Different Types of Intakes
By Ryan Smith
As you know in today’s world of aftermarket parts for you vehicle, there is always a wide variety to choose from. With the boom of parts being made cheaper overseas it seems that even the least popular cars to fix up have a good variety of parts to choose from.
The first and most common performance modification that most people do to their cars is an intake. An intake system is usually an item that replaces the factory stock airbox and replaces it with some type of other system that allows more air into the engine.
You can think of an engine as an air pump. It sucks in air on one side and expels air on the other. If it can flow more air it can make more horsepower (in most cases). Cold air brought into the engine is more dense and fires better in your engine. This allows for more horsepower gains too. Drawing in warm or hot air into your engine can give you less horsepower.
Stock Air Box
Stock Air Box
This article will go into detail about the many different types of intakes on the market that you may choose from. Each intake system works differently and depending on what type of application your looking for, and your budget.
Stock air box installed in a Honda Prelude. The picture on the right shows stock air box removed.
Stock Air Box.
With fuel injected vehicles you usually can’t even see it. It’s usually enclosed plastic. The vehicle designers usually make the stock air box draw cold air from outside the vehicle usually from the fender well. The air flow is restricted for emission purposes.
Advantages
Helps keeps the engine quiet.
Vehicle is usually optimized for best gas mileage.
Air filter is affordable and usually very easy to replace.
Helps keep the environment cleaner.
Disadvantages
Robs vehicle of untapped horsepower
Does not look good.
Paper Air Filter
Paper Air Filters
Pretty much all cars come from the factory with a paper air filter inside its stock air box. It’s just the traditional filter used in today’s market for stock vehicles.
Foam Filter
Foam Filters
Foam filters are made of very porous foam. Foam filters usually allow the most air to flow into the engine.
Advantages
Very high air flow
Disadvantages
More noisy than paper filters
Might not filter as well as paper systems do.
K&N Replacement Filters
K&N Drop in replacement filters.
Most places that sell OEM replacement parts will usually carry these. They are not intake systems but actual stock air filter replacement elements that flow a little better then the factory OEM replacement. When we say OEM we mean Original Equipment Manufactuers. (Stock replacement parts).
Paper Cone Filter
Paper Cone Filters
Paper cone filters are made of porous paper that allows air to filter through but tries to collect dirt and debris from passing through the paper.
Short Ram Intake
Short Ram Intake System
A short ram intake system replaces your factory air box with an intake system usually consisting of a metal pipe connected to a filter. This system usually stays on top of the engine.
Advantages:
Cost efficient to the consumer.
Very easy to install. Can be installed in under 20 minutes in most cases.
Easy to replace filter as needed.
Disadvantages:
Can draw warm air from the engine bay into the engine.
Can be noisy.
Cold Air Intake
Cold Air Intake System
The cold air intake system replaces the stock air box with an intake system that uses a longer pipe than the short ram. This pipe usually goes down under the engine and allows the filter to draw cold air from outside the vehicle.
Advantages:
Colder air brought into the engine creates more horsepower. Gives more power over the short ram intake system.
Disadvantages:
Costly to consumer
Harder Installation. Sometimes requires that wheels be removed and fender linings be cut during install.
Installation can take hours
Not very easy to replace filter
Water can be sucked into the intake and destroy your engine.
Can be noisy.
Air Flow Meter Adaptor
Air Flow Meter Adaptor
Air Flow Meter Adaptor
An air flow meter adaptor kit is an intake kit with no piping. It allows the filter to be directly bolted up to the engine using an adaptor plate.
Advantages:
Easy Installation
Allows many types of vehicles that don’t have intake applications a way for a custom intake to be added to the engine.
Disadvantages:
Draws hot air into the engine
Can be noisy
Legal Issues
Adding an intake system to your vehicle may make it illegal for road use. Because you are altering the engines emissions system the government wants to make sure that it does not create more pollutants than it should. California has the strictest laws pertaining to this so the better manufacturers will get a CARB # for the intake system. CARB means California Air Resource Board. Once an intake has been approved by CARB the intake system will require a sticker to be placed on a visible location on the intake system. It will have some numbers on the sticker called an “Executive Order Number”. This can be shown to smog technicians or police or CHP / State Troopers. Since California has the strictest emissions policy the intake will then be 50 state legal.
This is the Air Resource Lookup webpage for aftermarket parts:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/devices/amquery.php
Why Spend $200 vs. $40 for an intake?
Here is the reason why. The $200 intake system was probably designed and created by the company selling it. This means they Dyno tested different lengths and designs to try to gain the most horsepower for each vehicle. They then applied for a CARB number for this intake. When ordering your intake make sure it’s 50 state CARB legal.
The $40 intake system is just some company in the US importing over a generic design or copied intake system from China. These will not have a CARB number and the filters will usually fall apart within 6 months.
You might want to buy a cheap intake because you don’t car about CARB and you probably won’t get caught. If you do get caught, here is the scenario.
Police officer pulls you over. Asks you to pop your hood. They check out the intake and ask for the CARB number. There is none. So what happens? He gives you a fix it ticket to be signed off by the State Ref only. This ticket is charged by the city from $10-$100.
You then have to put on your stock air box (if you still have it), and then make an appointment with the State Referee. This cost $75 for them to inspect your car. If you have any other modifications they’ll find them, anything wrong they’ll find it and you’ll fail. These guys are strict.
Maybe you passed, maybe you didn’t? If you didn’t you have to go back to the State Ref until you do pass. If you did pass then they’ll sign off your ticket.
Now you have to go to court. You have to go show the judge that you got your ticket signed off. He’ll chuckle at the case, but you’ve already spent 2 days taking care of this ticket. So do some research before you buy and try to buy a 50 State CARB Legal intake for your car. Some good brands to look into are AEM, Injen, K&N, True Flow, and Weapon-R.
http://www.aempower.com
http://www.injen.com
http://www.knfilters.com
http://www.weapon-r.com
You can find intakes to purchase at our online store at
http://www.sroperformance.com/air-intakes-html.html
This Page has had 3,278 views Since 4/22/09.
Nice job of explaining the consequences of being caught with an intake that is not CARB certified in Cali. Beyond being caught, your car will also fail emissions testing if you keep a none-CARB intake on the car during the test. Something to think about. If your interest on more information pertaining to illegal street racing I have found a boat load on a website called “Evo Street Racers” (Http://www.EvoStreetRacers.com). Well worth checking out.
So the other night i got pulled over, and i have a K&n intake, with a CARB legal sticker, the citing officer told me i have to have two stickers, a CARB and an Executive sticker?. In this article it says the Executive sticker is in the CARB?
Therefore i am confused, please inform me of what is true according to CA law.
I was one of those trying to save a few bucks on a air intake.
I bought a full cold air intake from a company based in Los Angeles, reading the information i misunderstood and realized it was not legal. can i short cut the visual smog check and pick up a carb sticker from anywhere? internet? tuner shop? anywhere?