Has anyone tried yanking the resonator, and then checking the HP gains?

Another thread was doing a walk-through on the CAI install, and I put 2 and 2 together, went outside, and learned that the stock resonator can be fully removed by pulling the two bolts underneath.

What your left with is the air box with a clear view of the bottom of the car (just like the CAI would see). So, the stock box would be sucking cold air too.

Replace the filter with a K&N, and you got more airflow (you basically have a similar design to the Comptech Icebox, with 0 cost. The only downfall is the CAI's have a cone filter on the end of a smooth pipe, with a smooth coupler to the throttle body (whereas you're left with the separate filter, and that accordian rubber thingy this way).

But you do pick up the same sound.

(I ordered an Injen kit, but I was wondering about the sound that it gives.....)

 

I just did that butt dyno feels good and sounds like a Mild cai.
Perfect for my taste..Actually low end torque felt much better than AEM CAI...

Got rid of the AEM CAI , hissing sound just got on my nerves.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to book it into the dyno shop to check it out. Up here in the Great White North, a Dyno run is $75-$100, and the CAI would be $400. I figure if I get some gains, and the sound, what the hell! (I'd pocket the extra $300 for headers..... Swweeeettt!!!)

 

huh...what kind of CAI are you buying for $400? I think I only paid like $200 for my Injen.

 

After you ship them to Canada, pay the duty and bullshit, it works out to $380+tax.

 

The method you mentioned should give about the same gains
as a CAI... if you have a K&N drop-in filter instead of the factory filter. The only difference on a CAI, is that the actualy filter sits
a bit lower... honestly there is no temperature difference between
the top of that area and the bottom of that area!!

Only the surface-area available for sucking air-in is reduced, but
the 'mass' of air is limited by the diameter of the piping... since the
size of the opening is about equivalent. Even an 'open' K&N isn't going to shove anymore air through!

 

umm, ill drive a CAI to your front door for $400

 

Don't forget my shitty dollar at $1.57 US! $200*1.57 = $314. Toss on shipping and it get's worse.

Oh well....

 

That's what I was thinking. The K&N's are proven to flow more air (less restrictive). Of course, a brand new paper filter flows the same amount of air as the K&N, but you're right. That cone isn't doing much more (looks cooler though!). The beauty of the K&N is airflow as it get's dirty stays about the same (sort of the same benefit of platinum vs copper plugs). The coolest thing: Looks stock when you pull into the dealership for service.

The only other area of benefit would be replacing the accordian coupler with a piece of 3" hose (I'm guessing one could pick that up at diesel/heavy truck shop -- it should be the same as they use to couple the turbochargers to the diesels).

 

Okay... I tried several things today and here are my impressions from a seat-of-the-pants improvement standpoint:

(1) Removed resonator and left the factory filter
- low-end improvement is noticeable
(2) Added the K&N replacement to (1)
- Noticed both low-end and high-end improvement
(3) Removed air-box completeley and put on a K&N cone
- Sounds MEAN!!
- Didn't feel strong at all!
(4) Ran with no air-filter with (1) setup
- This felt good!! But quite dangerous...

The 'accordian-type' tube does not need to be changed... it hardly
flexes under WOT anyways.

I think your idea is very good... this is essentially what Comptech does except add a little more piping under the wheel-well to maybe catch cooler air passing through - go to Home-Depot and buy some heater-ducting and stick it on there... you have your home-made CAI!!

By the way, the K&N drop-in is necessary here...

 

Cool! I noticed a high and low improvement as well. I'm going to dyno it to see what the difference is. I looked again, and I'd have to make a 3" pipe with the tubes for the hoses to connect to (to replace the accordian coupler anyways).

The only thing I thought might reduce HP would be the turbulent flow caused by the coupler. But, most people are using it anyway if they have a 6 speed, so no big difference. Just saves some money for the headers.

 

I have headers... so the different might be more noticeable!

 

I removed my resonator this morning. Unfortunately I don't have a K&N filter yet. But my car chirped shifting from 1-2 It's never done that before..heheh.. me likes...