Intake (noob question)
Intake (noob question)
im wondering what the difference in hp and throttle response would be between a shiny new $200 injen intake or just a simple $50 cone filter with a MAF adapter. I figure that the cone filter is whats bringing more air into the engine but I dont see the advantage to new piping. so, is the injen just for looks or is there a performance difference between the stock plastic piping and the pipe injen uses?
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PROJECTRB240SX
- Posts: 3673
- Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 5:33 pm
- Car: 1972 DATSUN 240Z W/ SR20DET
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PROJECTRB240SX
- Posts: 3673
- Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 5:33 pm
- Car: 1972 DATSUN 240Z W/ SR20DET
when i talked to a guy at a aperformance shop he told me that 240 intakes were disigned really well thats why not all manufacuers make the whole shiny pipe assembly cause the 240's don't need it, they said that mostly for show, but i can't complain with show its always good to have a nice looking car
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quiksilvia
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- Car: 95 s14 se
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I'll admit $200 is far too much for an intake. But lets take a look at what a performance intake does and why in some ways it's worth the money.
1.) Smooth ONE piece mandrel bent pipe instead of rippled plastic factory piping. The ripples cause turbulance, which slow down the velocity of the air. Sure you can build your own connecting multiple mandrel pieces together, but each of those connections slow the air down (very minimal). 2) Pre made intakes aready fit perfectly, so you don't have to hack your arse away all day. They mount properly so it doesn't move around while you're driving. They also have the proper bungs to attach your vacuum hoses onto. 3) They come with a high flowing air filter. Sure you can go buy a terrific blue cone filter from autor zone, but does it flow better than a k&n? If a filter does flow better, does it filter well? 4) It's polished. I don't know about you, but when I pop my hood for someone I don't want them to see hacked up metal tubing with plumbing connectors. 5) Buying 3" mandrel bent aluminum tubing is not cheap. Sure you can buy 3" mandrel bent mild steel pipes, but for the the added weight and heat retention I would stick with aluminum. Not to mention if you don't paint the mild steel it'll rust on you. If you don't paint it well it looks like arse.
unless you have the experience to put together something really well, you should just save up until you can afford to buy a new intake or even a used one. Trying to rig your first intake together will just make you mess up the material and all the money you spent on supplies goes down the drain. I can totally understand making your own intake for a car that has no aftermarket one available.
1.) Smooth ONE piece mandrel bent pipe instead of rippled plastic factory piping. The ripples cause turbulance, which slow down the velocity of the air. Sure you can build your own connecting multiple mandrel pieces together, but each of those connections slow the air down (very minimal). 2) Pre made intakes aready fit perfectly, so you don't have to hack your arse away all day. They mount properly so it doesn't move around while you're driving. They also have the proper bungs to attach your vacuum hoses onto. 3) They come with a high flowing air filter. Sure you can go buy a terrific blue cone filter from autor zone, but does it flow better than a k&n? If a filter does flow better, does it filter well? 4) It's polished. I don't know about you, but when I pop my hood for someone I don't want them to see hacked up metal tubing with plumbing connectors. 5) Buying 3" mandrel bent aluminum tubing is not cheap. Sure you can buy 3" mandrel bent mild steel pipes, but for the the added weight and heat retention I would stick with aluminum. Not to mention if you don't paint the mild steel it'll rust on you. If you don't paint it well it looks like arse.
unless you have the experience to put together something really well, you should just save up until you can afford to buy a new intake or even a used one. Trying to rig your first intake together will just make you mess up the material and all the money you spent on supplies goes down the drain. I can totally understand making your own intake for a car that has no aftermarket one available.
TomsMR2 wrote:if you think the additional 2 or 3 lbs a steel intake adds, you truely are a weight nazi.. the weight difference is soooo marginal!
There are people who rely on weight reduction to be faster, check out http://www.sr20deforum.com, there are quite a few guys there that are into serious weight reduction (running 13's with minor bolt on's and weight reduction). As a matter of fact anyone in their right senses should try their best to conserve weight. Why put more weight onto the car than necessary? To be slower? In addition, I also mentioned that weight is not the only downfall to a steel intake, steel retains heat more than aluminum, which defeats the "cold air intake". In any case, weight is just one minor point.
TomsMR2 wrote:if you take some time, it wont look like ***. all the pipes ive made look very good. 200 for a metal pipe is just outrageous.
I'm sure you're capable of crafting magnificent intakes, but it's not wise, in my opinion, to tell people to make their own intakes when they might not have any experience. It's just asking them to throw away money that could have been used on a pre-made intake.
Also, jookmasta pointed out that AEM's intake is available for $140. :oface
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L337 H4x012s
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