So I'm looking to buy an aftermarket open-element air intake for my car and I start searching for a good brand CAI to go with- looks like it would be AEM, but I find out people have so many different opinions on the subject of whether a Cold Air Intake (CAI) or a Short Ram Intake (SRI) is better and started readin more..
Arrrgh it's so tough to figure out...I keep going back and forth trying to come to a decision on it. I've read a bit from my book and from the forums here- problem is that everyone says something different- whether CAI or SRI is better, it seems to depend on the person.
This is what I've gathered so far:
Advantages/Disadvantages to SRI:
- Shorter, more straight intake pathway for air
- Air Filters for these are thinnder and flow better
- thinner filters are more likely to suck in harmful particles
- at lower speeds or from idle, more heat stays in engine bay
- Intake position is closer to the engine and higher up= more prone to heat
- Depending on how close to the engine the SRI is, the more heat generated at high speeds may still be reaching the intake, regardless of amount cool engine bay airflow
- Intake position is better for avoiding sucking up water
Advantages/Disadvantages to CAI:
- Filter still flows much bteer than stock
- Because the filter is lower and farther from engine heat, it is likely to be in a position in the engine bay that receives better airflow, and get more cold air
- The lower position of the filter makes it prone to sucking up water
- The longer and more curved intake pathway causes air to have to travel farther and is more restrictive than the SRI
- Filter is not as thin as SRI filters, hence doesn't flow better
- Thicker filter keeps out harmful particles better
At higher speeds, I would think both will eventually get optimal airflow, one just will reach it faster- which one is hard to say.
Because the SRI is always closer to the engine AND higher up (heat rises...) than the CAI, it seems it is always possible to suck in more hot air with the SRI. Wile the SRI has a higher possibility of taking in hot air, the CAI piping is more restrictive of airflow, but because it is more prone to cooler air, that air takes in will be more densely packed. Aside from that, another thing I wonder about is just how much better the differnt kind of filters on the SRIs flow.
It's hard to say how much power these differences account for.
Personally, based on what I've read and reasoned out myself I think presented with a choice between CAI or SRI- no custom jobs, I'd pick the CAI only because it filters out more dirt and is in a position to take in more cool air.
The best air intake though seems like it would be a custom SRI, with air tubing that would route air from the position where a CAI would go, lower behind the bumper, to the intake filter which would have a heatsheild around it.
Anyways, so that this isn't just another CAI vs. SRI thread maybe someone could tell me also how much better the H22 prelude CAI flows and whether it would be worth going for for my stock '91 EX over an AEM CAI (assuming it will still fit?)
Arrrgh it's so tough to figure out...I keep going back and forth trying to come to a decision on it. I've read a bit from my book and from the forums here- problem is that everyone says something different- whether CAI or SRI is better, it seems to depend on the person.
This is what I've gathered so far:
Advantages/Disadvantages to SRI:
- Shorter, more straight intake pathway for air
- Air Filters for these are thinnder and flow better
- thinner filters are more likely to suck in harmful particles
- at lower speeds or from idle, more heat stays in engine bay
- Intake position is closer to the engine and higher up= more prone to heat
- Depending on how close to the engine the SRI is, the more heat generated at high speeds may still be reaching the intake, regardless of amount cool engine bay airflow
- Intake position is better for avoiding sucking up water
Advantages/Disadvantages to CAI:
- Filter still flows much bteer than stock
- Because the filter is lower and farther from engine heat, it is likely to be in a position in the engine bay that receives better airflow, and get more cold air
- The lower position of the filter makes it prone to sucking up water
- The longer and more curved intake pathway causes air to have to travel farther and is more restrictive than the SRI
- Filter is not as thin as SRI filters, hence doesn't flow better
- Thicker filter keeps out harmful particles better
At higher speeds, I would think both will eventually get optimal airflow, one just will reach it faster- which one is hard to say.
Because the SRI is always closer to the engine AND higher up (heat rises...) than the CAI, it seems it is always possible to suck in more hot air with the SRI. Wile the SRI has a higher possibility of taking in hot air, the CAI piping is more restrictive of airflow, but because it is more prone to cooler air, that air takes in will be more densely packed. Aside from that, another thing I wonder about is just how much better the differnt kind of filters on the SRIs flow.
It's hard to say how much power these differences account for.
Personally, based on what I've read and reasoned out myself I think presented with a choice between CAI or SRI- no custom jobs, I'd pick the CAI only because it filters out more dirt and is in a position to take in more cool air.
The best air intake though seems like it would be a custom SRI, with air tubing that would route air from the position where a CAI would go, lower behind the bumper, to the intake filter which would have a heatsheild around it.
Anyways, so that this isn't just another CAI vs. SRI thread maybe someone could tell me also how much better the H22 prelude CAI flows and whether it would be worth going for for my stock '91 EX over an AEM CAI (assuming it will still fit?)
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