I'm sure there are numerous topics on this, but I am going to post my own, based on my experiences. Both intakes in this comparsion are generics with K&N filters. Hopefully this will be helpful to people debating on weather to get short ram or cold air.

Cold Air Intake:
I ran with one of these for a little over a year. I had nothing to compare it to so I wasn't sure how good it was. It helped a lot top end, but seemed to hurt bottom end. It made a really cool whistling noise, that lots of people thought was a BOV sometimes. My filter on this intake got rusty from getting water on it. It never hydro-locked, but it was scary sometimes when it rained.

Short Ram:
I've had this intake on for 1 day. It pulls much better than I thought it would on the bottom end, but top end it kind of dies, but not bad. Overall, it made my car louder, VTEC-E (don't hate the E) hit harder than it did with the CAI and it seems like my car is faster...or maybe it's just the added torque down low that's giving me the mental perception that my car is faster.

What I prefer:
Short Ram wins. I like the loudness and the bottom end power over the Cold Air plus you don't have to worry about hydro-locking.

 

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

What I prefer:
Short Ram wins. I like the loudness and the bottom end power over the Cold Air plus you don't have to worry about hydro-locking.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Right on bro here we have rain, snow so I went with short ram type!!

 

I have to disagree, I think the CAI is better as far as performance goes. It's just not worth the worry for some people.

 

i think the cold air is better. i've used both on my car and it seems like the short ram has better low end...but not as much top end as the cold air. i can notice a big difference when its really cold outside.

 

Go short RAM if you plan to supercharger

 

A good article on this topic:
http://www.tprmag.com/issue/1/1_intakes.shtml

 

I would think that the short ram intake would perform better at a higher RPM because of the less distance air has to travel to the cylinders.

I would go short ram too because last week two of my friends hyro-locked with their AEM(brand doesn't matter) Cold Air Intakes. You can get a bypass valve which not only costs extra money, but also robs horsepower.

I would go with a Comptech design(short ram with cold air extension air box).

 

i am agreeing with you on the short ram. the 1-2 hp gain isnt worth the possibility of hydrolocking the engine.

 

thats why you buy the ice box setup, and the short ram doesn't perform overall better any were in the power band search for spade he just made a post about this.

 

Cold vs Hot, which is better for the motor. Deff Cold.

 

CAI intake is illegal up north.... something to do with not recycling the air or something like that .... anyways i would still go with a CAI, and whatever happened to having Air Bypass ?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ej1civic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have to disagree, I think the CAI is better as far as performance goes. It's just not worth the worry for some people.</TD></TR></TABLE>



cold air intake without a bypass valve will pull harder throughout the entire powerband than a short ram intake.


but just be careful in the rain

 

Did you clean your filter when you switched from CAI to RAM? That might be the source on more HP. When I went from RAM to CAI, I gained a lot on the bottom end. The top end seemed to be about the same. As for driving in the rain....yeh I get a little nervous...but no problems yet

 

The CAI is better, but the rain is a problem. If it rains where I am, I simply unbolt my CAI at the middle (its a two peice tube) push the lower pipe out of the way and secure it with a bungie cord, and put a filter on the end of the primary pipe. That way it becomes a short ram, and I don't have to worry about rain. Of course, the power loss in doing so is quite noticable, proving that CAI are better!!!

 

hey chris what's up?? i am glad you like the trade we did with the intake thing.....that cold air helped my top end like mad,......and my VTEC screams even more now...thanks a lot again!!

 

I would prefer the cold air intake but since where I live we have some shitty weather I am going to stick with the short arm intake.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 1990hondaHF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Did you clean your filter when you switched from CAI to RAM? That might be the source on more HP. When I went from RAM to CAI, I gained a lot on the bottom end. The top end seemed to be about the same. As for driving in the rain....yeh I get a little nervous...but no problems yet </TD></TR></TABLE>

The filter on the Short Ram seemed a little newer than the one than I had on the CAI. It moonsoons here (flash floods) and if you're caught driving in one of those it's just freakin scary. It seemed to me that the Short Ram just "moved" the power that the CAI was making from the top of the RPM band to the bottom, which I like a lot. I figure it's going to help a little for my autocrosses.

 

short ram on my car lot

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SickBastard &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would prefer the cold air intake but since where I live we have some shitty weather I am going to stick with the short arm intake.</TD></TR></TABLE>


AIR BYPASS VAVLE.... thats the answer to ur probelm

 

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


AIR BYPASS VAVLE.... thats the answer to ur probelm </TD></TR></TABLE>

they don't work and they break.....that answers your answer

 

ummmm..... NO my friend has had one for 2 years in CANADA and no problems what so ever.... and u live in Arizona so whats the beef?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Navid OG &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ummmm..... NO my friend has had one for 2 years in CANADA and no problems what so ever.... and u live in Arizona so whats the beef?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It Floods here, what's your beef?

 

its rains like a bitch here too, and it snows like a **** as-well..... i hope ur not comparing the weather of Canada and Arizona in a way that its harsher over there.

 

and i dont think u guys know what a air bypass valve is and what it does....




AEM’s patented air bypass valve virtually eliminates the chance of hydro-lock in the event the filter of your AEM Cold Air induction system becomes submerged in water. The valve installs along the upper portion of the inlet pipe and shuts down induction at the filter when it becomes submerged, rerouting air through its external diaphragm to keep water out and air flowing in.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Navid OG &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">its rains like a bitch here too, and it snows like a **** as-well..... i hope ur not comparing the weather of Canada and Arizona in a way that its harsher over there.


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

No not at all. Lots of people think it never rains here. It does't rain much, but when it does rain, it floods like a ****, and it comes QUICK.