COLD AIR INTAKE does it make sense???

Maciek · Aug 4th, 2003, 02:29 PM

Hi,
I am thinking of installing a CAI. I am sure this is not a new topic but bare with me. Don't some CAIs require drilling a hole in the wheel well and some are just a straight install under the hood?
It makes sense to drill the hole and have cold air comming straight to the filter, but I don't really want to be doing no drilling in the metal of my new ride...
But how the hell the ones without any drilling get COLD air into the filter??? The damn thing is in the engine compartment, where it is hot as hell! Even if you put some sort of separator wall to shield it off where is it supposed to get that COLD AIR from that everyone is talking about????????????????
Can anyone answer that for me in an informative manner, please?

psuLemon · Aug 4th, 2003, 02:42 PM

many topics on this.. but if the maxima is anything like the 200sx, you have to remove the stock air box and get a dremel and open up that whole to fit a cai in.... there is no way you fit a 3" pipe in the whole.. but if you want a cai, you have to do some cutting..

PatScottAKA99XE · Aug 5th, 2003, 09:58 AM

The ones that place the filter under the hood are not CAIs, they are WAIs(Warm Air Intake). They offer a power gain compared to the stock setup, but not as much as the CAI.

StevenLK · Aug 5th, 2003, 06:09 PM

colder air means dinser air. and more air more fuel . bigger explosion. ect... but makes sense. when u get short ram/warm air. its gettin hot engine air. and CAI the Cold Air Induction is COLDER then the air u get with a WAI and how fast it suck's by the time its gets to the intake manifold it happens to be cOoLeR then the WAI's air. but u can get WAI u can make it a Ram' buy taking out the side of the headlight is on . . .

psuLemon · Aug 5th, 2003, 07:57 PM

a cai intake is more beneficial for you car... the cooler your car runs the better and more power you are gonna get out of it.. a car will last longer if you have cooler air in it then if you have hotter air, but this mostly applies if you are mostly pushing higher hp....

Wont Be Beat · Aug 5th, 2003, 08:12 PM

"Cold" is a relative term.

psuLemon · Aug 5th, 2003, 08:13 PM

you got a point... but finding ways to drop the temp is always good and anything to get rid of friction...

darkelf · Aug 6th, 2003, 06:17 PM

I have an under bonnet solution but its not exactly pretty on the inside. My Pod is chilled within an insulated foam box wrapped in heat resitant foil so once the bonnet is lifted you see a rather messy box. It will soon be replaced by a full fibreglass and carbon fibre box but not until after my new engine is installed this coming weekend.

I also have the suteki cold air induction corner indicator flow to help out. It is the stage one of the full air box still in development.
if the following images doesn't load... then click here and follow the link that asks for you to see the file... they dont like cross linked files.

From the outside:

Maciek · Aug 15th, 2003, 03:09 PM

I hear that you can't drive in the rain with the CAI because of the hole, drilled in the wheelwell. Is that so?

Maciek · Aug 15th, 2003, 03:59 PM

I don't want to drill a hole in the sheetmetal. Wouldn't it have the same effect if I simply fed custom tubing from let's say the fog light opening to the heat shield box?

Honest Bob · Aug 16th, 2003, 12:43 AM

I beleive AEM has some sort of valve availible to stop the moister from entering the engine.

DINAMAXX SENTRA · Aug 16th, 2003, 07:06 AM

I created my own cold air intake system on my 91 sentra xe, or should i call it a cold air intake? u decide. I had originally removed the stock air box and installed a k&N high flow filter, this maid me hear a nice sound from my intake , but no noticeable gain in hp. After a race, or to wit a single cam, 1.6 vtec civic, i noticed , it had make a difference, i then got some tubing, and wit a lil Mcgyvering, managed to fit it neatly, into the stock hole in the sheet metal of my car with no cutting, the k&n fit neatly in the wheel well, no prob, now the v_tec cant get away from my ga16de

Mr.Kouki · Aug 21st, 2003, 05:14 PM

this whole cold air= more hp shouldn't be the deciding factor in buying an intake....CAI such as the AEM have a hump, known as the 'aem hump'...the CAI's make most of thier power in the lower to mid range band, while SRI, make thiers at the upper rpm range..as for this whole cold air is better. that's a bunch of crap in my opinon. the only reason the CAI's make 'more' power overall, is because the tube is longer and that lenght creates velocity, therefore ramming more air in at a time...also, it's been proven that while moving, the air in the CAI and the SRI have been shown to both be ambient...in other words, it's all about where you want your power gain to be...low-mid, or high end...you decide...also, once the car is moving, fresh cool air is constantly being pushed into the engine bay...the only reason CAI's make more hp on the dyno, is because it's on a dyno...the car is stationary, therefore, no fresh air is being constantly pushed in the engine bay, so the cooler air from the outside is what's giving you the extra hp...but then again that doesn't matter, because who really cares about how much hp they make while not moving?...all I can say is research research research!!....this old way of thinking 'cold air is better' isn't always true...

OmegaManEX · Aug 21st, 2003, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Maciek
I don't want to drill a hole in the sheetmetal. Wouldn't it have the same effect if I simply fed custom tubing from let's say the fog light opening to the heat shield box?

If the front end of your max is designed anything like the sentra/200sx in the engine bay you see the wheel well which has a hole for the stock intake box . From the outside , the wheel well is covered by a plastic shroud (this is what keeps the wheel from splashing water in the engine bay) . Between the Metal wheel well and the plastic Shroud there is a space , usually located in/around the bumper , and this is where the CAI piping and filter go .. so everything should stay dry and happy there as long as your not in foot deep water. .... . About the hole :: this hole is usually 2-3 in wide and intake piping is usually 1/2 - 1 in bigger , so all you would have to do is make it slightly larger. A dremel or any other rotary cutting tool would be best and do the cleanest job without much work , or you can just cut , maybe , 4 slits around the hole and just bend the metal down.

about your idea :: on some domestic cars ive seen an intake system where it looks primarily like a short ram intake but at the end of the filter there is a tube that sticks out and goes to the fenderwell , which i guess make it a CAI/WAI.

darkelf · Aug 28th, 2003, 08:02 PM

I was planning on rebuilding my cold air box utilising the inner wheel guard to funnel air through to the engine bay but its now shredded after tearing at the front during a spirited highway run and the front half is now in bits after the air pressure forced it against the new tyres... took about 2 minutes of highway driving to wear through it... ooops... custom fibreglass one will just HAVE to be made now.. hehe