DIY Cold Air Intake (CAI) - PVC piping

DIY Cold Air Intake (CAI) - PVC piping

with only 55kw at the engine, micra pulls pretty hard from factory. i think its because of the gear ratio and the lightweight body... but as usual, it still felt restricted...

ok, so i tested the micra in a 'safe controlled environment' i got it up to 145kmh... and after 1minute, lol, it eventually reach 150kmh (4th)... it just wouldnt go anymore.... even after i shift to 5th, it stays there...

so, i'm making this cold air intake, hope it will help the response and help the starvation at top end... originally me and shaun made it just a short ram and run the pipe to the side of the engine, but i cannot be bothered buying another agled PVC to make the air feed to the pod filter... so i recided to collect direct cold air from behind the front grill.

i bought 1 meter of 65mm PVC($13), 90degree 65mm ($6), and 45degree 65mm ($6), acrylic gap sealer ($1.50), insulation tape ($12), 65mm coupler ($2), PVC pipe braket ($1.30)... the intake pod filter is free, from shaun(thx man)... the heat shield is from the left over aluminium sheet i had from the 350Z.


here we go:

1. 
   i make up the first mock up, to make sure i can close the bonnet
   
   
2. 
   the pod filter that i get from shaun has metal surround and its separable from the rubber mount. since the inside has no funnel shaped rubber, i decided to split the pod filter and put one funnel inside using 65mm coupler
   
   
3. 
   so, i heat up the end of the coupler with heat gun and push it against a normal plastic funnel.
   
   
4. 
   here it is once its done. nice little trumpet... probably most ppl think it wont make any different. i just think every little bit counts.
   
   
5. 
   put the PVC funnel back into the pod filter
   
   
6. 
   reattach the rubber mount
   
   
7. 
   now pull out the PVC funnel, it should stop once the funnel reach the rubber mount neck. this will make sure that the funnel sits at the bottom / exit of the pod filter
   
   
   here is the inside view
   
   
8. 
   since the pod is going to sit between the grill and the header, i made a aluminium shield to cover it from radiant heat.
   
   
   
   
9. 
   mock up setting done...
   
   
10. 
    clamp it with PVC bracket and made up an 'L' shaped metal bracket to hold the pipe in place.
    
    
11. 
    i put this protective insulation tape to protect the piping from engine heat. it might me overkill here (coz PVC might have some sort of heat resistance already), but i better be safe.
    
    
12. 
    i use the stock nipple from the stock airbox to mount the return hose to the intake.
    
    
13. 
    Cold Air Intake is done... its not exactly pretty... but its cheap it cost me around $40 all up.
    

Test Drive: after the CAI, i amost reached 140kmh in 3rd gear... it used to stop pulling at 6000rpm... now it pulls all the way to 7100rpm... and shift up to 4th and i reached 160kmh and still pulling hard... i had to stop coz shaun yelled "COPS! COPS! COPS!"

here is the video of the CAI sound. nothing new... just like any other CAI. ^_^

Link