96-98 Cold Air Intake

MLee23 said:

I have a 97 Cobra, looking to upgrade in air intake system, but not exactly sure what to get. Got a few questions for you guys..

1.) What is better to go with, Straight shot w/ cover or Fenderwall?

2.) C&L Systems come complete, from the TB to the Conical intake, even with a new 80mm MAF...Doesn't the 96-98 Cobra originally come with an 80mm MAF? I've heard this system gets you up to 20+ HP.

3.) What are stock injectors on these cobras? 24/lb?

Click to expand...

i personally like the straight shot over the fenderwall for 2 reasons, ease of install and i heard putting a bend before the maf meter may cause unproper idling. i have q 98 cobra and used the cnl and loved it, just sold it to make way for a supercharger. yes the 96-98n cobra comes stock with a 80 mm maf meter qand on the cnl you actually use your factory electronics on the new cnl meter. the filter that comes with the cnl is huge and hard to work with so i purchased a little bit smaller filter and it worked and fit great. stock injectors are 24lb.

SS

I recommend a JLT CAI (fenderwall)

cooler charge, no worry about heat from motor, looks badass.

Cons to this are, rain (big puddles particularly), and cleaning the filter after inatall. Install is not too bad, just take your time and be patient.

SS's are good too though, but IMO just not as clean or not max hp.

One of the better CAIs' out there is the WMS sysytem. Along with the Anderson Power pipe it lets you keep the STB however the Power pipe keeps the filter under the hood sucking in warm air. The WMS puts the filter in the fender and draws cooler air just as Ford intended. The bend in front of the MAF is a crap shoot, some people have issues with it and some don't. The problems may be solved by clocking the MAF, it works for some and doesen't for others, again just a luck of the draw, I'm not sure that anyone really knows the reason why some cars have problems and others do not. The other solution and a more viable one is to have the MAF calibrated for the bend, this is exactly what WMS does to their kits. I have their complete system and can attest to not having any problems, the engine idles and runs smooth and has no miss at any rpm. I've been running it for the last six or seven years without any issues. The only downfall of the WMS is that the complete kit which includes the MAF is expensive. You can get the kit without the MAF if you wish.

www.wmsracing.com

I have a BBK C.A.I. on my 96 Cobra and I havent had any problems with unproper idleing...I really dont think that the elbow before the MAF has an affect on the performance, but I havent had it to long so if it does I will let you all know though. Other than that Id have to say whatever product that you find best to work with your car is the one you should go with.

The best bang for the buck is a K&N type filter and the stock airbox. The stock airbox brings in cold air and the stock tube is capable of providing more air than what is needed for any n/a 4.6 4v. Most honest tuners will tell you that. The CAIs look good but provide very little, if any, performance gains.

The C&L parts have been known to lean out the a/f ratio substantially, if you go with them , you will need a tune.