confusion... intake, air filter, intercooler

[lunar916]

ok... i just want to clear this up...
is the following correct??
1) the regular air intake and the cold air intake r basically the same thing, but the second one give u colder air, which is provides better compression ratio, thus, more power (well.. more or less..)

2) the air filter is something that u use on the stock intake
but if u buy an after market air intake system (ie. injen), the system already includes the air filter

3) intercooler is something that provides the turbo with cool air, which gives better performance and good for the turbo


no one really taught me anything about this... just what i think.. cuz they sorta makes sense to me this way.. @@

[Naito]

cold air filter won't improve your compression; u gotta take apart then engine and length of the pistons...but it does theoretically improve power by giving the engine cold air, which has more volume than warm/hot air...does the same as an intercooler for a turbo/supercharger setup...
other than that I think u got it right...tho don't take my word for it, I just figured stuff out same as you :grin:

[Deep]

You're right. Except the cold air intake just recieves colder air, which increases the volume in the cylinder.

[88 LE]

On 2002-07-19 01:23, lunar916 wrote:
1) the regular air intake and the cold air intake r basically the same thing

With a regular intake the filter sits in the engine bay.

Cold air intake (CAI) - filter sits outside (usually behind the front bumper).

2) the air filter is something that u use on the stock intake but if u buy an after market air intake system (ie. injen), the system already includes the air filter

Correct.

3) intercooler is something that provides the turbo with cool air, which gives better performance and good for the turbo

A intercooler cools off the discharged air from the turbo before it enters the engine.

Its good for the engine not turbo. The turbo could careless, it just compresses air.

[debukun]

Some cold air intake systems run down to the bumper low to the ground where it runs risk of sucking up water if you go through a puddle. VERY BAD FOR ENGINE. I prefer to use a regular intake and build a heat shield. If properly constructed you can get the same results. Example, thick sheet metal + heat wrap. Cold air intakes aren't all they're cracked up to be. Do everything you can to keep you're engine cool though. Use fans, heat wrap, heat shielding, watch your coolant. Cooler are is more dense thus more can be forced into the combustion chamber. Good Luck.

[Flashmn]

Well, yeah its definatly bad for the engine, cuz if water gets in there, well you might crack the block, or blow off the head, etc... if you're lucky it might just freeze a piston.

[Deep]

Do you guys realize how hard it is to Hydrolock? Short of driving through a foot deep puddle theres almost zero chance of getting enough water in your engine to cause serious damage. Those AEM bishes just made an assload of money by selling their bypass valves after marketing the whole hydrolocking theory as a catostrophic event tha occurs to 1 in 5 people. Do you know anyone thats ever hydrolocked?

[majicmeow]

Actually, Hydrolocking is WAY more common than you think and AEM didnt just put that "scare" into the people to sell a valve.

Take for example, a 4AG... stock... with a cold air intake behind the bumper. The engine only has to take in 60+/- cc of water to hydrolock and lift the head off the block. Thats less than a small tiny pill cup. Not hard to do if you're idling in a puddle, or splashing through them at full throttle.

In one weekend of racing, my uncle saw an S2000, a Vette and a Celica blow up in the rain, becuase they sucked up a little water.

Its not all marketing man... they do have a point!

[Deep]

You saw an S2k, a 'Vette and a Celi all hydrolock on one weekend? Well there is no CAI for the Vette, so thats kinda doubtful.

[majicmeow]

Yea, he (I didnt say I saw it, my unlce saw it during the OneLap at Michigan Speedway) saw a Vette hydrolock. Just because it doesnt run a CAI doesnt mean it cant hydrolock.

It was running an open filter off the manifold, hit a fairly large puddle in a lower section of track, soaked the engine bay, and sucked in some water. Simple, eh?

[Deep]

So his CAI didn't lead to him hydrolocking then did it? :wink:

[martingouda]

on a scale of one to ten i would give you an OWNED

[majicmeow]

lol, never said it did =) I just was pointing out that hydrolocking was more common and easier than you thought, thats all.

[Flashmn]

Well... I've never had problems with my engine hydrolocking and I've ran through deep puddles. Havent seen one either. Besides I think that AEM vent is a crock of sh*t. I mean what happens when you get out of the puddle and you still got water in the tubes and then the "real" filter starts sucking up water. I read the SCC test and quite frankly it was quite amazing theatricals, "they had that clear pipe to show people how tall the water would rise", did it bother any of you that the length of the tube was WAY beyond the average length of the intake tube? Plus did it bother you that the water started splashing around when they lifted the filter up. Heck if AEM would of done that test on a street, I would of said BYE BYE NSX. There was just so many things "wrong" with that test, that I could rant for ages, but then again. it would just get boring.

[fatredcircle]

hydrolocking is not as simplistic as many would have you believe.

first of all, your engine is running in excess of 400 degrees...thats enough to instantly evaporate 60cc of water dispersed.

secondly....its an intake...not a friggin Hoover. there's not nearly enough vacumn to suck up 60cc. maybe throttling it at 5000 at a standstill for a minute in 2 feet deep water...yes.

Nick