More than one person has asked this question, but no one has replied. suggestions have been made, like drill drain holes to allow the water to escape, OK, but does it work? and if so how well, has someone done it and driven in rain? For those that live in a country or state where there is very little rain, no problem, some have said "you take it off when it rains, dont you?" Just what do you do when you have the Spoon fitted and it starts to rain? Lets have some proper answers as "this might do or try this" is no good when in the worst case senario its sucked up a load of water and got past the air box and makes your engine hydrolic.
There are lots of people out there wanting one of these items possibly not realising what the potential damage could be, after all there not a cheap item if you cant use it and neither is your engine

 

There is already a drain hole in each of the three chambers of the air box; water will not build up. I would think that you are in no danger of substantial water ingestion unless you drive at speed in a tremendous downpour.

 

I know about the drain holes and was not too concerned about water build up. But what about the atomised water e.g water vapour droplets which are carried in the air, like mist for example. Granted it would need to have a steady build up on the filter. Never the less the threat is there no matter what If you are bringing cold damp air in from an out side source, the inlet under the hood means you dont have that problem.
Can some one who has a Spoon fitted post how they are finding the Spoon CAI (or for that matter any CAI) after using it in these damp wet conditions?

 

Wet air is not going to lock your engine, in fact the steam from the water vapor may help to clean some carbon. You have to have solid water in place of air to lock the engine.. I don't see it happening with the airbox and filter in place.

 

You have to have the intake suck straight water for it to lock. That means that you'd have to go through a puddle that reaches the CAI intake which is about the same height as stock. Either way, with or without, you'd be screwed.

 

Ice?

 

Yup solid is a bad term in this case.. flowing and continuous as opposed to aerated is what I intended too covey.

 

Water vapor would help not hurt the engine. I used to have a seriously Turbocharged corvair engine (air cooled) that lived a long hard productive life thanks to the water injection kit.

SS2000

 

I have Mugen intake that has similar air duct design as Spoon's
And I have numerously driven in heavy rain condition (rain so thick and dense that you can't even see 5 feet ahead) without any problem. Mugen actually provide matching carbon plate that you can place in front of the intake opening like license plate to totally protect from any rain to go in and I should know better to use it but like I said it hasn't given me any problem. Still, I shouldn't be driving unprotected because you can't be too careful. I don't know about the other ram air version of Mugen intake, specifically SS2200 version which the duct is much direct and shorter to the filter element and I don't see how they put in any protection measure like mine. That one you probably can't be driven in rain.
My recommendation to Spoon duct owner is to somehow move the license plate without holder to the left side where the Spoon air duct opening is and positioned in front of the duct opening to completely cover the hole. You will be coverering the hold up but there should be some distance between the plate and the opening so that the intake can still breath in air.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by biker1
[B]

I know about the drain holes and was not too concerned about water build up. But what about the atomised water e.g water vapour droplets which are carried in the air, like mist for example. Granted it would need to have a steady build up on the filter.