adjusted for the increase airflow buy adding more fuel too the air yet! it takes some time of driving or so many miles before the engine adjusts the fuel trim, otherwise expect a loss of power, and even then some engines won’t adjust the air fuel mixture they will simply throw a engine light and say “low manifold pressure” or simply wont adjust… so you have too ask yourself will or has the PCM adjusted for increased airflow?

3 did you install correctly? does it really work?
some people take there aftermarket intake and install it incorrectly, some make there own aftermarket intake and its just a mess, they try and make some sort of cold air intake and tubes are going everywhere too get too the outside of the vehicle and in the end they got this tiny little open cone, this causes massive restriction, now your intake air has to go through this little cone filter and all over some tubes, intake boxes that go over the cone filter tightly to supply a cold air charge, now the air has too go through the box that has this tightly fitted filter, didn’t we try too avoid that with the stock air box? for best results its better too have as little plumbing as possible, with as few bends as possible, with a large a cone filter you can get on there with enough room too breathe, if you can get some cooler air its a bonus but in your hunt for cooler air if you have ducting everywhere and everything that should be breathing is a tight fit, you may not be gaining as much power.

4 forced induction VS cold air intakes
now here is the big issue, i have seen it before, someone has a supercharged or turbocharged car and they put a cold air intake on, then they put this massive open cone on inside the engine bay that has tons of room too breathe with a very straight forward short tube that allows very free air flow and they gain power, they then blame Cold Air Intakes and say they are too restrictive and useless. here is the issue… in the case of forced induction when you compress air in a supercharger it is heated up correct? then it is cooled down buy the intercooler too a pretty consistent temperature, so my question is what point is there for a cold air intake now if the turbo or blower is heating the air up and it is being cooled down buy a intercooler or heat exchanger? this is especially the case with turbocharged engines, not only is the air being compressed which makes it hotter, the turbine and compressor is spinning at over 100,000 RPM and that’s lots of friction and more heat, as well as the whole thing is being driven buy hot exhaust which can range between 600 too several thousand degrees, i have seen Turbo Turbine sides glow! don’t for a second tell me that doesn’t heat up the compressor side. and with a roots blower where nylon coated rotors rub agenst one another as they mesh and rub agents the casing creating a lot of heat, the air is being heated up rapidly, then going through what might be a heat exchanger if it is installed! what power is there too gain now from a cold air intake? the best thing you can do now too decrease intake air temps is too increase the efficiency of the intercooler, or replace with a better one. the best place for a cold air intake is a N/A application in my opinion, where the cold air charge has the best chance of staying cold.

5 people being over crucial about cold air intakes.
i think people don’t understand that the intake initially is the beginning of the travel of air, it will get heated up inside the intake tubes, going through the intake manifold, and into the combustion chamber, so cold air intake is not as effective as some like too say, so you have too be careful how far you go for that cold air charge because you may loose power in the process.

my verdict
a cold air intake or short air intake is one of those modifications that you do as a every little thing counts, real power gains are from, forced induction, increasing compression, modifying the fuel system, cams, and tuning… a Cold Air intake is just one of those little things.

My experiences
i have installed on my 2008 pontiac grand prix a cold air intake buy K&N… many tell me that i have over paid for my purchase perhaps i have perhaps not, but i like how the kit came with a mounting bracket for the PCM and the heat shield which doubles as a splash shield protecting the cone filter and PCM from water and debris. after installation the one thing i noticed most of all was throttle response, the car was quicker too respond too accelerator imput, a slight improvement in acceleration was noted, and a very angry induction roar was a great bonus… overall i was pleased, but weather it actually helps the air be “cold.” is another thing.

Topic

[dan]

check this out guys and gals…

they did it right, they did some runs let the PCM make adjustments for A/F mixture, with a N/A car and the result was… well in line with the feeling I got with the install of it on my car.

[Ian Williams]

[quote=”13aceofspades13″ post=119802]check this out guys and gals…

they did it right, they did some runs let the PCM make adjustments for A/F mixture, with a N/A car and the result was… well in line with the feeling I got with the install of it on my car.[/quote]

This is what I found as well , the factory intake on my car is small for the size of engine it didn’t take long for the pcm to learn that more air was being sucked in after I fitted the CAI it very much depends on the car and what CAI you choose

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[Author]

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