Would I realize any gains if I removed the air silencer (resonator) and dropped in a Comptech hi-flow air filter? I am kind of skeptable about installing the AEM CAI as I have heard stories of water being ingested into the engine and the bypass valve failing.

Agian, I am not looking for huge gains... just a little extra oompf without spending a fortune.

Thanks once again.
Matt

 

Yes removing the silencer will definitely work even w/o a filter..........

 

Yeah you would have some gains and a little more growl. Plus the Plecebo effect will make you think that your car is a little faster too. I have the Injen intake and love it. I feel the power and the noise is nuts. Getting the resonator out is the hard part, once you drive without it you will want to get an intaek for the added horses and noise. The good thing is that when you are ready to get an intake, install will easy, because the hard part of removing the resonator is already done. Why am i talking like you will get the intake? Because after hearing the intake noise and feeling the extra power, you will want more of both.

 

I removed my whole stock air box and resonator for about a week. What happened is my local import store got me an Accord V6 intake that didnt fit my TL. I removed everything only to find out that my CAI didnt fit.

Without an airbox the car is much louder than with a CAI.
It sounds meeeeaaan! But you lose bottom end.

Good thing it didnt rain that whole week

As for WATER INGESTION a bypass valve is only 40 bucks and it takes 5 minutes to install. Ive gone thru 2 of them and im on my third. The high temperatures inside the engine compartment caused my bypass valve to crack right where the rubber and the tubing is attached by the metal oring.

If you live in SOCAL you have no reason to get one.

 

Great... I think I'll start by removing the silencer and see what that does for me Then I'll take it from there. Again, I would love to get an intake.. but this whole bypass deal has me a little nervous. I've heard too much about them failing and here in NYC we get a lot of standing water on the parkways when it rains heavy... that is why I am concerned about water getting in.

 

Sly TLS has CAI on his car without the By Pass valve and he has been through deep puddles and never had a problem. Your filter has to be completely submerged in water. Put it this way, if your filter gets submerged in water, then you have other things to worry about, like flooding your car.

 

This is probably true.. so you think if I decide to get a CAI I should forget about the by-pass?

 

The bypass valve is good for the peace of mind. You may or may not loose like 1 hp, but that is something that you cant feel anyway. At least you know that in any situation that you will have it and it may save you. 40 bucs for something that may save a $6000 engine is ok by me.

 

Or it could fail and get sucked into the intake plenum :wow:
I don't know which is the lesser of two evils! Does Sly TLS have one installed?

 

...or you can wait until CT release their Icebox. The design should yield atleast the same hp, maybe less than the CAI, but no need to worry about hydrolock because of the design location of the filter. Just wait and you'll be happier.

 

I thought about that... there is one Icebox that I like the way it looks... I can't remember the name for the life of me now.. it'll come to me.. I saw it on here... Is there any other way to get to the air resonator other than removing the bumper?

Thanks!

 

I took out my resonator and put in a K&N filter and I love the way it sounds/performs.....As for not having to remove the bumper, it is probably possible, but it's so easy to take off the bumper it's just silly not to.. It will take you longer to get it out w/o removing the bumper than it would to remove the bumper and put it back on. Give it a try, I think you will like it.....It's not quite as loud as the AEM/Injen, but I didn't want mine that loud, this is perfect for me.

 

What performace gains did you notice? I know the bumper is soooo easy to take off... I just don't want to run the risk of damaging it in the process.

Matt

 

It could be all in my head...maybe 3 hp or so....probably comprable to any intake on the market give or take 1 hp

 

Well.. I gave in and took the bumper off to remove the air silencer... all I can say is what a difference...

Thanks for all of the posts..

Regards,
Matt