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Post by buzzbomber87gts on Apr 27, 2005 8:35:11 GMT -5
Joel, I was taking a look at what you made, and it doesn't look like it would be sucking in cold air, but air actually circulating around the hood. If you could clarify this, that would be great. Also, the tutorial written by Jeremy that shows how to build a CAI - does the CAI actually work and increase performance or no? anything is going to be colder than air that is just sitting under the engine bay around the hot exhaust manifold and plenum, etc.
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Post by schmooot on Apr 27, 2005 9:02:39 GMT -5
if you are all about functionality instead of looks then wrap the intake piping in aluminum foil or header wrap. first thing I did, overtop of a bunch of electrical tape to seal the holes of course. On a different note. What about a fiberglass intake tube? Does fiberglass soak up the heat like rubber and plastic will > as opposed to aluminum? I think I might just mold a fiberglass intake tube if not just to try it. WHat have I got to lose except a few bucks worth of materials?
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Post by buzzbomber87gts on Apr 27, 2005 9:43:56 GMT -5
fiberglass is a conductor of heat you could say....much like a lot of metals and such. that is why paint doesnt stick to fiberglass in hot weather the greatest.. I thought I was the only one who ghetto rigged an air intake with foil
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Post by garbled on Apr 27, 2005 11:31:25 GMT -5
Actually paint won't stick to FG because many forms of FG expand and contract. Technically poly resin will not bond to dry poly resin for the same reason. Essentially the micro scratches move in the heat and dislodge the bonds.
FG is actually a pretty decent insulator.. but for underhood stuff you want to use the high temperature resin, mostly to avoid fire.
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Post by buzzbomber87gts on Apr 27, 2005 13:01:04 GMT -5
fiberglass hoods seem to get pretty hot after a days drive, but i guess so does a stock sheet metal hood. I notice that the hoses made out of composite materials stay pretty cool and sometimes it can stay cooler with what color the piping has on it and the coating. I would think that some aluminum piping with a different coating on it could do just fine...aluminum seems to move the air through it smoothly and i would think that fiberglass might make it turbulent going into the throttle body.
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Post by garbled on Apr 27, 2005 18:12:44 GMT -5
FG or CF intake tubes are made with an inflatible bag technique. This leaves the insides pretty much "glass" smooth. Basically you make a mold of the outside.. get a tubular piece of CF or FG, put it in, wet it out, and inflate a bag in it to hold it to the inside of the mold.
From what I remember.. the ideal finish for the inside of a plenum is a golf ball finish, but I don't recall why. Either way.. its nearly impossible to do without special tooling.
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Post by buzzbomber87gts on Apr 27, 2005 20:10:57 GMT -5
FG or CF intake tubes are made with an inflatible bag technique. This leaves the insides pretty much "glass" smooth. Basically you make a mold of the outside.. get a tubular piece of CF or FG, put it in, wet it out, and inflate a bag in it to hold it to the inside of the mold. From what I remember.. the ideal finish for the inside of a plenum is a golf ball finish, but I don't recall why. Either way.. its nearly impossible to do without special tooling. the inside of the plenum doesnt really matter....you just dont want turbulent air to the throttle body. a straight shot would be ideal
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Post by axis on Jun 6, 2005 15:54:26 GMT -5
i built a CAI out of a 36" long 2.5" diam. steel u-bend (mandrel) just how schmoot diagramed it. It sounds kind of neat but really made no noticeable difference. Waterlocking becomes a htreat if you try to take a puddle too big or take repeated puddles which can soak your filter. I use a hks foam filter now, which i presume has no real advantage.
you might notice that about half my posts on this board are just confirming something jason says.
heres the "best" way to do it, based on airflow and air temperature in different places. first you'll want to relocate the battery to the trunk. get a piece of sheet aluminum from a hardware store and go to town with some tin snips. make a box, put a k&n filter in there. set it up so air draws from right behind the headlight (like the stock airbox, see toyota knows whats up) that will yeild a gain of 3-5hp on an otherwise stock motor that runs well.
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