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ABS Tube C.A.I

1K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  Toolman 
#1 ·
Ok i've had some skeptical ppl pm me on this one i do have a 3" I.D ABS C.A.I setup
or as i call it the RONA Speacial or Home depot to those from the south

I'll explain this incase there are some curious ppl wanting to try this just to find out.

Parts/Pieces used

1 3' or 4' straight tube
2 90* elbows
1 3 1/2" K&N cone airfilter (or cheepie version to try)
3 3 "band/worm gear clamps
4 2"long pieces of 1/8" flat bar/steel

1 BIG CREATIVE MIND Crafting one your self takes some time an a bit of skill .

I did this mainly as a joke but it turned out to be faily functional. an for 10$ worth of abs tube it sounds really nice.

I'm goin to post pics on how i did it .

What is your opinion on this?
 
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#5 ·
Yeah, PVC might be a bad idea, it lets off Chlorine gas when it burns, but if I'm not mistaken (searches for old chemistry teacher) PVC will handle 300 deg F fairly well without losing integrity. I'd reccomend the gray electrical work schedule 40 variety over the plumbing schedule 80 (40 is thicker), but you might want to see what the pricing is on CPVC pipe that is a stronger version of PVC which doesn't let off Chlorine gas fumes when it burns, and has greater structural integrity as well as heat tolerance. I might be mistaken about the heat tolerance, but check manufacturer's bragging stickers to be sure. I'd also reccomend using "blue" glue instead of standard clear PVC glue because of it's strong resistance to the elements. There's also an even higher strength "purple" glue that's used in CPVC sprinkler systems that might be better if you can find a small enough can to limit the extra cost to a couple of bucks.

For all of you really adventurous yahoo's... go to an electrical supply house and see if they have 3" flexible plastic conduit available. This is most definately ABS and not PVC, but you can check the writing on the side to be sure. This type is only available with an inner metal sheathing, and it's called "Sealtight". The inner sheathing is removable-- with a little effort it unwinds like a spring. However it WILL cost more, about $3/ft depending on what part of the country you live in. There's also a blue type of tubing called ENT or "smurf tube" which I know is not PVC, but I'm not sure if it comes in sizes up to 3" ID. Also, you might want to ask if they have "Car-flex" in 3" size, Car-flex is flexible plastic tubing without the metal sheathing, and they'd be happy to get rid of it since it's no longer acceptable by code for electrical installations.

The thought crosses my mind every time I go in to get more material. I'll do some question asking about ENT and what we might be able to use the next time I'm in there and hook y'all up[;)]
 
#6 ·
yea i have a small advantage thow i have almost everything redily availible to me at work lathe to trim down the tube , the "purple" glue u speak of ... the stuff we have we use for sealing up transmissions an it costs about 35$ a tube but anything that withstands heat/oil/solvents ect. will work the abs i have is 1/4" thick an resists heat up to 450*
when i get this all complete ill put up picks an maybe if i suck up to lilpzev enough he can put it in the HOW TO section for you guys to have a peek at. it will be pretty detailed an lot of pics to look at . when i get my nerves back ill attempt a MAF tube from abs too. for more heat resistance you can wrap the tube in metal tape "duct repair/muffler repair tape" for those who live in canada rona (old building box stores) will have this metal duct tape an Canadian tire will have it as Muffler repair tape diffence from the two is 8$ the duct stuff being cheaper
 
#7 ·
well i got it made all except the bottem piece no more hesitation ether an my engine light went out FINALLY[headbang] [headbang] alot more responsive than it was with the stock box.
 
#10 ·
#12 ·
lol none that i know of..i dont have it on my car any more i got a cosworth C.a.I an im headin for a cossi intake manifold. it works really well actualy you'll notice it it give it a bit more of a growel
 
#14 · (Edited)
ABS Tube CAI

Hey haunted_battleship, could you please clarify? It looks like you actually dyno'd your homemade CAI, and got a 13hp increase. At one point you were getting lots of check-engine-lights, then you said you got that resolved - but then you bought one of the most expensive CAI's out there - Cosworth. Why, may I ask?
 
#15 ·
lol the term "beat 90" falls under a alternative to a swear word an the word crazy.

it only threw a cell becuase i had other problems i was unaware of. berimetric sensor,wiring issues ect.
i only used the A.B.S as a mach up for a steel an aluminum design its easy an cheap to work with an the results are pretty much the same . an if ur short on cash it can give you an idea on what to exspect for preformance if you did buy one from marcy or focus central ect.

as i mentioned before in some of my other posts i have made some c.a.i systems for some of my friends an ppl that they know only 3 were 05 foci .

i'm currently working on a Twin filter set for my zx3 so i hope it turns out.
 
#16 ·
haunted_battleship - Thanks for the response! You were replying at the very moment that I was editing my question(s) though - could you please tell me why you changed your setup to a Cosworth CAI, when you were getting a 13hp increase before it? None of the CAI manufacturers even claim to get that much increase!
 
#17 ·
because it was given to me. an i wanted to see my self how good it was.

I just finished putting it on my sisters ST. seeing how im gonna try for a different approach to my air induction i put my prototype back on for now.

once that stupid big stock box is outa there its easy to change stuff.

if ur in need of measurements an stuff to make ur own i can give em to ya an a step by step how to with pics.
 
#18 ·
Thanks - I'd really appreciate a step-by-step with pics! I'll send you a PM in case you want that to send me the stuff...
 
#19 ·
ABS Tube CAI

Hey haunted_battleship - are you still putting together instructions and pics? I've been looking every day for them... I pm'd my email address to you, and have been monitoring this thread. Are ya out there?
 
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