Hey guys what do you guys think about my home made intake system? I used the following:

* cadillac (junky $6.00)
* Crome pipe (home depot $5.00)
* filter (***** store $10.00)

It all came out cheaper than the open element, and it works awsome.

 

camaro pic 2

 

Not bad and deffinatly better than stock. I would say it performs as well as an open element. Now if you could route the ducting so that the intake takes in cooler air then you would have an ideal set-up.

 

A good start. You can improve on this further. Use a longer pipe, then build a 2- or 3-sided sheet metal airbox so that the cone filter is mostly isolated from the underhood heat. The metal sides obviously face the engine. You can also put a sheet of thermal wrap around the pipe to further isolate it from the rising heat from the DS exh manifold. The metal pipe will act as a heat sink (from the rising exh heat) so anything you can do to safely (fireproof) insulate the pipe will help.

I agree that it probably works better than an open element but having track or GTech data is a better way to prove the point than the SOTP anecdote. A few friends and I added the same intake, using a fwd v8 Caddy-sourced elbow & bellows, to a TBI 93 Caprice 9C1 several years ago in this thread. Before the mod the 0-60 mph time, via GTech, was 7.5 sec; after the mod it was under 7.3 sec ---- i.e. a 0.2 sec gain. It also put the car into the high 15s for the first time. We never got to the point of building the cold air box around the cone but I believe it would have made the car even faster, because the IAT measurements (via the ALDL data stream) showed the intake air temp to still be measureably warmer than when we pulled the IAT and measured the outside air temp away from the engine.

 

Still looks like poo compared to an open element.

 

what year caddy and are you using stock hood

 

Perhaps, but would you rather have an air cleaner that looks good but is slower (like an open element), or would you rather have an air intake that makes the car faster, even if it does "look like poo"?

Remember that the open element's only benefit is lower airflow restriction so long as the airflow restriction of the alternative air cleaner has significant restriction. The open element has to have enough of a flow gain, over a cone+pipe design like the one in this thread, to make up for the hot air it draws. That's a stretch to believe. Why?

Because the big cone intakes aren't any restriction on the LT1-powered (or LS1 powered) B and F bodies that run 12s, 13s and 14s, and make anywhere from 280 to 400+ fwhp, so the cone is certainly not a restriction in a TBI car that runs, at best, 14s to 15s. If the big cone isn't a flow restriction than why would anyone want to draw hot air from an open air cleaner that offers no airflow gain? Underhood appearance is one valid answer, but performance is not. FWIW.

 

Well i cant say what year it is from because i just took it of and bought it. But from my nowledge (i guess),i think it is from a 1990-1993 caddilac. It may not look nicer than an open element but i did feel the difference from:
*stock, too
*open element ,Too
*custom intake.
I mean that the i felt i difference from the stock to the element but felt it even more when i put this intake on. I think i am going to do what (kdrolt) said by wrappping the metal tube with some isolation, and invent a little box to furture cooling my custom intake. Thanks for all the replys.

 

It looks like **** and I despise it so much, yes I would rather have a "low performance" open element. Besides, with my blower, it wouldn't work anyways, and my cowl hood takes care of the rest. If you will recall, there was a comparison from a "cold air" intake and an open element at the track recently, and I remember the open element netting better ET's.

 

Personally i dont think it even looks that bad. And it even cost less than a open element. I have one sitting in my room that i will never put back on.

 

It's all in your head. With that "custom" intake it's still taking in warm air from under the hood anyways. There is a reason the open element is so popular.

 

I have to agree with this. If the intake was routed lower to allow real "cooler air" it would be fairly effective. Moving the air filter a few inches away from where an open element would be is not really bringing in air that is any cooler. I think a little more work can make this an ideal intake set-up. I say this everytime one of these set-ups are created. I am hoping that someone will actually try to extend the filter down more.

 

Not really, im not saying it isnt getting hot air because it is but i know that it is getting some cold air from out side between the head lamps, and over the head lamps threw under the hood then it hits the filter. I belive it is getting more cold, and it does work better than a open element ( i have one!). The only reson that the open element is so popular is because it is the only thing invented to fit on these cars, noone has these specifically for sale for the tbi system (custom intake).

 

So long as the air isnt overly hot it wont cost too much performance. You dont want to have a cold air intake or any sort of air-gap manifold if your car sees cold weather. It takes some heat to ensure the fuel evaporates rather then just puddles on the bottom of the intake. BTDT and it sucks. Doesnt run as good and the constant splashing of gas leaves lots of crusties on the side of the spark plugs that faces the intake valves.

BTW, how high is that from top to bottom? Also, how tightly does it seat to the bottom of the tbi? Ive been looking for something similar that also doesnt allow any outside air to get in.

 

Ahh yes, the debate that WILL NEVER die... :lala:

Fisrt and for-most, getting a little bit more air into the system, albeit hot or cold, isn't going to do you much of anything unless you can get it out the back of the car faster. I too would like to see some g-tech or dyno or ANY true numbers from the people that have done open elements and this type of intake. The butt-dyno, whereas is the most valuable tool the weekend mechanic has, is also hugely subseptable(sp?) to the mind. If the mind thinks that there should be extra power, it'll make it seem like it. If you took a driver that has no idea which intake is on the car, then earmuff him/her so they can't hear it, the person would probly have NO idea/feel no differance towards either setup. Anyways, I'm in no way shape or form ******* this setup, although I must say I don't personally like the style, I'm just saying there is really no way to have a solid debate without TRUE numbers.

Bruce (90RS305)

 

thanx 90tbi305 for the caddy dates and it looks good to

 

Is there even enough room to run a down pipe off of the end of the orignal pipe to get that filter lower? I figured the carbon canister would be in the way.

 

i had that exact peice on my car 2 years ago... i am currently running an open element. i even tried to run with a cavalier intake that mounted the filter right in the hole of my ss hood and it was not impressive either. i had a cone filter and a hard plastic pipe on the caddy intake. it is not a cold air because it is not outside of the engine compartment.
i have the ss hood and a kn xtreme lid so the air flows through the hole in the ss hood and forces it down into the lid.
it is not a true ram air yet because it is not sealed off, but it will be soon.

 

I give the guy props for this intake. It's definitely unique.

WTG man!

 

Tried it before, and posted it before, check here:

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...old+air+intake

Didnt really do anything

 

Thats My 89 RS 350 TBI, and the cold air intake i got off of ebay and its for a truck TBI

 

If this answers your question i dont have a carbon canister, i took it off like in minutes off puchasing the car.

 

But the difference between mine and yours is that it was about $35.00 less. Thats why i posted this up because it is cheap and gives you more power,(im saying cheaper than an open element). And on my application it gave me a gain over the open element.

 

you can buy an open element from pepboys for like 20 bucks... plud you don't half to dig through oil infested junked cars to find one, i have the lo3 and i noticed no significant sotp feel on it plus if you want to make it a real cai you need to put the filter in the fender well or somewhere outside of the engine compartment, also cai's can be dangerous in the rain!!!! i have had many a friend hydrolock an engine by running through a puddle and choking on the water. a buddy did it to a 92 300 zx... 3,000or more for a rebuild. so becareful!

 

that could be a problem with a CAI if it is sitting above the hood or sticking out, or one that is low enough to collect fresh air from the underside of the car. I just opted for open front & open back scoop and replaced my ram air setup. i suppose that i'll have to come up with a scoop plug to keep water out when it rains. $17 for an OE.

 

Screw all the opinionated butt whipes. If you like it that's all that matters.

All you'd have to do is make the pipe a little longer so the filter would get cooler air than an open element. Then the setup you have wouldn't be right behind the radiator. That makes a huge difference right there.

 

a little water from rain is not going to hurt it! its when the whole filter gets submerged in water that causes the hydrolock,
the caddy set up looks good though but i don't see the point unless you put it outside the engine compartment. also my last post was confusing the open element that sitsobn top of the engine is not really going to be effected by water... if the filter gets a little wet from rain so what! i have driven mine in the rain many times with no problems... it when the cone filter sits low to the ground in a fenderwell or in front of a radiator that causes the problem... its like a straw sucking up water!

 

The open element that you are talking about IS WITH A WHITE FILTER right? Thats not doing nothing on till you got a k&n , or some type of filter that is not paper. The thing that i also like about my filter is that it is not getting as durty as an open element. Because it sits right in front of the radiator , right were the dirt goes. I had mine on and had to wash it 3 times in about a 5 month period. This is what it cost me with a k&n :

*Open element ( paper filter ) 20.00
*k&n filter , 45.00

So it does go for a lot more than an my custom filter . The junk yards that i have beed too in miami are not full of oil. Any ways how hard is it to take of a hat, from a cadillac?

 

If somebody could find me one from a Caddy I'd buy it . Not many around in NJ, most of them got crushed years ago.
As for the paper filter.... can't beat the price. I have the $20 Summit open element air cleaner on my car for 4 years now. Changes the filter last year but had to drive it in the winter... it's all used up. For $3 from Napa I've got a new filter.
A K&N doesn't make more horsepower than a paper filter unless they're both used and the paper is all clogged!
I must say, I do like the intake but would isolate it into a cold air somehow.

 

i have a green type of filter right now so its diffrent than the white one i used to have... also it took me about 30 seconds to get the hat off of the caddy that i got mine from! but the car was covered with oil inside! also if you read the little book that comes with the kn it says it is ok if it gets dirty not to clean it until about 40000 i think??? but it does say not to worry about the dirt. its in the little pamplet that comes with the cleaner. also i can't use the hat any more since i have the performer rpm intake an the 2 spacers. jpervost maybe we can make a deal for mine??? let me see if i packed it when i moved from va to ga...

 

Thanks.
Yeah, you can clean a K&N too much and it won't work as well. Also ALWAYS clean them from the inside out!

 

Why don't you have someone you know BRING one to the next Ohio pow-wow.

 

well i figure i'll throw my $.02 in to this. for what its worth... all of about 2 cents probably...

anyway, to help defend 90tbi GM did make the stock camaro intakes on both LG4's and L03's have air enter in the same spot his filter is... there must be a reason for this... if no air was entering they wouldn't have done that. i'm not saying that GM's design was a good one, but some amount of cooler air must enter through that spot, the Open element takes in nothing but hot air, with a stock hood. this way you have to be taking in somewhat cooler air, hence why GM put the air duct in this spot...

but thats just my opinion, i may be wrong but there has to be some amount of cool air entering that spot or GM wouldn't have routed the intake track to in that general area....

i think it looks cleaner than an open element, but thats just another personal preference. maybe if the filter was a different color? even though the blue would match my car quite nicely...

 

That would be nice . But I don't know who to ask since I don't know who has one (joking assuming you but semi serious.... I'm confused).

 

 

I have thought of that, gm has to have a reson why it is there.
Well I got the cold air system working last night, but havent painted it. All i can say improvement , like crazy. Now i can really say that the open element is really a waist of money, and is only really good with like an ss hood. I still have to put it right because it sitting right in front of the tire. so need to put a 90 degree angle and it should work like a beutie. I should be getting some pictures from the set up in about a week or so.

 

i am glad you like it but be careful running through pudles. also you may want to look into the little breather that aem makes it splices into your tube and if your airfilter gets in a puddle the pressure diffrence allows the breather to open and draw in air from inside the hood.
i just found it in one of my sport compacts... there are 3 sizes. a 2.5" 2.75" and a 3" it is 45.00 and will save you if you get into deep water!!!! well worth it. its called a bypass valve. you can look it up on landspeedracing.com