5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003) Learn more about the 5th Generation Maxima, including the VQ30DE-K and VQ35DE engines.

Berk Intake

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Old 02-06-2010, 07:55 AM
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Berk Intake

Just orderded my Berk intake last night and cant wait to get it, I have herd nothing but good things about this intake. I almost bought the Injen CAI but I have been reading mixed reviews about the placement of their filter being right behind the radiator. Anyways just thought I would share my new mod
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Old 02-06-2010, 08:22 AM
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Great SRI, I have a custom made hybrid of the berk with a BPI velocity stack and over sized AEM dry flow filter and just love the sound of it as I am sure you will as well. Do post up a pic or two once you have it all installed.
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Old 02-06-2010, 08:30 AM
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Ya I plan on doing a little photo shoot once I get it installed I also just got my tints done, they came out pretty nice, I just wish it was summer It cant come soon enough.
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Old 02-06-2010, 08:30 AM
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You will like the Berk. I also have a hybrid prototype with AEM Dryflow. Great combo!!
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Old 02-06-2010, 09:56 AM
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get the rc2 air filter from cattman
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Old 02-06-2010, 10:03 AM
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Originally Posted by papo99
get the rc2 air filter from cattman
i got one of those
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Old 02-06-2010, 11:43 AM
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were did u order this
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Old 02-06-2010, 12:11 PM
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This one is too easy. Google Berk Intake. Check your first result. Wow.
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Old 02-06-2010, 06:03 PM
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Yeah had mine on for about a week or so and its a huge improvement over the injen cai.

Originally Posted by zero2sixtyZ
This one is too easy. Google Berk Intake. Check your first result. Wow.
oh man
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Old 02-06-2010, 07:53 PM
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The first time you hear that growl come from your engine bay... I remember that moment clear as day. I was so shocked, I dumped the accelerator and slowed to a crawl. Pushed into the higher revs a few more times under load, just to be sure it was me and my Maxima making that wonderful noise. Then WOT and...

Well, you'll see. You know, it still makes me grin.
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Old 02-07-2010, 07:35 AM
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Nice, I still remember the day I got my CAI for my specv and the sound that it produced it was awesome, I cant wait to experience this with the Maxima
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Old 02-07-2010, 07:58 AM
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This might be a little OT, but one of the appreciable benefits of intake spacers is a slightly deeper tone to the engine under load, something you'd likely hear with a short-ram air intake. That's certainly not reason enough to install spacers , but I'm just saying... it sounds really nice.
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Old 02-07-2010, 10:07 AM
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berk is the best IMO good choice your gona love it!
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Old 02-07-2010, 10:09 AM
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Originally Posted by zero2sixtyZ
This one is too easy. Google Berk Intake. Check your first result. Wow.
i was asking maybe he got a deal some were
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Old 02-07-2010, 10:14 AM
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http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...akes-00-a.html

Could buy one of these and save a few bucks...
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Old 02-07-2010, 11:03 AM
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Just a random picture of the Berk intake



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Old 02-07-2010, 11:48 AM
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I love my Berk SRI, well worth the money.
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Old 02-07-2010, 12:20 PM
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I have a 3" coupler right off my TB into my 3" ID Maf with a 3.5 Bpi setup...

I also have a 3.8L maxima



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Old 02-07-2010, 12:22 PM
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Do you guys think I should get intake spacers and ware would I find them, how do they befit other then having a deeper note?

Last edited by b15philly; 02-07-2010 at 12:26 PM.
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Old 02-07-2010, 12:24 PM
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Here's the intake from my maxima

70mm TB - 3" coupler - LR Big Bore MAF - Midpipe delete - 3" JWT attachment
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Old 02-07-2010, 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by b15philly
Do you guys think I should get intake spacers, how do the befit other then having a deeper note?
They are definitely worth having. Aaron's products are top notch
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Old 02-07-2010, 12:38 PM
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So is the general consensus that the Berk SRI is the best intake for VQ35 Maximas?
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Old 02-07-2010, 12:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Z-Powered
So is the general consensus that the Berk SRI is the best intake for VQ35 Maximas?
Best intake to start out with.

After that, its about making your own really
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Old 02-07-2010, 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Z-Powered
So is the general consensus that the Berk SRI is the best intake for VQ35 Maximas?
I wouldnt agree with that.
I mean there is GAB, CAI, SRI, ect... I personally have had a cattman SRI and a Custom TRUE CAI and I like my CAI better.
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Old 02-07-2010, 12:49 PM
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Originally Posted by b15philly
Do you guys think I should get intake spacers and ware would I find them, how do they befit other then having a deeper note?
Yes, but because they're a performance mod, not for audio aesthetics.

Your best move would be to hunker down for some research. There is a wealth of information here on the Org about NWP Spacers. Take advantage of it, take your time, and make informed choices.

But short answer... OMG, yes.
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Old 02-07-2010, 12:53 PM
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Have had the berk for years. Originally with a K&N but over the last several years with the AEM dry filter. You won't be dissappointed!

Hey I've been reading about the R2C filters. How do you like them?

Wonder if we can get a group buy on them.
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Old 02-07-2010, 12:56 PM
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Any aftermarket air-intake modification will give some slight improvement over stock, with the trade-off being increased noise. That's a large purpose to stock intakes.

As to which one is best... different engines, different mods, different priorities all make up the endless argument about diminishing returns once you get past the benefits.

In other words, there is no single, best answer, just opinions.

My opinion is CAI for the launch, short-ram for WOT, and dry over oiled filters. But that's IMO.
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Old 02-07-2010, 01:00 PM
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Originally Posted by mrood1986
I wouldnt agree with that.
I mean there is GAB, CAI, SRI, ect... I personally have had a cattman SRI and a Custom TRUE CAI and I like my CAI better.
I'm still new to Maximas, but I heard that you lose low end torque with a CAI. Is that true? I did the GAB mod, but it's still a little too quiet. I wanna hear my VQ sing!

Wow, the Berk is cheap. http://www.berktechnology.com/shop/p...D=279&P_ID=451

Last edited by Z-Powered; 02-07-2010 at 01:08 PM.
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Old 02-12-2010, 09:42 AM
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I was wondering if people on the east coast could tell me how long it took to get there intake from berk. I ordered on the 5th and never got a tracking number. It says my payment went through and they have received the order but it has not been sent yet, I also emailed them to see if they had a tracking number for me and they never returned my email?
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Old 02-13-2010, 12:17 AM
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Get your money back and built your own SRI (Hybrid of coarse)!
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Old 02-13-2010, 07:28 AM
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Originally Posted by Z-Powered
Wow, the Berk is cheap.

$170 for a freakin' short ram is cheap? I find it madness.

I'd prefer something that leaves $100 in MY pocket.
http://www.cosmoracing.com/productin...d=232&pid=1368
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Old 02-13-2010, 08:20 AM
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Originally Posted by SteveB123
$170 for a freakin' short ram is cheap? I find it madness.

I'd prefer something that leaves $100 in MY pocket.
http://www.cosmoracing.com/productin...d=232&pid=1368
Perhaps, but that's a much smaller mid-pipe, if that matters. However, it is marketed with a silly looking, cute Asian girl, so it must have cred.
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Old 02-13-2010, 09:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Rochester
However, it is marketed with a silly looking, cute Asian girl, so it must have cred.
That always helps...

...and I think it's a great price for this...



Not much to it, but if you don't have the time, knowledge or parts to make your own, this is a good alternative.

I prefer the DIY'er direction myself...

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Old 02-13-2010, 02:07 PM
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Originally Posted by SteveB123
$170 for a freakin' short ram is cheap? I find it madness.

I'd prefer something that leaves $100 in MY pocket.
http://www.cosmoracing.com/productin...d=232&pid=1368
Well, for me it is. A SRI for a Celica is $230+! And my AEM CAI was $270.83. Ouch. I'm glad Maxima parts are cheaper.
Back on topic, are there any dyno results for the Berk intake? Are there any for the Cosmo intake? (http://www.cosmoracing.com/productin...d=232&pid=1368)
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Old 02-13-2010, 10:28 PM
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im on of those suckers that has a injen cai...
still uninstalled tho...so no real verdict yet.
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Old 02-14-2010, 01:57 AM
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I've been wanting to give the Berk w/ Apexi a try for about a year now...but for some reason, $200 just seems like too much for basically just a growl.

Anyone know off the top of their head exactly what pieces I would need to make a DIY Berk?
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Old 03-01-2010, 11:23 AM
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So I just installed my Berk intake and all is good, the only thing I am concerned about is that there is no bracket to hold the intake, it just holds it self up. I don't know if I am missing something? Anyone have any thoughts, pictures help to
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Old 03-01-2010, 11:52 AM
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There are a number of places you could bolt down a supporting bracket. Take note of how nismopc did his in the above picture. There's also a free bolt hole near the strut tower, now that you've removed the airbox. A little ingenuity, a trip to Home Depot, and you'll figure it out.

Although it is surprising that Berk doesn't include a support bracket. I mean, for the money, would it have killed them?
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Old 03-01-2010, 12:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Rochester
Perhaps, but that's a much smaller mid-pipe, if that matters. However, it is marketed with a silly looking, cute Asian girl, so it must have cred.
Late on this, but I was just re-skimming this thread to see if I could find anything new and interesting to read.

To reply to this, let me start out by saying that I purchased CosmoRacing's CAI a little under a year ago. Almost exactly like the Injen. It's definitely worth saving the $100+ more you'd spend on an Injen and investing in the CR model.

I would imagine the same idea would go for the short ram setup. I don't see a few mm in tubing size making a huge difference on our engines. It's been proven our cars don't show significant gains with any kind of aftermarket intake setup, anyway. Anyone here care to tell me how big the cross-section on their Injen or Berk intake is? I'm pretty sure CR's tubing is 3", or close to it.

Now, the CR CAI didn't fit perfectly, but it fit well enough. The only downside was having to buy a new filter, which isn't a big deal, because I planned on switching to an AEM dryflow anyway.

Story aside, I will say this: If you're looking at doing customization on your intake down the road, aside from the "slap on and go" SRI setup, the CosmoRacing seems it would definitely a step in the right direction. It's cheap, which leaves money for other intake mods, (e.g. a velocity stack, better filter, etc.), as well as other mods in general.

I've recently converted my CAI into a SRI thanks to a breather and the el-cheapo Autozone tubing, which I hope to soon replace with some real aluminum tubing of the proper diameter (it's skinnier than my MAF ). My car's a bit torquier than it was with the "CAI," obviously, as was also proven when the Injen was put up against a SRI setup.

Conclusion: If you're looking for a start-out intake system, CR isn't bad at all. In my opinion. Do I have conclusive dyno results to back up my opinion? No. But I definitely felt gains in my Maxima on the first few test-drives post-install of CR's CAI that many Injen owners have also claimed to have felt.

I don't see why it wouldn't be the same with a Berk Intake when compared to a CosmoRacing intake.

The problem is, it seems a lot of people on here have the mindset that if you spend less than $150 on a bolt-on, it's a "cheap" mod that won't perform well. However, anything over $150 is outrageous pricing for a bolt-on. I don't understand where I'm supposed to draw the line.

It also seems NWP proved that theory wrong with the VIAS delete plate, though.

Honestly, how much of a difference are you going to feel between the two SRI setups? Besides a lighter-feeling wallet from the Berk.

I'd say minimal, if any.

Last edited by Mr. Brett; 03-01-2010 at 12:27 PM.
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Old 03-01-2010, 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted by b15philly
So I just installed my Berk intake and all is good, the only thing I am concerned about is that there is no bracket to hold the intake, it just holds it self up. I don't know if I am missing something? Anyone have any thoughts, pictures help to
Heavy-duty ziptie around the MAF adapter, and ziptie the tubing to the old bracket that held the airbox in place. Worked just fine for my custom setup.
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