BarnDog296

Alright this has had me baffled for some time now. I have been reading alot of the threads from alot of different places, and no one has really explained it (other than the basics)

Which is better to have?
a Cold Air Intake (like a true one that goes behind the bumper)
or a Short Ram Intake (the short intakes that stay in the engine bay

I dont need to know the difference, I understand that ones gets cold air and one gets hot engine air.

What I am wondering is are there any real gains from getting the CAI over the SRI? Is the CAI better, like ive heard? and why is it better just b/c it gets colder air?

Any and all answers will be great!

BigVinnie

iTrader: (2)

May bad dude I thought you were talking about somethin completely different, cold air is always better....
But cold cold air can be really bad. Hotter weather than the engine bay doesnt make a difference.
Depends on the enviornment that the engine is in........

KeN VeRsUs RyU

hot air robs optimum hp and gas mileage. Especially if you have headers like me.

JDMxDrift

There are many misconceptions with CAI's. Like the fact that the pipe is so long that the velocity of the air is often lost. Also, since the pipe is much longer, a lot of the pipe is soaked with heat. As the air travels through the intake pipe it is absorbing the heat from the pipe, in a way its being "contaminated". There are also more things i've learned regarding the bends as well, i'll try to post them, if i can figure them out. But sometimes, cold air isn't as cold as you think it is.

BigVinnie

iTrader: (2)

The bends actually decrease top end power and increase low end torque. It is the amount of atmospheric pressure that uses velocity to move through the intake... As the intake mass becomes longer it also becomes harder for the engine to take in fresh "DENSER" air.
Technically a cold air intake only works good at high speeds.......

240sxpower

also with short ram intakes you get better throttle response

Waynehead05

cai = low end monster

wai = top end

i've had both. on my altima i had a short ram. on the 240 i now have cold air.

IMHO cold air wins.

tryiian

the difference in power (measured by my trusty butt-dyno) between the injen cae vs the short ram is always obvious to me, i`ve gone through the different setups with two DEs and even gone back and forth sometimes, it feels faster even taking off from a stop. The main difference iNoticed with the sri is that it`s a lot louder to me, the vaccuum has made people think there`s a turbo under there before... obviously these aren`t the most experienced people but they never ask when the extension`s on.

also, all the advocation against water touching your precious filter is bull, from my experience. I`ve waded shallow puddles with the filter directly between the foglight and the wheel more times than iCan count now and the only drawback i`ve ever had is that the filter gets clogged up with gunk more quickly when it`s raining.

KeN VeRsUs RyU

CAI = low end? I always thought injen CAI helped top end more so judging by their dynos.

BigVinnie

iTrader: (2)

Injen is trying to sell you a product. Dyno's in "NO" way represent a real world situation dyno's arent 100% accurate either. What I mean as far as a real world situation, lets say you put an air dam or some sort of scoop on your car, but the car is strapped to the dyno. Are you still using the performance of the DAM or the scoop at lets say 70 MPH? "NO"
Injen is selling you more pipe, "right" so real world stituations are manipulated as far as fans, header wrap, and shutting the garage door to run an Air Conditioner to the building at lets say 60degress in order to manipulate there "OWN" real world effect...... Oh, but they don't show you those pics do they because then selling there cold air would look like a scam, when can I see the video between CAI, and a SAI? Chances are you never will...........................
When I look at those dyno's some times I'm looking at a result to a HP pull that had been done 10 times until they had gotten the proper results with manipulating the real world situations.................
Even when you look at those HP pulls they still produce more torque, than a SAI, , but that doesnt mean that it can't achieve the same HP results either.............

KeN VeRsUs RyU

Okay so what are you saying. Am i right or wrong.

BigVinnie

iTrader: (2)

Depends on the "Real World" situation.
Lets say for some one that lives in Las Vegas, does a CAI work???? NO. This is because the temprature of out side air is just as hot as the temp underneath the hood "engine bay". So your engine will defenitely get more torque than the recomended HP output. Short Air Intakes usually work better in this type of "Real World" situation.
Lets say for some one that lives in the Cali, bay area CAI work much better in cooler temps between 65~90degrees F, than a short air intake that are confined within the engine bay.
Lets say you live in the swamps of Florida, more than likely you get what is known as HydroStatic Lock, "from humidity,rain, and moisture", where humidity and wet conditions cause an engine to build up H20 in the engine, nothing but performance loss and it can do severe damage to the engine.
Lets say you live in higher altitude mountains where it is below 50 degress F. and air becomes less dence from higher altitudes. A cold air will not work as a performance gainer, as tempratures drop to ice cold conditions the engine cannot atomize fuel to air as well.
I was never stating that you were wrong , it just can't become a one sided opinion that one can be better than the other, the enviornment in which the the vehicle performs in is what matters...

Waynehead05

so in english you were wrong. truth be told cai helps out low end but doesn't affect top end much.

wai helps out top end a lot but actually drops low end just a bit. not much though.

there is no better one as BV said. it depends on the application.

*** just a reminder... i've had both and a prefer the CAI by far. that low end tq is what i was looking for***

my friend has an IS300 and from a stop i take him then he catches back up at 60ish MPH (215 hp)

from a roll he beats me though. difference is i have an intake. he has never taken me from a stop. i also shift faster from a roll because of the 5 speed and he has an auto.

that's real world results right there.

BigVinnie

iTrader: (2)

Besides why do you want a filter so close to the asphalt anyway?
Anything that is darker in color such as asphalt actually increases in temprature attracting U.V rays.
In a real world situation even though air temp may be lets say 80 degress F., asphalt attracting U.V rays can raise to tempratures above 110degress F., "ever burnt your bare feet on asphalt before?". I have. Asphalt works like a micro wave it actually makes the air closer to the asphalt hotter and less dense.
I save my money and just stick with a short Air Intake....
Unless I have an air dam, or a scoop, I'm not going to waste my time and money on a Cold Air Setup.........
Cold air does work, but it depends on how you apply the application, just buying a cold air intake doesn't cut it..............
Cold air intakes need more added to the application such as header wrap around the intake, and the coolant bypass inorder for it to work to its efficient standard..............
Infact if you just do the coolant bypass you can drop the temp of the TB and the intake, keeping the air cooler upon atomizing with fuel, plus I like top end Horse power so I stick with a short air intake

Cape 240

wow, great thread, this just cleared up my whole misconception. We have warm(95 degree F [tops]) summers and cold winters here, its also muggy, looks like the SRI(WAI) will work best for me!

Thanks guys!