I read through the chains of emails, pics, instructions, etc... and was wondering if anyone has given thought to or if anyone has kept the OEM intake and tube that goes from the intake to the air cleaner box, then just remove the box and add a PVC pipe at that point with cone air filter? That seems much simpler than fabricating the whole PVC and having to deal with the IAC sensor. Seems to be a simple wat to add a CAI and keep the stock look. May make a Home Depot run to get an elbow and straight PVC and buy an air cleaner..... Thoughts?

 

If you don't remove the "Hemi Hat" then you are defeating the purpose. That big plastic baffle right in front of the TB is the bottleneck here...

 

Next question, I have been looking at all different types of air intakes as well as going to HomeDepot to fabricate my own. My question is, how is a $139 Spectre CAI different from a $300 K&N? To me they all accomplish the same thing, the layout of where the tube runs and the cone air cleaner is the same, so why the difference in price? If no difference, I'll go with the Spectre (or build my own). Mopar sytem with blue air filter $450????? Whats up with that?

 

The Spectre and eBay units are cheap, the bracket on the filter end usually breaks off not long after installing it. The Spectre filters don't filter as good as they should either loowing too much dirt into the engine.
I prefer the black plastic ones myself. Airaid is well built. I just use the Airiaid MIT pipe from the throttlebody to the stock filter box with a K&N drop-in filter.

 

I've built probably about 15 or so by now. I use PVC and so far have used nothing but K&N filters. My local auto parts store carries the Spectre's and the K&N's and a little test I did with my air compressor didn't impress me at all with what I was able to blow through the Spectre filter. Although there are now a few dry (non-oiled) filters out there that show as good of flow and filtration as the better oil types, without the maintenance.

The Mopar unit is a re-branded AEM at double the price for the blue "Mopar" sticker instead of having an AEM sticker on it.

As for the cheaper ebay ones, some I've seen are ok, but the most popular one I've seen (and it's the same used for the Spectre one) has a crappy weld and bracket system and ALWAYS snaps off from road vibration at some point.

There was a thread no more than a couple of weeks ago where I posted pics of one that a member here bought off ebay and within three months I had to repair the weld at the bracket end only to have the weld at the tube end break a month or so later. Ended up building him one out of PVC...

 

Get yourself a K&N cone filter @ Napa, 20 bucks worth of PVC @ home depot and build your own. Home made works just great. IAC solution is a little hi temp silicone around edge of sensor and inserted thru a carefully sized drilled hole in the pvc. My whole CAI cost me about 60 bucks and has made a BIG difference in my ride

 

Hey there all and Hammer I bought one of those EBay cheapo CAI's with a K&N filter back in 06. I saw that there was going to be problem with the tubing just hanging off of the Throttle body, so I added a bent up piece of 2 x ¼ aluminum stock for support and bolted it into the “Hat” bracket. I just used a large hose clamp to hold it to the tube.

Just wondering if the PVC is better than the chromed tubing that they use on the EBay CAIs?


Hey Hammer do you have any plans your willing to post on you homemade CAI?? Or what are you selling them for? I just bought a Superchips Flaspak so I was thinking g of a new CAI too.

 

I don't really "sell" them per say, I think all but two I've built were built on the truck, usually here in my driveway or up at my farmland, in the shade of the barn. For the most part I just go with the guys to show them what they need to get and I get an ice cold case of beer out of it. But I've given up beer and recently lost 54 lbs., so I guess I'm gonna have to come up with alternate payment, LOL.

I really need to write down the measurements for the different engines so I can pre-make a few. Problem comes with the bracket to hold it in place by not having the truck on hand. I'll kinda just hold up a piece of aluminum flat stock and bend it as I go for proper fitment.

As far as the PVC being better than a chrome tube, I actually have a store bought $300 K&N with chrome tube (I bought it in '04, long before I tried to make one) and although many claim the metal holds more heat, according to the IAC reading, I only see a couple degree difference between mine and any I've made from PVC. PVC for sure is at least as cool if not a tad cooler, so there really is NO reason to spend $300 or even $100 on a store-bought when you can make yourself one for around $60 including K&N filter....

 

Got a steal on an Airaid Jr Kit and installed it on my 2005 Hemi motor. The Jr. kit comes with the tube, rubber and clamps to attach to the throttle body and OEM airbox with a drop in high flow air filter. I can't seem to tell much of a difference in sound or performance, was wondering if I take out the OEM airbox and went to a cone shaped filter (and accessory Airaid box around the cone) if that will make much of a difference in sound or power, or if I just leave it as is?

 

i have a spectre CAI and i haven't had any of the issues people said on here the mounting bracket they gave me is much better than the stock plastic one, had it over a year now with no issues. if your worried about more dirt getting into the motor just buy the K&N filter to go on it, still much cheaper than the K&N kit. As far as sound i have the aluminum tube that connects to the TB, because i heard they deliver more sound. it woke my motor up it sounds like a monster truck at WOT and i definately feel alot more response in my pedal. just my 2cents.