Thread: best air intake

I personally think the fenderwell intake is best, but it requires, in all the versions Ive seen, that you cut out the fender support brace to get it to work. Which doing so is okay and will not harm the car, but Im of the opinion I dont want to be cutting anything on my car.

After that, I personally like the K&N (minus the K&N filter) FIPK system, but they seem a little over priced in my opinion. I would love to pick up a used one for a resonable price and if you could find one, it may be a good option.

After that, all the others seem to be pretty much the same design, Thrasher, Wizaired, etc. What you will need to consider is what to do with your PCM because it is contained within the OEM airbox. Some of the after market kits deal with this, others dont, so be thinking about that. There are some options out there.

Hope this helps out.

Originally Posted by GR8racingfool

My intake is a 9" K&N open cone, to a 4" 45* bent piece of diesel exhaust pipe powder coated red to a LS1 MAF, then to a LS1 TB. Throttle response is just freaking awesome on my car.

~F~

Farns, is that diesel exhaust metal? Im assuming so since you had it powder coated. Ive looked at Marine exhaust since its semi-flexible, you can get it in large diameters, and would be resistant to heat soak (though you could still wrap some reflectix around it).

Fenderwell - hands down. Whatever you decide to use - either a home-made version - or spend big bucks - you will see much better gains over the stock config and definitely over a "Cold" air intake. Those are for looks only in my opinion - the gains over stock are negligible at best.

Here are some pics of Farns' intake, then Brian's, then my old one (now Abrasive's). I bought the JMB intake - and yes it required a good amount of surgery to make it fit correctly and honestly I don't know that I'd do it again. I would probably go the route the Jason or Brian did, to be honest. But mine was purdy.

Farns:



Brian (Reptile)



JB (Abrasive - my old car)



-Swash

wow I can't believe someone lit this wick so soon.

Just know that a properly installed CAI gives you the cold air of a fwi and a shorter distance for the air to travel like an open cone.
Downside to a CAI - price and the room a box takes up
Downside to an open cone - heated air intake, moreso on a daily driver.
Downside to a fwi - long way for the air to travel and the filter is exposed to more dirt and some have said water.

I run an AEM driflow filter and wouldn't use anything else.

Originally Posted by IndeedSS

wow I can't believe someone lit this wick so soon.

Just know that a properly installed CAI gives you the cold air of a fwi and a shorter distance for the air to travel like an open cone.
Downside to a CAI - price and the room a box takes up
Downside to an open cone - heated air intake, moreso on a daily driver.
Downside to a fwi - long way for the air to travel and the filter is exposed to more dirt and some have said water.

I run an AEM driflow filter and wouldn't use anything else.

I don't want to beat the dead CAI horse anymore than it already has been. But from personal experience - with both Thrasher and MSP air boxes - my temps were 10-12* above ambient, pretty steadily - when I installed my FWI - my temps were 3-4* above ambient - at worst.
I think if you're going to have an intake - and it's intended to pull in the coolest air possible - then you should pull it from as low to the ground as possible. That being said - yes - you will have more maintenance (filter cleaning) than with a stock or CAI box, but it's worth it to get the gains. As for water entering the intake - not likely, unless one drives through excessively high water - like, over the wheels. In that case - they will likely have other issues than hydro lock to contend with.

With a FWI - yes there is a longer distance for the air to travel, but it's also coming in at a greater volume.

In the end - it's your car; your choice - do want you want.

Indeed - Where did you get your dry flow filter? I'm interested in running one, but don't know much about them.

-Swash

I dont like the dry flo.....instead of sucking air through the main filter...it sucks it through a piece of foam. IMO...it doesnt offer great filtration. yes it will keep the water from being sucked up into the engine...but it eliminates most of the air being sucked in where the filter is....I dont see it filtering out most harmful particles.

this is just my opinion

Originally Posted by Jason Austin

It all depends on what pulley your running. I run HAI and i see more maff Hz from that than i do fwi. I run 2.8 pulley DD. If you have a 3.0+ pulley puting your filter in the fender isn't a bad idea.

But do the test for your self, go to the track, scan maff hz. let us know what works for your setup.

For me the HAI is the best....the headlight is removed at the track to help let in cold air.

Rules are different for track and a daily driver. I will have to agree with Jason, you have to test to see what is best for your car and driving conditions. Also look to see what the high end really fast cars run or don't, cost not being a factor.

People often ask why their car seems faster when it's cold out. We know why.

I tested an open cone (again) last summer versus my cai and around town at 45 mph or so. The car was noticably slower with the open cone and intake temps never dropped down to the 1 -2 * above ambient that was afforded by the cai. I really wanted the open cone to be better because removing it would clean up the engine bay.

Anyone know what the fastest V6's at Branson had as far as mods go?

Originally Posted by UR LOSN

I dont like the dry flo.....instead of sucking air through the main filter...it sucks it through a piece of foam. IMO...it doesnt offer great filtration. yes it will keep the water from being sucked up into the engine...but it eliminates most of the air being sucked in where the filter is....I dont see it filtering out most harmful particles.

this is just my opinion

I dont think we are talking about the same filter. I see no foam and it only pulls from the main/only filter medium available.

Swash - I purchased both from summitracing. I gave my son my old Wizaired with AEM driflow and bought the Wizaired from Ed that he won at Branson and ordered another driflo. Be careful when ordering as they come in two colors I got a gray the first time but didn't pay attention and the second time got a white one. I like the gray better.

HAI !

I would vote to make your own Homedepot fender intake. Thinwall 4" pvc, thin wall 22.5* coupler, rubber 3" to 4" coupler, and the intake of your choice. Done. Cost you about 10 bucks to make the intake minus the filter.

PLEASE do not buy a CAI/FWI. They are just so overpriced... if you are willing to spend 150-250 on an intake then save a little more and get some 1.9 rockers.

Originally Posted by IndeedSS

Rules are different for track and a daily driver. I will have to agree with Jason, you have to test to see what is best for your car and driving conditions. Also look to see what the high end really fast cars run or don't, cost not being a factor.

People often ask why their car seems faster when it's cold out. We know why.

I tested an open cone (again) last summer versus my cai and around town at 45 mph or so. The car was noticably slower with the open cone and intake temps never dropped down to the 1 -2 * above ambient that was afforded by the cai. I really wanted the open cone to be better because removing it would clean up the engine bay.

Anyone know what the fastest V6's at Branson had as far as mods go?

I was running a Wizaired with a 4X9 Driflow through an 85mm (LQ4) MAF then into thin wall tubing and reduced before the 04 Series III TB.

However now that I have my Areoforce installed and I'm watching the IATs, they are 20 deg higher than ambient. I need to work on sealing my intake system.

I've got to tell you I love the look of Farn's system and would love to prove it to myself that that would work for me.

Originally Posted by Fish

Had a Thrasher, Wizaired, and HAI. I like the latter the most.

IATs only matter when its 140+F when it comes to timing. The only time I saw that is when I was sitting outside on a hot day with the engine running for 10 minutes while I setup my scanner. It quickly went down when I started to move.

As far as someone saying a FWI outflows a HAI, LOL. Thats about all I can think of.

What I always wonder is how quickly the temps on a HAI come down when moving. My concern for my intake system is track use. Normal driving, I don't really care if a little timing gets pulled. If my track run is only 13 seconds, I'd rather have the IATs close to ambient the entire run. It was one of the reasons I went with an IC.

I guess we need to see how volume of flow compares to flow with lower temps in our 1/4 mile performance.