fifasf

Quick question... I have a 2000 civic SI and am getting a SS in 2 months. I have a cold air intake on my car now, love the throaty sound it makes. Here is my question... I have been reding a lot about a cold air intake for the SS and already for the Redline. But correct me if I am wrong since the SS is intercooled, isn't that better than a cold air intake???? I would think if anything that you would replace the intercooler for a bigger one vs getting a cold air intake. If the cold air intake is the same if not better than the intercooler, than I will go with a cold air intake cause I love the way it make the engine sound.

CustomRaceWorks

well the intercooler does cool down the charge however getting even cooler air into the car prior to the supercharger also helps.

Plus the stock air box on cars tend to be restrictive so you would flow more air as well as getting cooler air, and as we all know cooler air is denser air and the more air you can fill into your cylinders the better the boom!!!!

A larger intercooler may also have similar cooling effects but it wont allow more air into the system and larger intercoolers tend to create a pressure drop in the system so less boost.

hope that helps

fifasf

so getting a cold air intake and replacing the whole intercooler is the best way to go? in other words there will be no intercooler at all? cause I test drover it, loved it by the way, noticed under the hood that there was the factory plastic intake pipe. I am assuming that snakes down to the intercooler. I thought that there might just be an adapter to replace that pipe to attach to the intercooler. So what you are saying is that the intercooler , Stock/aftermarket, restricts the air flow then why put one in there in the first place? All feed back is appreciated dude I would just be worried that since the intercooler in the front dam will be open that water will be more of an issue than normal. Yes/No? .

zinner

Ok couple of notes.

SS/SC is intercooled. It has a laminova air-water intercooler. It's not an air-air intercooler that are easy to spot on the turbo cars. It has a intercooler core between the blower and the intake manifold. That core is fed by cool water from the heat exchanger that is sandwhiched with the normal engine radiator up front.

The SS/SC air intake is via the driver fender well. So while the air box *might* be a bit restrictive it's already getting colder air from outside the engine compartment.

There isn't any aftermarket air intake for the SS/SC yet, the redline intake are not designed to fit. Yes it's the same engine/drive train but if you pop the hood on the cars the routing for the air intake is not the same.

zinner

The SS/SC intercooler system won't cause pressure drops since it's a heat exchanger core inside the intake manifold. No extra volume to fill. I don't see how you easily upgrade the intercooler cores in the intake manifold, but I guess you could upgrade the external heat exchanger in front of the radiator, though it's pretty huge as it is....

fifasf

Last question then....... Is it better to get a upgraded intercooler, or a CAI or SRA?????

zinner

Whats an SRA? I think secure remote access as a network security guy.

Depends what you want to do. I don't think upgrading the intercooler would do you any good in stock form since it works as is (prevents detonation), CIA would probably help with air flow so that would be my first step.

You want to increase air flow to the engine (CFM) if you want more power. A bigger intercooler system would give you possibly cooler air, but IMO the drop in intake temps/increase air density wouldn't be enough bang for the buck for me.

Probably better off with a CIA (which don't exist yet) to open up the intake tract for more air.

On the topic of air intakes and CFM:

Chevy racing got 350 HP on a 2.0 Ecotec block with 2 PSI of boost. That just shows you what opening the intake and exhaust tracts can do to improve air flow effiecencies. Of course you couldn't drive that motor on the street...

So you don't necessarily need high boost pressures to make power. Remember the boost pressure is an indication that the engine can't flow any more air so it's backing up in the intake and creating that pressure.

fifasf

CAI it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for the input.. I hope the CAI will sound as good if not better with a SC than on my SI ..Love the low rumble of a CAI but want to hear more of that Whine!!!! Test drove both redline and SS, like the SS way better, but you can hear more whine on the redline. Hope the CAI helps. Also taking off the insulation under the hood would help too.

grand prix guy

I think you're a bit confused on what a CAI does vs what an intercooler does. On a boosted engine, such as the LSJ, an intercooler cools the air after the supercharger. Since the supercharger is a roots type blower, it's notorious for heating the air A LOT as it enters the engine. The intercooler cools it down as it enters the engine. Now, a CAI, or cold air intake, take air in from someone cool (hence the name), probably the fenderwell. The intercooler itself doesn't suck air in. That's the job of the CAI. You want both on a boosted car. More COLDER air in = more power.

fifasf

OK. I understand what a CAI ... but I don't understand how an intercooler works. I do now thanks. So I can assume that This car uses both. I though the intercooler was an intake in place of the CAI. So I can keep the intercooler and slap on a CAI, correct?

DanM

Yes, you can have both. They're not mutually exclusive. As everyone said, intercooler = AFTER the supercharger, between the supercharger and the intake manifold (or technically part of the intake manifold, but whatever...). Intake = BEFORE the supercharger.

zinner - FINALLY someone that understands boost. I keep trying to explain to people that 20lbs is a very bad thing, it means your engine can't breathe for ****. Lots of newb type people think "more boost!! more boost!! more boost!!". It's about smart design and component matching, not just cranking **** up until something snaps.

fifasf

Sweet you guys rock. Now I would have to decide on a SAI or CAI. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Oh yea one more thing, what is the stock boost rating? If you add an after market intake I assume you gain more boost..??

CobaltSS313

No i dont believe u get more boost but you do get colder air into the engine....and colder air equals more power

fifasf

Since it's already supercharged amd intercooled than going with a short rather than CAI would not make that big of a difference.....right? Yes I understand that a CAI is colder air ...more ponies......but will it make that big of a difference?

Chevy4Life85

Heres your problem,

Stop associating the intercooler with the intake...

Think of it this way, your car is already set up with an intercooler and an intake... all you are doing by putting a "cold air" intake is making the air that the intake takes in colder... nothing more nothing less.

This isnt some life changing mod that will change everything your only basically changing the way your intake system takes in air...

It will make a difference but dont get it confused with a big performance mod, your only changng the way you take in air nothing else.

zinner

The intake on the SS/SC is already inside the fender well. The actual intake mouth is right behind the driver side headlight. The only improvement I can see is a free flowing intake.