Building the Ultimate Intake
 

Since this is not your run of the mill "how do I install my intake?" kind of thread, I figured I'd post it here, especially given the greater knowledge lurking in this area of the forums. Ever since I put my 00VI on, I have swapped between about four different intake setups and have never really been pleased with any of them. Truth be told, I'd be fine with stock! That's not really easy to do, though. As of today I think I finally found one I can deal with that doesn't have a bunch of drawbacks like previous setups. I wish I had pics, but I don't. It is as follows:

throttlebody -> accordion section -> 3"x6" straight pipe -> stock midpipe -> MAF -> cone filter

My biggest goal was to be able to use the stock midpipe. I am so sick of short ram intakes with no off-idle torque. This setup is working great so far, but I had two drawbacks in the design, the most important being how I am holding the straight pipe to the stock midpipe. The OD of the stock midpipe on that side is greater than that of the straight pipe; so big that the reducing coupler that comes in most short ram and CAI setups isn't even big enough. Also, it's roughly a 22.5º angle, so I feel uneasy about how it's together.

SO, where can I buy a reducing 22.5º elbow at? I've looked at intakehoses.com, which is where I got the straight pipe at, and they didn't have any 22.5º elbows at all, let alone reducing.

This thread is also here to give people an idea (hopefully with pics soon) of an intake setup they can try with the 00VI that I've found to outperform your typical short ram setup.

good thread idea, I have a regular short ram and the whistling is kinda starting to get on my nerves. With the stock midpipe box, is it as loud?

Whistling? Can you describe it to me? I want to see if it's the same thing I have experienced.

The stock midpipe didn't really quiet the intake down, per se. Not that I noticed, anyway. Still has that same growl to it. The main reason I put it back on was for the off-idle torque, though. The stupid automatic doesn't like short ram setups. If I could, I'd put the entire stock intake assembly back on, filter box and all. In fact, in the future, I may attempt to do that. The way I have everything placed right now, if I could eliminate a little bit of length off the straight pipe I could probably fit the filter box. I might even put the snorkel back on and make it REAL quiet :nervous:

well, at idle, u can just hear the engine sucking air in. It is like a constant single high pitched sound.

Thats just the IACV sucking in air. Mine didn't do that until I cranked out the idle screw to make it idle a bit higher. Try lowering the idle a bit and seeing if the noise gets quiter.
Also, CAI ftw. I have tried the short ram setups, both with the stock midpipe and without. Call me crazy, but I swear the hot air punches my vq in the face at low rpms. Right now I have a CAI with the stock midpipe, personal fav.

I'd like to see what you come up with for the 00VI. Mine is on its way, so I too will soon need a new intake setup.

I have the CAI pipe, but I haven't ever used it. I've had it for well over a year now, too. Not sure I feel like cutting a hole in my fender. Hmmm.

Also, the sucking noise, yeah, mine is LOUD. I'm not lowering my idle either, it's at the correct RPMs as it sits now.

tatanko, i'm totally on board w/ you.

i'd have to say one of the drawbacks of the 00vi is not being able to use the stock resonator or airbox easily. because of the position of the TB after the install, it sits further back. i had tried to use the stock resonator before attached with two accordian sections, but its just too awkward a fit b/c it bumps up against the ABS stuff (or something else i don't remember, but it doesn't fit well).

only thing i can think of right now or before is having to use 2 accordian sections, w/ a short pipe in between the two. my previous temporary setup however, with two accordian sections, just was too curvy and i felt that 'S' shape was not very good for air flow.

A33 airbox too big for a retro?

On an A32 is it. Tried it with my buddies stock A33B setup, the battery would have to be rotated a bit, some mounts fabbed up (although that's relatively easy), and some other stuff gets in the way IIRC.

Most of the issue is the battery, so far as I saw. Mine is too large, but I imagine with a lightweight battery or thinner than stock (or my DieHard) it wouldn't be too much of an issue. Mind you though, this was with the...A32USDMIM, so I don't quite know how fitment would be with an 00VI.

Pretty much, yeah :( Although I don't doubt it is a superior design, as you and I have discussed many times before. I personally think it would be great to take the lid off of it, secure the filter, and find a way to duct cold air to it (so that it was essentially one big intake from the front of the car to the throttlebody, but with the filter in the middle).

I don't think it's a very cost effective setup, though, unfortunately. You would need to buy the stock A33 equipment for starters, probably a new battery (or relocation kit...and/or fabricate brackets to move the battery tray), and also fabricate brackets to hold the equipment itself. Then there's materials if you want the cold air setup I described...

If you're going to be going with an 'advanced' intake set-up, I think it's a viable option. At least to use existing pieces/hardware.

I think old age has gotten to me in that I don't like the intake wail anymore. That and I've found that the large MAF housing mod and the stock airbox have worked extremely well for me.

I also think if you do any type of intake modding, an AFC should be standard equipment. Especially of it's not your regular let's drop a cone filter on there type of SOP.

You're aware I have a VAFC2 on board now, right? No wideband yet, but there will be one by Christmas at the latest.

I don't much care either way with the intake noise thing. My exhaust sounds good (albeit a little loud for my tastes SOMETIMES), so the intake is inconsequential to me. I prefer function over sound in this case, too. Besides, I see Max's all the time in town with stupid short ram setups revving from every stop light so I hear enough of that noise without so much as turning my car on.

I know you have a VAFC, just mentioning it...again. :wall: If you do get a WB, you can really play with the intake set-up and see/monitor how it affects the AFR. MAF placement alone can really play a role in this.

Data logging software too can help out a lot. This way you can see how the MAF is seeing different amounts of air etc.

You guys and your BBMAF's, just get rid of them already... :p :wall:




Plus it makes fabbing intakes cake... :hide:





kidding...
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No you're not :o


It's ok, though, you go off in your own little corner of 12 second 3.0's :p

tatanko, are you 5spd?

there's a lot of space in front of a 5spd tranny to run intake tubing down there, you may have to shield off the flow from the radiator though. just a thought.

and what kind of wideband you getting and why? i have not read up much on this so i'm curious to know as well since i plan on tuning w/ my vafc2 as well.

I'm auto, actually. So I don't have that luxury :(

I'm not sure which wideband I'm going with yet. I still have time to think about it and do my research, though.

I'm thinking of paying some monthly fee and having a live data stream from the local weather station to my car. I will then sell my MAF at that point. :gapteeth:

I completely forgot I have a second accordion section sitting in a box in my garage :banghead: I think I'm going to use that rather than spend a bunch of time and money tracking down a 22.5 degree coupler or elbow. It'll provide a better, more stable seal than what I have right now, too (it will also be black instead of light blue so it won't look so ghey :o ).

I do have one other question though. How is the MAF sealed/connected to the stock midpipe from the factory? I guess it's because I haven't had a true factory intake in such a long time that I don't remember. The way I have it set up right now I'm questioning how well it seals.

If I get that pipe polished up all nice and shiny and everything sealed the way I want it to, I'd call this setup a success (at least in comparison to a short ram).

Hmmm. My MAF apparently no longer has said seal. Then again I'm not on the original MAF, either. I don't think I saw it laying around in any of my boxes of stock parts, either. Does the seal go OVER the hard plastic opening of the stock midpipe or inside of it?

It seals in between the OD of the MAF and the ID of the midpipe connector. It usually sits inside the midpipe, not on the MAF itself.

I see. I have a nice little parts list for Dave B, I wonder if he could order me one of these while he's at it, if it's even an available individual part.

Here it is on courtesy - http://www.courtesyparts.com/betasit...-p-128908.html

I really wish I could get actual Nissan part numbers off of their site. Gay.

Geez, that was quick. Thanks for finding that!

No problem.

you might want to find a hard short length tube to support the inner diameter of the accordian sections if you plan on connecting them.

I already have a 3" OD tube on there now. I'm well aware that two accordion sections by themselves don't work, I've tried it and failed like so many before me :p

I think if I shorten things up (including the straight pipe), I'm going to be able to get the stock air box and scoop back on, which would be awesome.

without too much twisting and turning of the tubing? please post pics if you get this.

found this in a thread that actually you started last year:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...9/AirDuct1.jpg
http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...&postcount=115

looks like w/o moving things too much that setup may work w/ the stock air box.

I have a stock 00 intake on my car. Picks are on my cardomain.

wow, i didn't realize the 00-01 air intake box was so much longer than ours.

anything special you had to do to make that work?

do u mind getting some close ups?

I have the whole 5th gen stock airbox assembly except for the snorkel. Im getting tired of the short ram whistling. I wonder if I should pick up a 5th gen snorkel and put all that stuff in. I also have a 00VI.

I'm interested in more info and pics about the 5th gen setup also. For now, since I have all the parts, I'll stick to 4th gen stuff, but the 5th gen (as NMexMax and I have discussed) is quite possibly the superior setup.

for you guys w/ the 00vi using the 5th gen TB w/ the canister thing on top, are you using a fstb?

if you are, what kind is it? i had to take mine off b/c it didn't clear.

and james, would u mind posting up close pics and what was involved?

I'm so glad mine didn't have one. Looks better without it, too :D

i used a 5th gen maf end to make it so that i could have something to fill in the gap between the maf and the airbox.
I dont have it secured all the way so it makes a sound when im idling, not that its loose it just moves enough. I have poly mounts which dont help with vibrations either.

ill post some pics this weekend when i have time.

Gotta love how it looks stockish.

I also have a FSTB but ground it down a bit. But you dont i dont really need to seeing how it does clear depending on the bars position when your tightening the bolts.

How about it. I'm most concerned about performance, though. True, though, I can't wait to see what it's like to put an OEM muffler (A33B) back on and a stock intake setup and actually be making probably even more power than I am now :eek:

http://www.putfile.com/jseymr/images/159587


heres the pics.

wow, looks like a snug fit. did you try a different intake setup before this w/ the 00vi on? if so how was it compared to this?

Snug, indeed. Just making sure, is that the A32 MAF? Looks like it, but then I see cut and crimped wires, sooo...? Also, do you have any brackets holding it up or is it just in there? Anything you had to modify to make it work? Also curious why you have the IAT sensor in a cut hole in the air box when there's an open hole on the scoop.