CAI/SRI First Mod? No.

[87_Si]

After seeing all the new stock Civic owners ask about performance and seeing INTAKE as one of the first (like "dude, I/H/E, y0!) I've compliled the following: Debunking the CAI (cold air intake) hype.... First off, what is the purpose of a CAI? A CAI is supposed to cool the inlet charge or allow cooler/more air into the combustion chamber. The cooler the air, the denser the oxygen, therefore you theoretically have more oxygen in the same amount of space compared to warmer air in the same space. It's simple, more air/fuel mixture equals more power, right? Cooler air makes more power, right? Yes and no... The Manufactuers: When they claim 10-15 hp gains with their CAI, where do you think they do the tests? In the desert where cold air would really be a benefit to your motor? Nope. In a controlled enviroment with the right enviromental conditions so they can give you big numbers under the absolute best conditions. Guys when your car is sucking in 95 degree heat, it's not gonna create 60 degree air. It's like the small print you read at the bottom of a weight loss commercial. When they say, "you can lose 20 pounds in 4 weeks", don't you notice the small print at the bottom of the screen? It says results may vary blah blah. You get the point. Is a CAI useless? Nope. But is it the RIGHT investment for your first mod? Not in my opinion and the opinions of people who have been chasing big HP numbers for years. Read on. 1) A nice cold air intake system certainly looks better that the factory intake, but are a waste of money as a FIRST or second mod. It's like a hot chick that wont give up that ass, SHE LOOKS GOOD BUT WHATS THE POINT? The factory air intake is actually capable of handling significant air flow. A K&N filter is a good choice because is will flow better than the factory paper cone. That's its only purpose. 2) For an average name brand CAI you may spend around $150 new. Now ask yourself, how much air are you moving? You have factory cams and heads and a restrictive factory exhaust. Are you making so much airflow that the factory engineered intake just cannot handle your massive HP? No. 3)So you may be asking, "Well if a CAI is better at creating cooler/denser air as said earlier,then how come its not a good investment?" It's not a bad investment. It's just not a good FIRST investment. You need a plan of attack when looking for sizeable HP gains. You can't build big HP from the Autozone shelves. Unfortunately, HP costs money. "Ok OK I get it." I'm not moving tons of air and the factory intake draws cool enough air in. So whats the plan of attack? 1. EXHAUST -- Making gob's of HP is useless unless in can get out the back. A well set-up exhaust will help make some power by not restricting air-flow. It's just a matter of preference when it come to sound. This helps "uncork" the motor. This means the ENTIRE system unless you plan on a TURBO setup, no point on wasting money on headers. Now lets go to making the mouth bigger 2. CAMS -- These are without a doubt the best investment you can make when it comes to making signifcant HP. Anything above a mild (stage 1 style) street cam usually requires stronger springs/valves/retainers and a good tune. Now the mouth is more open. ***Check fuel pressure and A/F mixture, if ok still, move on.*** 3. CYLINDER HEADS -- Port-n-polish equals better and more CFM equals more power. Now at this point it's a good idea to check your fuel and ignition system again since you probably have maxed it out 4. FUEL PUMP/FILTER/REGULATOR/INJECTORS -- Here we can begin dumping more fuel, BUT the ECU is only programmed to go so far. Here's where another good tune can get your A/F mix dead on to avoid running too rich or worse... lean. You may also need to replace the ignition system to set off your new mix. These would be COIL/PLUGS/WIRES/CAP/ETC. 5a. TURBO/SUPERCHARGER (IF you go with forced induction) -- This is the big one in everyway. Big power and big price tag. One note about these is that if you are gonna go boost crazy, you NEED to forge your bottom end or else your asking for trouble. Your factory components would do ok for a while, but the night your out on a date with a hot chick ,trust me...the only rod getting blown will be in your engine. 5b. INTAKE -- now if you have chosen to go N/A for now or ever, the STOCK intake probably has been maxed. Here a GOOD aftermarket CAI or SRI can be a big help to allow those new "lungs" to be able to breathe. Just remember, the colder the air, the more dense, the more fuel can be added. A SRI (short ram intake) sucks up the air from the rear of the engine compartment which is usually fairly warm compared to the outside air. This is only the stolen opinion from FryRice, but one that I agree with. Hope this helps get some of the noobs away from the whole "10hp from my intake, y0!" Yeah and that aluminum wing helps too This should be used as a guideline/suggestion and by no means a set plan. Your plans should follow these but in a manner that suits your end goals and budget. Remember, you can choose 2 of the following 3... Cheap/Fast/Reliable. Crotch-rockets don't apply as they have WICKED Power-to-Weight ratios anyway LOL. Alright, I'm done here. Thank you and Good Night!

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[LT2004ever]

nice post, and it was a nice read also, even tho i skimmed a little bit.

twas informative.... but i still think its a good first mod. Just cause it gives u that sound that most people like to hear. Like i know with mine, i have a SRI and i know i'm not getting any major gains with it, but then again i dont plan on making this D17 powered car fast. I think that just the sound alone, gives people the placebo of that they are faster than they really are, and that alone is enough for alot of people.

Unless u wanna shoot for more than 150whp, then I/E are great just for the sound. I agree, screw the headers lol, unless it looks cool.

[LDB]

Interesting read. Thanks.

[Civic_Driver]

hmm well thanks for that! i was actually planning on getting a SRI for my first mod but now i aint...but now what should i get..?

[DsevenEm2]

di-di-ree....