Cheap e-bay CAI's any good?
 

I'll be doing the air intake upgrade on my '91 soon, and those $20 kits on e-bay are pretty tempting... Like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2471156233

Sure, it's a cheap knockoff, and the filter is probably paper instead of a nice cotton K&N - but I can add that later for another $20.

But has anyone tried one of these kits? Any reports on how they look/fit/work?

...you get what you pay for.nuff said..

I agree with Im@ge lol :p

A friend of mine purchased an eBay CAI for his '96 Civic a few years ago. You're right in assuming that the filter wasn't the best (not terrible though), and the fitment left a little to be desired, but the main problem was severe pitting of the polished finish that showed up after ~6 months or so. The silicone/rubber adapters also began to dry out and crack, so overall the durability wasn't spectacular. That being said, with a quality filter, I'm sure the performace was more or less on par with other long-tube CAI's, so for the total investment, I suppose it wasn't a bad deal.

If the CAI is the proper diameter, there really isn't much a difference btw an AEM CAI or generic one. In the end, they're both just pipes. Unless, you live in a state that requires a CARB sticker, I say go with a generic CAI with a good filter.

Not really, the R&D guys at AEM are the best you will find. Yes if you have a budget a generic one will do just fine. If you want the extra money the CARB sticker, GREAT fitment, and the most power you can get from a CAI or a short ram will always come from an AEM product.

I think there's more than 'get what you pay for' here.
- I'm not making a show car, so a little pitting doesn't bother me. Heck, I can replace it every year for as long as I intend to keep the car and still pay less than full price for the big name.
- Part of the reason the name brands are expensive is that they have to research and figure out all the dimensions and such... The copycats don't, they just duplicate it, using cheap Chineese labor. Sure, supporting them by buying their products is iffy, but I'll just have to live with that.
- There's nothing really magic that the name brands do; it's a tube. It's got smooth bends, and puts the filter outside the engine compartment. And it's a bigger than stock filter. These simple things account for most of the gains, and the copycats do that too.

How about this one: Still 1/3 to 1/2 the name brand, has a cotton filter, and a CARB sticker:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEBWA%3AIT

It definitely looks to be the better of the two, and as you said, you can always replace the filter if the included one turns out to be low-quality.

Something else that's been on my mind regarding these intakes... If the goal is to keep the incoming air from being warmed by the hot engine, why are they nice conductive aluminum pipes? Wouldn't it reduce heating to wrap them in insulation, or even spray the outside with something like thick rubber?

Kind of eliminates the whole polished appearance issue.

It might also reduce some of the sound as well.

Kirwan--

that is a great point! By making the pipings out of aluminum you do increase the temperature of the incoming air just a tad. There was a reason why ICEMAN made their CAI out of some plastic or some sort of polymer which would be less conducive to heat. Of course ICEMAN didnt have the bling bling so thats probably why its not as popular as AEM... Then again AEM also has more products out there than just their CAI and have more funds to market their products.

I had the ICEMAN CAI and totally am behind it 110%. Its doesnt have the bling bling factor, but is cheaper than AEM and is a solid intake. Oh yea, it is just every bit as LOUD as the AEM!

Onto the ebay intake... an intake is an intake. the most critical part of the intake is essentially the filter. You could just put a filter at the end of the stock box and you'll see some gains just because now your engine could breath better. Just need to make sure that you understand that you arent buying the best products off those ebay auctions and be ready for the consequences. Another route you might want to pursue would be "homemade". Just make yourself your own intake by getting come PVC pipings from home depot or something. They work the same!