cold air intake useless?

[lostatlantis]

I was browsing the net and found this page:

Link

It mentioned something about cold air intakes being useless, producing no measurable power increase. It also goes on to say how you could really increase your power and gas mileage with some intake mods. I am still learning about intakes and considering a SLP CAI for my '96 bird. Can someone shine some light on this matter? thanks~

[Dewey]

Horse-poo. I've got my Fast Toys Ram Air kit, plus a Whisper Lid, and I've definitely got more ooomph than I did bone stock.

[MustangEater8251]

by its self it owund do much but it works together with other mods especially exhaust.
Now an increase between a SLP version or something made out of 3 PVC, I think the difference are negligable.

[ October 23, 2002: Message edited by: MustangEater8251 ]</p>

[Ruger]

yeah, they do give horses,..
dont expect like a dramatic diffrence,.. but about
1-2 mph gain in a 1/4 run.

[JAM]

I chose not to use a CAI just cause I didn't want to have water be able to get up inside. (going through a car wash) [img]graemlins/burnout.gif[/img]

[Blizzard96]

Water shouldn't be an issue. There is a piece of plastic there...splash guard, thats what its called.

I've driven through some serious rain and it hasn't been an issue. Just don't drive through any huge puddles...

Enjoy the stock intake...I wouldn't go back at gun point.

[99firebirdconv.]

i also havent had a problem with driving through rain with my ftra kit. I think it makes quite a difference. ;)

[Dojo2000]

The author has some good points.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>A good start would be plugging all the coolant passages that heat the throttle as well as the intake manifolds. <hr></blockquote>
One of the things that DEE's TB spacer does is block the coolant from reaching the passage in the TB. Definetly helps keep the TB cooler.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> The heated manifolds(like every other car out there) is why cold air intakes don't make diddly for difference - because the intake manifolds are heated! This is also why you can feel the difference when your engine is cold - because the intake manifolds are still cold also! <hr></blockquote>
Yep. I've even seen a intake manifold spacer for the 2.5L V6 in the Ford Probe GT and Mazda MX-3 that insulates the intake manifold from the hot block.
http://members.attcanada.ca/~dragon64/spacers.html
http://home.san.rr.com/scmorgan/spacers/Pricing.htm for examples

I do believe CAIs help. The way I think about it is as the air moves through the TB and manifold its heated little by little, it doesn't just jump 100 degrees when it enters the engine. If the air enters at a temperature such as 70* (I know that might sound a little low, but I've seen IAT readings of ~75* at start-up with OBD II), it will be heated and end up in the cylinder at a lower temp then if it started at say 110* (I've seen that with OBD II too). I'm no chemistry major so I can't give you any fancy formulas, but this is my opinion/understanding.

[ October 23, 2002: Message edited by: Dojo2000 ]</p>

[Ruger]

rain getting in with the CAI? no not at all,.. the plates dont go down near low enough to get rain inside.wait, hold on, except with concept ram air intakes such as FTRA kits.