For the budget-conscious buyer, what's the best way to go on an intake for a 5-spd? I've seen lots of random posts and I've read the FAQ's, but am yet to see any real conclusive opinions!

I want the best performance for the least money, probably hybrid or modified stock? If hybrid is the way to go, link me to which ones are best on eBay or otherwise. I also don't want significant wheezing when I let off the throttle nor do I want a lot of loudness in general.

*** In summary, tell us all what the best combination of price, performance, and quietness would be. ***

Alright, let's get tons of opinions rolling.

 

STOCK....................................
i've tried a few and stock is the best....

 

Play with all of them and see which fits best for your needs.

I like stock w/mid pipe.

 

yeah stock intake is the way to go, i have heard the hacked airbox works well but i havent tryed it.

 

Are you guys saying stay all stock on the air intake even if you have a y-pipe? As in don't even bother with a drop-in K&N filter, etc? Sorry for my newness, but what's a mid-pipe?

 

Well I have a CAI and I can help you out with the loudness factor. I think it would be similar with all setups (HAI, CAI, short ram, etc...), but what I experienced is a completely stock sound with regular driving, until you hit about 3500 rpms, then it gives a sweet roar

I'd say go for modified stock if you want a quality filter for not much money...

 

aight from what i read around the org, and in the stickies... i would say go with hacking your airbox, and drop a K&N filter in the box(the rectangle ones) and you should be set

 

K&N air panel is definitely a good idea, they're talking about using the stock airbox. they probably also use a K&N or atleast some type of high-flow filter.

I use a hacked airbox, I absolutely love the sound it makes and it gives it better airflow. Drove ~ 5k with it hacked now, and yesterday I took it apart expecting the filter to be dirty and the inside of the airbox to have sucked in all kinds of crap. I think it's even cleaner now then when i took it all apart and scrubbed it out for the hacking surgery!

I have the whole fender-side of the airbox cut off, and I get an awesome growl at WOT, and a nice low in the midrange, but if you're not on it then it doesn't make any extra sound. Perfect.

From what I understand about aftermarket intakes is that they pretty much shift theirusefulness to the higher RPM range, whereas the stock likes low. I don't usually drive my car over 4k at all, so I decided that hacked was the way to go and I'm not disappointed whatsoever.

 

Let's say we've now narrowed it down to hacking the stock box and putting in a K&N square box as the best way to go, even with a y-pipe.

Given that, let's switch focus and start the opinions coming on what the best way is to hack the stock box. I see one suggestion from tomservo above, but give me more opinions and details.

Oh, and nobody ever told me what a mid-pipe was.

 

You guys told him essentially all the same thing, post ******. . .

A mid pipe can be had from frankencar, or cattman, call him up and he might break a CAI up for you for just the midpipe. It's a straight replacement pipe for the region in between the throttle body (TB) and Mass air flow sensor (MAF)

 

That doesn't make them post ******. That's what forms some kind of consensus... which is exactly what I was looking for.

Kind of like when everybody goes to the polls in a couple weeks and the majority of people cast the same vote to re-elect Bush... that doesn't make us vote ******... just intelligent Couldn't resists... LOL.

So do you think the mid-pipe is worth the expense over the stock mid-pipe? Roughly what kind of price and performance difference would it make? Can it be home-made?

 

Is this only true for 5 speeds?

or can us automagic owners benifit more form the hacked air-box, over most intakes at the lower rpms?

 

Can be done with creativity for under 10 dollars, or be lazy and spend 6 times that, and I've never seen any dyno with ONLY the midpipe giving gains, but I dont like loud intakes, and the midpipe adds a small noise, so that's my choice, like I said do what feels best for you, don't let the public eye make your decision, you're not using another mans d!ck to fukc your wife are you?

I just had to.

 

Based on that analogy, you must be a Kerry voter.

And I just had to, too :

 

Nope I jsut make my own decisions.

 

I have learned that what you might think is a majority really is'nt. There's probably tons of peeps that don't answer these questions any more, a lot of whom are very knowledgeable. Due to fact they have seen the question a million times. THIS thread is one of my favorite for intakes. Dave B is one of the the most knowledgeable guys on the site and he's had probably every Maxima intake set up known to man. None I believe are dyno backed but the choice is yours. I personally run a Place Racing CAI (buy the BOMZ look alike off of ebay if you go this route) because when I race I think with corner lite removed you get plenty of outside air all through the RPM range. But day to day driving I prefer the stock resonator with a MAF adapter and cone filter. Good throttle response and aggressive sound.

Check out this site: MAXMODS

Just be careful on this site. 10-12 answers may sound like a good consensus to go with, you just have to remember how many people are on this site.

 

Actually the majority vote for Kerry but Bush still wins...kinda like last time.

 

I've been running a hybrid for a week now and am surprised that there was no low end tq loss like I had with the same intake on my auto, same mods. I'm in the process of making my own custom intake so I'l see how that feels.

 

Sorry, have to say i have a Pr CAI and love it, more than my stock box. I just hate it when it rains cause Brooklyn seems to have alot of HUGE puddles lately

 

But then again i have never tried the hacked air box so i don't know

 

Reposting for an answer:

From what most have said her, let's say I've now narrowed it down to hacking the stock box and putting in a K&N square filter as the best way to go, even when accompanied by a y-pipe.

Given that, let's switch focus and start the opinions coming on what the best way is to hack the stock box. I see one suggestion from tomservo above, but give me more opinions and details.

 

SO back to the thread....
I have a Stillen intake in my car and absolutely love it. The price was somewhere around $150, it's so so smooth and sounds really awesome. It's recomended that a pipe-preferably k & N, but I have yet to purchase one. This is really a lot better than stock, for me, because it just has that deep groan to it when you step on the gas, but not too loud. I'm very satisfied

 

I hacked my box and love it! I used a 2.5" cut-out tool for my drill and made a hole in the fender side of the lower box. I used this bit, because I had intended to add 2.5" wet-vac hose down to behind headlight for potentially cooler air. I tried the hose, and didn't like it (I think it added too much resistance and the air just came through the stock run anyway). Overall, very happy. It was easy to do, makes a nice growl at WOT, and otherwise I notice nothing (drives like stock.........which is a good thing!).

 

You love it based solely on sound? You seem to be downplaying any performance gain. Did it seem effective in that regard as well? Just clarifying.

 

It depends soley on where you want, and how you intend to use your power. If you are usually an around town driver, low to midrange rpm, hardly ever 50 mph, then stay with stock, or use a hacked box or mid mipe set-up. For low end there has been talk to use the stock mid-pipe and the CAI tube in the fender and this was best. If you have a MEVI and want to take advantage of a little more high end, get the hybrid. A y-pipe gives gains with any set-up, it only amplifies it.

With all the different set-ups mentioned on this thread, there's a minimal gain +/- so it comes down to ones preference of sound vs performance. But most if not all of the cone set ups will produce a bad power to sound ratio meaning you get more sound than power gain.

 

A good summary reconfirming my choice to go modded stock. Do you think the one hole you made is sufficient or would there be any benefit to doing two holes, or another hole on the front, etc.?

 

Most benificial theory would be OSCAI. In the FAQ's

Leave the stock duct on top the radiator, and dissasemble the lower region to add another duct almost directly under radiator to suck in air, and it also eliminates all those sound deadening plastic boxes from the filter to the outside air.

 

It's all about breathing, more air more fuel more power, same goes with exhaust. I made my own midpipe, but instead of going with the trend of K&N (expensive) I went with a Ractive cone filter (1/3 the price and clean/reusable) this makes quite a roar and some whistle which some org'rs mistake for a vacuum leak. I've since prooved this wrong as I installed a ractive "heat shielded& twisted" cone filter, the noise is drastically reduced to close to stock, the whistle has gone away but the throttle response has picked up. Even with the regular cone filter and in conjunction with my y-pipe I receive a significant bump in hp. Both Ractive filters only cost $15 each and I made the midepipe including welds from a muffler shop for $10. I felt the gains, sound and looks is better than a hacked up air box with a K&N panel filter and cheaper! Too bad you've already decided that the hack job is the way to go. I've included a pic the the regualr cone filter but as I said I've since gone to the shielded cone just done has pics yet, but they'll be on my website when I do. Buy a midpipe& filter from ebay cheap, throw away the junk filter replace it and your done. Regarding CAI, exactly as it says cold air intake, if you live in a climate other than that of Hawaii or California etc(always hot) the CAI gains are minimal, according to a friend who worked in a racing circuit.

 

True, but this has something to do with IM design and resonance tuning and where in the RPM band you want it.


Got numbers to prove it?

. This is all personal preference.

 

Almost everything on this thread is personal preference. Otherwise there would have been dyno's posted all over this thread already.
But has stated before i have the Pr CAI with a Ractive filter and i think it performs better. Won't know until its Tracked.
But if you think the hacked airbox is the way to go tthen by all means DO IT.
I never done it so i would not know how it performs compare to my current set up.

 

That's why I said it.

 

Those links for the OSCAI FAQ's don't work.

I went here: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....484#post248484.

Can you provide instructions?

 

This is pretty self explanatory and a real real fast over view from my post on the previous page.

Leave the stock duct on top the radiator, and dissasemble the lower region to add another duct almost directly under radiator to suck in air, and it also eliminates all those sound deadening plastic boxes from the filter to the outside air.


To help you, here are some pointers before you start,

get under the hood, look around, familiarize yourself, and you'll be all set.

 

NmexMAX "Got numbers to prove it?"

Numbers to prove it? It's common knowledge!
There's dyno camparisons plastered all over the web on this stuff!

 

Show me YOUR results since it was on your car that this "gain" was felt.. .

 

Just a thought, but what about cutting the fender side of the stock airbox and cutting the fender and adding some sort of tube between them? Would this allow cold air to get in while retaining the benefits of the stocker?

 

You show me yours and I'll show you mine

 

Never said I had a dyno with gains.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence... but you're giving me more credit than I deserve. Just got this car two weeks ago. It's the cheapest car I've owned and the first one I've been brave enough to go the DIY route on since there's not as much to lose. But because I've always had everything done for me, my confidence and knowledgebase isn't what it should be. You know those motorvate how-to's everyone makes fun of. They're for people like me... people with loads of common sense and ability to learn... but little knowledge up front. So, any further specifics would be appreciated as to how to go about this.

 

Neither did I, but this isn't productive, and I don't need to get into a pissing match, it's a waste of space, so I'm done, have a good day!