Cold Air Intake!? Anyone?!

[86STAust]

Need some advice..
I'm planning to make a CAI for my 3SFE with a POD type filter. I've noticed however that most 4g celica owners don't appear to have a CAI - that is, the filter is still in the engine bay and not shielded at all from the engine!? Seems that most are placed where the old box filter was or down low just behind the radiator - and too close to the engine. But these are HOT places - all air that comes through the radiator is hot! Which means if you take off after sitting at the lights the engine is going to suck in hot air and struggle (plus risk detonation). I want my air to be COLD, but I'm having trouble ducting tubing to a good cold spot (which makes me understand why so many 4th geners are doing what they are!). I read the DIY page for the CAI but I'm having trouble visualising where the filter should be located. The writer states that installing this mod is "just simply putting the pipes together and stuffing it in your car." - (perhaps because the writer of this article was performing that job for a 5th gen celica?). And the shape of that tubing doesn't seem to gel with my understanding of the 4th gen fender/engine bay.. (Jeremy - could you please give this an installed CAI picture? ;D)

One possible solution - but seems "round-a-bout" - is to locate the filter in the column of space beneath the front left headlight (just below where the standard air intake tube begins) and run the tubing down towards the ground then with a tight angle run it diagonally across (squeezing through gaps in the plastic front spoiler and splash guard) and into the engine bay and then up towards the MAF. Only problems being that there's not much ground clearance for the Al. pipe..and the road and the piping will be a bit curly! But seems to be the best solution so far. Is this where the DIY article was recommending placing the filter? in the fender from underneath?

The other solution is to start cutting holes in my celica's metal work - perhaps just to the left of the radiator. I would really prefer not to do this - yet I'm thinking that this is what people will tell me to do! The existing holes/gaps are just too small or obstructed by headlights etc.
I'm planning to use similar Aluminium Mandrel piping as in the DIY article. I'll also replace the rubber tube between AFM and T/B with some curved Al. pipe too, as the rubber is cracking.
This is the first mod for my car - the stock air filter is full of dust and needs replacing.. so I thought I'd add a POD...and therefore a proper CAI..the mod-bug has entered under my nails and now sliding under my skin up my arm!

Anyhelp or advice is most appreciated - photos of good installed CAI's that other people have done would be most excellent!
ps. am I the only one having trouble with this?

[White87GT]

Heres my thoughts on this.

1. Dont use a pod filter. At least not a pod FOAM filter. Whatever you use, no foam.

2. From taking the whole front end apart and putting it back together like 3 times, this is what I think you should do as far as mounting.

Where the stock piping comes into the air box. I'd enlarge that hole and run your tubing through that into the left fender well. Run the filter to the bottom front of the well, to roughly the area that the air box takes up. This is a different box than the one in the engine bay. You'll see it if you take the fender off.

Then, I'd drill holes in the stock plastice wheel well piece right under the filter. That should bring in cold air right off of the ground for you.

Only problem is, water. This could suck water up into the filter. I'd just use AEM's bypass valve for that and be done with it.

That's just an idea though. I personally have the filter in the engine bay thing going on.

[86STAust]

that's an idea, but I think that's too close to road dust and would be frustraing to inspect/change filter everytime it got dirty.
- but rather than stopping just in front of the wheel well it could extend all the way into the front fender from there . But it still requires body cutting *sigh*
Thanks for the reply, never realised there was enough room behind that panel for a filter. Btw, I was planning on a K&N cone style filter, or Ram POD type filter, as I've also heard them called. I'll definetly stay clear of the foam!

[White87GT]

As long as the foam is gone, your good man.

Just to get an idea of how much room is actually in there, pull the plastic wheel well piece out. It's pretty easy to get out, just remove the wheel and a couple of 10mm bolts.

There will be a large plastic box that's black. It's right in front of the wheel. That's part of the stock intake, it's a stupid design. At least, that's my thoughts. That whole box can come out.

Acutally, if I were you. I'd pull that box out, route the tubing through the fender and put the filter right behind the stock intake tube that's by the left headlight. That wouldn't be too low, would require MINOR trimming to get the CAI pipe into the wheel well, and should give you nice cold air that comes in through the stock piping.

Shouldn't be to hard, and I blieve that there is room to do that. Hmm, I might actually try that myself on the GTS.

You could always just move the battery to the rear as well, but that's still a lot of work.

I'll think some more on this, but you do have a lot of room to play with in that fender.

[garbled]

Actually.. there are some pics of my car after I gutted the factory airbox.. here:

www.garbled.net/tim/album/celica/thumb13.html

[White87GT]

garbled said:

Actually.. there are some pics of my car after I gutted the factory airbox.. here:

www.garbled.net/tim/album/celica/thumb13.html

[86STAust]

Thanks for the Excellent pictures garbled

Gives me a better idea of what I'm working with. I might do what you say White87gt - I'll see how it goes and i'll try and post the results

[White87GT]

Cool. I'm thinking of doing the exact same thing.

[garbled]

My plan personally is to build as short an intake as possible, and then vent the crap out of the hood, and open the front up a bit to let more air in.

[86STAust]

I'm also considering another solution that is something similar to that.

This alternative would have a short intake with the new Cone filter in about the same place as where the standard box is. I'll then construct a new box around the filter. But with the hood open it will just look like a couple of partition walls surrounding the filter - and the hood (when closed) will seal against the partition walls to create an enclosed box. I'll use a lot of reflective insulative material to keep the heat away from the box too.

And then I'll use as much ducting as possible to provide good cold airflow to the new filter box (using any body hole available, using a mixture of plastic plumbing pipe and aluminium pipe. (probably upto 3 different individual cold air pipe intakes bringing air to the new box).

This solution would keep the filter in an easy to reach location (rather than in the fender) and away from direct rain and dust etc. It should keep the air intake relatively cool with good air flow and do away with the need to do any body chopping.

It's a bit of work though!

[garbled]

The best solution I have seen, but probably not the best looking, is to do what you suggested with a box, and then seal it against the hood. The place a hood scoop right above it. It looks goofy because the scoop is off-center.

Though ducting up into a box would work too. Just make sure you have a lot of big thick duct work. If you use a 3" duct to feed it, you might as well just make a really long 3" tube. I'm thinking you want a 4", or maybe two 4" ducts. (maybe even 5"?)

The point of the cone is to eliminate the bottleneck. If you box it in and feed it with a 3" duct, you negate that, and end up with a factory airbox with a pretty filter.

[86STAust]

I agree - need some serious air flow to make it worth while.

[bboy87]

First!

Build, create, or buy a full cavity heat shield.

I used 1/8 thick in tin. It runs from the fire wall to the fan. Litterally cut the compartment in half. I can come off the freeway after a constant 90, pop the hood and press my hand to any thing on the right side of the engin. This includes the TB and intake mani. Even if I had the stock crapy intake, I still have all aspects if the intake cool enough to lay a baby on. (Do not do this!)

I assume you have all bypassed the TB from the not so coolant flow.

All of my mods are mine and I use Toyota parts and pieces when ever possible.

Stock intake 87 GT. What were they thinking? I get the "loose the water by turning and twisting "but. . .come on.

1. Pull fender insert.
2. Destroy "THE BOX". (BETTER YET. . .LETS GROUP SEND THM ALL TO JAPAN)


Now I happen to have the greatest u-pull about 10 min. from me. (If in Portland OR or area drop a line for details). Two coils, headliner, engin liner, door, blower fan, under hood emergency light (from Supra) plus a ton of odds and ends. . .20$. They have so much and they dont want it.!!!!

3. Aquire the "slighty" improved front behind the light no "u" intake.
4. aquire various intake tubes, what ever. Just some stuff you can play with.
5. Aquire the top piece if the air box from a 90-93 ST/GT
6. You already have the High Flow Filter, Si?
7. READY FOR THIS ONE!? Get a good hair dryer. Smaller is better here. You are going to MOD the hell out of this. (It will never dry hair again so don't use your wifes, girlfriends, sisters. . .live to drive when you are done.)


Using the top of the aquired air box (NOT THE STOCK IN THERE NOW!) you are going to be making this into an air scoop that will collect from front bottom of wheel well. You will have to cut, or as I did, break front bottom molding on the box top. The outlet hole will be pointing up, and the now "top" of the scoop (box) wil need to be flat so as to bolt it to the slit type hole in the metal in the front of the wheel well.
See where I'm going. Fashion an intake tube to your liking and run it to where the old "u" intaake went back in from the fender. Seal the new intake w/ tape, what ever where it meets the hole.

As for the old intake front hole. Get an intake tube from a 90-93. Run it from the front grill. (It will squish in there trust me. Angle it up past the light. Do not even try to bother connecting it to the intake coming from the engine. I went as far as cutting the headlights metal casing. The space gained is not worth it. This is just to funnel some nice cold air to that general caviety.


Take apart your hair dryer and. . .well. . .if you want to know how to mod this I can add it later.

I wired the dryer motor off of the power lead to the "mystery' left engine fan so it comes on when the car is placed in the on position. (Incidentily all you have to do is switch ground the "mystery fan" ((AC cooling fan really)) so I can on off it when I want. It really helps!!!
Run the wire leads up through one of the bottom holes in the stock box. Place the motor so it is sitting in the depression and inch or two from the air entry hole. DO NOT COVER THE HOLE DIRECTLY. The fan of course is pulling in.

While sitting and idiling you can hear the air being drawn in. Really well too.
While moving, your scoop is throwing air up yet a second tube. Dual intake!!!!

You don't have to have big holes to move air if you've got something inviting it in at all times.

Dryer motor is designed for heat and moisturer.

My goal was to use only Toy parts. Filter and dryer. . .not Toyota.

Believe it or not. . .It really works!

Just wait till you hear what I made my front air scoop with!

bboy87

87GT ST162 From Japan.