MR.T

I ended up making my "umbrella" with roof flashing (I have pics if anyone's is interested). My car, sadly, only sits outside and if it rains heavily I don't drive it. I've never had a problem, but one should ask themselves... Is it really worth a couple of extra HP when you have to worry all of the time about destroying your motor. My answer is no. I'm going to be taking mine off and if I can't find a suitable aftermarket replacement I'll be buying a used stock air box.

For now, if I've let it sit in rain or snow, I always make sure to pull the duckbill out at the bottom of the elbow and check for water. Haven't found any yet, but it still really freaks me out.

Shame on this manufacturer for not addressing this issue in a more upfront manor.

s2000ellier

AEM makes a filter sock too that will repel falling water preventing it from seeping in

davidc1

Yep....it's worth reiterating that water can get into this intake even when washing the car. Be careful about spraying water at the front of the car.

Early editions of the AEM V2 CAI did NOT have a duckbill drain valve. Check yours and call AEM if it doesn't.

I've seen V2's where the rubber duckbill valve has come out and there's just a hole there. So unfiltered air is getting into the engine.

Also, it's possible the previous owner hydrolocked or just damaged the engine before you got it, and it finally grenaded. I had a GS-R that hydrolocked...I thought I had got all the water out properly, but 3 weeks later it threw a rod on the freeway.

Car Analogy

For those still not understanding the physics of hydrolocking, it occurs because water is not compressable. So if the amount of water that gets sucked into any cylinder is more than the volume of space above the piston when the piston is at top of stroke, the water will stop the piston cold.

If the other cylinders fire, or you keep trying to crank the starter, or push start the car, what happens? Crank is trying to push the piston and rod up, water is pushing back. Unstopable force meets imovable object. Either the pressure of the water will crack the head, or the rod will shear. Motor = toast.

Water does not compress. Its 'hydraulic'. Unlike air, it can't be forced to take up less space when pressure is applied to it.

You don't want it in your cylinders.

s2000ellier

So here is what I did to hopefully mitigate this

AEM Filter sock thing, repels rain water


This is the hole that leads to the top of the filter



Filter sock

Billman250

I had a similar cover on the air filter of my quad.

Guys this may be the best solution.

Drip some water from that spot and see if it beads off

MR.T

here's my ghetto fab. it must work pretty well because i store my car outside and always check the duckbill after heavy rains and have yet to find any moisture.


i just used some roof flashing, which is really thin, and used the screws from the bottom of the light ballast to secure it's roof portion.




then kind of molded it to shed water and take up as much area as possible once the bumper was reinstalled.



like i said, once i get some time and do a little research, i'll be pulling this off. it's just not worth it to me.

davidc1

The sock is a possible solution, but three issues...it does decrease airflow somewhat, it gets dirty real quick (and having to take the splash guards off often can be a pain, and it can loose it's water repellence with time.

See my below post for what I feel is the best solution.

davidc1

Guys, here's what I feel is the best solution.

[attachment=54789:IMG_20140301_143720.jpg]


When it's wet out, I just separate the two pipes, pop on a K&N high flow filter, and put a baggie on the down pipe so nothing gets in it.

Here in SoCal I don't have to do it very often, but it works great.

I called K&N (or was it AEM?...same thing). They calculated the airflow needed for a 2.2L engine at 8500rpm, and suggested this filter. It had to very compact or course, so it's a high flow design were the bottom of it (which you can't see) has filter area as well. Sure it sucks in hot air, but I'm not racing in the rain.

If anybody is interested, I can probably find out the model number by calling k&N this Monday.

cosmomiller

Practically speaking, yes you are correct. However, water does contract a little as it approaches freezing and high pressure can also induce compressibility; at 150 atmospheres water will compress a little less than 1%. Quantum mechanics has not produced verifiable compression that certain theories say should occur.

Bottom line: I am keeping my intake stock and sleeping soundly listening to the rain outside.