Focus Fanatics Forum banner

So you want to buy an intake?

84K views 270 replies 156 participants last post by  murrayjay57 
#1 ·
for the most part there are two types of intakes

1.short ram
2. CAI

there are others such as Ram Air, and custom setups which differ and fit both or neither of the categorys, Forced Induction often replaces the need for either one and utilizes its own intake system

here we will discuss the main two and which is right for you and the differnt brands

1. Short Rams
are basically a short piece if piping or tubing which generally have a larger internal diameter than stock and use a cone or similar shaped filter to induce a better flow of air into the intake stream. this type of intake is abundant and usually less exspensive than its counterpart. they are usually less favored because they pull in hot air from under the engine bay, which many dislike and choose CAI for

some companies and types of short rams:

AEM metal piping, some use the stock MAF housing and some relocate it onto the pipe which doesnt allow for an MAF upgrade, however somwhat makes up for it

BOMZ this cheap alternative uses metal piping and offers a less exspensive route to a better intake system, though its method of sale (Ebay) somwhate lowers expectations on quality

MAC also uses metal piping this one is a good compromise of dollars for performance, nice intake for the price

STEEDA very similar to the AEM and MAC only w/ a name and price tag


others include STR, Ractive, K&N, Weapon R, INJEN, HP Racing and many others


CAI or cold air induction is known so because of the way it extends its search for air beyond under the hood, there are differnt types of CAI, some will debate whether they are or not but for ease of argument i will divide them into two differnt categories

Standard CAI (Metal, one or few piece tube) these use their own mounting for the MAFs which doesnt allow for an MAF upgrade usually extend towards the bottom of the front left of the car, these are known to have problems such as causing the engine to stall upon starting, and being submerged in water, there are alternatives to fix the latter problem such as Bypass valves, which involve cutting the pipe and installing the valve somwhere usually in the engine compartement in the intake line so that when the filter is submerged the valve pulls in the dry engine air. Some of these include INJEN, AEM, and BOMZ, which also make short rams, and come in a many varities of colors and finishes as well as many other makes and models, these intakes were popular "back in the day" but there are better alternatives to most of them which brings me to the second category


Intakes like the FOCUS CENTRAL and VOLANT are known favorites, they utilize the CAI method while maintaining most of the stock placements of filters and MAF positions, and in doing so dissolve the two problems of the latter CAIs, they usually include a larger diameter piping or tubing running from the Throttle Body to the MAF, (uses stock MAF and allows for upgrade of MAF), and then connecting to the air box, which although some of them use the stock box, most include thier own alternative, these intakes then extend beyond in their own method, such as these three main ones

FOCUS CENTRAL uses a rubber elbow and a metal pipe combined w/ its own open topped air box containing a cone filter, comes w/ snorkel, the open top box functions w/ the Ram Air hood, also offered by Focus Central, user comments are not the best looking but serves function

VOLANT seems to be the favorite of this site, uses plastic tubing that runs from the tb to its own open top box, should also work w/ the FC or similar hood, also allows for SVT snorkel upgrade

ICEMAN similar to Volant except utilizes the stock box, comes w/ drop in panel filter, and mini snorkel for the resonator hole, as well as an upgraded intake snorkel, looks to be stock which is a plus for CARB tight states


filters can often be a secondary choice on the intake, primarily the provided intake filter is usually high flowing enough, others offer such alternatives such as the ITG filter which has a heatshield(fits most short rams and stock tube) but as for the price it is generally considered not worth it, and the highest flowing filter isnt always the best, remember what filters are for it is best to have a high flowing filter that also filters out all harmful particles which could cause imediate or collective damage

hope this helps some ppl , lemme know all the stuff i forgot or should change so i can make it the best

ill leave the rest here for questions and answers on the intake material
 
See less See more
#103 ·
the volant is pricey but worth the extra money, if you want to save i'd say go iceman then, the volant and iceman are two of the better performing intakes for the focus...however the only true cool air intake is the AEM but gains are still questionable on the comparison of the three. I personally went with the volant but was considering the iceman too
 
#110 ·
one thing im not clear on. while focus central says thier intake is cold. dosn't it only really work with there hood? otherwise the intake is in the same place as stock doing the same thing. with their hood cold air is allowed to pass to the intake right so then it works.

can someone make this clear for me, because other wise it seams to be half advertising.
 
#111 ·
All i have to say is that I a very happy that I found this site.I can get lots of useful information and see lots of great pics of everyones rides.Since i live so close to Focus Central I think i will have to take a short drive there to get my CAI.Wheels however are going to be my biggest problem.There are just not enuf out on the market that really catches my eye.
 
#113 ·
i found a volant cai for $277 and i'm thinking about getting it. does it add the sweet sound that most intakes do? yeah i know that's a dumb question but i want the sound! haha. also, does it increase hp enough to feel any sort of difference and if it does by how much? i have an spi engine and i heard that i have to get an extra part for the intake to work. is this so? I appreciate any response.
thanks.
 
#115 ·
mofo great post man thanks.... Have you ever looked at the torque curve of a OEM filter assembly Vs. CIA Vs. Shortram. The cold air does infact (obviously) induct much cooler air. But you do get some gains with the SR intake. This is a prefrence thing. I have both a CIA and a SR intake and I swap them from time to time.... and im beging to like my Short Ram more... But im also using an HKS foam filter on it which is supurb!
 
#117 ·
CAI

Check this out! I'm an avid reader of the mag, and i've just recently purchased a new focus zx3. One of the first mods I decided to put on my ride was an aftermarket intake. I chose the cheap BOMZ CAI. Let this serve as a warning, DO NOT buy any CAI BOMZ listed to fit the new 2005 Focus zx3, it won't fit! I had one heck of a time customizing the intake sensor port on the piping. It looks to me like they, so far, are only designed to fit the older Focus ZEtech engines. Though I finally got it to work, it was three days of guess work that you don't want!
And anyone that has any info. on reliable places to get mods for the new '05 Duratec would really be a big help for me. The only place that even list parts that supposedly fit my car is ebay, and I've lost my faith for that route!! My email is nickmays04@yahoo.com. any feedback is welcome!
 
#118 ·
I have a 00 LX and i am wondering if i get a CAI will it fit my engine it is SOHC, and how are the CAI off ebay. as long as i put a good filter on will it be the same. i think my throttle body is smaller then a DOHC zetec engine....
 
#119 ·
CAI

Mrorange7878,

NOw that i've went back and read the thread I posted maybe I came off a little stand offish!
Ebay intakes are okay. Most dealers on ebay are reputable businesses it's just that the intake I purchased was not the right design for my 05 zx3. It also depends on how much you want to spend I spent something like 56$ after s/h. But for about a 100$ you can purchase a good CAI off of ebay. Just type in the make and model of your car and you should get pages of all kinds of int. and ext. mods for your car. But as far as CAI there are different designs such as ram or short style or the long style.Just read everything the dealer has posted about the part. You should have no problem. If anything else goes wrong Please just email me personally at nickmays04@yahoo.com for any specific questions. I appreciate the response! DRIVE HARD, DRIVE FAST!!!
I'm having some problems with this site email me so I can get your address and I can answer you more specifically!
 
#121 ·
CAI

I guess that might depend on the model and make of your vehicle. but I would guess you have a focus. I'm from a very small town in southeastern kentucky called Manchester. There are not speed shops around. But If you have purchased a short ram CAI and it is a reputable brand and from a reputable store than you should have received directions for it. Its very easy believe me! If you are mechanically challenged like I am then you could look around on the net a bit and easily find some pics and more detailed instructions. Basically you just take out the stock hosing or piping, usually there will be a lot of it with a huge filter probably encased in some plastic. You'll then run the pipe provided for you out of the intake port(where all that stock small pipe runs into motor) and on the other end mount the filter that came with the CAI. Man if I can do this I know you can! When you order a CAI they're model specific so there isn't any guees work where and how to run the pipe and where to mount the pipe if you want to. in one sentence- Take out alll of the hosing from the motor to the filter, then just run the aftermarket piping and put the filter on the end. then take the sensor that originally is attached to the stock piping, and attach it to the piping that came with you CAI. A port will have been already fabricated into the pipe so there is no snag there. Your engine light may stay on for a few days afterwards. Just disconnect your hot post of your battery for 10 seconds then hook it back up. Turn on the engine and let it run for 5 minutes, turn on your air conditioner then drive normally for 10 to 15 miles-this allows your engine's computer to re-learn it's idle and fuel trim strategy. and magic your done.
Any customization shop or good mechanic could do this for you. But by doing it yourself you know exactly what you got and how it works if you ever have any trouble, and you don't have pay anything. Anything else, just let me know man!
Drive hard, drive Fast! Nick
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top