| Biggest selection of Air
Intake Systems for foreign and domestic cars, trucks, and SUV's. Search from
the top brand names. We carry parts for the following car makers:
Acura, Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Audi, BMW, Ford, Ferrari, Jaguar, Buick, Cadillac,
Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroen, Daewoo, Dodge. Ford, General Motors, GM,
Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Kia, Lancia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lotus, Mazda,
Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Pontiac,
Porsche, Saab, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo. |
A cold air intake is a device
used to bring lower temperature air into a car's internal-combustion engine,
to increase engine power and efficiency.
Standard air intake systems tend to be very restrictive, in order to
eliminate engine noise. Aftermarket cold air intake systems come in many
different colors and sizes, and are easy to install when compared with other
performance-increasing modifications. All cold air intakes operate on the
principle of increasing the amount of oxygen available for combustion with
fuel. Because cooler air has a higher density (greater mass per unit
volume), cold air intakes generally work by introducing cooler air from
outside the hot engine bay. However, the term "cold air intake" is often
used to describe other methods of increasing oxygen to an engine, which may
even increase the temperature of the air coming into an engine.
Some strategies used in designing cold-air intakes are:
increasing the diameter of the air intake, allowing increased airflow.
smoothing the interior of the intake to reduce air resistance.
providing a more direct route to the air intake.
tuning the length of the intake to provide maximum airflow at certain engine
speeds (RPM).
using a more efficient, less restricting air filter.
Disadvantages
hydrolock - The intake is lower, and more likely to introduce water into the
engine when fording streams or flooded roads. Hydrolock generally does not
occur unless the filter is fully submerged in water."Bypass filters" can be
purchased which prevent any water of any kind from entering the engine. Some
people use hydro shields to prevent this from occurring.
Application
Intake systems come in many different styles and can be constructed from
plastic, metal, rubber (silicone) or composite materials (fiberglass, carbon
fiber or Kevlar). The most efficient intake systems utilize an airbox which
is sized to complement the engine and will extend the powerband of the
engine. The intake snorkel (opening for the intake air to enter the system)
must be large enough to ensure sufficient air is available to the engine
under all conditions from idle to full throttle. Under some conditions
intake system efficiency can be lost if the intake opening for the airbox is
too large.
The most basic cold air intake replaces the stock airbox with a short metal
or plastic tube leading to a conical air filter, called a short ram air
intake. The power gained by this method can vary depending on how
restrictive the factory airbox is. The placement of the filter is usually
directly in the engine compartment. The overall benefits depend on the
specific application. Power may be lost at certain engine speeds, and gained
at others. Because of the increased airflow and reduced covering, intake
noise is usually increased. This effect is usually amplified on applications
where a resonator, a part intended to reduce intake noise on some vehicles,
is replaced by the intake.
Well designed intakes use heat shields to isolate the air filter from the
rest of the engine compartment, providing cooler air from the front or side
of the engine bay. Some systems called "fender mount" move the filter into
the fender wall, this system draws air up through the fender wall from below
the car, which provides even more isolation and still cooler air. Carbon
fiber can be used for the piping instead of metal, reducing weight and
insulating the air from the engine bay in some cases. Carbon fiber and other
advanced composites (such as Kevlar) are expensive, and can be more
aesthetic rather than functional.
Air bypass valves are gaining popularity in cold air intake manufacturing.
An air bypass valve is a filtered spacer that is positioned more into the
engine bay, between two connected pieces of the cold air intake assembly.
This prevents hydro-locking by providing an alternate route for air to come
in, thus eliminating the vacuum that causes water to be sucked in from a
puddle. Foam filters are a simple piece of foam that is air permeable, and
most have no valve. It is argued that this reduces power, but in actuality
it provides more surface area for air to enter the engine when the driver
accelerates. When driving at moderate speeds, the suction caused by the
engine is not enough to activate the air bypass valve. Cloth filter bypass
valves only allow air in if the valve is sucked open as result of the vacuum
pressure caused by a blocked filter at the bottom of the intake. |
