mighty car mods did a stock airbox vs AEM CAI on dyno back to back. AEM made more power

 

Its true. But ive heard AND seen the aem v2 intake hydro lock before. So thats going to be up to the user on that one. Snorkel and oem box, i havent heard of any hydro locking.

 

 

Interesting.... the K&N tube looks longer than the stock tube, so I imagine that will change the resonance frequency down a bit which should shift the torque curve to lower rpms a tad. Good for the AP2s with 2.2L engine and lower redline. How loud is it? The K&N by itself (on a friend's AP1) was quite loud. But, I would guess keeping it in the stock air box would quiet it down to near stock.

 

I think it got quieter with the box on. I have a megan 3in exhaust and 3in tp so the only thing i mostly hear is drone.

 

OK, so I replaced my OEM airbox with a custom 3.5" CAI similar to the AEM design. I found information on the forums on how to build one. It was pretty straight forward but it took some time. I used:

3.5" 90 deg aluminum pipe
3.5" straight aluminum pipe
3.5" 90 deg couple x2
3.5" to 3" reducer
Specter Air filter with 3.5" to 6" velocity stack
3.5" straight coupler.
110 mm hose clamps x 7
2 weld in bungs with barb fittings
Some vacuum line bits, etc.
Can of black wrinkle paint (I will need more)

I not only created the CAI, but I also bypassed the TB and IAC with coolant. And I eliminated the original PCV/VAC tubes. Everything was hooked up as original regarding the PCV and air pump connections.

So was it a benefit???

Without a doubt. I don't need to dyno it to know the car runs stronger than ever. I track the car, and I feel this will be a great mod for the track. Not because of all the peak power, but because of the broader power range. Clearly the engine likes the longer intake track, especially under high load around 4-6k rpms. It pulls harder on the primary cam under load. Once into the second cam it feels similar to the stock setup. However it is MUCH louder and I can see why the OEM would not build the air intake this way. Anything above 3/4 throttle produces a resonance in the intake system. I think it sounds great, but non enthusiast people may not. I am guessing that is why they created the complicated OEM air box system. The good news is under 3/4 throttle the intake sounds the same. Except outside the car at idle. There is a high pitched hum from the air filter location. When you snap the throttle open from outside the car, you can easily hear the motor such air like a vacuum cleaner. Its pretty impressive.

I would recommend this however you need to be able to cut the pipe and fabricate the barb fittings. I also tired to paint it but the finish didn't take and it rubs the hood liner. I will strip it this winter and redo it. Another thing to consider is the design can create a pool for water to collect because the air filter is angled up. I don't think driving is an issue, but if the car sits in the rain or lots of car washing, it may collect enough to be an issue. I did create a plastic shroud to go over the top side of the air filter as mounted.