Short Ram Air Intake ?

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Ndx

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Hi Guys,

I Got short Air Intake for my Mazda 3 ( yes I know its not a sport car )

Got some wicked deal .. With new filter / it was as expensive as new paper filter at the dealer ..

Any bad sides ?
I checked temperature of the Air with Scan Gauge ,.... and its lower then stock filter so heat from engine is not a problem .. :)

I wonder If I can use one of the Amsoil CAI filter on my Short Ram Intake
 
If it is a 2 3/4" pipe, there is not an Amsoil EaUA available. What you should do, though, is get an AEM Dryflow filter for the intake. It is every bit as good as an Amsoil filter, probably better in a few categories. It is a washable, non-oiled filter that will last a really long time.
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
How is it getting cooler air than stock??


Yeah someone else stated this with a short ram on an Altima on another forum. I don't understand how this could be...
 
Originally Posted By: ctc
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
How is it getting cooler air than stock??


Yeah someone else stated this with a short ram on an Altima on another forum. I don't understand how this could be...


My mazda 6i gets cooler air intake temps with my SRI than it did with stock. Fresh air gets to the sensor quicker would be my theory. Then again, the SRI produces more gains than a CAI on my car, too. There are probably some cars where that doesn't hold true.
 
Yeah but to further confuse me, the stock Altima intake gets air from the grille area. The person measured at speed and got colder air with the short ram. Totally illogical result to me...
 
Originally Posted By: ctc
Yeah but to further confuse me, the stock Altima intake gets air from the grille area. The person measured at speed and got colder air with the short ram. Totally illogical result to me...


If the SRI has a shorter length than the stock, then the path is shorter which leaves less time for the air to absorb heat. The materials that make up an intake, stock or SRI CAI whatever, will be warmer than the fresh air due to engine heat. The longer the air travels within these materials, the more heat the air will absorb from convection. The shortest path you can provide from outside to the inside of the throttle body can theoretically provide the coolest temperatures.

There are a ton of variables of course, but that is how it is possible.
 
But thats a moot point if you're talking about pre-warmed engine bay air versus cool air from the grille or fender well.
 
The one bad side is noise under WOT acceleration. Some can get pretty noisy.

The air temperature will vary based on speed and outside air temperature. My Buick collects air from behind the driver's side headlight with the stock intake box, and runs 10* F over ambient on the highway. City it's much higher due to heatsoak.
 
Originally Posted By: Dyoel182
But thats a moot point if you're talking about pre-warmed engine bay air versus cool air from the grille or fender well.


Only if you make bad assumptions. The engine bay air only warms up if it sits there. Since the intake is removing air from the engine bay, fresh air is constantly coming into the engine bay. Depending on the intake rates vs size of engine bay vs path of least resistance, assuming air from the engine bay "has to be much warmer" is just flat out wrong. It will vary based on application.

Air will pick up more heat from a heated intake housing than it will from warm air it passes by on the way to the intake. That is pure physics.
 
Sounds logical to me. Thanks.

I would assume if you insulated the stock intake snorkel it would provide cooler air than a SRI.
 
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Only if you make bad assumptions. The engine bay air only warms up if it sits there. Since the intake is removing air from the engine bay, fresh air is constantly coming into the engine bay. Depending on the intake rates vs size of engine bay vs path of least resistance, assuming air from the engine bay "has to be much warmer" is just flat out wrong. It will vary based on application.


You're right I think it will vary by application but your engine still gets got regardless of moving or not and the "fresh" air just came through a hot radiator into a hot engine bay. Compare that to cooler air coming from a fender or intake and into a warm housing and boot and it seems the lesser of two evils.
 
Wait did you just say you oiled your dry filter or the cosmo filter?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Dyoel182
Wait did you just say you oiled your dry filter or the cosmo filter?


Oiled the Cosmo filter per their instructions........................Not the Dryflow!
 
The length and diameter of the intake needs to be tuned to the engine rpms and displacement, but has, at best, no more than half the room for improvement compared to exhaust tuning. An intake that is too short and too big will hurt low and mid range power. It usually won't make much different, but at best won't make much improvement, either. As said, the downsides are noise, maybe heat, maybe poor filtration options.
 
Originally Posted By: Ken2
The length and diameter of the intake needs to be tuned to the engine rpms and displacement, but has, at best, no more than half the room for improvement compared to exhaust tuning. An intake that is too short and too big will hurt low and mid range power. It usually won't make much different, but at best won't make much improvement, either. As said, the downsides are noise, maybe heat, maybe poor filtration options.


Not really. Mods before the throttlebody don't really effect intake tract tuning. You may show more gains in the upper rpm regions only for the fact that airflow demand is at it's greatest in that area.
 
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