Pod Filters Vs Cold Box

[Justa]

Hi Guys, I just wanted to get some advice on the Pros and Cons of Pod filters and Cold boxes for a N/A engine. I trying to and idea of Cost Vs Performance and Power gain to Power lose when upgrading from Stock.

Any advice is much appreciated.

[addy287]

Cold box will be better for performance, especially if you drive in traffic alot to avoid heat soaking your engine. Short ram will be cheaper though...

[SuperDave]

From personnel experience a CAI is much much better than a SRI, even in moving traffic. SRIs suck in hot air in their very nature, don't believe people who say "but yeah once you're moving the air in the engine bay is the same as outside air"; the air in the engine bay has to pass through the radiators and is obviously heated in that process, not to mention the hot engine is also in the engine bay.

Same car (Celica), same route, same air temp (29ºC) the SRI would read an intake temp of 66ºC while the CAI would read 30ºC. That was while moving (100 km/h) with the engine up to temperature. Stop start traffic it only got worse for the SRI while the CAI only changed slightly.

[Hiro]

I think the OP needs to clarify whether they are talking about pod filters in general or SRIs in particular - you can mount a pod filter in a position that receives the same air as a CAI without any of the drawbacks of the SRI. Some people just seem to assume pod = SRI, it doesn't always.

[addy287]

I think the OP needs to clarify whether they are talking about pod filters in general or SRIs in particular - you can mount a pod filter in a position that receives the same air as a CAI without any of the drawbacks of the SRI. Some people just seem to assume pod = SRI, it doesn't always.

Not to mention that an unboxed pod is illegal in NSW...even then i know a few guys who have been defected when their pod was fully inclosed!

[Justa]

I think the OP needs to clarify whether they are talking about pod filters in general or SRIs in particular - you can mount a pod filter in a position that receives the same air as a CAI without any of the drawbacks of the SRI. Some people just seem to assume pod = SRI, it doesn't always.

I didnt know that there was a diffrence, but I was thinking of SRI. BTW what is the diffrence?

[Kenneth.]

I was always under the impression that CAI's give more response in the higher RPM ranges, where as SRI's give more response in the lower-mid RPM ranges.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong?

[addy287]

I was always under the impression that CAI's give more response in the higher RPM ranges, where as SRI's give more response in the lower-mid RPM ranges.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong?

Not true, pretty much the only difference will be the cooler air with the CAI with will give you a little more power than the SRI but even then its hardly noticeable. You may also get a slight change in induction noise depending on your setup.

My current setup screams just as loud as a SRI but in a much deeper tone, and without the drawbacks. Trial and error and at the end of the day its your car, each to their own.

[Kenneth.]

I was always under the impression that CAI's give more response in the higher RPM ranges, where as SRI's give more response in the lower-mid RPM ranges.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong?

Not true, pretty much the only difference will be the cooler air with the CAI with will give you a little more power than the SRI but even then its hardly noticeable. You may also get a slight change in induction noise depending on your setup.

My current setup screams just as loud as a SRI but in a much deeper tone, and without the drawbacks. Trial and error and at the end of the day its your car, each to their own.

Ahh cool, thanks for clearing that up for me then! =)

[Hiro]

I think the OP needs to clarify whether they are talking about pod filters in general or SRIs in particular - you can mount a pod filter in a position that receives the same air as a CAI without any of the drawbacks of the SRI. Some people just seem to assume pod = SRI, it doesn't always.

I didnt know that there was a diffrence, but I was thinking of SRI. BTW what is the diffrence?

A cold air intake is simply any sort of intake that draws in, surprise surprise, cold air. An SRI is a Short Ram Intake, and despite the name has no ram-air effect whatsoever - it is basically a pod filter sitting in the engine bay with a short pipe to the throttle body. It generally equals hektik induction noise but negligible performance benefit over a stock system.

Here is an example of a pod filter being used in a CAI setup:

Pod filter (cicled in red as it is a bit hard to see) sitting inside the front guard between the wheel and the front bumper - splashguard is converted into a make-shift scoop

And the piping in the engine bay - makes use of the hole in the front guard where the intake resonator normally sits, removes all the nasty bends and squishes of the stock intake.

[SuperDave]

Also worth noting in my air intake temperature experiment the stock airbox was only a couple degrees higher than the CAI. The downside of the stock airbox is obviously the very rough and undersized tubing.

[Justa]

Sweet, Thank Guys. The reason behind this topic is becasue the SRI is orded is currently out of stock and there was the option on just repacing the stock filter with a K&N one. I think Ill just order the Replacement.