Hey everyone. I just bought a 1999 base Prelude. The car is completely stock outside of a DC Sports header. I'm thinking of putting a CAI on it and then calling it good. Anyone have any idea what kind of gains the header may be giving me? How about if I placed a CAI on it?
CAI will give you better gains than short ram but you'll have to watch out for standing water...
Ditch the DCs if you want big power gains, but you'll have to spend AT LEAST 500+
CAI will give you better gains than short ram but you'll have to watch out for standing water...
Ditch the DCs if you want big power gains, but you'll have to spend AT LEAST 500+
Go for a cold air intake, sucking up water is not a concern at all if you buy a air bypass valve. You would want to buy a 2 piece cold ait intake(or chop a 1 piece), but this actually SOLVES the possible problem. I have had one in the past that was cheaply made, but works, and they look like this:
It is just a foam filter that you can use to connect the two halves of a cold air intake.. but due to poor construction, if they rub on anything the filter gets destroyed. But it would save your car if you came to a puddle, and provide both more power and better fuel economy.
A better design of the same thing with the outer filter removed(This is the same bypass valve, they don't LOOK any different on the outside than the cheap ones, but are very different on the inside):
This has rubber flaps that keep it closed all the time.. except when your filter is clogged because of water! It will NOT suck in warm air.. except when it needs to save your motor!
The cheap ones are about the same price.. around 50 bucks. Buy the AEM version, it is much better designed. AEM Air-Bypass Valve - Google Search
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yea i would get a CAI, makes the car sound great. i wouldn't waist any money buying any other upgrades. now days you have to put a lot of money in these things to be faster to the avg car, IMO. keep it stock and be proud to own a great car.
The AEM bypass valve negates any gain from the CAI.
It doesn't do anything at all except couple the two pipes.. unless your filter goes under water. There are rubber flaps that keep it from sucking in ANY air at all.. unless the filter is clogged at which point the suction will open the flaps. Look at the pictures I posted above, what you said just isn't true.
As for the guy who posted the thread.. a cold air intake makes a pretty fair difference.. it has been colder here lately and my car performs much more than when it is warm.. this scenario may not be exactly the same as a cold air intake, but colder air does give the car more power. Go for it, and if you have any fears get an AEM bypass valve, you lose absolutely no performance and it can save your engine.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Teddy Roosevelt
"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country."
Last edited by DaytonaPrelude; 10-30-2008 at 09:14 AM.
Q: Will the Air Bypass Valve cause a loss of power?
A: The Air Bypass Valve may cause a slight loss in power due to the interrupted wall section created by the internal shape of the valve. We have found that power loss is minimal or negligible (depending on the application) in our dyno testing. The bypass valve offers great security against hydro locking the engine in rainy conditions. If maximum power is the requirement, we suggest that you use the Air Bypass Valve in the rainy season and replace the Air Bypass Valve with a coupler hose in the summer or when racing to make a smooth section along the inlet where the Air Bypass Valve normally installs.
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Originally Posted by Sonik_Fury
whatever essay I just watched the new Fast and Furious so I know what I'm talking about.
Q: Will the Air Bypass Valve cause a loss of power?
A: The Air Bypass Valve may cause a slight loss in power due to the interrupted wall section created by the internal shape of the valve. We have found that power loss is minimal or negligible (depending on the application) in our dyno testing. The bypass valve offers great security against hydro locking the engine in rainy conditions. If maximum power is the requirement, we suggest that you use the Air Bypass Valve in the rainy season and replace the Air Bypass Valve with a coupler hose in the summer or when racing to make a smooth section along the inlet where the Air Bypass Valve normally installs.
This is saying that there MAY be turbulence, not that it definitely will.. or that it will definitely reduce power. Either way, their advice is perfect, if you are going to race, pull it out.. petern101's statement before made it sound as if it negates ANY gains, as in all gains, which just isn't true.
Quote:
Originally Posted by petern101
The AEM bypass valve negates any gain from the CAI.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teddy Roosevelt
"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country."
Last edited by DaytonaPrelude; 10-30-2008 at 02:36 PM.
If I cared enough, I would find the dyno where someone did a before and after with an AEM bypass valve and there was no gain after using the bypass valve.
So you can go on your little rant but the fact is CAI give neglible amounts of gain on low hp cars (yes our cars are pretty much considered low hp for whp).
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"I am a ricer because I have Z3 fenders" Bless Her Heart ORG
Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm thinking I'll play it safe and buy a ram/velocity intake. If I only get 4-6 extra horses instead of 6-8, that's fine with me. I'm not a serious tuner. That said, I love the car. It's tight and seems to be of high quality. What's really impressed me thus far is the stereo. It's definitely one of the best stock systems I've encountered. The 6X9 speakers make all the difference.
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