I am interested in putting a cold air intake system in my n/a base that runs behind the grill. I was wondering if anyone has done that by connecting it to the stock intake tubes but removing the OEM filters?

 

I was actually considering that, mostly because i wanted to paint the cover to match my car. Your hoses connect to blocky plastic parts next to your radiator. You have to pop those out. Once you do that you can run 3" hose through the passanger side and 2-3/4" hose through the driver side. After you get the hose through you'll just get 90 degree couplers and install filters.

There are some lines that you might find you'll have to relocate, either that or run the filters lower down towards your lower grills.

Also, 3 inch pipe will connect directly into your engine cover, incase you do want a little aluminum showing. But you will want to make sure it's very tight if you're going to have your filter before that fitting.

 

im not sure if i could run the 3", i tried to measure the tubes on the cover and they came out to be around 2 3/4 inches. so would i need a reducer coupling for those or am i just measuring wrong. I also just wanted to use polish aluminum but maybe hoses just for in between the radiator. i also wanted to know do i have to use angled elbows because i noticed our stock tube has a few bends in it to get it lined up to the radiator vent.

 

You're gonna want 3" radiator hose or silicone hose. You can force it through the space.

Personally i'd get polished aluminum from the front of the engine cover and then attach it to silicone hose that runs past the radiator.

I just with help from a couple members on the board, have pieced together my own custom duel CAI. You should be able to find any pieces you need on these sites.

Intercooler Pipe Fabrication - Silicone Intake Systems Auto Parts
Max-Redline.com - Auto Parts, Turbocharge, Intercoolers and Kits, Exhaust Manifold, Wastegate, Car and Truck Parts and Accessories

As for angled tubes to get past the radiator, right now i have a 4" long pipe connected to a 22 degree bend pipe which will hook up to a hose you will run past the radiator.

 

You might like this. It's a hell of a lot easier than installing a true CAI.

Buy a pair of K&N filters for your stock box.

Max-Redline.com - 3" Air-Intake Aluminum Pipe, Mandrel Bent Polished, 2.0mm Thick Tube, 18" Length

pop 2 of those into your stock air box and connect to the Needswings.com Devil's Horns

NeedsWings Devil Horns

Edit* my grill is off on my avitar picture. On the sides you can see the Devil's Horns sticking out.

 

This looks pretty interesting.

So you'd need the pair of Needs Wings Devil Horns, two of the pipes from MaxRedline and then 4 couplers (two each side - Devil Horn to pipe, pipe to factory airbox) plus the appropriate clamps to hold it all together?

 

That's effectively the same thing TVT marketed, but they had a significant markup. $15 each is dirt cheap.

I had the aluminum pipes, and w/o the Devil Horns there are some fit & finish issues and the pipes get hot very quickly, and retain that heat for a while. I recently switched to 3" M-Benz pipes for this reason. See my thread in this forum on that...

If you're going to retain your factory airbox, the OE setup is fairly effective just VERY restrictive. Don't do the aluminum pipes unless you also do the Devil Horns. Also, now that you have two huge funnels out front, you will need to clean/check your filters quite often from the bugs as they have a direct path to the filter now that is basically unavoidable.

 

Okay so i was slightly wrong. I just have this temp set up in my car right now with these extra spectra pipes i had laying around. The 3" ID pipe slides snugly over the OEM air box. Then the same 3" pipes slides right into the devils wings.

If i really cared I would trim down the NW's hoses and have chrome going less covered up by the hose.





Amazon.com: Spectre 8728 Chrome Modular 22-Degree Elbow Air Intake Tube - 3-Inch Diameter: Automotive x2
Amazon.com: Spectre 8708 Chrome Modular Air Intake Tube - 3-Inch Diameter: Automotive x2

Only clamps you will need will be supplied with those spectre tubes.

 

The intake tubes on the na engine cover are 2.75" diameter outside so you would need adapters to fit 3" inside diameter tubes. I cannot see too much improvement as the na cover is really restrictive. Look down the inlets at the filter area and then look at the Mercedes engine cover in use by many.

 

I realy like that double bend mendrel pipe, that'll make my life alot easier but instead of the devil horns I would just do the cai behind the grill and remove the OEM air filters

 

you said that the driver side whole throught the raditor is 2-3/4" and the passenger is 3". Are you sure there different sizes? They look the same andi just wanted to run a 3" 90 degree bend, I can do that right, or do I need reducers?

 

You're going to need silicone hose, and you're gonna have to squeeze them through there because it's really tight. I reckon it is possible to get a 3" through the driver side, i just think there's less hose scrunched up so there's better flow with the smaller hose. Anyways once you get the hose through and past the radiator you should be able to put a 3" ID 90 degree bend and then a short silicone hose connected to your filter(s). I really suggest you take your grill off and see how little room you actually have to work with though.

 

Yea before i even started this thread i looked behind the grill. so it is possible to go 3' all the way around? if not i was just going to do the 2.75' but if you can fit it i will go with the 3". I was going to order everything today but that one comment made me have second guesses. I am going to run that mendrel double bent pipe that resembles our stock plastic tube, then a coupler to a 90 degree silicon bend, then to the filter. Does that sound right?

 

For the price of the dubious Devils Horns, in my mind anyway, you could buy the Mercedes engine cover, fit the larger 3" tubes, larger K&N's and be ahead of the game for the same money. The Merc air box flows better no matter what you put in front of the OEM box.
Then the larger MAF, throttle body and tune and you can keep up with JHM2K. Maybe.

 

Yea I agree with you completely but right now im doing as much as possible with weekly paychecks, if I get the setup going with thecone filter and the wonderful sound they make first, I will be able to get the MB cover anytime and make the set up 2x better. So the most for my money right now would be the filters, pipes and sound over the MB cover

 

I can't promise you that you will be able to connect to silicone pipes together with that little space. You will need very small pieces of 3" tube that you can band clamp. Even then, because the pipe squeezes through and loses its shape, it will be hard.

I don't know anyone who has actually done this, so i don't know that anyone can actually speak from experience. It might be easier if you use a metal 3' 90 degree bend instead of silicone.

 

I guess ill do it with the aluminum 90 degree bend instead. I was just going to do black silicon just to hide it a little bit but it doesn't matter. I was looking at the site you posted for buying the pipes and i cant find a short radius 3" 90 degree bend. Actually i can find one but they re ridiculously expensive for a short tube

 

auto stores sells plastic spectre ones for $9 that would work fine.

I just got done working on my intake and i honestly think you're gonna have a lot of trouble running 3". Best of luck.

 

Im eventually going to do the 3" MB cover so i might as well do the pipes at 3". Well ill see what happens but thanks a lot you've been very helpful. Ill order/pickup everything tomorrow and and when its done ill let you know how everything went, Thanks again

 

No problem man and good luck. Hopefully you can figure it out and we can pass this information on to other members!