CAI whoes...

[userlain]

I took apart my gen2 i4 today to fabricate a cold-air intake and I ran in to a few problems:

1) There is no shop locally that does mandrel bending
2) There is no shop that sells couplers(the proper couplers)
3) I can't figure out how to get the pipe to curve around into the fender and connect to the filter. I have removed the resonator black box thinger.

edit: I got it put back together

[userlain]

Originally posted by UfoZ8myCow
Perhaps these are all issues that you should have taken into consideration before taking the car apart?

It's not that I don't like pulling my car apart, because I do.

[Luckynumber5]

you should pay a visit to the plumbing and pipe section at your local lowes or home depot, i found some 3 foot sections of good aluminum pipe that can be easily cut to make a cai, and the plumbing section has some bendy couplers with clamps that you can use, btw dont expect much of anything out of any intake mods trust me it will mostly be a change in the way your car sounds, maybe a few horsepower

[userlain]

Originally posted by Luckynumber5
you should pay a visit to the plumbing and pipe section at your local lowes or home depot, i found some 3 foot sections of good aluminum pipe that can be easily cut to make a cai, and the plumbing section has some bendy couplers with clamps that you can use, btw dont expect much of anything out of any intake mods trust me it will mostly be a change in the way your car sounds, maybe a few horsepower

Yeah I know there are only slight gains from intake modifications, unless boosted. I like the sound of my short-ram but I hear the CAI sounds better. These 'bendy couplers,' are they the correct diameter to fit the throttle body of a 3SFE(2.5")?

Thanks for the chime in

[Luckynumber5]

yeah you can find them in many sizes including adapters! like 2.5'' to 3'' and they arent really bendy, but there are some with some useful angles

[userlain]

Originally posted by Luckynumber5
yeah you can find them in many sizes including adapters! like 2.5'' to 3'' and they arent really bendy, but there are some with some useful angles

Those are for PVC, so the real measurement if off of what it actually is(ie. the 3" coupler is really 3.75") which makes it a pain to work with.

Does anyone have any hookups for blue 3" couplers?

[Luckynumber5]

the couplers i am talking about are 2.5'' and 3'' inner diameter not outer diameter, they are clearly labeled like this as well

[Eye8Pussies]

you could make the whole thing out of pvc....it would be even more "prefromance" oriented than using aluminum or the like because it won't transfer heat like metal

[mobes]

I got my parts on eBay. I never did find what I wanted at Home Depot.

Straight
U-Bend
J-Bend
or search for "aluminum tubing".

Coupler
Elbow
or search for "silicone (coupler | elbow)"

[88 LE]

Originally posted by userlain
1) There is no shop locally that does mandrel bending

You can order mandrel bent pipe from:

JC Whitney

Jegs

Summit Racing

Burns Stainless

SPD Exhaust

2) There is no shop that sells couplers(the proper couplers)

Home Depot. Look in the plumbing section. They have rubber couplers with hose clamps.

You can buy Samco Sport silicone couplers from the distributors below:

Brits
28921 Arnold Dr. F-6
Sonoma, CA 95476

tel: +1 707 935 3637
fax: +1 707 935 0942
samco@britsinc.com
www.sporthoses.com


Forge Motorsport Inc.
6536 Pinecastle Blvd
Suite 'C'
Orlando, FL 32809

tel: +1 407 447 5363
fax: +1 407 447 5361
go@forgemotorsport.com
www.forgemotorsport.com

3) I can't figure out how to get the pipe to curve around into the fender and connect to the filter. I have removed the resonator black box thinger.

Theres a hole underneath the fuse box in the engine bay. You need to remove all the stock intake crap to see it.

You'll need to get creative with the piping. Thats why you need a mandrel bent u-pipe.

Cut the pipe up to get whatever pieces you need. Then join it all together with the couplers or weld it.

[MadDawg]

Should i put my stock intake back on? i barely have any gains over stock intake... and i mean, the engine revving sounds are cool, but all i mainly hear is the air sucking sound, and its really loud!!

[Wibbit]

sounds like youre going to a lot of effort! for a shop to make up a mandrel bent piping and buying connectors will not be cheap. but will look pretty in the engine bay, a replacement panel will give you performance for much cheaper

[SmokingTires]

As a last resort, you could always bend your own. Get a torch, heat up the piping your going to use till it's nice and toasty, then use a vice and some pliers to bend it. Obviously it isn't as perfect as mandrel bent, but it's better than nothing.

[userlain]

Originally posted by 88 LE
Theres a hole underneath the fuse box in the engine bay. You need to remove all the stock intake crap to see it.

You'll need to get creative with the piping. Thats why you need a mandrel bent u-pipe.

Cut the pipe up to get whatever pieces you need. Then join it all together with the couplers or weld it.

I understand there is a hole underneath the fuse box. I have cleared everything away that I needed to to see it.

I gues what my problem is is how they actually fit the pipe down in. there isn't enough room to fit a conventionally bent pipe down there, or so it seems.

I have looked on cardomain at other people's cold air intakes but i still can't see how to position the pipe so there is enough room to fasten the air filter onto it. Maybe I am blind, maybe not.

I have put the short-ram intake assembly back together for the time being, until I can get this figured out.

Thanks for the input, guys

[88 LE]

Originally posted by userlain
I gues what my problem is is how they actually fit the pipe down in. there isn't enough room to fit a conventionally bent pipe down there, or so it seems.

1. You need to enlarge the hole.

Theres no way in hell a 2.5" pipe will fit through without enlarging the hole.

2. Read what I said above about getting creative with the piping.

I have looked on cardomain at other people's cold air intakes but i still can't see how to position the pipe so there is enough room to fasten the air filter onto it. Maybe I am blind, maybe not.

Theres plenty of room for the filter.

You got that big ol space where the resonator use to go.