Hybrid CAI

[Lazy-Bastard]

Not really a howto, but it might give people some ideas so I thought I'd post it anyway.

After months of trial and error with the factory airbox (I have butchered 2 so far )and intake scoop I finally bit the bullet and

went about trying to build a partition and CAI.

My main problem is the size of my Pod filter. It is a Unifilter trumpet type affair and with the factory intercooler piping still in place it doesn't leave much room for any type of straightforward partition. The main problem is that the bottom of the trumpet sits right on the intake pipe from the cooler to the plenum making it sit up a bit too high to use any conventional partition with a lid. Add to that the fact that because I still have the factory cooler piping, there is nowhere to source cool air to feed the pod.

So, off to Bunnings I went and got myself a piece of tin sheeting, I think it was actually meant to be some sort of gutter flashing, but it was the right size and most of all cheap . I also got about a metre of 1.5mm aluminium angle and a 3m roll of flashtack (bitumen tape with a reflective surface on one side) while I was there with the idea of using this to reflect a bit of heat and keep the inside of the partition cooler.

I spent about 1 1/2 days in total making templates and cutting the tin etc to fit and then rivetted the angle to the top of the partition so as to make a seal with the lid. You can't see in the pics (I Should have taken progress shots), but I have cut a hole in the partition that mates up exactly with the AFM to pod aperture so they bolt THROUGH the partition rather that cut a gaping hole and try to fill the gaps. The hole for the IC piping I cut as close to the pipe size as possible and then sealed it with a rubber grommet.

Next stop, Clark Rubber (mmmmm ruuuubber ) to pick up some adhesive backed foam to insulate the inside, some boot seals to seal all of the edges to the body, and some 40mm adhesive backed foam tape to do the seal on the top of the partition.

Back home and sealed and foamed up the inside of the partition and flashtacked the outside as well as flashtacking as much of the air intake as possible.

Put it all back together and took it for a good 45min spin to let everything get nice and hot and then checked the temp inside the partition. To my disgust it was still very warm in there and the alloy trumpet of the Pod was quite hot also, hmmmmm

The way I have made the partition the AFM and pod adaptor bolt directly to the tin partition and the heat was obviously soaking into the alloy of the pod trumpet. The flashtack on the outside was also quite hot to the touch and this MUST have been heat soaking the tin and compounding the problem.

Next step was to put a layer of the adhesive backed foam OVER the flashtack on the outside of the partition to try and created a bit of a buffer before the flashtack started to heat up. I also went back to Clarke rubber and got a small piece of 3mm thick rubber sheet and made a "gasket" for between the partition and the pod adaptor to stop the heat soaking through there.

All back together and took it for a run and the results are VERY pleasing. Admittedly it was at night this time, but after a 45min drive and then letting the car sit for 10mins (which you would think would cause a bit of heat soak) everything inside the partition is at close to ambient temps.

Throttle response seems livlier and at least I know I'm getting the coldest air possible. Overall I'm very happy with the results and for the dollars spent I reckon it's a very worthwhile mod.

Cost:

Tin - $12.50

Flashtack - $7.00

Alloy angle - $5.00

Assorted rubber bits and pieces - around $20

As you can see from the pics below the lid could do with a bit of a tidy up (I'll probably re-do it completely one day), but the main thing for now is that it works.

Comments and suggestions welcomed

Yes...I need to set the date on my camera....