Pointless or useful? - Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club of the Sierras

KissMyAsthma · 2009-04-16, 02:02 PM

I may not have my car yet dammit, but I still have some questions

Mainly I'm wanting to know how helpful a cold air or short ram intake is, the pros and cons, and can you live without one?
I've been told things like a CAI makes your engine work too hard or that its pointless anyway since your car was built to take in cool outside air. I can clearly see that short rams aren't terribly expensive but wondering if they help as well.
Also perhaps what in your own opinion would be parts that are advertised to help but don't, underappreciated or overlooked upgrades, etc.

Dean · 2009-04-16, 02:06 PM

CAI is useless on a WRX and may cause the car to run lean and hurt it.

Pro-Tune is basically a requirement for a CAI and on a WRX, you have to be up in STI+++ power levels to need it.

WRX06TR · 2009-04-16, 02:59 PM

Pointless...even after you do a turbo swap the stock box is good up to 300whp or something like that. Most people put one on with a turbo swap because the car has to get retuned anyway. Save your money for something else...

cody · 2009-04-16, 03:22 PM

Even the few intakes that are supposedly okay with the stock tune (K&N Typhoon, SPT, Cobb, Injen) typically aren't okay with the stock tune. They are, however, the easiest to tune for. Stay away from the AEM even if getting a tune for it. The SPT filter is known to fall off too so avoid that one too.

But, as Nick pointed out, if your making under 300WHP, you're just paying a bunch of money for a sound mod. Just remove the stock intake silencer and go stage II. It'll sound great and you won't have wasted money on an intake.

FWIW, I sealed the stock intake box to the fender and left the snorkel on so cold air gets blown into the fender and the intake box sucks it out of there. It's totally safe as long as the fender liner is intact. Probably doesn't do anything for power, but it doesn't hurt and it sounds great.

When you get your car, go stage II (TBE, UP if it it is a 2.0L, maybe IC Y pipe) with a custom tune and call it good for power mods.

knucklesplitter · 2009-04-16, 10:09 PM

The Cobb SRI with the Cobb cold-air box (and stock snorkus) is the intake that acts closest to the stock intake (tune-wise) of any out there. It is the only non-stock one I will accept when loading an off-the-shelf Stage 2 map onto somebody's car (besides the upcoming KSTech 65mm CAI's and 70mm LGT/08+ CAI's). Some people like the APS 65mm CAI but it always acted funny for me at part throttle and sometimes at idle.

The stock airbox is pretty restrictive. I measure about 40in.-H2O of pressure drop across at about 5 volts. There is some power to be had with a good intake, especially with tuning, but it is not a good mod (value-wise)for Stage 2 and below

How do I know this? I have installed and/or tuned and/or tested a couple dozen different intakes on my car and others'.

2009-04-16, 02:02 PM	#1
KissMyAsthma n00b Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: N. Reno Posts: 14 Car: 2007 WRX Don't worry about the world coming to an end. It's already tomorrow in Australia.	Pointless or useful? I may not have my car yet dammit, but I still have some questions Mainly I'm wanting to know how helpful a cold air or short ram intake is, the pros and cons, and can you live without one? I've been told things like a CAI makes your engine work too hard or that its pointless anyway since your car was built to take in cool outside air. I can clearly see that short rams aren't terribly expensive but wondering if they help as well. Also perhaps what in your own opinion would be parts that are advertised to help but don't, underappreciated or overlooked upgrades, etc. __________________ 2007 WRX, urban gray metallic TurboXS TBE, VF34 w/ supporting mods

2009-04-16, 02:06 PM	#2
Dean Señor Cheap Bastarde Real Name: Dean Join Date: May 2003 Location: $99 Tire Store Posts: 9,294 Car: $.04 STI Class: Fast,Cheap & Reliable=STI Deal, did somebody say Deal? Oh, Dean, yeah that's me.	CAI is useless on a WRX and may cause the car to run lean and hurt it. Pro-Tune is basically a requirement for a CAI and on a WRX, you have to be up in STI+++ power levels to need it. __________________ I am a Commodore PET --- Now get off my lawn you kids...

2009-04-16, 03:22 PM	#4
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	Even the few intakes that are supposedly okay with the stock tune (K&N Typhoon, SPT, Cobb, Injen) typically aren't okay with the stock tune. They are, however, the easiest to tune for. Stay away from the AEM even if getting a tune for it. The SPT filter is known to fall off too so avoid that one too. But, as Nick pointed out, if your making under 300WHP, you're just paying a bunch of money for a sound mod. Just remove the stock intake silencer and go stage II. It'll sound great and you won't have wasted money on an intake. FWIW, I sealed the stock intake box to the fender and left the snorkel on so cold air gets blown into the fender and the intake box sucks it out of there. It's totally safe as long as the fender liner is intact. Probably doesn't do anything for power, but it doesn't hurt and it sounds great. When you get your car, go stage II (TBE, UP if it it is a 2.0L, maybe IC Y pipe) with a custom tune and call it good for power mods. __________________ Slow and low, that is the tempo.

2009-04-16, 10:09 PM	#5
knucklesplitter EJ205 Real Name: Matt Taylor Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cousin-Fck, Carolina Posts: 1,474 Wish in one hand and sht in the other...	The Cobb SRI with the Cobb cold-air box (and stock snorkus) is the intake that acts closest to the stock intake (tune-wise) of any out there. It is the only non-stock one I will accept when loading an off-the-shelf Stage 2 map onto somebody's car (besides the upcoming KSTech 65mm CAI's and 70mm LGT/08+ CAI's). Some people like the APS 65mm CAI but it always acted funny for me at part throttle and sometimes at idle. The stock airbox is pretty restrictive. I measure about 40in.-H2O of pressure drop across at about 5 volts. There is some power to be had with a good intake, especially with tuning, but it is not a good mod (value-wise)for Stage 2 and below How do I know this? I have installed and/or tuned and/or tested a couple dozen different intakes on my car and others'. Last edited by knucklesplitter; 2009-04-16 at 10:17 PM.

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2009-04-16, 02:59 PM	#3
WRX06TR EJ251 Real Name: Nick P Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Reno Posts: 881 Car: 2005 STi Class: MadtyteTunerBro! Back to the studio!	Pointless...even after you do a turbo swap the stock box is good up to 300whp or something like that. Most people put one on with a turbo swap because the car has to get retuned anyway. Save your money for something else...