Now that it's freaking cold in Texas like 30-38F I decided to see if the CAI really did anything. I've had it on here forever, and I've also had CAIs on just about every car I've owned.

In the past I thought they were overrated as the engine gets so damn bloody hot that it doesn't matter. For instance stick a hotdog at 60F in boiling water for 5 seconds and stick a hotgog at 80F in boiling water for 5 seconds. At the end of the five seconds the hot dogs will be pretty darn close in temps.

At any rate, I felt the CAI pipe leading into the SC and it was cool, the SC itself was just barely warm, and the pipe that comes out of the SC and goes to the MAF was a tad warmer, the intake manifold was pretty warm, but not hot like it usually is.

Anyways, this was only after a 15 minute drive from work which included 3 miles on the FWY. I'd like to see how warm the pancake filter'd SC and piping gets on the same drive; too bad Adam sold his SC as we work and live real close to each other we could see the real difference.

Also, now that it's DAMN cold my belts are squealing hard. Judging from the lowest point on the alternator belt how much tension should there be? That's the part of the belt that is running horizontal at the lowest point of the belt, not the longer vertical runs as those runs are harder to get to to judge tension. I can flex the belt a decent amount (1/2") or so at that small bottom run which makes me think it's a lot less tense on the longer vertical runs.

 

water boils at 60F? sorry.. just bored. But I do support the CAI argument since I got one also and it's cold as heck here in so. cal... 53 degrees last night!!

 

There should be about a 1/4" deflection in the drive belt.....

 

53 degrees!

Are you kidding me. I would kill for 53 degrees right now.

 

its about 20 degrees here.. 53 sounds pretty damn good to me

 

$20 say it's colder here.

 

no

 

i'm practically a popiscle here at 53 degrees. One time it even hit 45 degrees! It's perfect weather for the max, still got traction with nice cold dense air.

 

You california guys are so spoiled.

 

hey Mike...my buddy saw your car at COD yesterday....he really liked your headlights

 

talk about thread jacking

 

Does your friend drive a Maxima? Cause I drove by one at school yesterday and he was rubber necking.

 

Anyone have a nice write-up for a v2 5thgen?

 

it's 73 right now in florida.

brian - you think that the cai would hold up in regular heat in tx and still keep things more cool.. it may just be the frigid cold?

 

 

nah..he drives an Impala SS...you've probably seen it..it's green with the ram air hood..and 18" enkeis...it's a head/cam car...very quick for a heavyweight

 

I know the car. Park next to him yesterday (obviously). It's one of the better looking SS I have seen.

 

your just saying that because he knows where you park

 

That's sort of where I was going at, the temps in the summer or in regular 60F+ weather it really doesn't seem to do much, everything is just blistering HOT. However, it does work in the cold it obviously works. Therefore, it's only reasonable to guess that it does have an affect in the summer but it's just not as noticeable, everything is hot, but it might not be as hot.

Frankly in the summer I don't think it buys you any real cooling performance (The difference between 190 and 210F intake temps are probably not that significant, where as the differences between 80F and 175F probably are {175 being a guess on what potential temps might be if the intake was in the engine bay}) (I'd go with an IC).