who would be interested in a real cold air intake system ? if i decided to build some composite air intakes for the crossfire at a price of around $400 - $500 would i get any takers ?

first and foremost it will be a venture design to maximize gains and would utilized the stock front air scoops for fresh air supply ... the real power robber is the panel filters in the intake design.

i just really need to get an idea if it is worth making molds to create more than one of these or if i should just make one for myself and leave it at that...

the crossfire owners seem hungry for real working modifications but i am not sure if its just a small group that is extremely hungry therefore noisy (x'ed you're in that category, keep on flexing that interest cause its a good thing) or if there are many of you lurking in the background...

i'll see how the response to this thread is and decide if i should make room in my shop for the creation of multiple copies of this project ... it is very labor intensive as i do not do anything halfway ... i have done intake manifold port and polish projects that have taken 30 hours time total (internal performance and external vanity polishing) as well as turbo kits that would make any OEM engineer proud (no bean counters means i can use better materials).

 

I think you will have a lot of interest, and I think it's great you're doing/offering this (and I'm not bashing you here).
However, off the top of my head...
1) That's a lot of cash - we already have a CAI.
2) People will want to know performance gains.
3) People will want to know where you're collecting the air.

Most people may be like me...
They want to see the product before laying down the cash.
Proof of increase airflow etc.

I know you'll get good and bad responses to this post.
This forum is a tough crowd to please!!!

 

As spensley said, $400 -$500 could be better spent like on the SI upgrade and we'll get a lot more gain than modified CAI for our car.

The only reason that I would want to modify mine is the sound of the intake but not diminish hp. I'm probably going to look around my bay today, btu I can probably accomplish what I want to do for less than $400 to keep the hp I have.

 

I don't know how you are going to get different "cold air" than the stock design provides? You may provide "more" air than the current design allows but it won't be any colder and I think most of the other monitors are going to counteract any change. But good luck in your efforts...I will be watching with interest.

 

the idea is not to get different air at all... just more of it... it is true we do have a CAI but it is also extremely restrictive which results in a ultra quiet intake system + low end torque + choked top end power...

by utilizing a venturi based system with conical filters i can introduce air on a 360 degree field in the same physical space the current restrictive panel filters take up ... the venturi further helps air to be literally squeezed into each other ...

don't be mistaken, this will not be a warm air intake ... the filters will be shielded from engine heat and have routing to the outside for cool air supply just as the stock setup does now.

i fully intend to have proof of power gains if i end up selling it to forum members .... as mentioned $400 - $500 is alot of money to crossfire owners but do not think of it as "i'd rather spend it on the SI chip tuning" because that will work very well with a better intake design together and we can't expect everything to give us 20 hp for $400 - $800 like the ECU retune... so think of it as another thing you can possibly add to the first mod you'll do which is the ECU retune...

 

exact opposite ... there are two types of engine air monitoring systems employed in vehicles today... MAP (mass air pressure) and MAF (mass air flow)... MAP systems would not see any extra airflow with a better intake and would not adjust in more fuel for the extra flow since pressure has not changed, it would still result in extra power however as the o2 sensors adjusted the short term and long term fuel maps over time which are applied to the fuel tables... our system is a MAF system, this will recognize extra flow and add the needed fuel... along with o2 sensor readings it will do its best to make the most power it can from the air available...

the type of system you speak of is what dodge/chrysler is trying to use, the NGC controller... it makes sure you have the power advertised at all times, even if you try to raise it, it will try to choke it... its a universally hated system...

 

I hope your ideas work and I am not trying to dampen your spirit at all. Please keep us updated on your progress.

 

not at all... i appreciate the questions as it gives me a chance to show this is more than wishful thinking... i'll work on so i may have something to test towards the spring/summer. i just wish i had the free time to invest in it like when i built my previous projects.

 

Surely someone in the SLK world has proven this thing one way or the other. I bought a Saturn several years ago and the guy who owned it before me had installed am AEM CAI. I've read these things give a proven 9 hp gain even on a lowly 1.9 liter 124 hp motor. Also, a bud of mine with an '05 S2K says the AEM CAI is a proven setup on his car as well. I don't believe they make them for our cars but from looking at it the concept should be easy to copy.

 

a member built a intake like that already ... total cost was under $150 for parts...

this type of intake works great on typical OEM design but the one on the crossfire is very well done actually... one 90 degree bend upward from the throttle, one 90 degree bend towards the front of the car and swoosh directly into the air boxes then out to fresh air...

if you can reduce the number of bends or at least make the radius of the bend more gradual there is power to be gained there...

add a venturi tube for a filter and there is more power to be gained there...

definitely anyone looking to make a metal tube intake can make a very very nice unit for this car with no problems... if there are gains to be seen is another story ... really need to beat the OEM setup in terms of air temps, velocity, and flow...

 

I say go for it...
You will get plenty of keyboard mechanics that won't believe your findings but that is how the Internet goes.
I got about .2 with the "hot air intake" I made.
I offered instructions on how to make your own like mine.
Many people demand to see the dyno.
I find this funny as I am not selling it, I was just sharing what I found worked for me at a reasonable cost to build.
Be prepared for the naysayers!!!
I think it is a project worth doing. Enjoy.

 

I'm with stryfox! Many people will doubt but if you pull it off or don't who cares. Its you mod, your car, your satisfaction. If it works I will be in for a buy and procedure from you definitely.

Will be watching this thread closely!

 

I would be interested in seeing something as well, please keep me posted. Maybe I can split the cost and if it works then pay the rest?

 

i've obtained the filter i wanted to try already ... now am waiting on composite supplies while i mock up the design i want to make with other materials ...

will post pictures as soon as i get something that looks like something ... but since we just got hit with another snow storm that may be a while lol ... darn snow creates way too much busy work ... ;-/

 

Go for it bro. Just please deliver something before christmas eh! No offense Aiden Designs and CTD Germany - HA, HA.

 

think of it like this... if it outperforms the sl55 y splitter gains and looks good i am ready to pay $500.

 

I had my front grill off the other day and I was shocked at how small those two little oval holes were that feed those big intake tubes. I think that there is room for improvement with just opening up those two front holes. They were in the very outside corners of our grills if any of you haven't seem them from the front before. If those opening could be brought inward just a bit, or opened up like a true 3" round opening, and then maybe a small deflector to feed the air from the grill openings, I think that would be helpful. Those tubes could also be replaced with 2.5-3" piping all the way to the splitter.

intenseblu,
What do you think of the openings in the grill? Do you think they are ample enough?

John

 

we've had long drawn out discussions on effects of "ram air" on another forum i frequent ... the discussion ended with several of the senior mopar heads pulling out articles that went into detail explaining how in order for there to be any appreciable gain the car would have to be going at triple digit speeds ... but, it may be possible that larger openings would help cool off the intake charge and keep velocity at maximum potential; and that's where the power is at. i'll be doing some testing to see if the air temperature in the intake tubes can be lowered with a larger air scoop ...

so a definite thumbs up on your observation ... there may be room for improvement and i intend to test it mmm this is going to be fun... can't wait to report something back...

 

I'd love to hear what you find out.

 

I'm trying to get some product info on the K&N apollo closed air systems to see if 2 of these would fit under the hood, you might also want to take a look at these. They'll probably save a lot of time engineering an airbox.

http://www.knfilters.com/universal/apollo.htm