Hello! I have the idea to install CAI for my Maxima but I have no idea at all about how to install, which brand or if it's worth it, in other words:

1.-It's easy to install CAI for a VG? do I necessary require cutting metal?

2.-Which brand or install kit do you guys use/recommend

3.-Is it worth it? I mean do our cars really get more HP? or it's just gonna sound/look cool?

Thanks in advance to all of you for your help.

 

1. If you want to drop in a name brand one, you'll be paying Around $200 or so. Install isn't very hard but does require cutting some metal. I could do it with some Metal Snips though.

2. I used a 1993 Honda Accord Kid (Suggested by Hereismymind) And Made it fit.

3. You'll barely see any HP Gain, if at all. But after having one, I couldn't imagine my car without one. You will feel a little bit more Low End Torque, and slightly more high end (Though not as much as a HAI) I would recommend putting one on.

I spent $22 Total, With Filter For Mine on the VG.

 

Gas millage +1-2 miles a galon for me. although my orignal filter was dirty on my HAI and i put a K+N on the CAI. It requires very little cutting of the piping. and you should buy a piece of 2.75" flex hose. then you remove our fuse box on the side of the battery to put the pipe under it. Here it is with out the flex hose / k+n filter.

 

+1, That's what I did to route it in the fender.

Basically like this:

 

ok so, the kit you both guys have is the 93 Honda Accord (from ebay? or where) plus the K&N filter plus the flex hose, is that it? $22!!! that's way cheaper than I expected! Thanks for the diagram and picture, but I'm still confused, so, is there enough room to run the pipe below the fuse box? it might be the angle of the picture but it looks like it's way higher than usual, did you find any issues when putting back the fuse box? where should be the final position for the filter after the flex hose?
Well I guess it's a small challenge to learn how to cut pipes, never done before and have no idea what kind of tools I'm gonna need.

 

I ran with the Accord filter, and my dad had leftover flex pipe from our RV. So JUST the Honda Accord Kit (With The Cheap Filter) Ran $22 Shipped to my house. If you want a K&N, that will be around $40 alone, and the flex pipe is probably like $10 for quite a bit of it.

There is enough room to run the pipe below the fuse box, but you have to take the fuse box out, run the piping, then put the fuse box back on... mine fit a little bit crooked, but was still very sturdy and grounded.

The final position for the filter will be down in the fender slightly (Below the headlight) make the flex hose JUST go down in the fender, not long at all to where it could possibly pick up more than usual road dirt/mud.

It is not a small challenge to learn how to cut pipes, I used a hacksaw and sanded the edges, not that I had to, they're going to be in cuplinks anyway.

Tools You'll need:

Phillips head, Flat Head Screw Drivers
Socket set (To Ensure tightness of the clamps/Fuse Box)
A Hacksaw (Or something to cut through the pipes)
Metal Snips (Handheld Metal Cutting Shears)
I think that should do it.

ALSO: A biggie-- You'll have to have some kind of MAF Adapter so you can run the cuplink out from the MAF to the pipe. I think you can buy these from auto-parts stores but I don't think they're big enough for this setup, and I just went ahead and made my own.

What I did was go to an RV supply store (Mobile Homes/RV's run different sized water piping than traditional homes) and got a 3.5" PVC pipe adapter. It looks like this:


Then I just drilled holes in that that fit up to the MAF's holes and bolted it on.

It will look like this going down into the fender: (This is actually on my VE, but it will be the same)

 

Great! Thank you very much! That's a lot of help!!

 

cai

full engine bay


and yes im aware of my rusted radiator brackets / canister bracket. i posted abotu cleaning them up and forgot to clear coat them. tear* so that'll be done this weekend.

 

Would it be better if the intake pipe ran in front of the battery and down into the hole? The maf wiring would have to be extended for one but I'm just asking about the pipe.

 

Great Diagram...

 

I agree with 94Maxshima. Got all my materials off ebay for next to nothing. Used the intake for a 93 Hond Accord, souced a 90 degree piece to run behind the headlight and that was that. Only cutting i had to do was minimal and only to the pipe. No cutting or relocateing on the Max. Could tell enough difference to make me happy with the results.

 

i think about moving my battery to where the stock airbox sits(might even fit in the bottom half of the stock airbox?)might be to tall though?(dont want terminals touching the hood!)
and then there will be tons of room to spin the stock s pipe so it ends up where the battery was and i will extend the filter over and or down
then put some kind of safe scoop into the bottom of the whell well plastic flap
since it wont totally seal out water any way just rain and splash(the well flap i mean) if someone else beats my lazy **** to it i wouldnt mind pictures/writeups

 

I've seen a pic on here of an intake that goes straight to the hole behind the headlight rather than around the battery. After thinking about it I got worried that the filter would be really open to water, water spray, etc. so I don't know how good of an idea it is for a daily driver.

 

mines my daily. and i enjoy hitting puddles going quite fast. last 2 weeks we have had hella bad thunderstorms and I have yet to get any water in there. not to mention when i played in big snowy parking lots over the winter.

 

This would be a nice set up,but you would have to extend the maf wire harness to get the maf over to that area of the engine bay.


No need to worry about water intrusion,the filter is still well protected in the area below the headlight,i have had my filter there for years now...

 

If you can work a screwdriver and a sawzall, you can install a CAI.

 

Switch to a Side post Battery then.

 

I was thinking about locating the filter behind the fog light area, I would cut out the plastic so it would get some direct air. That I thought is kind of low and will get soaked. Still not an issue?
Pic:

Things would have to be moved to route the pipe in front of the battery but it shouldn't be bad. Pic:
Anyone think there would be any problems having the M.A.F. that close to the manifold?

 

I wouldn't put the filter that low,also cutting out the plastic would expose the filter to direct rain water when driving...

If you are going to do this,just put the filter under the headlight,it is the best place for it...

 

That's what I thought. I don't even know if it's worth the hassle just to have the filter stuck behind the headlight. I'll have to figure something out.

 

Hey i am a noob here (first reply),, but I am an old school hot rodder (52 yrs old),, has any one thought to relocate the battery to the trunk? I know we used to do it over the passenger rear wheel (improve traction and weight distribution), but these were rear wheel drive cars..
It might improve handling a little, but would really open up a lot of space for CAI install.
Sorry if this has been posted before, or I am breaking any posting rules here, kinda confusing for old guys,lol jake

 

Relocating the battery to the trunk is always a good idea. Opens up space for all sorts of fun stuff, perhaps a turbo.

 

The whole point of the cai is to get the filter OUT of the hot engine bay,also to smooth out the path for the air via madrel bent tubing...

You achieve both with the cai's setups members have shown you in this thread...

The only thing i would do differently,would be to use 3 inch tubes for the vg,instead of the 2 inch accord tubing some members have used..

 

3" would be great. It would be nice to have the filter down there but it's not going to happen. But I do agree, having the filter in the hole just high up is good enough.

 

IMO,the hp gains from a cai doesn't match the work involved moving the battery to the trunk...2-3 hp tops..They do give the engine a nice grrrrowwwl at wot though..

 

Accord is 2.75" In, 3" out. Also... I would recommend not using the flex tubing if you can find a way around it. I noticed when I switched from flex to metal it would be more "punchy" at takeoff for some reason; guess the flex pipe made the air travel less smoothly.

 

Are you talking about the rubber flex tube that is attached to the manifold?

 

No, the flex tube that goes into the fender...

 

A c.a.i. is supposed to be mandrel bent pipe, slicone couplers, and hose clamps.

 

Hah, I know... but for people who can't find a 90 degree bend for the fender pipe; it was suggested to use flex tubing earlier in the thread. I was just saying try to stay away from it as it doesn't give full potential out of the CAI.

 

Yea, the flex stuff doesn't flow well. A c.a.i. made from pvc would be better than that. I hope no one tries that though.

 

Just do a search on Ebay for the 90 degree peice. Thats where i got mine and there was a **** load to choose from.

 

So this is the kit that works good on are maxs

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/90-93...24004531QQrdZ1

 

Yes... + a 90 degree 2.75" bend...

 

i will move it to the trunk if i cant move it to where the stock airbox is\was
and internetautomart man has a good point about a side post battery not hitting the hood there
as for moving it to the trunk i think it would be easy because like many others
here i have a huge stereo wire going to the trunk and it would connect to the positve(battery terminal) in the trunk and the hood side of the stereo wire would now go to the starter and the battery ground would go in the trunk? i guess and id keep the engine grounded to the frame in the bay like it already is? now with the battery gone thered be so much room i could make a huge box for the filter thats sealed off from the heat side
(could even throw some cold bags of ice in the box for fun till it melts)prob not much diff though .and keep the ice water away from the filter somehow(drain tube or good bags)

 

would the 93 accord kit work for a VG30E engine? what do i have to cut? what else i need to buy.. please list all the stuff required to install it

 

Dry Ice FTW

 

Dude, read the damn thread... ALL of your questions are answered multiple times/debated in JUST this thread. Not to mention all of the other CAI threads you could find through the FREE search.

 

If the intake pipe was routed directly in front of the battery with the maf in front of the battery would there be any danger to the maf? Also do you think having the pipe routed this way would be better for power than the accord setup?

 

Probably since the air is directly drawn through one pipe with less bends.