Cold Air Intake Materials
 

I have seen alot of people on the web site building their own intakes which I think is great. I want to offer up some ideas for discussion.

Not sure how much effect it has on our cars, but on the lt1 and ls1 there was a considerable difference between rubber intake pieces and metal. The metal suffered from heat soak at rates far greater than the rubber pieces. I think the metal looks better, but we were showing 10hp drops on cars that were warmed up if we didn't ice the intake. You will notice that is why K&N's intake is not a metal pipe. Below copied form K&N website:

http://www.knfilters.com/FIPK/fipk.htm

"Our 57 Series Gen II Air Intake Kits (FIPK's) are built for many different vehicles and represent a dramatic improvement over a K&N O/E replacement filter alone; they use only non-metallic rotationally molded tubes that can reduce air temperature and decrease intake sound over a metal tube."

We all like the sound, but I wanted to point out the heat issue of using metal tubes. I am going to be building my own intake using rubber silicone tubes and a K&N filter. If looks are the most important go metal. If performance is then think about a different material or have the metal cerramic coated to keep temps down.Just throwing some ideas out there and sharing things I learned while tuning myfirebirds over the years.

RE: Cold Air Intake Materials
 

what r u gonna be making ur heat shield out of?

RE: Cold Air Intake Materials
 

That I am not sure yet. I need to do some research and see what would work best. I am trying to see if K&N will sell me parts or sell me a different filter than there kit comes with. I may just run the intake out of the engine bay and avoid the heat shield all together. I also may modify the stock air box. Once I figure it out I will let you know.

RE: Cold Air Intake Materials
 

Hey, Yeh I have been doing the same thing. Trying to figure out what the hell I want to do with my intake. I have really been thinking the last couple days to go to an exhaust shop and seeing if they will bend some pipe for me and fun in from my supercharger out the whole behind the headlight and down a little. But you say metal gets hot real easy?? What about coating it with anything, or even just painting it?

RE: Cold Air Intake Materials
 

I just remeber on the LT1 Firebird I had we showed a power loss once the motor was hot. The metal would be to hot to touch. You could either ceramic coat it or wrap it. The engine bay on our cars may not be as bad as the firebird was and it may not be a big problem.

RE: Cold Air Intake Materials
 

Huh, well with your firebirds did you also do an actual cold air, or was the filter still in the engine bay. Cause maybe sucking in actual cold air can help too.

RE: Cold Air Intake Materials
 

IT was a true cold air. But that engine produced a serious amount of heat. I would try it and go run the car hard. Pop the hood and see how hot the piping is to the touch.

RE: Cold Air Intake Materials
 

Air heats all most instantaneously, so no metal piping should ever be used.
Like cold water, it also heats faster when cold than when warm.
If neither scenario existed , then intercoolers would do absolutely nothing and furnaces also would not yield as much heat as they do.
I've rarely seen what they call a CAI actually that was better than stock intake. On my 04, a intake kit would be a complete waste.

RE: Cold Air Intake Materials
 

Well if intakes are a "complete waste" I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be the HUGE industry there is for them. I am pretty sure your stock intake is not better then a cold air or a K&N. Any stock intake is a whole lot more restrictive, the box, the tubing, the FILTER. Everything is more constrictive in a stock intake, and does not flow as good as it could. One of the biggest and simplest things you can do for your engine is to help it breathe easier.

Anyways, today I talked to a couple of buddies and looked around i think im gonna use metal piping and reinforced silicone to do my intake. For the metal I'll use some sort of wrap to shield it from the heat I think, I dont know there are several out there, I'm still looking around.

RE: Cold Air Intake Materials
 

Here is a sight for silicone parts to make your intake.

http://vibrantperformance.com/catalo...a11deaaa558e9c