Cold Air Intakes
Cold Air Intake Manufacturers:
- K&N Cold Air Intakes
- JDM Cold Air Intakes
- AEM Cold Air Intakes
- Injen Cold Air Intakes
|
|
|
Cold air intakes are primarily used to lower the air temperature going into a car’s engine to increase power. Cooler air entering the engine has more density for a given volume thereby increasing horsepower and torque output. Cold air intakes can also increase horsepower by increasing the diameter of the air intake, smoothing the interior of the intake to reduce air resistance as well as providing a more direct route for the air to reach the engine.
Most cold air intake systems replace the stock airbox with a short metal or plastic tube leading to a conical air filter. The power gained by this method can vary depending on how restrictive the factory airbox/intake system is. The placement of the filter is usually directly in the engine compartment.
Some cold air intakes use heat shields to isolate the air filter from the rest of the engine compartment providing cooler air from the front or side of the engine bay. The most extreme cold air intake designs route air from outside the engine bay, usually from the wheel wells, front grill, or a hood scoop. The intake can be placed so that forward motion of the car pressurizes the air coming in, creating a ram-air intake, although the car would probably have be moving very fast to realize this effect. These intakes sometimes require body modifications or replacement panels, such as a replacement hood or front bumper. We have seen anywhere between 5 and 20 horsepower increases on the dyno for the various forms of cold air intake systems.
