Homemade CAI?
 

Looking at turbo tubes and pipe to make my own intake tube without the silencers on it.

Anyone tried it? Looking for low cost options to start. If I can make one versus spending hundreds, I will stay out of the dog house.

Thoughts?

If you just want something to dress up the engine bay, there are cheap options that eliminate the OEM tube with silencers on it. If you're thinking it's going to give you any performance gains, you'd be wrong. While the inlet tube itself does have places to improve upon, the bigger restriction is in the OEM box.

really looking to get rid of the silencers for now. I have my eyes on a CAI box down the road in a few months. But I have to spread the mods out to stay out of the doghouse with the wife unit. ;)

I think Airaid sells individual pieces you can use to make a custom intake.

Thanks!

I made my own link in my signature. I talk about the Airaid pipe a little too but I now have my tube wrapped with reflective gold tape, looks pretty nice and keeps upper pipe cool thats all i need lol.

I don't plan on tuning as an option right now... Why did it require one for the MAF? Placement change?


Great write up! Thanks for sharing.

Actually yes few reasons. To get the most out of any modification of air/fuel in or out a tune is recommended, for intakes in most cases they are not needed. In my case, the larger diameter pipe (4 inch) where the MAF is located is larger than the factory and most aftermarket tubes, so the tables in MAF have to be corrected. Technically you could go with a pipe matching the factory tube and have a better outcome and less need and more of a want to tune. Also the placement move that I did moving the MAF closer to cold air and also filter changes some dynamics like temperature and flow and turbulence through the sensor. Just remember this too, I did a a V-Max throttle body and I needed some tweaks too.

I found I had much cooler temps and and leaner A/F ratio which tells me more air is going in for sure, so the car would not ever stay running after start without assist so tunning was mandatory, but now better than its ever been.

In your case maybe look at an after tube to just replace the factory factory upper and get a nice drop in filter (EDIT Just saw you have drop in already) You could make one kinda like I did but would be too much to do for just that if it can be purchased.

Id look at New Era 2010+ Camaro SS Intake Pipe Kit and maybe wrap the pipe its like $100 and a nice filter is like $40-$70

Checked out the New Era pipe... Definately what I am looking for. Also found a G5CR one that was nice looking.

A tune is a bit out for me. Thanks for the detailed replies. I appreciate it. I have been out of the hot rod game a while. Had a 99 Formula years ago that put down 385RW in 2000 with headers, homemade ram air, cam, ported MAF and ported TB. No headwork or real tune. She ran rich vs lean which was nice and safe.

Just know that while it does clean up the engine bay a little, it will add next to nothing in performance. I'd save my $$ for a proper CAI.

Agreed. nice set headers and tune, and leave it there. The drop in you have made more difference I bet then the tube will, well besides small amount of sound maybe.

I can say one thing I already had HPTuners for many many years and when the car was stock I put wideband in and did street and dyno tuning and the car drove way different and more consistent.