DIY cold air intake, CAI (PICS & Video!)

[xluben]

Updated Pics and Video added to post #4

i was looking at cold air intakes and short ram intakes on ebay, but was advised that by removing the stock resonator box has nearly the same affect, so i decided to try it.

basically took ideas from these threads:

http://www.6thgenaccord.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1289

http://www.6thgenaccord.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2311

but i took a couple more pics

here's what i pulled out:

intake, filter, airbox, mounting bracket, and resonator

(you can get it all out without removing the mounting bracket, but getting the airbox back in with the intake in the new spot will cause a problem)

removing the airbox and mounting bracket is pretty self explanatory, find the screws and remove them. the intake just pulls out.

to get the resonator out i found it was just easier to take off the bumper. if you don't know how:

http://www.filtsai.com/accord/bumper_removal/index.php

here's the resonator:

you can see a hole on the right and left, this is what holds it on.

the one on the right (front of car) was easy to access.

the other one is tucked behind the wheel well. i had to turn the wheels to the right, then pull back the plastic and use a socket with extension to get it off.

once this is out you can put the bumper back on.

here's the top of the resonator:

the round hole connects to the intake, and the oval one goes to the airbox.

the oval part is actually a rubber gasket that pulls off:

take it off and stick it on the bottom of the airbox:

then stick the intake into the other side:

here's the airbox w/intake in the proper position (ignore the resonator, it's just holding the airbox in place for the pic):

now go bolt the air box back in place, and you're done. free cold air intake!


notes: the gasket does not hold the intake in super tightly so a properly sized hose clamp or even a zip tie might be good.

i just drove 15-20 miles, city/highway and it's still firmly in place, so i don't' think it's a huge issue, and if it does fall off, it shouldn't be going anywhere, but if you drive on really bumpy roads it would be recommended.

Updated Pics and Video added to post #4

 

[ktz_04]

we already had this thread.. some cali pips did this already...

search....

 

[xluben]

we already had this thread.. some cali pips did this already...

search....

yeah, i linked to two other links i found after much searching.

i just thought a couple extra pics would help out the noobs (like me).

 

[xluben]

i figured i'd rather not have any chance of this thing coming loose so i;

bought some hose clamps
trimmed off about 1/2" from the intake tube so it seats fully in the gasket
cut off the bent tube coming out of the intake (and taped it off)


to fully seat the intake tube into the gasket i had to trim off about 1/2" of the top of the intake.

while i was trimming i took off the bent tube because air rushing past it would cause turbulence and reduce airflow.

to plug up the hole i just made i wrapped some electrical tape around it.

then i stuck it all together and tightened down the clamps. now it's not going anywhere.





as you can see it's firing straight forward towards the bumper.

when i originally did this i thought it sounded pretty much the same.

now, after cutting that bent tube off of the intake it now has a bit more aggressive sound. not super noticeable, but it's there.

also, with the stock intake configuration i would get a dark puff of smoke every time i went into vtec.

now this is gone! and the car seems a bit more lively in the top half of the rpm range.

of course this could be in my head (i haven't done performance mods before), but the smoking problem is now much better

EDIT: made a quick vid so you can hear how it sounds.

 

[ktz_04]

yeah, i linked to two other links i found after much searching.

i just thought a couple extra pics would help out the noobs (like me).

good diy tho...

 

[ryan s]

i had mine like this for a few months...then i smoothed out the ridges in the upper and lower halves and cut a giant hole in the bottom.

waaaaaaay louder and better throttle response without the tube

 

[xluben]

i had mine like this for a few months...then i smoothed out the ridges in the upper and lower halves and cut a giant hole in the bottom.

waaaaaaay louder and better throttle response without the tube

which ridges? the ones in here:

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/3016/intake018smallul7.jpg

but what do you mean by 'upper and lower halves'?

if the ridges are facing the same direction as airflow (which i believe they are) then they would actually help to stabilize the flow.

i realize that the main bottle-neck is the small hole going into the airbox, and opening this up would help flow a lot (which is what you did).

BUT, if i open this hole AND put on a larger tube, would this help flow even more?

i was thinking something like this:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=268-352

with a 90 degree elbow before one of the flares.

but after the port and the elbow, i'm going to be up to nearly the cost of the ebay intake

 

[jdmaccord6]

I did what ryan s did and smoothed out the ridges and openned the hole up at the bottom. Don't buy the partsexpress stuff because you can just got to a home depot or menards and get some pvc piping to work just the same...or if you really want you can try autozone or something similar and get exhaust tubing. I just happened to hack up my old short ram tubing and use that. The only other bottleneck in the stock system would be the piping. I'm still trying to figure out how to get a bigger or at least smoother piping from the air box to the manifold.

 

[xluben]

I did what ryan s did and smoothed out the ridges and openned the hole up at the bottom. Don't buy the partsexpress stuff because you can just got to a home depot or menards and get some pvc piping to work just the same...or if you really want you can try autozone or something similar and get exhaust tubing. I just happened to hack up my old short ram tubing and use that.

i was just going to get it for the flared ends to help airflow.

The only other bottleneck in the stock system would be the piping. I'm still trying to figure out how to get a bigger or at least smoother piping from the air box to the manifold.

i think you're just gonna end up with a cold air intake when you're done.

might as well just get one on ebay for $30, it'll be cheaper than all the new stuff.

 

[ryan s]

before:

after:

top is de-ridged as well