Corolla Sportivo CAI with stock airbox

[WaynoGTS]

Keywords: CAI corolla sportivo stock induction intake ducting airbox

This is the same mod I did to my old AE93, except that time I used silicon ducting with a 3" helix.

This time I used thermoplastic rubber with a 3" helix. It's fairly thick with rubber on both sides of the helix.

The sound is similar to straight removal of the stock feeder (like a V8). The longer you make the intake, the very slightly quieter it will be. The sound from my SX was more high pitched like a turbo.

Total cost: $30 to $40.

OPTIONS:

THERMO PLASTIC RUBBER

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MULTIFLEX

(I think this is the crap you get from Autobarn. I think it's 100% plastic. No helix.)

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HIGH TEMP

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WHERE TO BUY (BRISBANE):

Tony Powell (Open weekends)

Purple Pig (Not open weekends)

There are multiple length options you can go with:

80cm - from the airbox to resting down on top of the splash guard in front of the radiator in the front bumper. Don't know how effective this would be considering the end is right next to a radiator. Also, there may be an effect on cooling as you're effectively stealing air which might have gone through your radiator.

70cm - from the airbox to a hole cut in the passenger fog light splash guard. Not recommended unless you want to suck up dirt, water, heat straight off the bitumen, etc.

70cm (05 facelift only) - from the airbox to next to the front fog light with a hole cut in the black fog light surround, for sucking in small wildlife and junk. A lot of extra work creating a circular opening in the fog light surround, for more risk. I considered this but honestly wouldn't bother.

60cm - from the airbox to resting next to the front fog light pointing down. Cut it so there's a couple of inches clearance above the slash guard. Obviously don't let it rest flush on top of the splash guard.

40cm - from the airbox straight to behind the passenger headlight. You should cable tie the end of the hose so it points downward into the empty fog light cavity.

I recommend buying 1m for the first 3 options and 50cm for the 40cm option.

Also, DO NOT CUT TO LENGTH WITHOUT PROPERLY FITTING FIRST. The bend right next to the airbox will shorten the ducting considerably.

GETTING THE STOCK FEEDER OUT:

Remove the battery.

Remove the top half of the airbox.

Remove the bottom half of the airbox.

There's a steel line running between the battery and the airbox feeder. Take this out of it's little plastic brack and wedge it down beside the bracket on the battery side.

Remove the stock feeder.

MODIFYING THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE AIRBOX.

The opening to the airbox is 70mm, perfect for clamping the ducting to using a worm drive clamp. The only problem is the corner of the airbox protrudes onto the ring you want to clamp to. The solution to this is to cut away the corner of the airbox. I was short on time and forgot to photo this step. What should be left is 15cm ring all the way around you can securely clamp to.

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INSTALLING NEW FEEDER:

Securely clamp your ducting to the opening in the bottom half of the airbox.

Feed the ducting under your fuze box, through the gap under the headlight and to wherever your option is.

Reinstall everything else.

For the 60cm and 70cm options remove the slash guard under the passenger foglight and remove the black foglight surround to check the placement of the ducting.

Finally, cut your ducting to length.

This is the stock air box feeder:

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Stock in the car:

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Stock feeder compared to thermoplastic rubber:

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Final result:

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IMAGE COUNT EXCEEDED :(

Edited November 10, 2008 by Wayne123R

[TRDYUS]

Very simple and effective mod.

Do you notice anything different at all?

[Kenneth]

i did this a while back, i guess u get bit more cold air into the engine but i couldnt really feel anything different at all..

[J e r e M y]

well..i guess the induction noise was a lil " louder " :D

i dont know if its just in my head thou :\ but yeah ! :D

[WaynoGTS]

The goal isn't to create more power, just more response, noise and air.

MORE PHOTOS

80cm option:

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60cm straight down behind fog light option:

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You can see the compartment is already fairly well ventilated.

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60cm down to beside fog light option:

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Stock fog light surround:

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Modified fog light surround. Unfortunately I didn't have a file handy :(

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Final result:

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Edited November 10, 2008 by Wayne123R

[daviboy]

i have also done this mod, not near as well, i put a 50mm piece of grey electrical conduit, just crammed it in, but was to thin for the entry hole of the airbox. So i gotta redo it again, but i wanna do it with the conjunction of a pod filter inside the airbox.

[TRDYUS]

Now all you need to do is upgrade the stock filter.

Will feel it a little more.

[whitestivo]

I do not recommend this mod. The open entry at the front permits water straight up into the airbox. I mean unlikely, but I'll bet your warranty doesn't cover that. And I'd suggest the gain and noise benefits will be small.

Talk to the dealer. They supply TRD kit, ie a proper CAI with proper benefits.

Full marks for effort, just don't want ppl on the forum thinking this is a good solution.

whitestivo

[WaynoGTS]

I do not recommend this mod. The open entry at the front permits water straight up into the airbox. I mean unlikely, but I'll bet your warranty doesn't cover that. And I'd suggest the gain and noise benefits will be small.

Talk to the dealer. They supply TRD kit, ie a proper CAI with proper benefits.

Full marks for effort, just don't want ppl on the forum thinking this is a good solution.

whitestivo

1. The intake sits in exactly the same spot or higher (depending on the person who implements it) as your hallowed flawless TRD CAI.

2. You have a pre-facelift, so don't assume to be an expert on facelift models.

3. There's a gaping hole in the rear of the airbox for drainage. If you'd ever bothered to look you'd see if the air feed was blocked, air would be drawn in from there instead.

4. Given 3. you'd have to be a moron to drive through water at full throttle to overcome the flow from the drainage opening.

5. Some people may not want a big shiny OBVIOUS modification to their engine.

6. There's no uninterrupted negative pressure between all the openings to the fog light cavity and the ducting - it's not a vacuum direct to outside.

7. If you'd read the guide instead of just looking at the pretty pictures, you'd see I didn't recommend all the available options.

Full marks for effort, just don't want ppl on the forum thinking this is a good solution.

8. People are entitled to think whatever they like.

9. I could pretty much go on all day, but have work to do...

You might want to let people make up their own minds. This guide (and the workshop section) is for making information easy to find. If you want to debate or just post your opinion everywhere you can, I suggest not posting in the workshop section.

[theDefiant1]

Settle down. Your comments may be construed as being inflammatory, not to mention ironic.

You ask for people not to criticise your suggestions by criticising someone elses comments.

The topic on sucking water into the engine has been discussed at length in other threads. Your thread is excellent for people to get thinking about mods they may wish to perform, and how to go about them.

For the records, I have the crappy autobarn pvc pipe sticking out of my '05 airbox, and i have noticed a slight increase in fuel efficiency over long distances, and slightly better engine response.

[CHA54]

I like the ducting solution shown here, also talking to the guy who would be approving/denying a warranty claim on an engine if you had to make one, he doesn't like the TRD intake.

[chicaboo]

I did this mod on one of my Astinas, but I can't remember if there was any significant increase in response or performance, but I certainly do recall how loud the intake became afterwards. :P

The older people might recall as a kid those tubes you would spin around to make a howling sound in the air, they had ribs along them to cause turbulance and make a louder noise, that's the cloest analogy I can make to how much louder this mod is compared to a CAI. But you certainly would get cleaner and cooler air into the engine with this mod and a panel filter. If you could funnel the air into the end of the pipe by some means, you would definately notice a significant increase in power above 80kph or so (which I tried on my Astina too).

Cheers, Gav.

[Blind Kid Seeks]

I do not recommend this mod. The open entry at the front permits water straight up into the airbox. I mean unlikely, but I'll bet your warranty doesn't cover that. And I'd suggest the gain and noise benefits will be small.

Talk to the dealer. They supply TRD kit, ie a proper CAI with proper benefits.

Full marks for effort, just don't want ppl on the forum thinking this is a good solution.

whitestivo

1. The intake sits in exactly the same spot or higher (depending on the person who implements it) as your hallowed flawless TRD CAI.

2. You have a pre-facelift, so don't assume to be an expert on facelift models.

3. There's a gaping hole in the rear of the airbox for drainage. If you'd ever bothered to look you'd see if the air feed was blocked, air would be drawn in from there instead.

4. Given 3. you'd have to be a moron to drive through water at full throttle to overcome the flow from the drainage opening.

5. Some people may not want a big shiny OBVIOUS modification to their engine.

6. There's no uninterrupted negative pressure between all the openings to the fog light cavity and the ducting - it's not a vacuum direct to outside.

7. If you'd read the guide instead of just looking at the pretty pictures, you'd see I didn't recommend all the available options.

Full marks for effort, just don't want ppl on the forum thinking this is a good solution.

8. People are entitled to think whatever they like.

9. I could pretty much go on all day, but have work to do...

You might want to let people make up their own minds. This guide (and the workshop section) is for making information easy to find. If you want to debate or just post your opinion everywhere you can, I suggest not posting in the workshop section.

Settle Down Bro! Are you having a bad day? or are you always like this?

You have 16 posts to your name... so before you start calling people out or coming over all domineering, just take a step back and think that other people here may have a little bit more experience with these cars than you do.

Facelift or Prefacelift... its all the same underneath the "nose job"

TRD, CES, AEM, Injen, DIY CAI's or SRI's has been proven time and time and time again ... for all eternity to gain better Net results than modding the stock airbox.

A better solution for those who dont want to mod the look of their engine bay would be to replace the filter element with something that flows better.... like a K&N panel.

so please, take a chill pill... and listen to what some of the other more experienced people have to say.

[CHA54]

TRD intake doesn't fit a facelift without modifications to the body.

[J e r e M y]

No one is saying this is a fob job or anything.. Its good..I used to have this set up..more induction noise..more response..and maybe even better fuel efficiency..

All whitestivo is saying..CAI is the legit or proper way to go if u want to have the best induction noise..response..and power gains..

:) chill orite

good write up thou..good effort..

[Blind Kid Seeks]

TRD intake doesn't fit a facelift without modifications to the body.

WOW Really? Jaderd has a facelift corolla with a TRD intake... which as far as i can tell.. hasnt had any part of the body modded for it to fit.

which part of the body exactly needs modding?

[CHA54]

the metal lip next to the battery where the CAI turns 90deg down to the filter.

In the facelift this lip protrudes more than on the non-facelift and can interfere with the CAI pipe, most people bend the lip down with pliers etc for adequate clearance.

[WaynoGTS]

Incidentally i am having a bad day, but would react the same regardless.

[Rainman]

I had this same setup on my 1ZZ-FE with a KnN filter. You really need a washable filter for this, cause it does get dirty really quicky.

Ever felt how much power/response your car has when driving during the day, and during at night. You tend to have more power/response when driving at night due to the colder air. Well doing this mod will make you feel like your driving at night all the time :).

Works well. A cheap way of getting colder air to the engine if you don't want to spend a lot of money for a CAI. Another good point is that it takes out the intake restriction that was on the stock piping.

I wanted the piping to be as less as possible, so that the air doesn't have to travel far to the filter; so I had mine just out of the engine bay near the headlights. Still works OK.

After driving home from work; open the bonnet, and the filter box feels cold.

Just adding my 2cents.

Cheers.

[RME1]

Good Work Wayne. DIY heaps more fun than the conventional B)

[Kenneth]

I think for someone that has tried both DIY duct and CAI

I would have to say that although the DIY option gives u more cold air and what not but i find that my stock airbox starts to get REALLY sandy and full of bugs n leaves left me with no option but shove netting to the duct opening which helped keep the bugs n leaves out but still large amount of sand in the airbox,

so at the end of the day you have to vacuum your box once in a while (and please DONT tell me how clean urs is after a week, do not need to know) and that can get abit frustrating. if you really want cold air to ur engine go for a CAI? it gives u a sexy induction noise and once you go CAI u'd never go back, thats what i think..

but at the end of the day if you are happy with what you got :) by all means stick to it but there is NO doubt that the CAI would do the job better in EVERY aspect when it comes to cold air, induction noise and you name it..

Just dont come to a forum thinking you know it all after writing up a workshop submission, there has been loads of trial and error, million of queries re air intake and countless thread about the CAI. Do a quick search and read around, absorb some knowledge and specifics about the corolla :)

[J e r e M y]

I think for someone that has tried both DIY duct and CAI

I would have to say that although the DIY option gives u more cold air and what not but i find that my stock airbox starts to get REALLY sandy and full of bugs n leaves left me with no option but shove netting to the duct opening which helped keep the bugs n leaves out but still large amount of sand in the airbox,

so at the end of the day you have to vacuum your box once in a while (and please DONT tell me how clean urs is after a week, do not need to know) and that can get abit frustrating. if you really want cold air to ur engine go for a CAI? it gives u a sexy induction noise and once you go CAI u'd never go back, thats what i think..

but at the end of the day if you are happy with what you got :) by all means stick to it but there is NO doubt that the CAI would do the job better in EVERY aspect when it comes to cold air, induction noise and you name it..

Just dont come to a forum thinking you know it all after writing up a workshop submission, there has been loads of trial and error, million of queries re air intake and countless thread about the CAI. Do a quick search and read around, absorb some knowledge and specifics about the corolla :)

oh true that..in the end i wrapped the opening of the pipe with netting :D FTW solved the prob..but still sandy after a while thou

[WaynoGTS]

Images removed.

[bonbon]

TRD intake doesn't fit a facelift without modifications to the body.

WOW Really? Jaderd has a facelift corolla with a TRD intake... which as far as i can tell.. hasnt had any part of the body modded for it to fit.

which part of the body exactly needs modding?

Yeah, I installed Luke's and the only thing needed to be cut was the bracket, that needs to be done for pre-facelift as well.

I think people are being abit harsh on Wayne, I did this at the start, but didnt clamp it, had a hose running to the front, didnt really see a difference.

[greg05rolla]

is it possible to have the pics reloaded :D