This has been discussed a lot but i have been doing a lot of reading on CAI's...I know a lot of you think they are worthless, but when going with a cam, full exhaust and a cai will help the cam actually breathe.

Anyways so yes basically they are all the same...but..Wouldn't you want to stay away from aluminum??? I just cant see how after driving for over an hour how it would help the engine...

If not, why wouldn't a setup like the Spectre sold at Autozone be any worse than a 300 dollar K&N setup?...

If you ask me systems like Airaid and S&B have some pretty good designs, but i have heard a lot of good things about systems with a closed airbox (volant/s&b/etc.)...So no technically though they all preform the same purpose, they are not all the same.


Just my 2, what do you guys think?

 

i like the enclosed box designs with ram air...it just makes sense to try and pull cooler air instead of hot engine air.

 

i was hoping you'd chime in....Is airaid the only system that offers this? Granted it wouldn't be impossible to fab something up, would just have to cut into the box...

 

I prefer my current closed box Volant with ram air, but it honestly performs exactly the same as my old K&N FIPK did, according to my butt-o-meter. I'm sure that my IAT's are somewhat cooler, but an IAT sensor relocation would at least help with the temp signal sent to the PCM, even if the actual air at the filter and MAF is warmer on the open element system

 

I have the same setup, Volant with the ram air tube, and my butt-o-meter didn't really register anything either, but I swear I picked up 1/2 mpg on the highway. My highway mpg fluctuates a bit, so no conclusive results, but the overall average is a bit higher. But agreed, I would think pulling the cooler air in vs the underhood air would benefit.

 

i have thought about adding the ram air to my volante but i still hesitant to spend 100 or so bucks for nothing.... specially since i dont have anything it the intake itself

 

volant box pulls from the fender well so it is technically already cooler air. the ram air tube is to get more of a "ram effect"

you probably wont see anything until 100+mph when the actual "Ram" effect will start to take over....and then again, if your fender is open the air is most likely to push right out of the fender instead of pushing it down your motors throat. it does make sure that the motor isnt getting any restrictions when sucking the air down.

 

If you want to measure the effectiveness of a CAI system, use a scanner and measure the IAT. The cooler the air the more dense it is with oxygen. Now, where the sensor is located will also impact the IAT reading but the cooler the reading the more potential hp you will gain. However, the CAI setup is only a part of the solution. Anytime you change the air density, the tune in the PCM should be changed to compensate. Also, if you are getting an abundance of cool, dense air into the cylinders you must also efficiently get it out. So, better exhaust scavaging will make a CAI system potentially operate better. Cams, overlap, etc also enter into the equation. That is why one person can dyno a CAI and show little HP/TQ gains and anther will show 5-15 HP/TQ gains.

That said, the effects of RAM on a C5 Z06 vette is a gain of almost 4 HP at 150 mph but at 300 it should add another 100 HP, according to all the engineering types at Z06dotcom.

 

I picked up mine from Volant directly for $50 shipped, I just told them mine fell off and I needed a replacement.

I blocked off the huge side hole so as to avoid the "rammed" air coming in and then going right back out the hole in the side. And the hole in the fender is already filled with Great Stuff expanding foam for engine/blower noise reduction, so I didn't really have a choice. And at speeds under probably 40 mph, I would guess I lost power because the air would be coming from a smaller opening. But I will trade a couple of hp for better mpg on the highway.

 

I dont know how much I gained with the volant and ram air tube, but my filter was always dirty as **** from the outside air.