aftermarket air intake

[Woot]

I need some feedback from users who installed a CAI or a short-ram intake on their non-XRS 1ZZ-FE corolla, any problems?, ECU?, air/fuel ratio?, hydro-lock?.

Thank you.

[TrdSpeed140]

i got the Injen CAI. no problems at all so far. I also bought that injen hydro-shield thing,so no hydro lock for me (knock on wood).

[NMGeorge]

Keep it simple and realistic - just drop in a replacement K & N filter and save your money for some better (more functional) mods.

[Woot]

Originally Posted by NMGeorge

Keep it simple and realistic - just drop in a replacement K & N filter and save your money for some better (more functional) mods.

Such as?

[mikered30]

Originally Posted by Woot

Such as?

I would suggest better tires and horn. That is where I started anyway. Intake headers and exhust have minimal gain on the 1zz and are not a good bang for the buck.

[NMGeorge]

A dual tone horn, with greater DB for sure. I would add some strut bars, better wheels and tires, and maybe a better (iPod friendly) radio. The intakes are really more about form (looks) than function.... with our cars.

It's your car, what would you like to improve? Your car, your money, your choice. I only wanted to point out that the intake is very little bang for the buck, you'll get better result doing other things.

Have fun, enjoy your car - I'll never put you down, I was only putting out my .02

Good luck, Woot!

[TrdSpeed140]

intakes may not do much for performance but they sound sweet, especially if you get a SRI

[JasonA]

Originally Posted by NMGeorge

Keep it simple and realistic - just drop in a replacement K & N filter and save your money for some better (more functional) mods.

Personally, I wouldn't even waste money on the K&N. Those K&N filters are relatively poor at doing the only job they're designed to do: filter air.

I do agree on spending the money on better things...like upgraded tires, etc. Do a DIY cold air snorkel, if you want to play around. It's almost free. Search the forum here for a link to the thread.

And a new horn is a MUST! I installed two horns, an A note and an F note. You can actually HEAR the horn now!

[Rdkill]

I agree, dont pay $250 for a cai just to have it look pretty, make your own if you want it just for performance(really only get better throttle response). Dont use a drop in K&N since they are oiled and can gum up your MAF.

[JasonA]

Originally Posted by Rdkill

Dont use a drop in K&N since they are oiled and can gum up your MAF.

Not to mention a reduction in filtering performance. If anything, try an AEM Dryflow filter. It's completely dry, still washable, and doesn't rely on a film of oil to block contaminants.

[XR2003]

Or if you have your mind set on getting a CAI or SRI, you can find one previously used ones for cheap for sale, just look around.

K&N has been around a long time, some may suggest that their filter don't filter efficiently as other brands or if the oil that is used to put on the filter may gum up your MAF sensor.

Keep in mind that MAY occur if you over oil it. It will not happen if you follow K&N's instructions.

I went from a TRD drop in filter replacement, bought from a dealership for $48 to a TRD CAI bought from a friend that tried to put it on a Matrix with the DBW throttle body (yes I know DBWs do not have throttle bodies ) and I got it for $120 includung shipping for "almost" brand new.

Now I have the AEM DryFlow filter which does filter .01% better a micron than the cotton gauze filter from TRD (same material as K&N), which doesn't really matter if you think about it.

I bought the DryFlow since I didn't want to wait to clean the TRD filter and wait for it to dry. Then oil it, and AGAIN wait for it to dry before installing it back on.


Some brands out there for your consideration:

AFE - same sort of material as AEM DryFlow, also have drop in panel filters.

AEM - CAI or SRI

Injen - CAI

K&N - SRI aka Typhoon, still works just follow instructions and don't over oil the filter.

TRD - CAI and overpriced if bought direct from them or dealership. Also needs cleaning and oil same as the K&N

Fujita - CAI

Cosmo - CAI w/ their crappy filters (just switch filter for a different brand)

I apologize for the long post.

[JasonA]

Originally Posted by XR2003

K&N has been around a long time, some may suggest that their filter don't filter efficiently as other brands...

Actually, there's quite a bit of data out there that demonstrates that oiled cotton-gauze filters are not efficient at filtering air. They flow good. But there's no free lunch.

[XR2003]

http://www.knfilters.com/faq.htm#23

I seriously doubt that K&N would be in business if their filters did not do what they are supposed to do.

I ran the paper OEM filter for about 40k miles (changed them once a year) and I still had dirt on and inside the throttle body.

And I agree there is no free lunch, but keep in mind that with increased flow of air, the engine can breathe easier and extra HP is freed up.

There are pros and cons to whatever method one may decide to go in terms of air intakes, but the best advice I can suggest is to do whatever you want to do.

Mod your Toyota to what you like and not what others tell you.

Unless those other people want to "pay" for the mods they suggest.

[FinalGear]

Originally Posted by XR2003

Mod your Toyota to what you like and not what others tell you.

Thank You...........I waiting for someone to say that....

[JasonA]

Originally Posted by XR2003

Mod your Toyota to what you like and not what others tell you.

For sure, you've got to do what you've got to do. That said, the very point of this thread (and this board in general) is to gather feedback on what works and what doesn't. Nobody's "telling" anyone what to do. We're merely making suggestions based on past experience and contextual knowledge.

There are a LOT of companies out there selling products that don't live up to marketing. And there are a lot of companies out there selling products that aren't optimized for the job. As you said, everything is a compromise. There's a lot of data that demonstrate that K&N filters (and cotton gauze filters in general) don't filter very effectively. Here are a few links:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-...s-finally.html

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest1.htm

http://duramax-diesel.com/spicer/index.htm

If you surf BITOG (Bob Is The Oil Guy) regularly, you'll note that most folks there believe that the most important filter on the engine is the air filter. And there are a number of examples in Used Oil Analyses (UOAs) that show increased dirt in the oil and wear in the engine...and the first question always is, whether it's from the oil lab or fellow posters, "are you using a K&N filter".

If you have some data that objectively show that a K&N filters as well as a paper air filter, or if you have data that demonstrates some real measurable performance gain because of a drop-in filter, please do post it! We're all here to learn and to share ideas.

Again, nobody's telling anyone what to do. The best decision is made only after all sides of the coin are examined. Personally, I won't sacrifice engine cleanliness for a horsepower or two by changing the filter, and I think there are more productive uses on the car for the money spent. I'm not telling anyone to do it, I'm not saying that buying a K&N filter is the wrong thing to do (okay, I did use the term waste money earlier, so I'll back up off that). I'm just merely giving my opinion on the subject at hand, and providing examples of WHY my opinion is the way it is.