Kid Turbo - Cold Air Intake

Typical cold air intake installation: filter is low to the ground to breathe air outside of the engine compartment

Ask any gearhead and they will tell you that one of the main keys to better engine performance is efficiency. Today you've asked me and I'll start by running you through the basics. Why does an aftermarket performance cold air intake make sense? In a nutshell, an engine breathes in air and adds gasoline, compresses the air/fuel mixture, produces an explosion, and expels the exhaust. For this segment it's all about the first of these steps. If you were paying attention during Mrs. Johnson's physics class, you'd remember that gases expand as they warm up, and get denser as they cool. In essence, this principle is what drives your engine: the denser the initial breath of air is the larger the explosion in the combustion chamber leading to, you guessed it, more power!

Now, you've hopefully taken a look at your stock airbox, which leaves a lot of room for improvement... Its big, its ugly, it harnesses the all mightyness of a paper air filter, and worst of all restricts you from hearing the sweet symphony produced by your factory equipped under hood sound system. Now that I've flattered your air box let me introduce to you to its angelic replacement.

Typical short ram intake installed

Taking the step of removing your factory air intake system has an excellent bang for the buck ratio and as a result is often the first modification enthusiasts do to their new projects. Your new cold air intake will allow colder air in larger amounts into your engine. For reference think of drinking soda with a stir straw vs. a regular straw, larger diameter equals more flow. Depending on your budget there are 2 routes you can take: Short Ram Intake or Cold Air Intake.

A Short Ram Intake which is often referred to as a warm air intake, positions the filter still inside the engine bay, but at a point as far away as room allows.. Although this Intake setup still takes in hot air, a short ram intake has less restrictions and uses a higher flowing filter allowing air to flow much more freely into your engine. The result? Depending on what you buy, about a 4-8 peak hp gain depending on car and other modifications. It may not sound like much but take into account that you will be gaining power from 2000 rpm until redline, meaning your car will be quicker everywhere in the powerband.

A cold air intake (aka CAI) typically has a longer pipe and its filter is positioned low in the engine bay, close to the ground where it can suck in the rushing air that has not been heated by underhood operating temps. A Cold air intake provides significantly larger gains than a short ram, on some applications gains of up to 15 peak horsepower have been recorded although this won't be the case for every car out there.

..and, as always, girls dig it!

So how hard is it to install? This is a relatively easy do-it-yourself job -- I rate it a 2. The vast majority are plug and play so don't worry about having to modify your engine bay any more then swapping intakes. There are a couple of things you should keep in mind when shopping for a cold air intake or a short ram intake. If where you live gets a lot of rain and you plan on getting a cold air intake, consider also getting a bypass valve. The purpose of a bypass valve is simple, SAVE YOUR ENGINE! Referring back to Mrs. Johnson's physics class it's quite simple. Water is heavier then air, when you start to bring water into your intake system through your filter, air will take the path of least resistance and come in through your secondary system aka your Bypass Valve. The bypass valve costs under 50 dollars and if it saves your motor just once it will have more then paid for itself. See motorweb for a complete list of cold air intake manufacturers.

Unlike the hair gel you just picked up for $2.99, brand can make somewhat of a difference in performance. Each manufacturer claims to have the ultimate solution, but our dyno tests have consistently shown that Injen Air Intakes produce a bit more horsepower than AEM intakes, even though AEM is the most recognized name in performance intakes. Currently, AEM is the only company that offers a bypass valve. Injen offers a heat/splash shield, simply and effectively protecting the filter from water splashes. An important factor to consider when selecting a cold air intake is to make sure it meets your states smog control requirements.