Anybody has CAI Injen SP series

[Wangtang408]

Wassup guys, finally decided to install my CAI Injen.
I wanted to install it as full cold air all the way down but had to settle for short ram as of now. Wanted to ask if anybody installed it full cold air with filter behind the bumper and how did u guys get air coming in down there since it is all covered up with the covers. Appreciate any feedback.

[timothy.kelley86]

That's an interesting point, mine has been installed for about a month and I have not had any issues. Sounds great and from what I can tell the power has increased as well.

[DeanM45]

It is not a sealed area, you get a bit of flow around the grill and/or foglight. Also, from up top. On mine, I sealed off the upper portion (made a metal plate that goes between the frame rail, the back of the headlight, the fender and the wheel well. Drilled a large hole for the intake pipe to fit through. Then, I opened up the lower grill (cut out the little diamonds so that there is full flow through the grill. Next step, which is in process as this time, is adding a scoop on the bottom of the wheel well liner, just behind the bumper (it will be under the car). This will form a sort of ram air effect when the car is in motion. Also, wrapped the pipe with thermotech. The wrap and sealing off of the filter from the engine bay lowered the intake temp an average of 40 degrees. At idle the IAT would show about 30 degrees above ambient. At speed, I had seen 60-70 degrees above ambient. Now the IAT shows ambient or no more than 25 degrees above ambient. The heat in the engine bay was heating up the pipe. Remember, every 10 degrees you lower intake temperature, you get a 1% increase in power. I am confident that the scoop will lower the IAT closer to ambient and at high speed maybe even provide a bit of forced induction (1/2 lb or so).

[pedsemdoc]

Dean, Pics?

sort of understand what you're saying, but pics would be helpful.
I am getting ready to install my R2C intake and I'd like to maximize cooling my intake temps.

[Wangtang408]

It is not a sealed area, you get a bit of flow around the grill and/or foglight. Also, from up top. On mine, I sealed off the upper portion (made a metal plate that goes between the frame rail, the back of the headlight, the fender and the wheel well. Drilled a large hole for the intake pipe to fit through. Then, I opened up the lower grill (cut out the little diamonds so that there is full flow through the grill. Next step, which is in process as this time, is adding a scoop on the bottom of the wheel well liner, just behind the bumper (it will be under the car). This will form a sort of ram air effect when the car is in motion. Also, wrapped the pipe with thermotech. The wrap and sealing off of the filter from the engine bay lowered the intake temp an average of 40 degrees. At idle the IAT would show about 30 degrees above ambient. At speed, I had seen 60-70 degrees above ambient. Now the IAT shows ambient or no more than 25 degrees above ambient. The heat in the engine bay was heating up the pipe. Remember, every 10 degrees you lower intake temperature, you get a 1% increase in power. I am confident that the scoop will lower the IAT closer to ambient and at high speed maybe even provide a bit of forced induction (1/2 lb or so).

Thanks Dean, I am thinking about doing the same for the lower grill and cut out holes in the diamonds so the intake can suck the air thru. Yes pls, post some pix.

[cruzad3r]

Dean deffy knows what he's talking about and to be more specific you want your intake air at the lowest possible temp which is why it is more beneficial to have your intake pipe away from the hot engine as far as possible. Direct air feed will help and obviously wrapping the pipe will help too but more importantly is blocking off hot air from entering the intake from the get go.

[DeanM45]

Pics:
Grill opening:



Wrapped pipe:





Cover plate (hard to see as it is painted black but you get the idea):



Complete:




I'll probably work on the "scoop" this weekend.

[DeanM45]

OK, did some tests today....I cut an opening in the bottom of the wheel well (under the filter) where I will ultimately put the scoop.
Once up to operating temperature and ambient at 78 degrees:
Cruising: IAT showed 79 degrees, constantly
At a stop: IAT creeped up to no more than 85 degrees and then fell back to 79 within 5 seconds after moving.
WOT runs: IAT fell to 75 degrees -- my only guess is that at speed because the intake is pulling air from about 12" lower that where the ambient temp sensor is located the intake is seeing slightly cooler air. After the WOT runs coolant would creep up to 200 but then settle back down to 195 (where it sits win cruising), IAT would creep back up to 79 and stabilize.

All data was recorded using Cipher.

Sealing off the filter from the engine bay air helped greatly, wrapping the pipe reduced convection a great deal, and opening up the grill and bottom of the wheel well allowed air to be pulled from outside the engine bay more easily.

You know how your car feels when you first get on it when it is cold? Now mine feels the same way pretty much all the time. With everything "hot" I am confident that I recovered no less than 15hp (not made, recovered. HP that is normally lost when the intake charge heats up - the factory hp ratings are at 77 degrees.)

I will obviously continue to monitor MPG to see what impact this has but a cursory view of the throttle angle data (absolute TPS) compared to before wrapping the pipe shows about a 2-5% decrease in throttle angle to maintain the same speed. The lower throttle angle also increased the ignition advance by 1 or 2 degrees while cruising. With all of these changes the MPG should go up, we'll see. Never the less, the performance has gone up. Phenolic spacer for the plenum should help as well when I get around to making it.

[CPJ LB]

Damn Dean!!!! You are the man!!!! Please open up a shop so we can all go to and get a trusted and knowledgable mechanic!!!! Oh ya, I can't forget about Seymore with his tuning skills!!!!!

Keep the innovative action going!!!!

[cruzad3r]

you go Dean. it's your bday lol. plz post recorded data if you can. thanks

[DeanM45]

LOL. I like helping people but I don't see a shop in my future, at least not in Cali. Too many regulations and the taxation is unreal.

The data files are HUGE. I'll see if I can trim them down and post up the results. I'd be curious what people with stock systems are getting for IAT (compared to ambient). I'm to lazy to put the stock system back in and record everything.

It is really amazing how much I liked the car when I got it and now, how much I dislike when I ride in a stock car. Relatively easy mods just make the M soooooo much more fun and efficient.

Question for the masses: For those of you that have the aftermarket fenders with the vents -- are the vents functional to evacuate the engine bay, the wheel well or just non functional? I ask because in the old GNX days the vents were actually functional to evacuate the engine bay which helped to remove a LOT of heat. I added vents to the hoods of my Supras and same thing, much lower engine bay heat (especially from the turbos) and better performance.

[Wangtang408]

Hey Dean, quick question, what tool did you use to cut out the diamonds on your grill? Dremel? and what did you use to wrap your intake?

[DeanM45]

Hey Dean, quick question, what tool did you use to cut out the diamonds on your grill? Dremel? and what did you use to wrap your intake?

Yes, a dremel with a carbide tip. The wrap is a sheet made by Thermo-Tech and then I wraped the sheet with the thermal tape, also from Thermo-Tech.

[cruzad3r]

If and when i buy the uprev cable, i'll do data logging and will send it to you. I have the motodyne 1/2 thremal copper kit for a while and i really think i need to pony up for the tune. The only problem is finding someone i can trust that doesn't blow up my engine or charging an arm and a leg for tune.

[DeanM45]

If and when i buy the uprev cable, i'll do data logging and will send it to you. I have the motodyne 1/2 thremal copper kit for a while and i really think i need to pony up for the tune. The only problem is finding someone i can trust that doesn't blow up my engine or charging an arm and a leg for tune.

Seymore4 is the man for UpRev.

[Twizz]

If and when i buy the uprev cable, i'll do data logging and will send it to you. I have the motodyne 1/2 thremal copper kit for a while and i really think i need to pony up for the tune. The only problem is finding someone i can trust that doesn't blow up my engine or charging an arm and a leg for tune.

Seymore4 is the man for UpRev.

Dean if EVER you come to the NYC area.... PLEASE let me know !!!