Again another noob ebay question, cause im not really sure which one to get. I dont really trust the ones that cost like 5$ or whatever, but if there is a certain company that made the intake then i would probably get it. My main question is what the DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SHORT RAM, COLD AIR, AND REGULAR INTAKE. oh yeah no ac in crx because of 1.8L. so does that throw the cold air out of the question in buying it. Any advise?
cold air, regular, or short ram intake
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EGProject
YEEEEAAHHHHH
Since I'm bored, and you need to know, I'll give you all the details.
Short-Ram Intake - Often found on Ebay for tiny prices, intakes are basically a short length of tubing extending to where the stock airbox would be. Made of either Stainless steel (as in AEM, and Injen applications), or mild steel (cheapo Ebay intakes), these are a good base upgrade and are realatively inexpensive. Good for semi-wet climates, as they do not protrude into the fenderwell. Warm engine bay air is inhaled as a result, so power gains are not always as high.
Cold-Air Intake, CAI - Basically a short-ram with an extension that puts the filter element inside the front fender well - therefore escaping the heat of the engine bay. Longer tube allows for a little more velocity, and resonation. Currently the best one on the market is the new AEM V2 intake, as it uses a tapered tube to increase air velocity. Gains as much as 9whp have been recorded on some Hondas. Cheapo Ebay CAI's are okay, but you get what you pay for, and the filters are cheap, and the piping will often corrode, or rust.
As far as intakes go, theres no real other "types" of intakes that I know of. Iceman and Comptech make some chambered box-style intakes that grab air from the fender well and route it to the engine bay, and there are the expensive and exotic JDM intakes by ARC, HKS, and C's Racing. My advice, go with an AEM Hybrid intake. They're designed for a CRX with a B series, and are good quality.
Short-Ram Intake - Often found on Ebay for tiny prices, intakes are basically a short length of tubing extending to where the stock airbox would be. Made of either Stainless steel (as in AEM, and Injen applications), or mild steel (cheapo Ebay intakes), these are a good base upgrade and are realatively inexpensive. Good for semi-wet climates, as they do not protrude into the fenderwell. Warm engine bay air is inhaled as a result, so power gains are not always as high.
Cold-Air Intake, CAI - Basically a short-ram with an extension that puts the filter element inside the front fender well - therefore escaping the heat of the engine bay. Longer tube allows for a little more velocity, and resonation. Currently the best one on the market is the new AEM V2 intake, as it uses a tapered tube to increase air velocity. Gains as much as 9whp have been recorded on some Hondas. Cheapo Ebay CAI's are okay, but you get what you pay for, and the filters are cheap, and the piping will often corrode, or rust.
As far as intakes go, theres no real other "types" of intakes that I know of. Iceman and Comptech make some chambered box-style intakes that grab air from the fender well and route it to the engine bay, and there are the expensive and exotic JDM intakes by ARC, HKS, and C's Racing. My advice, go with an AEM Hybrid intake. They're designed for a CRX with a B series, and are good quality.
phyregod
!!YTINASNI
It should also be said that the cold air intake leaves you vulnerable to a hydrolocked engine. If you have a CAI and drive through water that is somewhere around 10" deep, your motor will more than likely suck in water, hydrolock and throw a rod. These intakes have caused the death of many many motors.
The cheapo ebay intakes are fine, but you have to look at the filter. Don't skimp on your filter!
My cheapo short ram from ebay was made of aluminum... as are several others.
The cheapo ebay intakes are fine, but you have to look at the filter. Don't skimp on your filter!
My cheapo short ram from ebay was made of aluminum... as are several others.
dohcvtec_accord
WRX Sellout
Yeah, as mentioned above....get whatever you want for the tube. It's not going to matter. Trust me. DO spend money on a good filter, though. That's the part that's going to make a difference. K&N is a great choice.
phyregod
!!YTINASNI
+1 for the K&N. They make very nice filters.
whats the price for one of these filters? Is the local kragen an ok place, or special order?
phyregod
!!YTINASNI
K&N filters are generally $50-60.. Get it where its cheapest.. a k&n is a k&n, doesn't matter where it comes from. Usually have to special order for the size of pipe on your intake..
dohcvtec_accord
WRX Sellout
If you can wait, buy it online. It'll always be cheaper.
I'm in TX, and my intake conditions are different. Since it never rains, hydrolocking isn't really an issue, as much as temperature.
The cold air intake, like for-mentioned, extends into your fender-well, and sucks the coolest air from your engine bay. It is best for the summer apps here in TX.
The "short-ram" intakes are better for the rare, but appreciated cold weather, then the shorter intake makes a little more power, plus the air isn't as hot as it would be.
I don't think they do for your app, but "complete cold-air intake systems" can be interchanged between both cold air, and short ram.
There's my $.02
The cold air intake, like for-mentioned, extends into your fender-well, and sucks the coolest air from your engine bay. It is best for the summer apps here in TX.
The "short-ram" intakes are better for the rare, but appreciated cold weather, then the shorter intake makes a little more power, plus the air isn't as hot as it would be.
I don't think they do for your app, but "complete cold-air intake systems" can be interchanged between both cold air, and short ram.
There's my $.02
wanderinman
Senior Member
Now I am going against convential wisdom here, but here's what I've figured out in my daily driving. I used to have a shortram intake w/ a K&N installed, it was fantastic for WOT driving. Definitely a big different when you planted it. However I found that they car felt more powerful at partial throttle w/ the factory intake installed. I believe its due to the fact that the factory airbox can flow more than enough air for partial throttle driving, and since its a box hooked to a tube hooked down in the fender, its pulling a little bit of cold air rather than a little bit of hot air. Granted its a lot harder to chirp shifts with the factory box, but in day to day driving I like the factory box better than my short ram. I'm sure the CAI is the best of both worlds minus the hydrolocking of the motor. That said, run an intake for how you drive the most, and even if you want to change them, it takes all of 30 seconds to swap out an intake.
SolidDreamz
Senior Member
aem makes a bypass valve so you dont have to worry about sucking in water with a CAI.
I'd stick with a brand name cuz I've seen some of the no name intakes on ebay and some of them are very poor quality with tiny metal shavings dangling around ready to be sucked in your engine.
I believe you get what u pay 4.
I'd stick with a brand name cuz I've seen some of the no name intakes on ebay and some of them are very poor quality with tiny metal shavings dangling around ready to be sucked in your engine.
I believe you get what u pay 4.
wanderinman
Senior Member
You can always debur crappy work, not a big deal, especially for the few hundred you'll save on the setup. Also be sure what your intake tube is resting on. EBay intakes have no provisions for bolting to your setup, so they tend to just rest on whatever is there. Mine rubbed through the foam, and partially into my AC line, luckily I found it before it got all the way through (I believe I saw someone on here about two weeks ago that was not as fortunate).
Cashizslick
!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!
One option to keep ur stock airbox is to use a comptech drop in filter (if they still make it).
that is pretty much why i chose to go with the comptech icebox
all the quick throttle response of a short intake
all the power of a cold air
none of the hydrolock worries
it was more expensive than the other options out there but i am VERY happy with my decision
in the future i will do what i have done for a few friends since then... basicly make my own icebox type intake... remove the resonator from the stock air box, add a snorkel into the lower fender area where a CAI usually sits, put in a K&N drop in filter, and use a standard cheap 3" intake tube from the stock box to the throttle body
i know 3 people personally that have hydrolocked their engine even with the AEM BPV
I stalled my engine, and it wasn't even from a deep puddle- just driving on the highway during a heavy rain was enough to suck in loads of water, even though none of the water was building up on the ground.
By the way- the cold air intakes don't increase power because of higher air velocity- velocity stacks do that. The old style cold air intakes work because they draw in denser air, and they are tuned (pipe length) to reinforce pressure waves at certain engine rpms by utilizing pulse waves generated by the intake side of the engine. The AEM V2 isn't tapered- it just has an extra resonance chamber to amplify those midrange torque numbers by managing the intake pulse reinforcement a bit better than the original AEM CAI.
