Best CAI?

hdawg06 said:

I'm not a huge fan of buying stuff off Ebay, especially car parts.

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why exactly? all the CAIs are the same stuff. paying over 100$ for a BBK or MAC is a waste. its an alum tube, and the couplers. there is nothing complicated. nothing to really cheap out on....

i bought a cheap ebay CAI for 30 bucks and it works great! all the CAIs are is a the tubing and the couplers. thats all, u can get the cheap kit and it will look just like the rest and do the same thing, all your paying for with the expensive kits is the name.

DucatiRdr said:

Any problems with the units like the Moroso which put a 90* bend in front of the MAS? I read somewhere that you shouldn't have any angle changes in front of the MAS as it messes with the metering.

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i have the fender well kit and have had no problems.even with the stock intake system, as soon as the air passes the filter it turns sharply right before it goes to the MAF.

Foxfan88 said:

i have the fender well kit and have had no problems.even with the stock intake system, as soon as the air passes the filter it turns sharply right before it goes to the MAF.

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It wasn't the bend after the MAS that was at issue, but the one immediately before. I forget the exact wording of the logic, but it had to do with the speed of the air as it takes that 90* turn into the mouth of the sensor. The air on the inside bend of the elbow was moving faster than that on the outside and the differential between the two as they were swallowed by the MAS is what threw off the sensor reading.

This is def a shopping thread. A tech question might ask something like:

"How do I install x CAI?"
"What CAI do I need to fit x blower combo?


Please refer to the stickies at the top of the tech forum to get a feel for what constitutes a technical thread. Purely subjective questions have no quantitive answer. Matter of preference threads belong in Talk.

--thread moved to talk--

SteedaGT9150 said:

the stock one. just remove the silencer

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That's my vote.KISS

what about the anderson power pipes...they must do something if people put them on their cars.

As far as HP goes, I think someone up there ^ already answered that one for ya... A CAI is only going to help HP numbers if it is the bottle neck in your engien combo. If you're running a stock motor, stock heads, TB, and MAF, the NO CAI is going to give you a HP increase. The induction system that comes stock on the Mustang is MORE than adequate for the combo that it supports.

As far as fitment goes, that will totally depend on the combination that you're intend to use it on. Blower cars, or unique intake combination will require a CAI that fits TBs set in other than stock locations. If you require moving the MAF out to the fenderwell, then that can be an issue when selectiong a CAI as well.

For a bone stock 89 LX, it's a waste of money. It would be better spend on a 3G upgrade and later on and elec fan or something.

Heck... at that point, I might even invest in a larger MAF and call it a day. No HP increase from that either until down the road when your mods make the stock piece a bottle neck.

Buy once and plan for the future. If you want a CAI for looks, then great! There are some nice ones out there. If you want it to add some HP to your basically stock engine combo, you're spinnin' yer wheels bro.

CAMAROEATER01 said:

what about the anderson power pipes...they must do something if people put them on their cars.

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They DO, do something on engines that need to induct more air than the stock induction system is capable of supporting.

My KB setup for instance LOVES unrestricted inlet air. To the tune of a 4 inch tube even! Tossing a stock mass air meter inline it would kill at LEAST 30 HP.

CAIs (like exhaust), don't ad hp to an engine combo (the stock piece is already a CAI). Instead, they free up the HP that is already there. Larger, more efficient mills require more air than the stock diameter setup can handle efficiently.

hdawg06 said:

Well, I was wondering what would give the most horse. Are there any kits out there that I should be aware of not working because of fitment issues too?

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This by the way, would have been a technical question vs. this:

What is the best CAI for a 89LX?

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Hope that illustrates what I meant by my post above.

Power pipe FTW!!

EDIT: I can't type what I wanted to and make it sound right so....

Go to Ebay and spend the $30-$40 for one. I had to trim mine just a bit but it was a lot better than $100 plus for a big name. All the fenderwell aftermarket ones are basically the same. Its pipe, couplings, hose clamps, screws and a washable filter.

DucatiRdr said:

It wasn't the bend after the MAS that was at issue, but the one immediately before. I forget the exact wording of the logic, but it had to do with the speed of the air as it takes that 90* turn into the mouth of the sensor. The air on the inside bend of the elbow was moving faster than that on the outside and the differential between the two as they were swallowed by the MAS is what threw off the sensor reading.

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yah i was talking about before the MAF


IMO the CAI does nothing for mild combos, as stated above. but as power increases and as the stock intake chokes the engine, then a gain will come from a CAI.

The stock engine gets more than enough air from the stock deal.

the only things i can see wrong with the stock system once HP gets higher is....

air is being sucked through a rectangular filter. then immediatly forced into a circle right before the MAF, then after the MAF, it goes through that rubber tube, with ribs all over it, which would cause turbulence. all of which probably doesnt matter on a stock deal, but if u had a 347 with big valve heads and huge cam , i would see the need for a better system.

with the most of the cold air kits, the tubing is smoother and the same shape all the way to the TB. which in theory is better.

if going with a CAI, get the TRUE fenderwell kit, this is like the stock system. i hate seeing people get the short kits that put the filter in the engine bay. all it does is get hit with fan wash and suck in hot air. you'll be hurting performance doing this.