An examination of the ongoing CAI vs. SRI debate

[PakaloloHonda]

Where do you feel it provides more power- I'm guessing mid-range to top-end?

I'd even say from low end .. all the way thru the band .. honestly ..

when it gets hot out my car is a dog. I'm almost certain a CAI will help me out greatly.

You know .. color me anal .. but .. I have noticed that my car does have a favorite
ambient temputure .. if it's about 67* outside .. for some reason .. the motor is simply awake
and very responsive and alive .. colder or warmer .. and it seems to need
more time to achieve the same feeling or response when it's 67* ..

A Hui Hou !!!
Tomi

[gloryaccordy]

My car just likes its air served cold...the colder, the better. In the winter it barks and wails, but it also burns more gas.

Would it be safe to put dry ice on the intake manifold at the track?

[starchland]

you may over analyze, but you will save the new ppl some time. also, i randomly switch back and forth my sri to stock so im none to talk.

[Mangudai]

The only thing I can imagine is that when theres flooding in areas around here Id be sol if I had an sri.

[Ghostyman]

The only thing I can imagine is that when theres flooding in areas around here Id be sol if I had an sri.

Ahh homey, you got it backwards. SRI = Short Ram Intake, the filter sits next to your battery. CAI = Cold Air Intake, filter is down by the bumper lights.

[flin1981]

Very good thread. I have learnt a lot from this. However, there is still no evidence (some number) about which one gains more power, and in which range.

And about the water thing, I really don't think it would be a big problem. Who would drive in a deep pool? Also, as I understand, the stock intake is low too.

One thing that really caught my attention is that CAI filter might be hard to clean.

[mondojackal]

If you're going to go SRI, do the DIY method using your stock airbox hose.

thats the best and only mod on the motor i have now. really helps with reving freely, and it sounds good running hard, too.

[Pnoyballar23]

great write-up... very helpful in picking the right intake.... great job!!

[HondaB18]

good write up but i see a few mistakes

sri does not always equal thinner filter and cai does not always equal thicker filter. it varies from whihc company the intake is from. greddy offers high flow filter but gets dirty a lot, basically a tradeoff

the curved pipings of a cai does not restrict as much air as you think. we're not talking abuot 90 degree bends

if you get a bypass valve, its been tested by aem that it looses abuot 2-3 hp. depending on the size of the puddle, you can drive over them with the clutch in and cruise till that puddle is gone

[HondaB18]

My car just likes its air served cold...the colder, the better. In the winter it barks and wails, but it also burns more gas.

Would it be safe to put dry ice on the intake manifold at the track?

do you mean inside the intake manifold or on the intake manifold? weapon-r has an intake system in whcih they take an intake and modify a box around it so ice or some cooling device can be used to cool down the air going into the intake

[gloryaccordy]

Ah I'm surprised I didn't see this after I put my CAI in...and promptly removed it!!!

In the summertime, a CAI is useless IMO. I installed mine in July and went on runs back to back w/h22sparkle...the CAI was quieter and gave much less throttle response. We promptly removed it and went back to the SRI, and the smile was back on my face.

However, with fall and winter coming up I'm considering going back to the CAI setup to see if the colder ambient temps will offset the loss in throttle response. With the H23 plenum my car is a rocket, but going the N/A route, every HP counts.

[owequitit]

Every dyno pull I have ever seen puts the CAI higher than the SR on total output.

The reason is simple. Cooler air=more power. You can figure about a 1% gain for every 3 degrees or so of temp drop.

As far as throttle response goes, if the tube is of the proper size, there will be no change in throttle response because the CAI will not be a flow restriction.

If the tube can flow more than the TB, there won't be a problem.

[gloryaccordy]

Every dyno pull I have ever seen puts the CAI higher than the SR on total output.

The reason is simple. Cooler air=more power. You can figure about a 1% gain for every 3 degrees or so of temp drop.

As far as throttle response goes, if the tube is of the proper size, there will be no change in throttle response because the CAI will not be a flow restriction.

If the tube can flow more than the TB, there won't be a problem.

Perhaps I was confusing sound with throttle response. In any case, subjectively the SRI felt a lot better, and when the temperatures went down, i.e. at night, the car was also noticeably faster. If I ever get to dyno my car I will test both to see what the deal is.

[aznboi5022]

preference is definantly the deciding factor in what people decide about the CAI, SRI debate. i myself will be going with the ebay piping so i can switch between CAI and SRI dependent on the season. and im not 100% positive but i was told there are 3 different types of bypass valves that all do the same thing in different ways. im not sure by i would guess the purpose of having 3 different types of bypass valves would mean having less loss of whatever gain the CAI would be getting. eitherway HP gain is minimal and eitherway CAI or SRI you still get a better than stock sound when hitting the gas

[HondaB18]

Perhaps I was confusing sound with throttle response. In any case, subjectively the SRI felt a lot better, and when the temperatures went down, i.e. at night, the car was also noticeably faster. If I ever get to dyno my car I will test both to see what the deal is.

butt dyno