Ok i need some Advice. I dont have much money to help beef up my car, so i was looking on ebay i see that they have CAI for like 40 - 60 dollar range. Now i see that and then I look at what AEM prices are for there intakes and Injen and **** like that. now the ques I have is it all the same. does it matter if i get generic or brand when it comes to cold air intakes. I dont know what to do is the little horsepower that it does give the same or what. some advice would help alot thanks

 

Get a generic intake, and a K&N filter. The reason the big names are so expensive, is because they are CARB certified. The testing process is expensive to do, so you pay more for a street legal intake. If you live somewhere that it doesn't matter, just get the cheap one.

 

the aem intake also has an air horn on the intake pipe to smooth out any turbulent air coming in and increasing the velocity of the air. if you get the generic intake try to find a weapon r G2 filter they have the air horns built in the filter itself.

 

AEM Cold air intakes are also one size the whole way through. I think the injens actually change the size of the tube near the filter and make it a slight bit bigger afrer that.

That's limiting the air flow. AEM is #1 for performace and probably the most expensive one too. Their tube is the same size at the begining, middle and end... all the way through. The more even the diameter is throughout the whole tube the more performace gains you will see. I'd say save up and wait a little while longer till you can afford the AEM version. It's the best hands down.

 

dubster is right, most of the piping is really the same but what makes or breaks an intake is the filter so make sure its a k/n filter..... about the smog thing..... if you happen to get one that is not C.A.R.B exempt then you will probably have to take it off when you smog it unless you live in an area that isnt too anal about that stuff.

 

whats the whole big thing about the K/n Filters what do they do that regular filters dont or the ones that come already with intake. also the CIA intake that I am looking at is two pipes is that better than one direct pipe. I know with a 2 piece CAI you can but the AEM bypass valve on it as for the straight pipe one you cant. I am really scared about the whole water getting sucked into my engine ****

 

Couple friends of mine that have been into cars longer than I have all assured me that water is not a problem unless your filter has the chance of getting either soaked in water (ex FLOOD WATERS 2feet deep or more) or extremely damp for a long time (ex a leak from the top down or constantly driving through huge puddles for like an hour.

They said that if it gets wet, most of the time it'll just go right through or evaporate quickly with all the airflow that's there or the engine might stall. Let it sit for 3 mins and start it up again, your fine. Usually. If you plan on doing some off roading or routinely driving around in flood type waters you don't have to worry about it.

Besides, the bypass valves take away from the intakes ability to add power... so the intake add's power and the bypass valve takes that power right back away. So your not really helping much. I'd just go with the AEM CAI single tube, it's a proven winner. :thumbup:

 

so your basicly telling me that the bypass valve does nothing for the car if there is ever a chance of water getting into my engine from a CAI.

 

exactly, the bypass valve will make your CAI about the same as a short ram intake, so no need to get it.....plus.... on most cars the filter is completely covered by your splash panels around the fenders and wheel wells, so youd really have to TRY to get it wet. As far as the two pipe thing..... I have seen some intakes come with two pipes so you could use it as a CAI in the summer, then when it is rainy or wet you could just eliminate the second pipe and put the filter on the first pipe as a short ram and back and forth etc....Im not sure if thats why the one you are looking at has two pipes but it sounds like it..... About the K/N the reason it is so good or people like it so much is because it allows the most air flow out of a lot of the filters, while still filtering good.... more air flow equals more power but you still need it to keep the air clean. That is why if you take your complete intake off and just run the throttle body naked on a drive around the block it will feel more powerful, but the engine will get dirty.....

 

just to make a few things clear, the aem bypass valve only works when the filter is completely SUBMERGED in water. as far as a damp filter, you dont need to worry, the engine wont suck in water off the filter unless its submerged in water. remember the filter has 360 degree breathability. only time your engine will suck in small amounts of water is if you have an iceman ram air intake for daily driving, that is just retarded. unfortunatley one of my friends did that. hydrolock is not fun at all...lol