stags

Hey gents-

Im wondering what the best CAI is for the absolute BEST performance gain. Anything dyno backed is a plus. w/ tune obvi... Or would it be best to ask Bama @ AM what numbers theyve gotten from various intakes?

Also, are any CAI systems compatible with the Xcharger?

Nuke

Don't bother asking. All of the tune-required CAI's are equivalent in performance. Anyone that claims one CAI as being superior on a NA S197 is full of crap or an employee of the "best CAI" company. A stand-alone CAI... well, don't bother, either.

aaquib1992

^+1, there is no BEST CAI when it comes to performance. However, when it comes to build quality/ease of install I would say stick with the well known brand names like steeda or C&L, etc.

Don't go the cheap route with those amazon.com CAIs because they are low on build quality, and are usually some kind of "universal" intake which means poor fit for the mustang, or no heat shield included.

jimkaray

Taking Nuke's point one step further VMP did intake comparisons early on and determined that the intake tube made no noticeable improvement over the stock rubber intake tube. To keep down the cost of their power package all they provide is a larger diameter MAF w/ a free flow filter & tuner/tunes. The stock tube isn't as pretty but it gets the job done in a n/a set up.

stags

Good to know guys... Im thinking about doing the Ford Racing CAI w SCT Tuner combo from American Muscle. Thoughts welcomed. Ive also been considering the WMS High velocity intake w/ shroud.... Ive heard people who swear its the beaz nees and people who hate it... I tend to agree with those who would claim ram air cant possibly produce enough pressure to influence power, although I do thing that the positioning of this CAI (Right in front of the tb and behind the scoops of my cervini type iv hood) would allow the engine to breath easier (Not suck air through my dirty tire well) and I also like the idea of the short straight flow to the TB... although some have also said that the proximity of the MAF meter to the TB causes turbulence that can mess up the MAF meter...

stags

Also, and this is just me spouting out ideas- would an 80 mm MAF housing minimize/ eliminate the problems caused by TB turbulence?

Nuke

The stock TB flows more than well enough for most mods. No matter what you do with the CAI and piping, the engine internally can ingest only so much air. You could put a ram scoop on and it won't do squat unless you do cams, LT's and other mods to increase the engines internal and exiting flow rates. As stated earlier, it doesn't matter how much more you open the airway; even aftermarket TB's won't add power on most NA applications; she can only suck up to a specific volume of air and no more.

stags

I understand that with the NA S197 All you can do is let the engine breathe easier, and that you cant force inmore air than it wants to take in. Like trying to feed a 3 year old.

That said, Im also trying to think big picture (IE not spending alot on mods now that ill just have to replace in the future), and someday I do plan to go FI.... Prolly with an Xcharger Xtreme in 2-3 years, 4 at the max. Upgrade the drivetrain with t3650 tranny, spec stage 2 or 3 clutch/ flywheel, driveshaft, 8.8" rear end w 4.10 gears(Before the X to be safe). get a suspension system designed by sam strano, and dual exhaust with an x pipe. I figure ill drive the car hard for a couple years and then do a rebuild with aftermarket heads and cams. may thow in pistons and rods at the same time (Why not, if I can find them?) At that point, throw a smaller pulley on the X and go for 15 Psi boost (The xtreme runs 9-10 as is) and we shoot for the 400 hp club.

As far as the TB question is concerned, ive read alot of mixed things. MOst say the BBK 70mm kit is crap. The Zabtek is $400, and hasnt been thoroughly reviewed. Strannigans port and polish is most highly touted tb upgrade, but i dont know if that really does anything.

I know thats an expensive proposition. And farsighted. But the fact is I love my car. And have no intention of selling it. Or putting in a 4.6L unless something catastrophic happens before I start engine mods/ get the X.

So that leads my to my current predicament of wanting to up the HP of my pony without spending a huge amount of money on something that I'll just throw away later. Ive looked at the X alot, and it looks like they use a no tune required and cheap K&N CAI. Eyeballing it, I bet I could keep the Ford Racing cai and reuse the rubber air hose, using whatever is the largest MAF meter I have at that point. Obvi ill always need tunes so the SCT will be a good investment anyway I cut it. And underdrive pulley might give me 5 HP, but thats prolly on a good day and little bang for $300.

stags

To the extent of things I wont just throw away later- the exhaust system might be a good place to start- shorty headers, hi flo cats, and the newtakeoff V6 dual conversion kit? Mayb go to dual boomtubes (My single boomtube axelback sounds so sweet)...

Wont net a huge HP gain now, but will sure be good to have if/when a supercharger gets thrown in.

TheBocSez

I agree, thats why I chose the FRPP CAI, think its the best looking of them all.