R50/53 Open or Closed CAI
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,517
Likes: 3
From: Washington. No, the other one.
Cause maybe a lot of this is purely conjecture? The engine acts as a big air pump, just like a fan or vacuum cleaner. It will draw air from the cowl vent regardless of the pressure difference or air flow. There has been several other folks that have done data tests on the air around the CAI and the inlet at the front at anything above a fairly slow speed does supply plenty of ambient air. Being able to draw additional ambient air from the cowl vent just aids in the cooling process. As long as you are moving you are not really subjecting the CAI to any heat soak, especially if you use some kind of thermal break between the engine cavity and the CAI box.
Engine's a pump: sucks air in one end, pumps heat out the other. 98% efficient. Pretty much gets all the air it needs. Air density, ah, that's a different horse.
Blew By U
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 290
Likes: 1
From: Atlanta
I have the Helix with the open top and rubber seal. I also have the M7 strut bar. I trimmed the rubber seal so that the strut bar would go right over the top and create a tight seal...works great! Check my gallery there is a picture of my setup.
I've been thinking about doing a DIY CAI (or maybe HAI) mod on my '03 MC. So just for the heck of it, I just went out and took the top off the stock air filter housing and drove around for a couple of minutes with the intake not connected to the filter. I just wanted to hear what it would be like if I did have an open filter CAI. Although it wasn't really dramatic, I still liked the lower throaty sound, so I have decided that I am definitely going to do it. Now I just have to figure out how.
And on that note I have a question ... has anyone just taken the top off the stock housing and hooked a cone filter to the intake hose and then stuck the filter down in the bottom part of the housing? If I did that and left the top off the housing, wouldn't I have a sort of combo CAI/HAI, and shouldn't that work fine? I know nothing about this kind of stuff, so I'm open to hearing what you all think.
And on that note I have a question ... has anyone just taken the top off the stock housing and hooked a cone filter to the intake hose and then stuck the filter down in the bottom part of the housing? If I did that and left the top off the housing, wouldn't I have a sort of combo CAI/HAI, and shouldn't that work fine? I know nothing about this kind of stuff, so I'm open to hearing what you all think.
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