[clique]

Okay, I'm sure you're all bored to death of seeing CAI post after post after post... but I had a few questions, hopefully your answers will help me make up my mind in the few days I have left before I break down and make a purchase. I figure this thread will also be able to help out people torn between getting a short ram and a CAI...

I've been reading over a ton of reviews off carreview.com on both the AEM short ram (what I plan on buying) and the AEM CAI. I'm seeing quite a few people say that the short ram actually has the possibility of deducting performance, since it's pulling in "hot" air from under the hood, rather than down in the fender like the CAI. Has anyone heard of this? I don't want to pay $120 for an intake that'll actually make my car less powerful. BTW, my "engine temperature" gauge is typically around 1/6th of the way up the meter. I've never seen it move, at all (after turning the car on, of course.) Naturally, on cooler days, it's slightly lower, but not much.

Another thing, I've read that the CAI can be installed in some models without removing the bumper, but instead, jacking the car up, removing the front passenger side wheel, and attaching the filter that way. I'm uneasy about removing the bumper, simply because it's so huge and seems so easy to mess up. Has anyone tried this jack-and-wheel-remove method of installing a CAI?

I wouldn't mind paying $50 more for the CAI - it's going for a pretty decent price, $172 - but I wouldn't be getting a bypass on it. How many of you run CAIs without the bypass, and how many of you have actually had water sucked up through it? If you don't mind sharing the horror stories, I'd like to know how it happened (how deep the puddle/water was, how fast you were going, how many RPMs, etc etc...)

Thanks in advance

 

[nerdy36]

i have the AEM CAI, and honestly it was not a big deal to remove the bumper. its held on by 2 screws and 2 bolts. thats it, besides the pop locks on the centerpiece. the filter sits right in the fenderwell, and IMO, is worth the money. i've said it once, and i will say it 1000s more times, SPEND THE EXTRA CASH. you will not be dissapointed in the future. buying something cheapy and less powerful will leave you hanging mentally forever. at least to me it does....

 

[civic91]

i like my K & N just fine...if you go with the short ram..get a kn..aem got their design off of kn

 

[nerdy36]

actually AEM and k&n have teamed up on the CAI. it has a K&N air filter that comes with the intake. so its the best of both worlds!

 

[HybridJDMHonda]

My two suggestions:
1. Buy a short ram intake. Then build a heat shield or 'box' around the filter so that the hot air is not sucked into the engine. Then get some tubing from Home Depot or a similar place and route the tubing from the opening in the front bumper to the air box. So basically you will be ingesting cold air into the engine and be saving money, and you will have a lesser chance of sucking water into your engine. Also for track use(and track use only!) you can remove the filter and hook up the tubing(from the front bumper) DIRECTLY to the intake tubing.
2. Buy a drop-in K & N air filter.

 

[RichyRichaPC]

My two suggestions:
1. Buy a short ram intake. Then build a heat shield or 'box' around the filter so that the hot air is not sucked into the engine. Then get some tubing from Home Depot or a similar place and route the tubing from the opening in the front bumper to the air box. So basically you will be ingesting cold air into the engine and be saving money, and you will have a lesser chance of sucking water into your engine. Also for track use(and track use only!) you can remove the filter and hook up the tubing(from the front bumper) DIRECTLY to the intake tubing.
2. Buy a drop-in K & N air filter.

I installed my cai and its great. At first I had it as a sri because I did not have the light to remove the bumper, but I did it on the weekend, took me 30 minutes more, 2 bolts, and 2 screws, it was pretty easy, and the performance difference was noticable to me, anyway, if that helps

 

[Juggles]

Spend the extra money and get the CAI. Sucking up water into your engine is pretty damn hard and you have to practically sumberge the filter element for it to happen. You can take the wheel off, but honestly, it's easier and quicker to take off your front bumper. There are a few black screws on the top of the bumper, a a few bolts on the sides (behind the tire well liner), and a few bolts on the bottom. The bumper should come right off and it's very light so don't worry about dropping it or something. Short Ram intakes will suck up hot engine bay air, either not affecting performance, or hurting it.

 

[clique]

Alright, thanks guys (and girls?) for all of the input.

I've decided to spend the extra money and go with the CAI for two good reasons pointed out in this thread - mental "satisfaction" per say (I'm the type of person that is self-conscious about what I've done, bought, etc. and I know it would gnaw on me, knowing I bought the "little bitch sister" of the CAI ) and the long-run performance benefits. I'd rather spend $172 on a 6-12 HP boost, than $120 on something that might not even help at all.

As for water ingestion, I can't say I'm worried about it, at all. It's literally rained here like twice this year, and we rarely get enough rain to flood any streets I regularly drive on. In the case that I learn a huge flash flood is on it's way, I'll see if I can find a bypass locally, just to play my cards safely.

Now, to find a webpage on installing a CAI into a 96-98 civic EX...

 

[RichyRichaPC]

Alright, thanks guys (and girls?) for all of the input.

I've decided to spend the extra money and go with the CAI for two good reasons pointed out in this thread - mental "satisfaction" per say (I'm the type of person that is self-conscious about what I've done, bought, etc. and I know it would gnaw on me, knowing I bought the "little bitch sister" of the CAI ) and the long-run performance benefits. I'd rather spend $172 on a 6-12 HP boost, than $120 on something that might not even help at all.

As for water ingestion, I can't say I'm worried about it, at all. It's literally rained here like twice this year, and we rarely get enough rain to flood any streets I regularly drive on. In the case that I learn a huge flash flood is on it's way, I'll see if I can find a bypass locally, just to play my cards safely.

Now, to find a webpage on installing a CAI into a 96-98 civic EX...

when you get it, tell me and I will help you.... its for a 6th gen. civic dx?

 

[LX98Civic]

My two suggestions:
1. Buy a short ram intake. Then build a heat shield or 'box' around the filter so that the hot air is not sucked into the engine. Then get some tubing from Home Depot or a similar place and route the tubing from the opening in the front bumper to the air box. So basically you will be ingesting cold air into the engine and be saving money, and you will have a lesser chance of sucking water into your engine. Also for track use(and track use only!) you can remove the filter and hook up the tubing(from the front bumper) DIRECTLY to the intake tubing.
2. Buy a drop-in K & N air filter.

There is a guy at work with an Eclipse who did what you stated in #1. It does save $$, but looks sooooooooooo damn ghetto!! Yeah, it's a c/a/i but what about when you got to pop the hood when people want to see under it. My face was like :laff: when I saw it.

BTW >>> c/a/i for me all the way!!

 

[clique]

when you get it, tell me and I will help you.... its for a 6th gen. civic dx?

6th gen. EX The application from AEM is different between DX and EX, but I can't imagine the whole installation being TOO much different. My dad wants me to find a webpage with photos concerning the installation, to make things that much easier (he's helping me install it... he's the tool guy.) Any suggestions?

 

[civperc]

I went AEM short ram and love it, I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[LX98Civic]

I went AEM short ram and love it, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I bet you would be saying the same thing if you went c/a/i route

 

[sKzoFrENiX]

i have the AEM CAI on my DX hatch... i got it in without removing the bumper or the wheel... i had plenty of space in there what with no A/C and all... i assembled the intake first and threaded it down there it worked fine, and i love the damn thing, it sounds great and looks hot..... (i got the blue anodized):vpleased:

 

[clique]

I might try "wiggling it in" myself Maybe not the way it sounds, but at least seeing if I've got enough room to get away with not removing the bumper. Juggles is probably right about the bumper coming off pretty easily, so either way, I suppose it shouldn't be a problem.

The only reason you have to remove the bumper is to put the filter on after the CAI is bolted down to the car, isn't it?

 

[WasupScott]

AEM CAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i got an aem cai and my friend and i installed it in my car ourselves. it's not bad and we didn't take off the bumper. we pretty much snapped the old air dam and box right out of the car, jacked it up and opened the wheel well and put the filter on the shiny red cold air induction. the air dam in the bumper is freekin huge and it takes a while but i wasn't actually about to take the bumper off to get some pastic out that you could snap out the bottom, just unscrew the little mud guard or whatever is right under the engine. i would suggest a bypass valve though to reduse chances of hydro lock, but then again i don't have one and everything is fine!!!! oh and it sounds BAD ASS when you stomp on the gas. you can't turn down CAI.

peace
scott g