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Generic or Brand Name intake?

Old May 20, 2003
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Generic or Brand Name intake?

a generic SRI with K&N filter or brand name like AEM or V2, Injen or K&N?

would the performance be same or better with brand name ones?
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Old May 20, 2003
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Wrong forum..........Please check where you are posting things before you hit enter. This belongs in parts.
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Old May 20, 2003
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its basically the same(well almost) and it should be dyno proven. most "good" CAIs give you an average btw 5-7 extra hp, as i was reading from hondatech
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Old May 20, 2003
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Make sure you DO NOT listen to some people on here that will try to tell you that all intakes are the same with just a tube and a filter. This is completely untrue. Different intakes have different designs that produce different types of air flow. Stick with brand names like AEM and Injen that are dyno proven for best results.
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Old May 20, 2003
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if i had the manual, id go with injen
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Old May 21, 2003
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Tube and filter, its all the same.
Name brand isnt a need for a intake. Mechanics teacher at bcit said so. "Quote" on a name brand intake all you are paying for is the name, generic intakes are the same thing. Truthfully, an intake will lower the hp unless you get the full system, intake, headers, exhaust"quote"
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Old May 21, 2003
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eh there's some truth to each of the post.

'cept for the 5-7 hp claim on our car.

I know for a fact that, thats not the hp gain we'll get.

even Injen's own dyno doesn't show anything more than 4 hp. lol. and that was only at one point in the RPM range.. most gains were +/- 1 hp. they use to have this on their website.. I wonder why they took it off. lol.
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Old May 21, 2003
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i would just get one that carb legal
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Old May 21, 2003
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K&N FIPK II claims 3hp gain. I notice great throttle response when driving. Then again, i felt some difference when I got a $40 CAI. This K&N short ram works just 'bout the same. Dunno, probably just the pyschology of it getting to my head ^_^.

I like it alot, but not worth the price IMO.

Anyone got feedback on this FIPK II? is it better than CAI's? That's what ppl have told me at least.
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Old May 21, 2003
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eh I like the K&N FIPK too.

and it doesn't feel any diff. than the generic CAI I had.. but it feels better than the InJen SRI at least.

in either case.. I paid $160 shipped for the FIPK, so it wasn't that bad..

but I think I'll keep this one for sure.

my 4th intake, and I actually like it. heh.
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Old May 21, 2003
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Originally posted by CivicGoh
Tube and filter, its all the same.
Name brand isnt a need for a intake. Mechanics teacher at bcit said so. "Quote" on a name brand intake all you are paying for is the name, generic intakes are the same thing. Truthfully, an intake will lower the hp unless you get the full system, intake, headers, exhaust"quote"
It's people like you that I was warning him not to listen to. You sir, and your "mechanics" teacher are dead wrong. I'm going to school you and your teacher right now. Get an AEM intake and a generic one and compare the inside of the tube side by side. You will notice that the AEM one has tiny dents or grooves on the inside. These little dents are there for a reason. The same reason that golf ***** have little dents in them. It's physics. These dents act as air pockets when air is passing around them or through them. As the air hits these dents and fills them, it creates a completely smooth surface for the air to pass over. Because of this smooth surface the air will travel faster and smoother. The golf ball flys through the air faster and further. The air in the AEM intake will have the same effect. It will travel faster and smoother thus allowing greater amounts of air to pass through in a shorter period of time. Thus producing greater gains.

You and your teacher have just been OWNED!

Last edited by SLAMMED01CIV; May 21, 2003 at 03:05 AM.
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Old May 21, 2003
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man. lol.

I can go along with the golf ball deal, cuz that really is how the golf ball travels farther, less air resistance and less drag... but I wouldn't necessary compare that with the inside of an intake tube.

but man, I bet AEM and its marketing department (which I think is probably just one guy) is happy about the brand huggers.

all these technologies, and they still can't make more than 1-3 hp from an application such as our car.

hence it doesn't matter much if you have some "super tube" than a regular tube. heh.

the real difference, and IMO more important difference between AEM and the generic that copied their design is:

- AEM's top intake tube's diameter is 2.5 inches, while the generic CAI's is about 2 3/8 inches.
- AEM's bottom intake tube's diameter is 2.75 inches, while the generic CAI's is the same as the top, about 2 3/8 inches.
- AEM's filter's opening diameter is 2.75 inches, while the generic CAI's is about 2 3/8 inches.
- AEM's cone filter's flange length is also considerably longer than the generic CAI's. It is almost an inch or two longer.
- AEM's filter is probably of better quality, ie: more layered.
- AEM has better fit and finish.

now, I gotta admit, I was surprised when I found out that the AEM CAI had a stepped design, which creates more air velocity... so props to them for that...

and, that they may have R&Ded, hence the difference design in CAI for EX and DX/LX application (the tube design is different, reflecting the difference in power output on different RPM ranges from the two different engine)

so thats another good thing.

BUT, BUT.

these are still just tubes with a filter on an end, ON a Honda Civic.

on other application, the intake matter may have more impact...

but we're still talking about bolt-ons on a D17A1/D17A2, and honestly.. IMO, I bet the horsepower difference between my $160 dollar K&N FIPK, and some $40 SRI on ebay... is so little that I probably cant justify spending the $160.

course there's other reasons why I decided the FIPK is worth it, but thats another story.

again, we're still talking about bolt-on on a Civic, which... isn't a matter of intake = 5 hp, header = 5 hp, exhaust = 5 hp, I+H+E = 15 hp.

that concept still floats around, and its simply not true.

there is really no such thing as free horsepower concerning bolt ons, you take power away at a given rpm, to put power at another given rpm.

the same goes for header and exhaust... ideally, you pick and choose the intake, header, and exhaust.. so you can increase the power output on some specific rpm range on the powerband, so you can get a nice boost of power when you need power when you're in that rpm range. (ie: you want more peak high hp because you run the quarter or you want more low/mid range cuz you do stop light to stop light confrontations. )

dyno proven? real dynos will give those results. where are all these dyno proven hp? from the manufacture's website??? sheesh. come on.

members have dynoed their car before.. and they pump out the same hp amount as stock cars. and they've got the regular I/H/E mods going, but their EX still pumps out 110 hp.... that doesnt mean they didn't get any power increase, maybe peak didn't change.. but the mid range did.. who knows, but there wasn't a stock dyno to compare with.

you gotta realize that, bolt-on isn't about intake = 5 hp, its about how much hp/torque the intake gives AND takes away... AND where in the powerband.

and in our car.. the change isn't much.

InJen had a realistic dyno put up before... it was a comparison between stock, AEM's CAI, and Injen's CAI for our 2001 Civic EX. It had the infamous hump in the powerband.. which AEM/InJen was known for (since InJen came about from a disgruntle AEM employee/engineer or whatever.. so the designs from past applications are very similiar, except for now... , in either case, this is the reason for the heated rivalry between the two)...

anyway, onto that dyno InJen had for our car, that they dont have anymore... it had that wow increase in the mid range.. near 4,000 RPM I believe... which AEM/InJen was known for.. and that increase alone is how they usually boast about their power increase. "AEM Intake gives XXX HP!!" the fact is.. they dont tell you where.. and they dont tell you if they lose 10 hp in the low end to get that 10 hp.

besides that hump though.. do u know the max hp across the powerband was? 1-3 hp. the bump increased hp/torque 4hp.. but thats it.

so you're paying nearly $200 for 1-3 hp... and I can bet, those 1-3 hp were gone in the low end.. (1,000-3,000 RPM)... which wasn't shown on the graph.

AEM's intake didn't have any hump, since they have a different design than InJen's... for once. heh. know how much their intake give on that dyno InJen had? 1-2 hp. oooh.. another $200 for 1-2 hp.

The point of mentioning the dyno is, the increases aren't too signifcant... if any. So if you want to spend $200 for an intake that gives you 1-2 hp or 1-4 hp, over an intake that cost $40 and gives you 0-1 hp. hmmmm. no decision is wrong here.. its ur money afterall, but this should put things more into perspective... the effectiveness of the product, and the value of the product.

realize that, its not about quality of the product.. at the end, the want satisfying power of a product, is about the position, or perception of the product in the mind of the consumer... that satisfy a buyer.

oh yeah, one last thing.. InJen doesn't have those 3 dyno graphs on anymore... I guess they realize 1-3 hp for $200 wasnt too appealing.

And the InJen SRI? They didnt even R&D that, its the same thing used on previous gen, 92-00 Civic, DX/LX models.. where their throttle body was vertical.

AEM's SRI may be a bit better, the EX looks like any other intake.. but the DX/LX has a different design than the EX, it has a longer tubbing with different bends...

the hp increase on these is probably around what was mention on the dyno above too. and the generics are probably not that far off.

To sum up,

Do I think the brand names are better intake overall compare to generics? Yes. The fit, design, and finish.. is generally better.

Do I think the gains from these intake, in terms of performance and sound... is different? No, actually, I dont think so.

Do I think its reasonable to spend $200 on an intake if what you're looking for is performance and sound? No, not really. At least, not on a 2001-2003 Civic.

anyway, thats that. lol. lets move on to other things in life.

Last edited by CapYoda; May 21, 2003 at 05:14 AM.
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Old May 21, 2003
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so for price/performance, a generic intake is the way to go...

i was thinking that too coz a 1-2hp diff isnt that much unless i like redline everytime i change gear.. hehe...

just wanted to hear everyones opinion...

unless im rich then i can spend like $500 on an intake.. haha

Tahnx all
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Old May 21, 2003
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if anything, replace the filter they give you with a better filter.
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Old May 21, 2003
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Originally posted by SLAMMED01CIV
Make sure you DO NOT listen to some people on here that will try to tell you that all intakes are the same with just a tube and a filter. This is completely untrue. Different intakes have different designs that produce different types of air flow. Stick with brand names like AEM and Injen that are dyno proven for best results.
COULDN'T HAVE PUT IT BETTER MYSELF.....
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Old May 21, 2003
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Save your money and buy a turbo. If anyone is planning on getting a turbo, then a intake is a waste of money.(Headers too) Thats why i bought a $50 intake.
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