I sold my DDM because decided only to have one intake on the car at a time! .. and JCW won.
I will let you know about the bottom part...

What is an air saw ?? ... or should i just try something much more attainable like ... scissors ...

 

Air saw= air hack saw. Makes cutting/trimming plastic a whole lot easier (especially for circles)

If you're cutting in straight lines, you can use a sabre saw. If you have to cut small circles, try using a hole saw.

I'm not sure how you're trying to cut but there's some ideas.

Mark

 

I took the bottom out yesterday and drilled 1 hole the size of a quarter, right on the bottom where there's that weird plastic circle marking anyway... This is right over the intake manifold, but it shouldn't be a problem though, temps not bad back there compared to up front.
Only drilled 1 because, I can't really "undrill" if it's too much, and so I wanted to be cautious. It's facing downward, which isn't my favorite direction, I'd rather have drilled it facing back towards the driver, BUT, the rear side of the bootom portion of the airbox is riddled with criss cross bracing so I figured the flattest widest surface to actually put a hole in was on the bottom...

The sound is up, mm, 20%. It's really not a lot at all, but I can tell a slight difference- esPECially in regards to whine/whistle. The wastegate is a little bit louder, but the whistling is more noticeable.
Again though, it's only a little bit louder, which is good for now
Definitely noticeable though! And since it's on the bottom, there's NO way anyone can see it ....

 

Just out of curiosity, and maybe it is insignificant, but, wont the intake be less efficient if it has holes in it? Since it was designed to have a closed box, shouldn't it stay that way?

I understand you dilemma though as I have the Alta open intake and I love the sound. I would hate to lose that. But my m7 brace is right in front of it and I assume it affects flow, although maybe not enough to worry about. I'm thinking when I get a tune and am running higher boost, a cooler, more consistent air flow may be more desirable...

Any thoughts?

 

I doubt the paper makes much difference in sound level. The reason the stock box is quiet is that it's sealed.

Bad idea to cut holes in the top of the box. You'd be bypassing your filter (at least on the factory JCW airbox)

 

Sorry if this is off topic... but..

Adam, what is the difference in sound/performance etc... from the foam JCW replacement and your cold air intake?

 

Thanks for the post. I really doubt that the brace really affects any HP. The turbo cars SUCK the air in. The casual flow through the hood scoop at low speeds (over 30-40 MPH the air is actually hitting the front going OVER the hood and hitting the windshield anyway) isn't going to increase HP. So placing the brace in front of part of the filter is a real non-issue. If you like what you have, just leave it alone!

The ALTA JCW Foam Filter replacement isn't going to make any difference in the sound (at least not enough that you can hear) it will however increase HP over the OEM filter, and is FAR less expensive to replace vs. the OEM when it comes times to replace. Once replaced with the ALTA, the ALTA will outlive the car if properly maintained.

The ALTA Cold-Air Intake R56 makes more HP, sound etc.

Hope that helps! Let me know if I can help in anyway further!

 

So what you're saying is, my hood scoop is in fact, pretty much worthless...

And I'm ASSuming the the m7 vortex scoop does almost nothing as well, and is basically just for looks.

Thanks for the reply, btw.

 

Almost.... the scoop is there just to let cooler air in and the flow across the engine will keep things a bit cooler... but that's it. It's definitely not there for any "ram" effect.
The M7 intake is doing the same thing. It's taking all of it's air from outside. There is NO benefit of force feeding air into a fuel injected setup. The cooler air helps but if the outside air temps are hot, the benefits are neglible.

I think the biggest help is the M7 heatshield. It doesn't stop hot air from entering the CAI but it slows it down and allows some of the cooler air from the scoop to flow unmolested from the scoop to the CAI.



Mark

 

all i can say is, if this is the stage 1 JCW intake... drill away... but if it's the JCW FACTORY intake... please PLEASE DON"T! for the sake of your engine and all things holy! only point that drilling that would be ok for engine and turbo longevity, is if you got ALTA's JCW foam filter... but if you're running a JCW StageII intake, then no, because air in that goes through a panel filter, like the stock R56 one, drilling a hole in the top completely BYPASSES the filter, letting BS galore getting sucked into your turbo! and little dirt and stuff is not good for anything inside your engine system. if it's JCW StageI then go for it... they have that cone filter thing goin on there, so no damage can be done...

 

Thanks for the reply. It sounds like from what Adam is saying here, that no air flows into the scoop over 30-40 mph anyway. I know it isn't for a ram effect, but, I at least though that air was going in and helping.

What can I do? I can't tell people my hood scoop really is just for looks.

 

i have to disagree about the vortex scoop doing nothing... at first it was basically useless because there was a small lip right inside, but i trimmed that lip away and with a bigger opening for air to travel into the DDMWorks Race intake i have, i have to believe that the bigger inside opening, along with the M7 Vortex scoop, that there HAS to be, just by design , more air going into the scoop than normal.

not to mention, Alta has proven and most intake manufacturers have proven, that unblocking the intake will help... it's not opening your hood and throwing a fan on the engine, but with the more aggressive scoop i have to believe that there is SOME benefit to a higher profile scoop. not to mention although the new R56 is turbo and not TMIC Supercharged, the design concept is still the same between the R56 and R53, and if the R53 could make due with a TMIC and hood scoop, i'm sure the R56 will have the same basic idea running for it's scoop (cosmetic by design or not)

 

We have definitely noticed HP gains with our airbox AND opening up the scoop as well. Even with the stock or JCW intake it's probably a good idea to open up the stock scoop....even if its just to cool off the underhood temps!

 

I completely agree... there is more air going into the system BUT it doesn't matter. Fuel injection will take in the cfm of air it needs regardless how much you are shoving down it's throat.

Now, with more air coming in may allow more "cooler" air coming in which will help AND more air coming across the motor will help cool things down but in no way will FORCED air make the car run better.... not on a fuel injected car. Period.

Mark

 

Agreed on forced air part... This isn't some Honda wemre driving here

 

Speaking of.... have you noticed you've never heard a fart can sounding exhaust on a mini?? I wonder why that is.....

Mark