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Andras
03-30-2007, 08:59 AM
Repost for the new board

The $6 CAI Project
Time ~2.5 hours
You must have empty space below the airbox (not for rear air suspension cars)


Needed to buy- three 3”-4”dia, 30ga 90degree air piping segments ( $1.97 ea) from Lowes, etc. These segments are made of 4 sections with three 30degree joints that allow you to twist and position them in any angle from 0-90 degrees, make sure when assembled that all smooth ends are facing towards the front, all the crinkled ends face to the rear, along the direction of airflow. I chose 3” because that is the approximate size of the inlet to the airbox. Update, I have since redone the system with 4” pipe and gained app .1sec over the 3” pipe

Also required
Spare airbox recommended
Screws, bolts or fasteners( ie pop-rivets)
Electric drill and bits
3” hole saw or sabre-saw
one 4-6” long piece of metal to be used as a brace ( I used an angle bracket pounded flat)

It helps to raise the front up a few inches, I drove up onto a couple bricks, jackstands would have been much better.

Remove airbox, remove snorkle, tape hole closed, cut 3” hole in bottom as close to the front as possible( if possible, have a spare airbox handy( I got one for $5 at a junkyard))

Locate the flat extended section of the plastic wheel well shield in front of the wheel well
Cut 3” hole through that, it will be slightly in front of the hole in the airbox if the airbox was installed. You now have a path from below the front bumper into the bottom of the airbox.

Fit the end of an air pipe into the 3” hole in the airbox, insert about 1”, clamp a vice grip onto the part inside to prevent it from being pulled out while fitting the rest. You’ll need to position the pipe section so that it angles towards the hole in the wheel shield.

Test fit the second section through the hole in the wheel well shield, you’ll need to angle the lower part away from the edge of the bumper cover. Fit upper segment to middle segment and replace airbox in position.

From below, fit third segment to the middle segment and twist so it faces forward and is aligned with the edge of the bumper cover.

Make sure all segments fit tightly and airbox is able to be bolted down.

Mark joints so they can be removed and realigned. Get 4” piece of metal to be used as a bracket, test a location to brace the forward facing section of pipe to the side of the bumper cover, mark location of holes to be drilled. The opening of the intake should be located about the level of the bottom edge of the bumper cover, you may be able to position it lower depending on how it is angled.

Remove airpipes, realign segments and drill a small hole in the overlapping sections to be secured. Do not permanantly secure the lowest pipe segment to the middle pipe segment until it is back on the car. I used an angle bracket to secure the upper pipe segment to the bottom of the airbox. Bending the top of the pipe outwards also helps.

Fasten upper pipe segment to airbox, and middle segment to upper segment, this should easily fit into the car from above( note 3” pipe only, 4” pipe is a very tight fit). From below fasten third segment to middle segment and brace to the bumper cover.


Warning- if you use screws to fasten pipe segments, vibration may back the screws out and you could get a flat, as well as damage from loose pipe sections. Use loc-tite or something similar. I used pop rivets for the most part.

Follow these instructions at your own risk

baravelli
03-30-2007, 09:40 AM
I paid $22 for a 4" hole saw, did you already have one? Is this for a box or a cone filter? Where is the cold air tube inlet, on the bottom of the bumper cover?
The 2005 Sport has rear air suspension. I moved the compressor, air drier, wiring and hose to the trunk...where it belongs. The ram air tube is a 4 X 28" flexible aluminum HVAC vent hose. The air tube inlet has a 6" to 4" ABS waste water adapter protruding out from the bumper cover by 4". Not ideal. I now have too much air and not enough fuel...and it's ugly as sin.

Andras
03-30-2007, 12:25 PM
I did buy 3" hole saw for the first version, but I just used a sabre saw to enlarge the hole for the 4" one.

I put the exit for the CAI into the bottom of the stock airbox and used the stock airfilter.

The inlet for the CAI was level with the bottom of the bumper cover, in front of the wheel.

Andras
03-30-2007, 12:28 PM
attached are some pics

baravelli
03-30-2007, 01:18 PM
Yup. That's what I did.
I also used a good quality 4 to 6" ABS pipe adapter from Lowe's (H.D. sells chink crap) and cut the large diameter off. The original air cleaner assembly inlet nozzle is not blocked which allows the abilty to use it during the winter by means of a sophisticated switching system (an old wool sweater shoved into either pipe...I'm still working on it). The adapter also has more bottom lid open space available for the filter element to use. That is important! I sealed the air box/ABS adapter interface with GOOP for now and secured the 4" air tube to it with a circular screw type clamp.
I don't wanna take this thing apart again!

JCG1
03-31-2007, 12:52 AM
You guys. :thinker:
Actually, I'm pretty sure I linked your setup once during one of these old discussions, Andras. Could have been in the alternative panther universe.

Should we get Joe to come post his cowl induction setup?
Maybe after he datalogs temps this summer.