3vz-FE Alternative Induction

[Silent Runner]

I just thought I just thought I should finally post this mod. It was done before I learned that CAI's don't really do anything, or much for our cars power output. I just spent so much time trying to find a way of getting more airflow available to the AFM without messing up the induction sound of the car. I'm a bit of a bitch when it comes to making the car noisy and making it sound cheap. So after much purchase of donor parts and experimentation, I came up with this system. It preserves top sound quality from the engine, while introducing a smooth, quiet moan to it that would sound appropriate from a Lexus, Infinity, or BMW 6, in a luxery oriented vehicle. The ducting off of the end of the bottom outlet on the filter is connected to a hose that takes in air just behind the fog lights. I'll add a couple pictures before the end of the night. I should add that I would swear this adds a tiny bit to the top end of the engines performance range.

[Bdub215]

as of right now you've lost me.

[bigbird]

looks liek ya put some time and effort into it, pretty good

another way to have your cake and eat it to was done by ASG14. He used the stock airbox as an an intake plenum and basically modded it to fit around an SRI with a cone filter. Filters, aparently, are what is largly responsible for the noise an intake makes, incased in the thick stock airbox, his was audiable but very smooth, easy to work on, looked stock and still pulled in cold air from the fender.

[Silent Runner]

Originally Posted by Bdub215

as of right now you've lost me.

Not sure what you mean by that?

About 2x airflow area, available to stock air intake system, cold air with slight "ram effect" from front of bumper, with benefits of "milk jug" sound tuning system still intact. (no super loud, cheap induction sounds to you or the locals, just the sound of sweet performance)

Where exactly did I lose you? Off the line, or on a 50-70mph pass.

I'll add that I also replaced the filter with a stock replacement K&N.

[Bdub215]

Originally Posted by Silent Runner

Not sure what you mean by that?

About 2x airflow area, available to stock air intake system, cold air with slight "ram effect" from front of bumper, with benefits of "milk jug" sound tuning system still intact. (no super loud, cheap induction sounds to you or the locals, just the sound of sweet performance)

Where exactly did I lose you? Off the line, or on a 50-70mph pass.

You lost me in the design process. When it comes to certain things 2+2 dont fit together in my head. And as far as that last bit good luck taking me in a race lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Autoguide

[Silent Runner]

Originally Posted by Bdub215

You lost me in the design process. When it comes to certain things 2+2 dont fit together in my head. And as far as that last bit good luck taking me in a race lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Autoguide

So we know that CAI's really don't do much for power adding on the 3vz. (I didn't know this at the time, not a researched TN person, then) I thought... Hmmmm. Stock system has pretty open system, but the air has one inlet source, it must race in sideways, make a right turn up through the filter, then a left to the AFM. What if it could have another area, just about as good as the stock inlet, where the air blew directly onto the filter and made one left into the engine.

So.. bigger flow area, fewer turns, cooler air. Sounds kinda like what open/CA cone filters are about, without the big honking sound. Thats what my design process was about at the time.

Now I have my stock air box to go back to, anytime I get tired of hearing a little bit of sweet performance sound. It can run around quiet as a tomb up to 6000 rpm, anytime I want it to. Ocassionally, I still like to hear cool mechanical sounds coming from the car when I really want to crank it up. This design lets you drive around in relative peace and quiet, until the time you really want to put the hammer down, then it sounds like a performance engine should.

Is that a 4cly I see in your sig.? So far, I'm seeing about 7.5 to 60mph at 3800ft above sea-level with my handicapped automatic. The last 200hp, 5spd, Acura TSX, I met was looking out his side window at my rear door at the 50mph speed limit. I never race

[bigbird]

as far as gains, keep in mind ur first post. there are none . There may in fact actually be some gains in the upper RPMs, but you cant talk about 1-2 hp in an adult conversation IMO. But since ya got the 3vz...have you done toysrme's cheap/free mods? Like you intake, they will add some power (actual power) and wont change how loud the motor is.

where does that newly added part of the lower airbox take up air?

[Silent Runner]

Originally Posted by bigbird

as far as gains, keep in mind ur first post. there are none . There may in fact actually be some gains in the upper RPMs, but you cant talk about 1-2 hp in an adult conversation IMO. But since ya got the 3vz...have you done toysrme's cheap/free mods? Like you intake, they will add some power (actual power) and wont change how loud the motor is.

where does that newly added part of the lower airbox take up air?

It's pretty much a given, yup no real power gains from CAI or variations. I just keep the system now because it gives the car a nice sound when I'm in performance mode and walking on it hard. I should try to put in my sig, but I have done the MAF and timing modifications, very noticable gains in power. I've also eliminated the cat., which is supposed to add a little top end power. The fluid changes to Royal Purple, also seem to have given the transmission a noticable improvement in shift quality and speed/firmness. Altogether, I would say that these changes have knocked about 1.5 seconds off of its stock condition 0-60 time of about 9.0 sec., up here at 3800ft.The cars response to holding the transmission manually to higher rpm shift speeds has improved the most, and its passing power in a second gear downshift 50-70, is also greatly improved.

The lower air intake is ducted through a hose to one of the openings in the front bumper, where I have my fog lights mounted. (slight "ram air" effect at higher speeds?)

[bigbird]

sounds good, all ya need to do now is mod that Y-pipe and you should be making some good power for the money. the cat is definatly a good thing to remove, better mileage AND power...f u EPA!

as far as thoes times, im not sure about 9 sec stock for a 3vz. my stock 1mz was less and the 3vz was right there if not the same, your prolly faster then that. Also, 1.5 sec's is a LOT to drop off the 0-60. a 5 speed dosen't do that and it frees up more power, weight and gearing then does the cheap/free mods. would be good dyno test though to see what it is making.

[fenixus]

cool, I like constructive designs

but to burst the RAM effect bubble, it ain't happening until your car would be going like 300mph
someone calculated it somewhere some time ago that being said, don't count on it

[Silent Runner]

No "ram air" eh? Oh well, at least it has a "cool effect".

After all the work it was a bit of a bummer to read the FAQ's, and find out airflow wasn't really an issue on 3VZ, or 1MZ's, but as I said it at least has a small effect on making the car sound like it has a good engine working for it. 0-60 times up here at 3800ft are notably affected by the altitude. I've driven this car in Vancouver (sea level), and it has much more power there. At sea level the car will easily break the tire loose off the line, up hear, its tough to get a shirp. But we are all pretty much in the same boat driving around, so it's performance relative to other vehicles is about the same. Unless you have a turbocharger... Up here in thinner air, we really can't match car magazine performance numbers for most cars. My 9 sec. time was also pre-tune up, which made a difference as well. (1 bad plug wire, missed at idle, not apparent while reving) I was watching television and saw the boys on "Powerblock" dyno a big v-8 on E-3's for 7 more hp., so I put them in too on the tune-up.

I haven't gone as far messing around with the Camry as I did on my last car a 626 Turbo, but I think my performance estimates are pretty close. I took that car from stock 7.5psi, to 12psi, and opened up the exhaust system, to take it from about 7.5 to 60, and 15.8 at the local track, to around the 6sec range (traction limited) and 14.6. I never could hook the darn car up though, because it was limited in tire size and had such explosive boost characteristics. (peaked out over 300ft/lbs and put down 200+whp on dyno)

That darn y-pipe.. gotta fix it, but it has to be done right. No crappy exhaust note. I had to constantly put up with that from the "6" to get performance. I'm not going that route on this car. This is my sweetheart, "use all the experience to do it right" build.

[bigbird]

626 turbo...pretty noice. as much as i wanna say youll free up more power if you ignore the sound factor, that really wouldnt be true. unless your FI, the stock exhaust with exception to the y-pipe is actually pretty good. if it does get louder though, just pop on another small muffler and it should fix that.