best intake?

[speed-demon]

hi all i'm looking at getting a new induction kit and was wondering what you guys have over there and how they look in the engine compartment so advice and pics please

[canadiancougar]

Personally I think you should just buy one off ebay for around $35. All the available intakes for our car's are essentialy the same design, so they are function the same. The SRI's sound good but once they start sucking up the hot air from your engine bay, kiss any sort of performance gains goodbye! If you have the money, there is a CAI in the FS section.

[contrapaul]

There are a billion threads about this, but the conclusion is get an ebay kit and swap the filter for extra performance. I've had the kit on as is since last February with no trouble.

[B3NN3TT]

Yeah, all basic Duratec intake systems are just straight pipes, less than a foot long. You can't really "tune" them for performance, like you can with the longer, curved units some cars use. So the larger diameter pipe is arguably better - 3 inches is pretty much ideal. That's about the only variable you can control.

The heat issue is a myth. I had a short intake for about 2 years, and never found the performance to be diminished at all, even on the hottest days.

Now as far as fit and finish goes, I REALLY like my AEM intake. The fit is IMMACULATE, and it's nice and substantial. The bracket even fits exactly like it should. eBay units usually don't come with a bracket, so you just have to leave it hanging.

There aren't any commercial COLD-AIR intakes available for the Duratec. Many people, myself included, have custom cold-air extensions. So your options for one of those are 1: buy a used one from another member here or on one of our sister Contour sites; or 2: buy some pipe bends and cut your own pieces.

[02C2]

Its been a while for me, but is GMK no longer around doin his full Intakes? Back in the say that usually was agreed to be the best way to go.

I personally have an AEM SRI and have had 0 problems with heat bogg. I used to get that in my zetec focus when I tromped it on hot days.

[canadiancougar]

The heat issue is a myth. I had a short intake for about 2 years, and never found the performance to be diminished at all, even on the hottest days.

I'm afraid I'd have to disagree with you on this. Having a SRI for the past 2 summers I've noticed the effects of "heat soak" at it's finest. From driving during the hot humid summers days here and brisk nights the car my car always felt much more powerful at night or in cooler wheather.

[world-insight]

just build one like I did.

[HgCougar]

Heat soak is not a myth! I used an AEM short ram intake for a year berfore I converted it to a cold air and I can say that hot days sucked. There is a nice thread on here somewhere where a guy measured the temps in and out of the engine bay to determine the loss of power. A member on these boards named GMK sells cold air extensions which I think are very nice.

[michcougar]

I'm afraid I'd have to disagree with you on this. Having a SRI for the past 2 summers I've noticed the effects of "heat soak" at it's finest. From driving during the hot humid summers days here and brisk nights the car my car always felt much more powerful at night or in cooler wheather.

x2

There is a reason why people have CAI vs SRI. Each to there own I guess!

[michcougar]

Heat soak is not a myth! I used an AEM short ram intake for a year berfore I converted it to a cold air and I can say that hot days sucked. There is a nice thread on here somewhere where a guy measured the temps in and out of the engine bay to determine the loss of power. A member on these boards named GMK sells cold air extensions which I think are very nice.

Not anymore