Homemade CF CAI

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Old Oct 23, 2010 | 04:27 PM
  #1  
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Homemade CF CAI

It's been a while since I've really done anything with my car, but seeing as how I've recently been laid off. I I figures why not make a carbon fiber intake.

It was quite simple to make, and everything cost about $80ish not too bad. All I did was take about a 2yd length, wet it out and wrap it around a 3.25" cardboard tube which gave me a 3.5"od tube, exactly what I was looking for. Then I cut it into two separate lengths and joined them with a 90° elbow, and stuck an Aem dryflow filter on the end.

I'll admit it's nothing fancy. The weave is distorted and doesn't look all pretty, but it gets the job done.

The first pic shows what it it looks like with the plastics all on, and the second pic kinda gives an idea of how the tube runs down behind the bumper.







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Old Oct 23, 2010 | 04:29 PM
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03TL_S's Avatar
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very nice! you gotta show me how to make one from the superchargers intake. it needs one badly.
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Old Oct 23, 2010 | 05:03 PM
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Looks good.
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Old Oct 23, 2010 | 06:05 PM
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nice!! good project
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Old Oct 23, 2010 | 06:07 PM
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Clean install on a ghetto setup. It works.
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Old Oct 24, 2010 | 02:05 PM
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looks like you did some clean work there
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Old Oct 24, 2010 | 02:48 PM
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I like it, any pics with the bumper off?
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Old Oct 24, 2010 | 05:45 PM
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Did you keep the cardboard pipe on the inside?... That would be a bad idea!
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Old Oct 24, 2010 | 06:38 PM
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Thanks for all the kind words. I wasn't sure how my ghetto intake would be received around here. Next up are the rv6 PCD 's to go along with my V3 J-Pipe, and a flat black vinyl roof.

Originally Posted by wahshi
I like it, any pics with the bumper off?
I just took the tire off and went through the fender liner so no need to take the bumper off.

Originally Posted by Comptechtl2367
Did you keep the cardboard pipe on the inside?... That would be a bad idea!
No, I definitely didn't leave the cardboard inside. I wrapped it with clear packaging tape which works as a poor mans mold release, and yanked the cardboard out of the cf tube which left a nice smooth inside. The cardboard didn't come out as easy as I expected, but it came out none the less.

Last edited by crbnfbr; Oct 24, 2010 at 06:43 PM.
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Old Oct 24, 2010 | 07:50 PM
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That looks pretty simple and straight forward....
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Old Oct 25, 2010 | 09:34 PM
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kudos for keeping under hood temps away from your ait
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Old Oct 26, 2010 | 07:05 PM
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I like it. It looks clean. And as far as it being a ghetto setup im sure it works just as well as any AEM or Injen CAI would. Theres no reason to buy one if you have the skill to make your own.
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Old Oct 26, 2010 | 07:13 PM
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Looks great, Ive done some CF work before and I know its a bitch. Did you just use fiberglass resin on it? If you put a bunch on and sand it smooth and clearcoat it looks tight.

I live up on camp lejeune and i pass through MB sometimes goin to Charleston, are there a lot of TL guys down there? Im supposed to be driving down there to get my bumper fixed cause a tow company there messed up my front bumper, I just dont have time...
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Old Oct 26, 2010 | 07:36 PM
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very nice
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Old Nov 2, 2010 | 09:59 AM
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Function over Form for the win!
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Old Nov 2, 2010 | 11:31 AM
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You can use saran wrap too as a poor man's mold release. You can stretch it and wrap it around parts easier than packing tape.
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Old Nov 5, 2010 | 08:36 PM
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I like! It beats the outrageous prices for a $20 powdercoated aluminum tube with a $35 airfilter on the end of it like the common CAIs.

My other car had a 5" intake made from the sewer dept parts at Home Depot with a 14" K&N. I think I had $50 total into it.
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Old Nov 5, 2010 | 08:52 PM
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nice ... looks pretty good, and it serves the purpose of a cai
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Old Nov 6, 2010 | 05:35 AM
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Looking good!
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Old Nov 8, 2010 | 08:06 PM
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did you feel like you got any gains?
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Old Nov 8, 2010 | 10:56 PM
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nice
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Old Nov 9, 2010 | 07:25 AM
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what resin did you use on for the cf?
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Old Aug 17, 2012 | 01:07 AM
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Apologies for resurrecting an ancient thread, but there was a few questions about the resin I Used.

I got my epoxy resin from this website: http://www.carbon-fiber.us/epoxy-res...3354_3368.html
I'd personally error on the side of caution, and go with the slow curing resin(just search for epoxy laminating resin). The website I posted earlier is located in Charleston, SC which makes shipping time very fast. Plus, my Mother works in North Charleston. So. I'm hoping they offer local pickup.

It's actually pretty damn strong. I had a piece left over tube that I cut off, and decided to throw it in my bench bench, For the life of me I couldn't get it to break or even crack for that matter.
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Old Aug 17, 2012 | 02:48 AM
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i wanna see pics...lol
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Old Aug 17, 2012 | 09:32 AM
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Here's a crap camera phone pice of it. All it is is two straight cf tubes with a 90* silicone bend to run down by the bumper with an AEM Dryflow filter on the end.

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Old Aug 17, 2012 | 09:46 AM
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Good job. Make sure you have it mounted or anchored somewhere in the car. When the pipe drops down through the bottom of the engine bay there is a metal straight edge that'll keep banging up against your intake when the engine jerks and eventually it'll put a hole in your intake. I had to replace mine and got it bolted down and wrapped in heat wrap so there wouldn't be metal on metal contact.
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Old Aug 17, 2012 | 10:00 AM
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Like to see AIT's.
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Old Aug 17, 2012 | 10:25 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by UA6
Good job. Make sure you have it mounted or anchored somewhere in the car. When the pipe drops down through the bottom of the engine bay there is a metal straight edge that'll keep banging up against your intake when the engine jerks and eventually it'll put a hole in your intake. I had to replace mine and got it bolted down and wrapped in heat wrap so there wouldn't be metal on metal contact.
Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely look into that, but to be completely honest I'm not really all that worried about it because the cf is like an 1/8" thick. The tube I used to wrap the cf around was 3.5" and the o.d. of the cf tubes are 4". I will still get something though to protect it because I'd really be pissed to wear a hole in the cf.
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Old Aug 17, 2012 | 10:27 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by bouncer07
Like to see AIT's.
Sorry to sound like an idiot, but what's an AIT?
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Old Aug 17, 2012 | 10:50 AM
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air intake tubing?
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Old Aug 17, 2012 | 11:03 AM
  #31  
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IATs, intake air temps.
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Old Aug 17, 2012 | 11:08 AM
  #32  
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Temps according to Torque android app normally shows between 10*-20* F above ambient depending on traffic conditions.
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