The other day after driving around for a bit, I checked my engine just for the hell of it. I touched the piping on my intake and felt that is was pretty warm even hot. I thought that these AEM CAIs are made so that the metal doesn't warm up and the air that passes through stays cold. Problem?

Thanks

 

I think the reason why they call them CAI is because it goes all the way down so that real cold air goes through when driving.
but its normal to get warm. you can also wrap one of those thermal wraps.

 

thanks...but wouldn't the air in the intake get as warm as the actual piping? just wondering

 

depends on if it is coated AEM's are but most others are not get a thermo rap if realy worried

 

CAI doesnt mean it really "cold". it just cooler than stock.

 

If I hook up a system to deposit ice cubes into my intake will that make it faster?

 

It depends on the ambient temperature of the air. After the 5-hour drive from Las Vegas to San Diego at night, my Iceman wasn't even warm. However, in a hot sunny day, it'll be very warm to the touch. It doesn't matter...the air isn't even in there long enough to be significantly heated...it's like putting a blowtorch to a metal pipe with cold water running through it...you think the water will be noticeably heated up? The answer is no...

 

The pipe gets hot because the heat is transfering from the intake manifold. At WOT the air doesn't sit in the intake long enough to heat it up so their are no worries

 

Thats heat soak when everything under the engine bay gets warm/hot. Thats pretty normal. In the winter, the piping will probably be pretty cold if its cold outside. What also helps to reduce the heat is thermal wrap, bypass the coolant lines to the throttle body, and hondata intake manifold gasket. I noticed it took about 20 minutes to cool off my friends manifold with ice, where it took about 5 on mine with the gasket. There is a difference.