I've heard that it's best to put a new exhaust on first before modding anything under the hood due to back pressure with additional gains. Is this true with the Type S? I want to get an intake first, because it is cheaper than exhaust and headers, and I figure the sound and hp gain would be great at mid to high rpms for the price. I also want to get the polished blue to go with the ABP color, and I'm not even sure if I want to spend the money to get headers. Here's what I think I've read through my search:

headers = 20-30 hp gain ($1300)
exhaust = 1-3 hp gain ($700)
CAI = 10-15 hp gain ($230)

Are these numbers close to the truth by themselves and no other mods? How much would exhaust help with the intake? Is the sound of the car pretty nice (throaty) with just the intake, and even better with the exhaust and intake on together? I figures the only good reason to buy an exhaust would be for looks and sound. The hp gain is minimal by itself. But with the intake, there should be no need for an exhaust to help with back pressure, right? Or would the exhaust help to provide the maximum gain from the intake and headers? Exhaust by itself is not giving much gain, but headers and intake need the exhaust to give max output? Maybe with headers since you are producing approximately 12% more gain.

What is the difference in intakes, not short-ram, but injen, aem and so on? Which ones does everybody recommend due to blending with ABP, sound, performance, and so on? Any feedback would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

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Exhaust gains are minimal. They are there for sure but do the intake first. Our stock exhaust is pretty good but our airbox is pretty restrictive!


No real difference with intakes. INJEN has a slightly better design but AEM is no slouch. The performance gains are the same.

Short ram is useless.

 

get a cai or icebox first. exhaust is basically for looks.

how is the injen design superior zapata?

 

I would get the CAI first since the exhaust is more of sound and looks than any real performance.

 

I beg to differ.

 

The bends aren't as exaggerated. X-Cai was the best. Again it made very little improvement in performance.

 

i would guess there is zero difference, except maybe the aem filter is a better design.

 

Do a side by side dyno and post the results....get an aem, injen and a short ram....

I dynoed 227 with H/I/P, which is the same as Jesal and his TL-S with H/I/P

 

Definetly get the intake, but wait for the Comptech.....last I spoke to them...they said end of summer. If gains are better than AEM than its a no brainer, but if slightly less...take into consideration it is quieter than AEM.

 

Intake for sure

 

there is no way the CAI does 10-15 hp...MAYBE 5-8 TOPS....and an intake with headers together wont do more than 35-37 over stock, so dont get to hooked on these numbers....they arent always true...the only mod ive ever experienced that you can actually FEEL and SEE a difference is headers..anything else doesnt do much at all...headers definately make a difference and IMHO i would start with springs...best mod there is next to headers

 

Springs are a definite must if not first!

 

When you get headers, do you need to change the exhaust as well, or can you just get headers?

 

You can install the headers without changing the exhaust.

 

Intake first, and i wouldn't wait for the Comptech Ice Box, the AEM sound is perfect.

 

go with an intake. the comptech exhaust is just for show and sound. personaly i would recommend a Injen cold air. had a AEM cold air and Injen is much better

 

I actually think the one mod that you can actually feel a difference in both handling and acceleration, and also in the looks department would definitely be a set of Light Weight Rims. Most of the mods that we're thinking of thus far for HP making are usually geared toward the upper RPM. Light Weight rims on the other hand provides a difference throughout the RPM range among other things.

 

Ya, I have the headers and yet to install CAI and exhaust.
Usually goes the other way though...

 

Is the install for the intake pretty simple...not taking into consideration the fact that the bumper has to come off? I'm going to have a difficult time deciding on INJEN, AEM or waiting to see about the COMPTECH intakes. I definitely want a blue one, a great sound, and of course the best gain. But the gains are the same. So which sounds the best, since I think both the AEM and the INJEN come in blue? Where is the best place to order from (cheapest or most reliable service)? Thanks for everybody's replies and efforts to help out.

 

here we go again...a dyno is NOT indicative of real world driving if u wanna compare the short ram with the regular CAI

 

Oh... and try to find lower prices than above (unless thats factoring in labor or something).

 

I'm not saying it is indicative of real world driving....but I was replying in response to Zapata's claim that the short ram is useless....

 

compared to the regular CAI's gains in real world driving, Zapata is correct

 

Oh...okay.....I guess you should own me at the track then.

 

uhhhh no...if it's 90 degrees outside with 90% humidity, the regular CAI doesn't do much

if it's 30 degrees outside, keeping in mind the temp under the hood stays hot, the regular CAI does wonders

but u already knew that, didn't u??? b/c u already know that no matter what the temp is outside, the temp under the hood stays relatively warm/hot

if u want, we can go into the demographics of the engine bay that prevent any cold air from being sucked into the short-ram, ESPECIALLY the '03's

 

Yeah...it's called shielding off your intake from the engine heat...I can do that with a piece of cardboard and not have to live with hydrolock either.

 

hydrolock???

first of all, if u're stupid enough to think the CL is a Jeep or a Land Rover, u deserve to get hydrolock

second, it's call the AEM bypass valve, which if yer lucky enough, u can b like Adam and get more HP after installing it

 

Hey it's happened...

If you get an AEM bypass valve...you are running a short ram...with less efficiency...cause now you are causing turbulence within your intake tract halfway to the TB...which is real smart...

Look unless you can prove to me real world that the CAI is infinitely better than a short ram....the dyno is the only thing that counts.....BTW, i do have a Cold Air Box...so, you can kiss my ass....cuz i make as much power as your AEM/INJEN/Xephyr and i don't need a stupid bypass that is gonna make my car lose any gains got by adding an intake.

 

ok, so consider this an official throwing down of the gauntlet:

- yer short-ram, my Xephyr CAI w/ bypass
- Englishtown, NJ
- in the fall, when the weather's 45 or below



o wait, u have headers and exhaust...O WELL!!!!

maybe i can do my own test instead

 

AHHH!!! everyone knows that the CT headers are useless...

 

for the supercharger coming out, what exactly does it replace? Can you still use stock i/h/e, or use your aem cai, comptech headers, etc.... ?

 

If the SC comes out for the car....your CAi will be replaced with the CT Icebox...although, I think that you could probably still use your CAI...but the box is included in the price and the design is actually a lot better than anything else out on the market right now.

 

sorry, i didn't get the memo

 

Ask Jrock.

 

Nice try, but I never said that. :sqntfawk:

 

but supercharger doesnt touch the headers right? and you will want CT headers to maximize the performance of the supercharger right? Basically, i'm just trying to figure out what to upgrade on my car that wont be a waste of money if i decide to get the SC later on...

 

headers, suspension, wheels/tires.

 

Just messing wit you.

 

More or less....the wheels are a nice upgrade...but the tires are a definite need....proabably want to run some summer tires too....

 

I lost track of what you two are arguing about!! I was not interested in the short ram anyhow. CAI: AEM or INJEN?? When I get the $$, I'll end up getting headers for more gain, but for now, this is a nice mod for sound quality and just a little extra kick from mid to high rpms. In addition, I like how it helps spice up the appeal of the engine bay. Basically, I'm under the impression that the exhaust is pretty useless except for looks (whihc is not a big problem since I have the nice slanted stainless steel 3A racing exhaust tips on) and sound quality, which no one has touched upon...

Rating from 1 to 10 (10 being a deep throaty sound, but not ricey and overbearing, and 1 being stock),

(1) how does the AEM cold air intake with stock exhaust sound, or
(2) how does the INJEN cold air intake with stock exhaust sound, and
(3) how does Comptech exhaust with stock air sound, and
(4) how does AEM cold air intake with Comptech exhaust sound, or
(5) how does INJEN intake with Comptech sound.

This ought to be interesting to see how people rate this. If you AEM, try not to guess INJEN, and vice versa (unless you've had experience with both).


I would ask about the short ram or just drop in high flow filters, but I don't want to do neither. Basically 'm set on getting a CAI.

CAN the Bypass valve go on both the AEM and the INJEN intakes or just the AEM? Has anyone ever wished they had installed it on their intake? ANY REGRETS? Does it really take away some of the minimal gain from the CAI???