My new K&N DIY CAI (Lots of pics, 56k beware)

[IRONDOG442]

not me i think he did a great job!!!

[Euro]

it depends on perspective...coming from a guy who owns a z-06 probably ridicule

 

coming from a guy who has a z34 congratulate

 

since he has both, i guess we will never know....

 

Where did you get that from? lol he has a Camaro and a Cutlass.

[IRONDOG442]

same freakin engines LS-1 and LQ1

[Andrew]

may i suggest this instead?

 

Intense Custom Air Ducting

[per0781]

that would be a good beta design. i'd just expect the final product to include metal piping.

[xtremerevolution]

that would be a good beta design. i'd just expect the final product to include metal piping.

 

That's exactly what it is. That metal comes apart if you pull it too hard on the ends (such as when attempting to remove the filter for cleaning), so I'll definitely be changing the piping some time soon or modify it by wrapping it with some kind of insulation tape (as was suggested in replies I got from regalgs.org)

 

As for that INTENSE pipe, its a 3.5" or 4", which means I'll have a lot more dremel cutting to do and I've already done a whole lot. I'm not sure how much more I can cut out of that fenderwell to fit a bigger pipe in. This one barely fit as is.

 

Damn, you guys are harsh!

 

Whenever anyone asks for performance mods, CAI is always right at the top of the suggestions. That's what he did. Sure, it's not a billet tube with custom brackets and whatnot, but he didn't say it was for show. That steel duct has to flow better than accordian-style hose and at least he had the balls to try it out AND post it here.

 

Thank you. I personally noticed a large performance increase with this true CAI setup, so overall I'm pleased with the results. As for this being an accordian-style hose, I really can't vouch for that entirely since the interior of the hose is virtually flat aside from the places where it flexes. It's not really as bad as you guys think it is. I'd really wonder if the cost of a steel duct conversion would be worth the performance gain. Would I really get better air flow?

 

Would I really benefit from a steel pipe (realistically), or would I be just as well off wrapping this current pipe with insulating tape.

[slick]

Really, if your looking for all out performance, a perfectly smooth pipe on the inside would be best. But, metal piping is not the best because of the amount of heat that it soaks up.

[xtremerevolution]

Really, if your looking for all out performance, a perfectly smooth pipe on the inside would be best. But, metal piping is not the best because of the amount of heat that it soaks up.

 

Well here's the thing. Let me make an analogy.

 

I'm an IT technician and a complete computer guru. I have a faster system than you would believe. However, check this out.

 

My CPU is the fastest you can get on the market, and the performance increase per MHz is a hell of a lot better than most components. If I wanted to improve performance on my computer, I could switch in very fast RAM (system memory), which would cost me roughly double the price of the RAM I use now. However, while the RAM would be faster, my system wouldn't gain more than a 2% performance increase, since the RAM speed doesn't make that much of a difference.

 

Similarly, would going from my pipe to a smooth steel pipe be worth the price? Would it really make that much of a difference? Is it really worth it? Or would I be better off saving that cash for something else...

[slick]

Truthfully, you may not notice hardly a difference, if any. Really, to me, it would depend on what cost you can get the metal piping for. If dirt cheap, then do it for not only the flow, but the aesthetics as well. If expensive, then just get some nice thermal wrap, and call it a day.