ok just now purchased a 2000 white maxima se auto fully loaded (dont worry, i tried to get a 2k2 3.5 but it wasnt in my price range ) and i am just curious about all these diffrent intakes out

i have tried to do as much research before asking though,

but here goes
i still want low end torque but it seems with all intakes, u lose some?

and there are so many names, injen,frankencar, berk, among others

what has proven to be the best?

any sites or hints would be great

thanks guys

(previous 95 max owner)

 

Well, there really isn't any proven anything yet on any of our intakes.

I know that witht the short ram intakes, like frankencar and berk you will maintain your low end but you won't gain 'as much' higher up.

With the Injen fake CAI you will lose some low end and gain most of your power up high.

I used to have the Injen on my car, and since removing it I am loving having my low end power back.

 

go with berk intake stage 11 or higher. you will loose some low end torque. to offset that, ground her and it will help with low end torque, and make the idle etc more smooth. irish has a great how-2 for grounding and will cost you 20 bucks.

 

danimsta, there are a lot of threads about intakes. Scroll through some pages here in the 5th gen forum and you'll run across a lot of info. Many members swear by the 'ghetto/hacked' stock air box.

Bulldawg, you've got it backwards. Short rams reduce low end, but better up top. The Injen should maintain the low end. I'm surprised that you lost low end with yours. I've got the Injen and really like it.

 

just dont go around driving thru water puddles

 

Do the GAB. Check Soonerfan's page for info.

 

i've been happy with the injen just, it kills me at this track when its hot out, i'm thinking about adding the intake cooler from custom maxima.

 

intake cooler????

 

Well, not exactly. Since the Injen is not a true CAI and is still pulling HOT air from the engine bay, you are losing your low end because all you have effectively done is made a longer 'short Ram'. What you have said is very true for a real CAI that pulls air from the exterior of the Engine bay.

Therefore, when comparing the injen to the berk or frankencar, you will notice a faster throttle response with the shorter intakes because it takes less time to 'charge' your intake piping. This faster throttle response will allow the driver to think there is better low end.

Also your injen intake is acting as a wonderful heating element for all that air passing through it as you are sitting still at a light.

There is a point at which an intake can be tooo' long and, from my experiments I have deteremined that the Injen intake is too long and too hot to be of any use other than at top end.

Do me a favor and go remove your injen intake and return it to stock. Then take 'er for a spin around the neighborhood and come back and tell me the results. I will promise you that you will have 3 times the low end power.

 

I went back to stock a couple months ago when I took the Max to the dealer for the crank sensor recall. I didn't race or dyno when the stock box was on, so I can't say which produced more low end. I have not had a short ram installed on my max....I was just relating what the majority of org members have said about them and the loss of low end, but increased top. And the general consensus is that the Injen, while not a true CIA, acts less like a short ram and more like a true CIA.

Either way, any gains are minimal on the 3.5, but the sound is very pleasing.

 

hmmm...this thread could go on forever.
I have a 2k. I put in frankencar intake....good highend gains, some lowend loss. Then I put in my own hypergrounding setup (as dba said) and the low end is back, stronger than ever.

so....intake (Berk/Frankencar are essentially the same, and GAB will get you similar results as well)

+

hyperground wiring

=

increased high end for sure
same or slightly increased low end.

check my www. for hyperground how=to

 

PlaceRacing CAI is what I really like and its not to loud and well gives you nice low and high end power.

 

Do the GAB or just keep the stock box

 

I will agree on that, the sound is nice. I really believe that the maxima intake in stock form is about as good as it gets, i.e. best of both worlds(low and high). The only advantage in my opinion for going aftermarket is for the sound.

 

if you care more about looks than results then get one of the various aftermarket intakes.

i prefer the GAB from one of the org members shown here...http://home.insightbb.com/~dwh/GAB.htm

 

go to custommaxima.com and for the 5th gens they sell a intake and intercooler, cooler, it uses co2 to freeze the metal around the air flow

 

after reading all this i am giving up on installing CAI. for those extra 4 hp (which are still a maybe) it is not worth it, especially if you are loosing some low-end. ...and low end is what really makes maxima sweet to drive.

btw, that GAB is not good for the engine because you will get that same oil film/grease (that builds up over time on top of your engine) on your air filter and it will just clog it real fast thus reducing the air flow.

if it is for sound i guess it is worth it...but then again it might get tiresome on long trips.

 

for true cold air, go with the proven, place racing or cattman(same thing, cattman is cheaper)

http://www.cattman.com/img/prod/dsc_...20g5%20cai.jpg

 

you wont lose low end with a CAI. some have felt some low end lose with wai but there are ways to combat that. the reason i did not go with place racing was cutting the hole in the fender. just think of it as cai= low to mid range and wai=mid to high end.

 

I think I will stick with my recently installed K&N panel air filter and Budget Y-pipe (stainless steel). I like the improved performance and am not into a lot of noise. With all the rain we get from November through March, I'm not sure CAI is the way to go for me at any rate. I don't need water in my engine.