I have 2 intakes for my Cavalier right now, one is a cold ait intake that goes under my engine but the piping os 2.5 inch. I also have a short ram intake that is inside the engine bay but the piping is 3 inch diameter
What iws the best one for overall performance? Which one should sound louder? I was thinking the cold air is great but the piping is smaller. I would think with a larger diameter pipe it would suck in more air and also since it is a short ram it would be quicker in getting the air to the engine.
Someone please help me out with this because I want to know what is better for me to use! Perhaps some of you have tried both and can give me some advice! Thanks!
i'll summarize without going into too much detail...
3 inch pipe is pushing it on most cars....stock TB is 52mm, 3 inch pipe is 76.8mm
that has a give and take.... it gives a bottleneck, but also offers more resonance at high up rpm.
2 and 3/4 seems to be the better balance.
short ram vs a long ram, pick one. either can outperform the other from car to car...
reality.... when its hot outside, you dont get cold air, unless you have a freezer on your filter.
just cause its larger pipe doesnt mean more air, the TB controls the air, and the engine will only take in so much, so unless you upgraded the internals/valvetrain, going to a bigger TB basically moves the powerband higher.
in a nutshell, stick with 2.75 INNER diameter pipe for a good balance
things you wanna maximize: velocity, volume, density.
you wanna minimize viscousity.
thanks for the post, have you tried both intakes yourself? I was wondering if anyone knows which one is better by havign tried them. Right now in the summer I have the short ram air on, but I was thinking about the cold air for the winter time, but then again it rains during the winter, should I just stick with the short ram, even tho it is the 3-inch diameter?
From what I've read, the CAI sucks a lot more (literally). So the chances of sucking in water increases a lot unless you buy a special valve for it. I forgot the name off hand? The short ram does the same performance, so I'd go for that one?
Kyle Daniels wrote:thanks for the post, have you tried both intakes yourself? I was wondering if anyone knows which one is better by havign tried them. Right now in the summer I have the short ram air on, but I was thinking about the cold air for the winter time, but then again it rains during the winter, should I just stick with the short ram, even tho it is the 3-inch diameter?
i;ve had 11 intakes since i;ve been here..7 exhausts
expensive 250+ long rams or cold air, top dollar short rams, self made of both, etc... not reallly a big difference.
an air tube and k and n conical filter from autozone does the same thing. lol
AkA joe m.
Ricer ELIMINATOR!
heres what you do, take the stock air box out and add a "good" cone filter. <-----there is your short ram. take the tuner tube out will your at it, just restricts air flow. then take the bong out<----(the junk in the front left part of your engine bay)(have to take it out for a cold air intake)<----then add the colkd air intake. you get then both! works out good!
what the hell are u talking about there captain? just take out the stock air system and put in a new one
AkA joe m.
Ricer ELIMINATOR!
not the whole system, take out the stock AIR BOX! and put a cone filter on the end of the air tube running to it! go pop your hood and check it out. this will represent the Short Ram air.
and how did that venom 400 work out? i heard they are worth a @!#$........im trying to get a guy to post some pics and show you what i mean
K MAGICIAN wrote:and how did that venom 400 work out? i heard they are worth a @!#$........im trying to get a guy to post some pics and show you what i mean
using the stock rubber hose makes that kinda pointless...
reason.
the stock rubber hose has ridges....the only thing ridges do is slow down air flow. its there for movement so stuff doesnt break or tear....
if you are gonna reuse the stock hose, atleast cut the ridges out. and yes they are on the inside of the hose...
thanks for the info, just using this setup though helps the people with less money. its so easy to do. plus, just taking that stock air box out and putting a cone filter provides more air. make sure and get a GOOD air filter though, not only will it provide better air flow, but itll look good under the hood! (not to mention the slight sound disturbance! i think is makes the engine/exhaust sound a little meaner) at least someone knows what im talking about.
This is the cheaper way of doing it. If you can't afford the nice slick intake tube then the stock s-tube will have to do with a cone filter on the end (no air box of couse).
K MAGICIAN: This is what we did to your car only because you will be getting intake tube at a later time.
i know, and thats what i am trying to explain, but people get on here having no idea what *under the hood looks like* and if they dont know that, i cant explain......i was also telling them about removing the tuner tube, plus removing the bong so a CAI can go in. but oh well, im going to get me something to eat!
Dam-it Muffins (Event) wrote:
reality.... when its hot outside, you dont get cold air, unless you have a freezer on your filter.
Since we're on the subject of intakes, do you think that ALL cars with either a CAI or short ram will perform better in the winter ? (I'm not recommending to go driving around in a heavy snowstorm though ! lol
)
Pontiac Sunfire 1999.....The POWER of pushrods!!
exodus 259 wrote:From what I've read, the CAI sucks a lot more (literally). So the chances of sucking in water increases a lot unless you buy a special valve for it. I forgot the name off hand? The short ram does the same performance, so I'd go for that one?
this week I drove with hurricane force winds, rain like you wouldn't believe, even going sideways half the time due to the wind. drove through water a good 6-8 inches deep or more on the side streets getting home, wouldn't you know it, it sucked up no water. the eye went right over my house,( Broward-Miami Dade county line) very eerie thing if you have never experienced that. no wind, no rain, very quiet compared to the storm.
I like my long ram intake for the reason that at interstate speeds the car responds better
for me , for example when I speed up to pass, etc. mine is a 2 1/2 inch pipe, that was what was available when I made mine, I have been quite happy with it.
2.5 def has low end or low rpm pull...high velocity...
you also have fenderliners right?
over the past years i;ve emailed those who have hydrolocked. atleast 4 had no fender liner on fiberglass bumpers....
6-8 inches isnt too bad, its the valley areas where a foot comes within seconds. youre around I-75
def have fender liners in place
6-8 inches starts to be menacing when it has nowhere to go. I have been in deeper, but that was before I did the little drop. I have seen many cars hydro locked down here, happens even with out a major storm. I grew up in WVa. so I know what you mean about the rain flooding out a road quickly.
closest main cross roads to me that you could easily find on a map would I-95 and Hollywood Blvd. I'm about 2-2 1/2 miles east / south east from there.
so the overall oppinion is that a cold air is better in the winter while the short ram is better in the summer so the heat from the ground doesnt affect it as much? Also, has anyone thought of those HEAT SHIELDS that they put around the filter... have those worked at stopping engine heat? Also as I mentioned in the beginning, what is better... 3 INCH TUBING or 2.5 INCH TUBING? I think the 3-inch sounds meaner, but more oppinions would be great!
intakes DEF arent seasonal.
basically the same temp air the car will take in under movement, will be similar with either intake... this is prob one of the simplest things to add to a car, that people make too damn complicated...
heatsheilds like the plastic ones prettty much block off alot, including air flow. over 80% of the filter is covered... show piece, but not really practical in real life running.
to simplify this....
street cars turned into race cars run short rams, look at any of the acura real time race cars... any car in scca....
if you wanna build a heat shield dont enclose the filter so close, build it like a separate part of the engine compartment... real easy to do...
3 inch is overkill on an N/A car.... supras with 700 hp run 3 inch....
2.5 inch is pushing it...
2.75 outer diam which is 2.63 inner diameter is what pretty much every intake company uses...
