Insulating Cold Air intakes?

7991LXnSHO · Sep 5, 2011

I have a fenderwell, BBK, cold air intake, and I wonder if anyone has insulated the the pipes with a Dynamat or other insulating layer? The under hood temps are in hot, metal conducts heat, and black rubber gets hot, too. I do not see the point of pulling in fender temp air to just heat it up before getting it into the motor. Is it worth a try??

For those who say just run the stock air box without the silencer, I do no have the whole air box to put on. Although my Grand Marquis may get this treatment soon.

Anyway, to insulate or not insulate?

Also, any suggestions on Ram Air or getting colder air in the fender on an LX? Fieros had a Holley side scoop kit. But that might look strange on the front fender without a redesign. A GT Might be able to pull a foglight and run a hose up there.

Rick 91GT · Sep 5, 2011

I played with that some years ago with minimal if any benefits that I could see while datalogging. Sitting a back of ice on it works for a pass at the track, if you can keep the water from dripping on everything.

Be better to wrap the headers to help decrese the ambient temp under the hood and keep the heat in the exhaust where it needs to be. March and a few others make a ram air kit that mounts under the front bumper, you can customize to make it work with a CAI. Ive done custom units as well

Mustang5L5 · Sep 5, 2011

Just get a stock airbox assembly. I had the BbK setup too and it just got hot. I took it off, got a stock setup dirt cheap and sold the BBK. IMHO the stock setup looks better. I didn't notice a thing in performance either......but at least the stock setup stays cool now

Dino Dino Bambino · Sep 5, 2011

7991LXnSHO said:
I have a fenderwell, BBK, cold air intake, and I wonder if anyone has insulated the the pipes with a Dynamat or other insulating layer? The under hood temps are in hot, metal conducts heat, and black rubber gets hot, too. I do not see the point of pulling in fender temp air to just heat it up before getting it into the motor. Is it worth a try??

Don't bother. The intake manifold is a big heatsink so insulating the CAI would be a wasted effort.

90mustangGT · Sep 5, 2011

CIA's are generally a ripoff. I really never have understood the benifits of someone using the one's that pull air from between the radiator and the headers. The stock rubber intake is more than enough for most applications. What Rick suggested would be a better idea, to wrap the headers. If you were to insulate it, any insulation would help, easily purchased cheap at Home Depot.

Oh and ice that doesn't leak? Dry Ice.

Another idea is an intake spacer, it makes a difference. Another helper for intake temps is to disconnect the EGR cooling lines from the intake, although this will heat up the EGR gasses when cruising but it hasn't caused any issues on mine yet.

7991LXnSHO · Sep 5, 2011

Another "Cool" idea EGR and Intake spacer

Wrapping the headers sounds like a pain, but a good idea to keep heat down under the hood. The racer who had it already modified th upper intake for a cool charge. - The EGR is defeated and the coolant lines are disonnected form the spacer. Now I'm using it on the street, I am looking to replace the emissions stuff to keep the computer happy. Besides, the caps on the nipples keep leaking antifreeze, and I wonder if the coolant will help it warm up and prevent icing in cold weather.

Will the middle intake spacer help keep the intake air temp down once I reconnect the EGR and coolant lines for street use?????? I'd hate to not have the lines to the spacer hooked up if the EGR is working. Outside temps of over 100 degrees can do bad things.

7991LXnSHO · Sep 5, 2011

"March and a few others make a ram air kit that mounts under the front bumper, you can customize to make it work with a CAI. Ive done custom units as well."

The Datalogging experience is what I needed to hear, and thanks for the idea. I'll check into that! Sitting in traffic or a trip is where the heat soak would come into play for me. Dry Ice for a 200 mile trip might not be so practical, (but fun to play with). But the header wrap should be more practical.

Any problems with it cracking header tubes or more flange and gasket problems from holding in too much heat?

Mustang5L5 · Sep 5, 2011

7991LXnSHO said:
Will the middle intake spacer help keep the intake air temp down once I reconnect the EGR and coolant lines for street use?????? I'd hate to not have the lines to the spacer hooked up if the EGR is working. Outside temps of over 100 degrees can do bad things.

Nope. Won't make a dofference. Radiant heat from the headers will eventually heat soak the entire engine bay to the same temp. The entire engine is a heat sink. Insulating one part just slows it down for a few mins.

I just ran my engine today. Stock rubber intake, conra intake (no coolant lines) and an intake spacer. After 20 mins at idle...the upper intake was hot to the touch.

stykthyn · Sep 5, 2011

I know lots of people dog them, but I wouldnt mind seeing a 1 piece polymer intake produced for the small block windsor. I hate not being able to touch my engine for what seems like hours after only running for a few minutes. The intake on my car is practically too hot to touch after a lap around the block.

ACSPONY · Sep 6, 2011

Wrapping the CAI may keep the piping from heating up but I don't think the air is in the pipe long enough to either gain or lose heat from the piping so I wouldn't bother. With a substantially longer pipe maybe, but not for the average CAI.

darthcual · Sep 6, 2011

IDK if it actually adds any power but the phenolic spacer (2 inch) did make a difference in keeping the upper intake cooler on my previous stang.

NIKwoaC · Sep 6, 2011

Mustang5L5 said:
Nope. Won't make a dofference. Radiant heat from the headers will eventually heat soak the entire engine bay to the same temp. The entire engine is a heat sink. Insulating one part just slows it down for a few mins.

I just ran my engine today. Stock rubber intake, conra intake (no coolant lines) and an intake spacer. After 20 mins at idle...the upper intake was hot to the touch.

Keep in mind that the engine bay is not a "closed system" in thermodynamic terms. It is an "open system" with heat input (primarily the headers) and heat output (open airflow from the fan and/or from the vehicle moving).

If you can slow the rate of heat input while maintaining the same amount of heat output, theoretically your under hood operating temps should be reduced.

I wrapped my headers, and in my experience, under hood temperatures are much lower now than they were prior to wrapping the headers, even after a long period of driving. Unfortunately I don't have a very scientific measurement other than now I don't burn my fingers when I check my oil at the gas station.

As far as how much you actually gain performance-wise...

stykthyn · Sep 6, 2011

Wont header wrap cause your pipes to rust?

NIKwoaC · Sep 7, 2011

stykthyn said:
Wont header wrap cause your pipes to rust?

Mine are still in 1 piece after a few years of running the wrap, but I also keep my car bone dry. It never sees rain, snow or ice, and I garage it. They're just basic BBK chrome headers.

Don't get me wrong though, wrap is a PITA. I hate handling it (itchy fiberglass) and the hose clamps that hold on the wrap are always getting in the way of the header bolts or spark plugs. But it does what it's supposed to, it definitely keeps things cooler under the hood.

Maryland Stang · Sep 7, 2011

Let me also point out that simply touching the top of the intake will tell you nothing about how hot it is. Aluminum dissipates heat rapidly and if you touch it it will dissipate the heat into your skin. In other words, it feels a whole lot hotter than it is. Try this. Put a piece of wood and a piece of aluminum out in the sun. Touch the wood and then touch the aluminum. The aluminum will feel like it is significantly hotter than the wood. Now use an infrared thermometer and check their temps. Chances are highly like that they're about the same temp.

7991LXnSHO · Sep 21, 2011

How about thermal coatings? My upper intake needed cleaned after some throttle body area porting. The machine shop's cleaner wrinkled the coating so they bead blasted it. If there is a coating better then paint, now's the time!

7991LXnSHO · Sep 21, 2011

I have silver intake & engine 500 degree paint from NAPA if thermal coatings are not practical.

Insulating Cold Air intakes?

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp

Rick 91GT

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Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

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90mustangGT

I felt sorry for girls because

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp

7991LXnSHO

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That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

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I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.

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I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.

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