Nas Escobar Posted May 12, 2013 Report Share Posted May 12, 2013 Well, I've been thinking about installing a CAI on my 94 Cutlass - LQ1 but I've noticed there's not a lot of stuff out there for this car. So I got to thinking, "why not build my own"? So with that set in mind, I went online and looked for the stuff... I've noticed that most of the pipe people sell is not actually chrome, but actually ABS plastic painted to look chrome. In other words... a rip off... So if most stuff to make a CAI is actually plastic and not aluminum, then should I be able to make my own CAI out of PVC pipe and paint it chrome? I would personally prefer to have real metal on this project, but since the only place to do that would be at a muffler shop, I might have to settle for this... but is it really worth it? I'm trying to actually get cold air in my engine and get the whistle sound whenever I accelerate (and lets not forget more MPG... which i desperately need) So how do I really go about this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted May 12, 2013 Report Share Posted May 12, 2013 a CAI won't increase MPG... i would expect it to drop, honestly. colder air is denser air, which has more friction and throttling losses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disbass69 Posted May 12, 2013 Report Share Posted May 12, 2013 I don't recommend them. I bought a CAI for my 94 LQ1 vert and had a huge drop in mpg. Makes the engine louder but that's about it. My mom's with stock intake does way better. Get more power/ more mpgs with a stock intake than the warm air intake. But that's for the kind like in my pic. Unless you route it to the inner fender which might make a difference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted May 12, 2013 Report Share Posted May 12, 2013 i prefer the "selectively open up bottom half of stock filter box" method for more sound... did it with both the 3100MC and 3.1GP, both of which i liked the results of. probably sucking in roughly the same temp air(since it draws from behind the headlights, which is a decent source), maybe a little warmer, but nothing drastic. depending on where cuts are made will determine the sound produced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Escobar Posted May 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 Well, , my plan originally was to run the filter to the fender, but I was going to start out with getting rid of the accordion and just leaving the stock box in there for now. I was always told those accordions mess up the air flow because of the ripples and stuff like that, but IDK how that would work with sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 the "accordion" section actually reduces the airs tendacy to resonate over long smooth sections. that's why you see it immediately before/after MAF sensors on factory parts. or at least, that's how it was explained to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddy8 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 here's an idea http://www.grandprixforums.net/simple-intake-pictures-33351.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jman093 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 Well, , my plan originally was to run the filter to the fender, but I was going to start out with getting rid of the accordion and just leaving the stock box in there for now. I was always told those accordions mess up the air flow because of the ripples and stuff like that, but IDK how that would work with sound. You can run it out to the fender and down behind the fog lamp if you remove the washer reservoir. Does it yield any power gains for this trouble? Maybe, but it's questionable. I don't feel like mine did a whole lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skitchin Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 I went back to a stock box - miss the sound a little, but that's about it. The more you start screwing with a CAI in the stock location(or trying to relocate it), the more you realize the factory box ain't so bad. Just getting the intake temps back to stock levels will take a considerable amount of work for questionable gains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 the W-body stock boxes are just fine. other platforms had some crappy setups though. i think the 3100 L-bodies had a horrible design? oh, and the 1988 specific W-body "cannister"? that could probably benefit from a CAI or later stock box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Powered Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 bullshit, you put it on the turbo. are we talking TGP airboxes? because don't make me laugh. it is heated by the radiator and blocks all the airflow right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 i forgot all about the TGP box. yet another pinnacle of GM engineering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake91 Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Move the battery over and get a aftermarket tie down then route the piping around the battery. This pipe I have here I bought one strait, and one ubend it was cheapo turbo piping on eBay, and I made 2 intakes out of it of $40. I saw no mpg change and a bit better throttle response, but it sounded awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3800_LTZ Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 (edited) @Jake91: Quick question, where is your washer fluid reservoir? my 1999 Lumina has a similar layout, I am in the process of a Top swap and need to figure out how to get a FWI. but both the battery and the washer fluid tank are in the way. Edited May 14, 2013 by 3800_LTZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psych0matt Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Hey Jake, also, the horns are there, did you relocate them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedNightmare Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Obviously I have a different engine bay+engine.. but I had a friend make me a cold air intake.. He used cardboard as a template to make the right shape to fit, bent it to shape and used that as a template. Its just cut and bent sheet metal, fill the corners and edges with a little bit of light silicone & stick silver bubble sheets on the inside walls to keep it cool. Poster board makes a good sturdy template too if cardboard is too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake91 Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 3800 I took the washer fluid take out it leaked and the pump was burn out Matt I didn't run it deep in the fender it pretty much sat right in behind the battery above the horns Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jman093 Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 @Jake91: Quick question, where is your washer fluid reservoir? my 1999 Lumina has a similar layout, I am in the process of a Top swap and need to figure out how to get a FWI. but both the battery and the washer fluid tank are in the way. Mine had a washer reservoir from a 4th gen F-body installed which goes behind the bumper in the center of the car, and the horns were also relocated down around the foglights somewhere, IIRC. Unlike Jake's, mine fit fine without any battery relocation/modifcation. My CAI was installed by Paul (pwmin) before I bought the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z34Phoenix Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Here is what i did with my 96 Z when i had my DOHC. same intake also works now with my 3800. just need a 1.5 foot section of 3" pipe/pvc, air filter and rubber adapter. the heat shield was from home depot and was a roof seal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jman093 Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 [ATTACH=CONFIG]12710[/ATTACH] There's a good pic of the 4th gen F-body washer reservoir mod I mentioned. BTW, that's definitely the best looking CAI I've seen for our cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z34Phoenix Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Thank you! I started years ago with a HAI w/ heat shield and think I actually lost power. Next I tried one made out of dryer tube with te filter low in te fender. Ba idea as I almost hydro locked the engine on a bad rainy fl day. Then came this design. I got the heat shield idea from the GrandPrix crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Escobar Posted May 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2013 Z34, That's actually a really interesting way of going through with a CAI. How involved is swapping the washer fluid to a 4th gen F body? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z34Phoenix Posted May 17, 2013 Report Share Posted May 17, 2013 Pretty straight forward. Just need to extend the wires for the pump and hose for the fluid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.