All of the little things make a difference when dealing with naturally aspirated vehicles. We've incorporated many features in the Roto-fab CAI system that may not be noticed at first glance. Also, we've had many questions about our Camaro intake and why we think ours is the right choice for Camaro owners. Here is a closer look at the components.
Our molded MAF sensor housing performs several unique functions. First, a "velocity stack" type of entry is molded into the part which invites a large amount of air to be pulled in quickly and smoothly. This is especially important during intitial acceleration when your engine demands a quick gulp of air. Not only does it perform well with a stock set-up, it's great to tune with or without mods or a even with a supercharger. That's why many tuners prefer our intake systems.
For mounting the housing to the air wall, we mold in 5 brass inserts. They are located on a flat surface which provides a good bearing surface to the air wall-not a pass through tube design with an air gap around it. On the filter side, we end up with a huge 6" mounting flange. The oil filter has the end feeding feature. (inverted cone) We also mold in two brass inserts for secure retention of the MAF sensor.
Our inlet elbow is designed to allow the air to travel smoothly through one large, continuous radius. Any jogs, straight-turn-straight designs will disrupt air flow and make the motor work harder to pull in the air- more work means less HP. The Camaro has some packaging restraints that made it difficult to achieve the desired path. That's why you see so many variations in tube design.
Just as intake manifold runners are tapered to allow air to gain velocity, our plastic tube tapers through it's length. It's a subtle feature, but you can see it if you are looking for it. (Your engine will notice even if you don't!)
We mold in a brass 1/4" NPT fitting for secure coupling of the PCV hose. The "boss" for the fitting actually protrudes from the outer surface of the inlet elbow allowing for good thread engagement length while maintaining minimal disturbance on the inside wall.
Because our duct work actually seals to the air box to prevent sucking hot air, we use a hump hose on both ends of the inlet elbow to help absorb motor rock.
Although we do offer a polished SS tube that performs well, we recommend our plastic tube for best performance. Some will settle for a slightly smaller gain in exchange for the polished look.
Our air box is designed to mount to factory points while maintaining a seal against the hot radiator and engine air. Yes, the top seal actually contacts the hood. You will see a witness mark after a few days. We use an open top design because it allows for a very large filter while maximizing the area around the filter. A round filter was chosen because it minimizes the amount of filter surface "hugging" the hood. Additional surface area is useless if air can't get to it!
The hoses are high gloss silicone which doesn't dry out and crack like rubber. The hose clamps are stainless steel and are non-perforated so they don't damage the silicone.
From start to finish, we've worked hard to address all of the details that make a quality intake system. We mold in a total of 8 brass inserts for secure mounting of all components. All screws are SS with internal lock washers. Our hose clamps are non-perforatated SS clamps to prevent damage to the silcone hoses. Installation is extremely simple using very basic tools. You will get great performance and sound without setting any codes.
We can't honestly claim to have "the best intake" without purchasing and analyzing every available system; however, there are several systems on the market lacking some of the qualities you are probably looking for. Our intakes are available now with a variety of choices including:
Black, yellow or red hoses
black, silver or red airbox (any other color can be special ordered)
Oil or dry filter
Polished SS elbow, black plastic elbow, Carbon fiber finish elbow
If you've taken the time to read this far, thanks for learning about our products!
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Last edited by Roto-fab 1; 08-18-2009 at 10:22 AM. Reason: add pic