Was just wondering has anyone here made their own custom cold air box say out of like aluminium sheets or anything? Ive seen a few where people had modified their stock intake box by adding a pipe that takes in air from the front bumper but none using a new custom box

I plan on making a prototype out of some cardboard then using some sheet metal to make it out of. This is for my dc2 by the way and it didnt happen to come with an ABS unit. If I was to make a box that covered the area where my filter is situated (SRI) all the way to the side of the car where the ABS unit would be situated would that be ok? In other words would a box too big cause a downgrade in performace? Or should I just stick to a box that is just big enough for the filter?

Either way it would be nice to see some photos of what others have done

 

The box just provides a method for getting cool air through a flat filter. Might as well just install a CAI.

 

Problem with a CAI is that chances of hydrolocking is pretty high. Wouldnt making a box allow u to suck in cool air from the front of the bumper and keep the filter from heat soaking and out of the hot air in the engine bay?

 

Here's a mockup of an airbox that I plan to use with my new turbo setup. Air will be ducted to the box from the front bumper. I am still debating on which filter setup to use. The very thin sheet aluminum was crap that was wasting space in my work area. This pop-riveted mockup will be getting replaced soon.

 

Hey your set up looks pretty good Dee. I plan on doing the same thing but for my intake and it would probably be bigger a bit.

On a side note isnt your set up kinda pointless since your turbo'ed though? I mean even if you do suck in nice clean cold air its going straight into your turbo anyways and thats like really hot?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Problem with a CAI is that chances of hydrolocking is pretty high. </TD></TR></TABLE>
I have yet to see hydrolocking due to a cold air intake.... I have seen hydrolocking on a mazda with the stock airbox.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Flashmn &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I have yet to see hydrolocking due to a cold air intake.... I have seen hydrolocking on a mazda with the stock airbox.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I have a friend with a 95 integra with cold air intake hydrolock, I wasn't there when it happens but I saw the aftermath, it wasn't pretty at all.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Sifu &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Problem with a CAI is that chances of hydrolocking is pretty high</TD></TR></TABLE>

You would have to suck up a lot of water and I do mean a lot, and if you are that stupid to drive in a big puddle with a cold air intake, then you should not have one to began with.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Flashmn &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I have yet to see hydrolocking due to a cold air intake.... I have seen hydrolocking on a mazda with the stock airbox.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I've seen it happen, but the kid drove in a puddle that went over his head.

 

I understand the to actually hydrolock your car it takes an enormous amount of water but it still feels good to know that you can eliminate that chance with a cold air box setup.

More pics will be greatly appreciated

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Here's a mockup of an airbox that I plan to use with my new turbo setup. Air will be ducted to the box from the front bumper. I am still debating on which filter setup to use. The very thin sheet aluminum was crap that was wasting space in my work area. This pop-riveted mockup will be getting replaced soon.


</TD></TR></TABLE>


how beneficial is (to certain degree) is getting the air cold as possible being that your FI. doesnt the IC cool it enough since the cold air is just being reheated by the turbo?

 

Which is better:

Hot air entering the turbo?
Cool air entering the turbo?

My old car performed better in the lowrange and midrange when I move the filter from the turbo inlet to the stock location without a box. The Hondata datalogs showed an air temp difference of 5~8* Celsius with my old setup so I am sure I can get at least a 10* drop in temps with my ghetto airbox.

I'm just trying to block as much enginebay heat as possible.

 

I always thought it was the opposite with a turbo setup??

Doesnt the turbo spool faster with hot air or something?

 

The opposite actually. Raising the temperature of air also raises the Cp/Cq ratio, which in effect means it will take more work to provide the same pressure ratio as before. In any case the effect is small. What you are really after is less enthalpy in the inlet, and since enthalpy rise is a function of pressure rise, you end up with cooler air at the outlet of the compressor when the inlet temperature is lower, as you would expect.

The term "intercooler" actually refers to a heat exchanger between two or more series compressors. See, by reducing the temperature after a single compression and before the second compression, the overall work is reduced for the entire compression. An "ideal" adiabatic compressor would actually be one that compresses slowly enough that no temperature rise occured at all. But enough thermodynamics bull.

If you are worried about hydrolock, why not get one of those AEM bypass valves? They have to be less expensive than building this air box thingy.

 

Im not really too concerned about the cost to make one because I essentially have all the materials and tools already from a previous non-car related project. Question though is should I make the box as big as I can or should I keep it small enough so that it just fits over the filter??

 

i fabbed one out of titanium i had laying around...never put it on though...i made a mock out of stainless and it heated up way to much so i used the titanium .020 just never had the urge to put it on yet though.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you are worried about hydrolock, why not get one of those AEM bypass valves? They have to be less expensive than building this air box thingy.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I consider the AEM bypass valve to be just a complete placebo-effect scam. I seriously dont think that it would work in a real life scenario, sure sport compact car or was it super street tested it. But if you did take a look at the intake pipe they put on the NSX, it was like 6 feet long, longer than any intake I've seen.
Another thing is, that when you drive on the road, your cars engine is doing alot more work than on dyno rollers, meaning theres more suction going on there too (notice how fast your car revs on neutral, vs as your car revs while driving around).

Just my 0.02cents, just make the intake and forget using an AEM bypassvalve, its a waste for your money.

 

You don't understand fluid dynamics, then.

The fact is an engine can generate enough vacuum to suck water over the rail of a 2-story building. But water is a lot heavier than air so if the bypass valve opens just a bit the vacuum will be broken.

I do think it is a bit of a scam, simply because you would have to completely submerge your filter in water to hydrolock the car. But I guess during the monsoon it might be possible.

 

i blew my headgasket running a cai without a fenderliner in slushey weather i wouldidnt say dont run one but make sure it is well protected and watter and snow cant hit it from the tire

 

beepy- I hate to say it but you are completely wrong about enthalpy, lets assume ideal gas because we are talking about air in a normal temp range, then the relative enthalpy equation becomes h1-h2=Cp(T1-T2) not a function of pressure only temp.

Also I am almost positive the water will boil from the drop in pressure before it reaches your engine at the top of a two story building, it would be down to aprox 5psi of ablsolute pressure (Patm is about 14.7psi at sea level) and I am pretty sure it will boil at room temp like that. (oh yeah and I am assuming 1 story is about 10ft, seems fair)

So it seems you really dont understand Fluid and Thermo Dynamics

 

i dont know what the hell you ^ were trying to prove... it was a simple example, why would you ACTUALLY want to suck water up 2 storys? and who cares if it would boil on the way down?

anyways, yeah a engine can create alot of vacuum, i mean, it hits 25 in.hg at IDLE.

ohh, and the whole argument about your engine on a dyno not sucking as much air as on the street... bullshit, your engine is still making the same power on the dyno, its still at WOT, its still at the same RPM, so its still sucking the same amount of air.

and yea... if your stupid enough to run a CAI and drive through floods, you deserve hydrolock

with CAI's i worry more about cstay's situation... even with splash gaurds the area behind your bumper gets allot of crap thrown into it, slush, sand, mud, etc... and most people dont run very good filters.


anyways, i used to wonder why people argue so much here... now i know why, people say stupid **** and always assume they are ******* physicists

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Sifu &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Im not really too concerned about the cost to make one because I essentially have all the materials and tools already from a previous non-car related project. Question though is should I make the box as big as I can or should I keep it small enough so that it just fits over the filter??</TD></TR></TABLE>

what type of filter will you be using?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BolivianDc2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

what type of filter will you be using?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Im not too sure yet, right now Im just using a Top Fuel carbon fibre intake and whatever filter that came with it. Would there be that much of a difference on what filter I use?

 

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1094119 cheers

 

I've always wanted to stuff my CAI in the left fender, allowing the aftermarket fender fins to draw in air. Im not sure if this increases the chance of hydrolock?

 

Hey dreamcatcher....You might increase the risk of hydrolock,but then again Im not too sure as to how much water would really actually splash up into that area of the fender..


..adam..