Cold Air Intake vs Short Ram Intake
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 133
Cold Air Intake vs Short Ram Intake
I've heard different things about a Short Air vs. Cold Air intake and want to know which one everyone thinks would be better in my situation. All i'm looking for in the mod is some better gas mileage and maybe a little more horsepower. I'm 18 so i can't spend a bunch of money and i can't do much in the way of mods beyond one of these. Any help would be appreciated!
OP, if you're in the market for the best performance mod for around $200, you'll definitely want to go with NWP Intake Spacers... search them up. Do the GAB intake mod (free), with these spacers ($225) and you'll love it.
Last edited by jowo9; Apr 28, 2010 at 10:26 PM.
most people dyno completely stock at about the 205-210 whp mark. With an injen intake I dyno'd at 208. so yes it sounded great but was absolutely worthless as far as adding horsepower.
I would think any aftermarket intake design would produce negligible gains on a stock setup, and that performance variations wouldn't occur until you improved the efficiency of the exhaust.
Cold air intakes (CAI) are superior to short ram intakes (SRI) if the CAI can provide a cooler intake air temperature (IAT). A reduction in IAT will increase peak volumetric efficiency and therefore power. This incraese may be 'corrected' out of 'atmospheric corrected' dynamometer tests as IAT is used in the correction factor calculation; I cannot remember the calcuation of the top of my head to know the significance of IAT.
On the other hand, the intake tract length can be used to manipulate air flow pressure wave frequency, which will generally show as a hump in the power curve (see Honda AEM CAI performance linked below). For this, shorter lengths will increase the hump's engine speed.
http://www.team-integra.net/forum/di...&TopicID=42533
http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?p=30147215
Also notably, the SRI will generally increase engine noise as compared to a CAI as the tract length is shorter (less sound absorption) and the inlet closer to the driver.
Since no off-the-shelf Maxima CAI exists, the hp/$ gained is likely better with the intake spacers as noted by prior poster.
On the other hand, the intake tract length can be used to manipulate air flow pressure wave frequency, which will generally show as a hump in the power curve (see Honda AEM CAI performance linked below). For this, shorter lengths will increase the hump's engine speed.
http://www.team-integra.net/forum/di...&TopicID=42533
http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?p=30147215
Also notably, the SRI will generally increase engine noise as compared to a CAI as the tract length is shorter (less sound absorption) and the inlet closer to the driver.
Since no off-the-shelf Maxima CAI exists, the hp/$ gained is likely better with the intake spacers as noted by prior poster.
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 72
From: queens ny
Back to the question to help out our fellow member which was not how injen works........ if your looking to spend about 170 get a short ram great sound shorter distance air wise as in the cold Air intake have a much longer pipe so u won't feel the difference that much until mid rpm short ram is for the low's...one of the best for the price above is the Berk with aem filter from their site and I don't know how much you know about cai or sram but it depends on were u want to fell the gains
Best intake ever.
Did you do a run on the dyno before and after the Injen Intake, because it seems you are just taking 205 or 210 hp and you got 208 with it. I heard even with the drop in K &N filter they got 5hp increase on a 2000 Maxima.
DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS MEMBER - OWES PEOPLE MONEY
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Posts: 3,468
From: Greensboro, NC
I heard short rams lose lowend and gain mad topend, i heard CAIs gain lowend and lose topend, I heard aliens crashed in new mexico 50 years ago. I also heard that "hearsay" is usually bull****. (don't worry, Nmex, I am not directing my smartassedness at you.)
Seriously though, it's better to test things for yourself in every case that you can instead of "hearing" stuff.
Seriously though, it's better to test things for yourself in every case that you can instead of "hearing" stuff.
Not sure if this helps...
...custom SRI with cheap-@$$ Spectre cone filter...
...dyno results...
...Since then, added VIAS block-off, aluminum lightweight pulley, 2.5" eBay cat-back...
...dyno to come soon (hopefully - depends on $$$).
...custom SRI with cheap-@$$ Spectre cone filter...
...dyno results...
...Since then, added VIAS block-off, aluminum lightweight pulley, 2.5" eBay cat-back...
...dyno to come soon (hopefully - depends on $$$).
Yup! One of the reason's I purchased the pre-NWP VIAS block-off plate back in late '07. Was sick of trying to figure out what the heck was going on and $20 was a lot cheaper than replacing any one of or all of the VIAS components, solenoid, canister.
A guy was there with a auto 3.5 Altima and his was even more odd than mine. He ended up doing the VIAS block-off as well and got rid of his irregularities as well.
A guy was there with a auto 3.5 Altima and his was even more odd than mine. He ended up doing the VIAS block-off as well and got rid of his irregularities as well.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 133
so out of all of this i've heard of the power gains, but i was also wondering about the gas mileage, i've heard a CAI will give some mileage increase, but i wondered which would do better. sorry if i'm uninformed lol, i'm just learning how to work with cars
No I did not dyno completely stock. MY first ever dyno was with an underpulley and an injen intake. So with two mods I dyno'd completely stock. Go figure. Then one day a friend of mine lent me a berk intake to try out. He bought it for an 01 but it was made for an 03. He said I could try it out, then I could modify it for him for the extra few hoses. I made a copy of the berk for myself and sold the injen within a week.
I know a true CAI is the best setup, but when it is 40C outside and the humidity is high enough to make you feel like you are going to melt, I don't think it will make a huge difference. And I am skeptical that a filter in the wheel well behind a plastic shield can get enough air without actually modifying the plastic mud shield.
I know a true CAI is the best setup, but when it is 40C outside and the humidity is high enough to make you feel like you are going to melt, I don't think it will make a huge difference. And I am skeptical that a filter in the wheel well behind a plastic shield can get enough air without actually modifying the plastic mud shield.
Last edited by knight_yyz; Apr 29, 2010 at 09:03 PM.
I keep hearing this referred to but have yet to find a definitive source. Are you referring to the 350Z MAF or something else?
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 189
From: Richmond, VA
Warm air helps gas mileage in our cars (and most vehicles). However, somewhat paradoxically, better airflow also helps gas mileage (K&N drop-in filter). Basically, the more hot air you can get into your intake, the better. I speak from experience only with the VQ30DE, but I'd be willing to bet the effects are similar for the 3.5. For that reason, Injen or short ram is probably your best bet for what you're looking for, from the options presented in this thread. If you can find or fabricate something to draw air over the exhaust manifold, that's even better. Cheers.
Basically, the more hot air you can get into your intake, the better. I speak from experience only with the VQ30DE, but I'd be willing to bet the effects are similar for the 3.5. For that reason, Injen or short ram is probably your best bet for what you're looking for, from the options presented in this thread. If you can find or fabricate something to draw air over the exhaust manifold, that's even better. Cheers.
Good stuff.
Warm air helps gas mileage in our cars (and most vehicles). However, somewhat paradoxically, better airflow also helps gas mileage (K&N drop-in filter). Basically, the more hot air you can get into your intake, the better. I speak from experience only with the VQ30DE, but I'd be willing to bet the effects are similar for the 3.5. For that reason, Injen or short ram is probably your best bet for what you're looking for, from the options presented in this thread. If you can find or fabricate something to draw air over the exhaust manifold, that's even better. Cheers.
