FocusCanada Forums

hey guys, i cant amke up my mind cold air or ram air. could i get some info on the products


thanks

are you driving the car in winter?

I've tried both, ram air is cheap but if you don't get the heat shield all your car will do is suck up hot air. My car didn't bode to well with that, I even had issues with bogging down to the point of stalling. As for the cold air, made a big difference to me. The only issue to that is puddles, hit a big one and you could be in for a motor swap earlier than you really wanted. I made a plastic gaurd that fits snug directly undder the filter, and the bumper, that made it almost inpossible for water to get in. Or if you don't want to do that, just get a bypass valve, only problem with that, you will have to cut your brand new intake and fit it in.

Ram air with a shield is good. With CAI you just have to be a little carefull about puddles. Someone has a volante in the B & S right now which I hear is a great set up. Here's da link

http://www.focuscanada.net/forum/index.p...opic=12337

Also with a cold air you filter will get dirty much faster as it's way more exposed to the elements.

I think you should buy my Volant in the for sale section :D

I've been hunting around and researching on CAI vs. short ram for a long time..and having a hard time deciding. It mostly (for me) has to deal with the snow and all that fun stuff since I'll be driving this in the winter. The part that has me scared the most with a CAI are those fun slush puddles when things start to thaw out. Not keen on the possibility of hydrolocking the motor. Call me paranoid, but not keen on shelling out whatever a new motor costs *if* that does happen. And if you know me, you know how my luck runs. Think I'm about settled on getting the Steeda short ram. ~$230US, and it comes with a heat shield.

torradan,Aug 20 2005, 07:27 PM Wrote:Think I'm about settled on getting the Steeda short ram.  ~$230US, and it comes with a heat shield.
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I like mine!! :)

I must admit hydro lock is not as simple as most people think, its not like one drop of water and ur engine is fawked. you gonna know when you screw ur motor up.

ZOOM,Aug 20 2005, 08:18 PM Wrote:I must admit hydro lock is not as simple as most people think, its not like one drop of water and ur engine is fawked. you gonna know when you screw ur motor up.
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Very true, my K&N's on the bike are right out in the open:



No problems driving through rain. If they are absolutely soaked (say parked overnight) however it's a different story. It bogged bad but even then I don't think it ever did any pernament harm and it never took long to dry out. I was always able to move.

I don't know if it is the same with a fuel injected car as I had carbs on the bike?

High output turbo cars are using water injecting intakes these days to avoid deto anyway?

If it matters I'm happy with my K&N panel and SVT snorkel on the Focus. Nobody in 6 years has come up with any intake of any type that is a dramatic improvement over anything else. You never find anything that gives you an instant 10% improvement or anything.

sorry about not answering back these couple days, working like everynight. thanks for the info on both, but i think im gonna have to think about this a little more b4 i get one. alot of ppl tell me short ram, but it gets hot, i like the cold air but you get puddles lol. ill get back to you guys soon

Just build your own intake.



Stock tubing, stainless tubing from muffler shop, blue silicone coupling, two hose clamps and a KKM filter off my old Contour. Total cost? About $10

Or you could always do a real Ram Air setup.

To cause hyrdolock you have to have the filter fully submerged in water at WOT.

Best CAI to get = ebay AEM clones.

My 2 cents..

I have already been through one engine because of my cold air intake, so after spending $4000 by putting another engine in and fixing all the little things caused by the blown engine, I have now gone back to stock. Although I did like the more throttle response, and the sound of the cold air, I will not go back to it. People who keep thier CAI on all year round I don't know how they make it.

My plans are to modify my CAI and just make it a shorty, that thankfully will be a lot safer for my engine.

Oh yeah, the damage that was done....

Connector rod snapped in half
#2 piston stuck straight up
Oil everywhere
and to top it off, 3 nice size holes in the block in different locations around the engine

ZOOM,Aug 20 2005, 08:18 PM Wrote:I must admit hydro lock is not as simple as most people think, its not like one drop of water and ur engine is fawked. you gonna know when you screw ur motor up.
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Absolutely.

That's why the short ram (like the Steeda) is the better (or safer, if you wish) choice. It still can get wet, it just can't get submerged.

The problem with a true CAI is that because it's low to the ground (and even lower when the car itself is lowered) the chances of it getting submerged is much greater.

Personally, I'd rather forgo the supposed 3 HP difference to make sure I'm not stranded somewhere with a busted car because of a puddle I didn't see until too late.

Just use the CAI from spring to fall. Toss the stock box back in for winter and early spring. That's what I plan to do. Or just go with short ram and be safe all year long.