The above pictured kit does connect right to the Throttle Body. While it certainly has advantages for drawing cold air from outside the engine compartment and even a ram air effect, it also has some disadvantages.

1. The tubing is metal. So the tubing will heat up qucikly and transmit a good deal of that heat to the air passing through it. Seeing as how plastic tubing (which insultates much better then metal) is allowing the temperature to rise by 20-50 degrees from radiant heat in the engine compartment, you can be assured the metal tubing will raise those temps much higher. Yes, the fact you draw air from ahead of the radiator will help, but it's still not going to be "cold" air because of the tubing, metal or plastic.

2. The second issue is an even bigger one. Water. Driving in a heavy rain storm is going to direct A LOT of water into the filter. Best case scenario, you need to remove, clean and re-oil your filter because the water will literally wash the oil off. The other major issue is possible engine damage. It would take a good deal of water but you could hydro lock your engine if someone passes you and creates one of those puddle tidal waves. I am sure you have been hit by one where it renders your wipers useless and the sound is super loud. Happens to me often when we get heavy rain.

I had a cold air induction on my 96' Impala SS and after having to replace two MAF sensors after driving in rainstorms, i took it out. Even in fairly minor storms i would check the filter and it would be soaked.

I personally would never use a ram air type system unless my truck was my weekend/cruiser vehicle or i lived somewhere where it does not rain often.

 

How hot do you think the air will get traveling through the intake? I don't think the air really has a lot of time to get hot. Maybe by a couple of degrees but air isn't radiant - it moves and rather quickly.

Rain, yes, that is a concern. I will see how I'll deal with that when I get the stuff in, but I do plan on putting some kind of "baffle" box or something to where the air isn't exactly direct into the intake. Defeats the ram air piece? Perhaps, but that's guaranteed cold air there. We'll see how it plays out.

 

It is an absolute proven fact that putting a large filter IN the engine compartwent will NOT give your engine cool air. In fact, it does the opposite. The name "Cold Air Induction" is complete BS. It should be called a "High flow induction" because that is all it's doing. It's common sense. Your engine compartment is filled with hot air from the engine and exhaust as well as all the air that was heated after passing through your radiator. The stock system directs a snorkel towards your fenderwell in the front corner to get it away from the heat and towards the fender where it draw cooler air in. If you take that air box out and then put a big filter where the air box was, it will now by drawing all heated air from the engine compartment.

I have a gauge that will monitor Inlet Air Temperature. I was able to test the air temps with the stock filter box and then with a K&N cone (borrowed from a freind for an afternoon). The factory airbox comes out with no tools or effort.

The temps were as follows on an 80 degree afternoon last month:

1. Stock airbox with MIT.

Idle for 5 minutes: About 40-50 degrees over ambient.
Highway at 75 MPH: 20 Degrees over ambient.

2. K&N Cone in stock airbox location on MIT.

Idle for 5 minutes: About 80-90 degrees over ambient.
Highway at 75 MPG: 25-30 degrees over ambient.

So again, you gain NOTHING in cold air by one of those filter systems. The only purpose they serve is to flow more air to the engine. Keep in mind, on a stock engine the stock air box and filter can deliver more air then the engine can use. Do not assume that adding a giant air filter and low restriction tube is going to give you some noticeable HP gain. Dyno tests show gains in the range of 3-5 HP at best IF your stock system was a restriction. That is not even enough for most people to feel. Your Throttle Body can only flow so many CFM's. Adding a larger one will then make your intake manifold and heads the limiting factor. Then headers, exhaust and so on.

If you have engine mods or plan on doing a bunch of them soon, then a new induction tube with a high flow filter will serve a purpose and will help a lot. But if the most you plan on doing is maybe a tune and an exhaust, save your money. Sure, you can build one for cheap, but again, you are not gaining anything. Some noise is about it. I added the MIT to my truck because i wanted to lose the Hemi Hat to make engine access easier. I saw absolutley NO power increase at all, nothing. I kept my stock air box and paper filter setup because it gives my clean air and cooler air.

It definitley will. The stock air box directs the inlet to the fenderwell where it will pick up less dirt/dust coming in through the grill. You just need to clean it more often. And keep in mind that a K&N filter will not filter more dirt then a paper filter. Do not fall into the trap that a K&N filter will give your engine cleaner air, it will not. They flow better then paper, no argument there. But they do NOT filter better.

 

See above, it's a LOT more then a few degrees. Makes no difference how short a time the air is in the tube, if the tube is hot, it works just like a heat exchanger. Look at an Air Conditioner in your house. The coil is less then 2" thick yet it cools the air dramatically. That tube is 4" in diamater and about 2 feet long total. Due the math on surface area.

Metal is the worst thing to use. Plastic is much better. Thermo-tec makes an insulation kit for inlet tubes but it's not very thick. I have the kit and ill be adding it soon and see what numbers it gives me.

If you do put a baffle, then yes, you are defeating the ram air principle. If the whole purpose is getting cold air, then just do what i did, get it from the fenderwell. The chance of a wave of water hitting your filter is slim to none and the air is just as cool. Right where the stock snorkel is, run a tube to the fenderwell, then close off the back so it can only draw air from the fender. I used sheet aluminum and thermo-tec.

 

Screw it, I'm just going to put in a bunch of ice in my air box ... be just like NAWWWSS.

 

They make Cryo coolers to drop your intake air temps. They make a version that can be installed in an intake tube, seen here:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/DEI-080110/

Not pricey, but you still need a Co2 bottle and hose and either solenoids or a valve. So the price will rise pretty quick. I however don't know what this would do to your engine. Not sure how the ECM will like seeing a 50-100 temperature drop in a few seconds.

 

no kidding .. lol ... that's actually pretty cool.

 

Yeah, it is a cool idea. But mainly geared towards drag racing where you need that temperature drop for a short amount of time. You would need a pretty massive amount of Co2 on board to drive around with that thing always on.

They also make Co2 fuel coolers and spray bars for your intercooler. Keeping intake charges cool is a big thing.

 

Yeah, I still can't get past the fact that air moves and how that little bulb can cool the air by up to 50*F .. but hey, no .. neat idea, but seems a bit much. Be pretty cool to have a CO2 gauge, too ... be like a plutonium gauge when it runs low have it make that sound like in back to the future ... lol ... man, now I'm thinking about it ...

 

ooo, I got it ... run an air duct from the A/C to the intake! booya!!!