Cold air intake

Iowan_Juggalo · 08-15-02, 10:10

Does any body know how to build a cold air intake??? I have a 1.5 4 cylinder. I really would like to make my own. Since i cant buy one any ideas? thank you.

4DSC · 08-15-02, 11:15

Sure! At least, from what I've heard...

First, see if anyone makes an intake adapter for your engine (probably not right?). This will make your life easier.

If you have to build an adapter, get a sheet of ABS plastic (or similar) big enough to bolt onto your intake. Then get a collar to fit on it, drill/cut out the hole for it, and use some strong glue (maybe plumbing fitting glue?) to glue it on. Drill some holes to bolt it on right, and voila - instant intake adapter. Some people have also used a fitting for a toilet bowl and drilled holes in it. It has a collar with slots/holes in it and a tapered neck. Make sure you try to match the intake diameter size right, or go a bit bigger if you must. You'll be spending all your time in the plumbing department btw!

Then for the intake pipes you'll have to do some experimenting with piping. Use a combination of pipes and elbows to work your way from the adapter to where the cone filter will be. You'll probably want the common 3" intake filter, so if you're not already using 3" pipes, adapt it at some point so you end up 3" so the filter will just clamp right on.

Try to use ABS piping if you can. There's some debate over PVC piping creating oxygen sensor/ MAF/ etc killing fumes if it gets really hot, but some people use PVC just fine. Your call.

Another important thing is sealing. Make sure there are no air leaks in your fittings. For the intake adapter, I bought a sheet of roofing rubber for a few cents and made a gasket for it, even though I have a "real" brand name intake.

If you don't mind something more ghetto-looking, you can substitute all that piping with 3" aluminized clothes dryer hose. Ultra-cheap and flexible.

You could probably paint the ABS pipes carefully to hide it's origin. Red for the pipes, flat black for the collars with a hose clamp over them to camouflage it.

I know of 1 person for sure that has done this for a Maxima like mine for very little cost. I have 1 pic of his work, fire me an email if you'd like it. Good luck!

Jngrbrdman · 10-04-02, 09:57

Just out of curiosity.... why would you want one on a Hyundai Excel? Its not exactly a race car. They probably don't make one for a reason.

ice_nyne · 10-04-02, 01:56

The primary attraction in doing a cold air intake mod is to aid colder air into the engine. The manufacturer has designed the intake system to bring in hot air, which doesn't help the output of your engine. The colder the air being taken in, the better. You'll also get about a whopping 1HP surge in performance. Fast and furious you will not be.

If you are looking to do a cold air intake, first remove the bottom portion of your air filter box (it will be bolted to your car's engine compartment), and see if there is an air silencer underneath. This needs to come out. In most cases, you will need to remove the wheel well liner directly underneath your silencer to get at the restraining bolts -- it varies by car make. Then you can get going on fashioning a cold air intake. It can be done with pieces purchased at your local Home Depot, Lowe's, TrueValue, etc.

Here is a link; granted, it goes step by step on a Ford Thunderbird, but the principle is the same. Good luck.

Cold Air Intake Ram Air

4DSC · 10-04-02, 02:11

I did it because it makes the car gutsy-sounding when you push it hard, but is still quiet at lower RPM.

It gets louder because of resonance and because you usually bypass one or more of the intake mufflers.

Jngrbrdman · 10-04-02, 02:37

I put a short ram intake in my car. I've sort of directed air from under the car up to the filter so its not such a 'hot air intake' like most unshielded short rams are. I did it for the sound. I was impressed at my fuel economy though. I got the same gas milage the first summer with the intake as I did the winter before without it. And that was with having the AC on all summer. Pretty nice.

I was only thinking that they didn't make one for that car because performance modifications aren't the normal priority of the demographic that buys the car. Just my thinking though. If you can jury rig something to work, then more power to ya. They do help with gas milage if nothing else. People who think they are going to get a 20 HP gain by simply putting a pipe and an exposed filter on their car are high on something...

Jeremy · 10-04-02, 04:52

Here's a not so great pic I had on hand of my homemade CAI. I bought the adapter for the AFM for $20, but you could make your own out of PVC pipe. I then bought 3" chrome tubing and put a filter on the end of it. It is stuck down in the side scoop right in the air flow.

Scottwax · 10-04-02, 07:27

I went ahead and got the AEM cai for my Accord. Easy mod (except for cutting the hole larger for the intake tube to go into the front fender in front of the fender well) and noticable gains in midrange torque (every AEM dyno test I've seen shows a large torque bump between 4000-5000 rpm). Quiet when you are just cruising around and a wicked growl when you get on it.

Before I got the intake, I made a home made ram air system. I removed the resonator in the fender and ran two 2" tubes from the bottom of the fender to the two inlets in the factory air box and also used a K&N drop in filter. Acceleration seemed a little stronger all the way through the rpm range and it was very quiet, so extra noise was not influencing me on whether or not acceleration improved. It's also probably the reason that when I got the AEM I did notice some improvement, but not like I did in a friend's car that went from a totally factory intake to an AEM.

Anyway, here is how it looks on an Accord:

geekysteve · 10-04-02, 08:16

A lot of guys over at vwvortex make what's called "a joey mod" and make their own cold air intakes.

Basically, you go to the local hardware store, buy a bunch of 3" PVC pipe, elbows, connectors, 4" hose clamps and then try to locate some silicone couplers that are 3" -> whatever size your car's MAF or Throttle Body is (you may need more than one, depending on where the MAF is located).

Then, you mock it up, buy a K&N Conical air filter with coupler and away you go.

Or, you do like I did....send $250 to Carbonio and get a nice, carbon fiber CAI...

emanon · 10-05-02, 10:49

That Carbonio is a nice set-up. I went the cheap route and got an ATP one