I am looking to get a CAI to spice up my engine's performance. However I don't have the time or patience to look for a PR one. I cannot find why they are superior to say a BOMZ CAI outside of a vague reference to them delivering better air to the MAF, making for better readings and better performance. What is the deal? Should I spend the $$$/time or keep my homeless short ram??? Low end is a priority for me, but performance is as well. LMK

 

I like to eat hamburgers.

 

Save your $$ for FI. Otherwise, stay stock.

 

Stock intake will yield the best performance.

 

Seriously...

 

You said you wanted to "spice up" your engine's performance, so let me put it in terms you can understand: would you take a world-renowned master chef's best dish and throw a bunch of salt and pepper on it?

 

Dude,

A CAI, from what I know, is an aluminum or sheetmetal tube that extends from either the throttle body or the MAF to the fenderwell, at which a filter is attached to protect the engine.

Very simple.

In the little research I did, I found out that some people lost their low and midrange grunt from Ebay type CAIs. I just want to get more feedback on that, or see if maybe their installs were wrong, etc. I imagine retaining the stock midpipe helps to a large degree but I do not know, which is why I am asking...

I could, and have thought about sinking $10K into properly boosting this car, but I would gladly settle with a CAI, provided I gain more than I lose...

I just want a simple answer.

 

The simple answer is all you will gain is sound. That's it. You will LOSE power, most likely in every area of the powerband (more so with a CAI than a short ram).

 

got an ebay short ram, i noticed no difference except a little better throttle response, the sound is awesome thou, apparently people with autos say the lose alot of Low end, i never tried it on my auto

 

OK. Damn that sucks, it really opened up my old Honda's top end.

 

just get it man. It will play a huge game in your head once you get it. The sound will be great and you will most-definately think you got some sorts of gain. Get a hot air.

 

Simply put, at least for the A32 Maxima, Nissan did it right. The intake piping is big enough to feed a 3.0L properly, added elements for good low end (like the midpipe), and it gets fresh air from the front of the car via the scoop.

 

a Bomz is a PR style is it not?

ive actually switched back and forth in the last few weeks between short ram, cai, stock, short ram with stock snorkel, and i felt no difference between none of them...im going back to the CAI just because. when i dyno the car this summer im actually going to dyno between stock, short ram, and CAI and put this thing to rest once and for all hopefully.

 

I was under the impression that mods like that don't show up on a dyno because the need air to be flowing for you to see any difference?

 

You bet. Especially when anything like the snorkel is involved. You'll still be getting air from outside of the car, but not constantly fresh MOVING air like you would if you were actually driving the car.

 

I swapped back to the stock 4th gen stock box and wasn't impressed. Maybe it was because of the 00VI, IDK. I didn't have the scoop on so maybe that was it too. It felt less smooth and power after the 00VI switchover didn't come on as hard.

Although we've established that a short ram/WAI will still suck in cool air when driving, I've been told that it creates alot of turbulence. I was also told that a PR CAI or POP charger was the only way (besides the stock intake) to avoid the turbulence. If the turbulence issue is true, then a short ram wouldn't really be a better choice than a CAI.

In the end, it's probable that none of them make a huge difference in any direction. Do what you want.

 

That would be great man. Another thing to check on the dyno would be to see what happens when you switch between the stock midpipe & a straight pipe. I think that is where the low end loss rumor started...

I have a homeless WAI (Autozone filter stuck on the end of the MAF sensor) and outside of sound I don't think it made much of a difference from stock. I might just get the CAI for the hell of it.

 

hey look an intake thread

 

Why can't there be more threads like this?

 

Stock Air-Box FTW!

 

stock airbox FT....bandwagon?!

 

Post of the Day!

 

I've had two silver Place Racing CAIs sitting new in the box in my garage for 5 years now.

 

stay with what you have.

 

I have gone back and forth with all setups, short ram, CAI, stock setup. With my auto I found that it was a hybrid mix that worked the best.

TB > Stock resonator box > maf > CAI bend into fender

 

I lol'd

 

I locked