WHY YOU SHOULD INSTALL AN AFTERMARKET AIR INTAKE
Are you looking to get a bit more power out of your vehicle without spending a fortune? Great! Why not start with a decent aftermarket air intake.
Now, you're not going to make gains like you would if you bolted on a turbo or supercharger, but a decent quality air intake will make a difference. They also don't cost a fortune and are relatively easy to install.
Air intakes come in many shapes and sizes. Some are created specifically for a particular engine, while others will fit in a variety of engine bays. There are also two main types, one is the cold air intake, and the other is the short ram intake.
The short ram intake is pretty much how it's described. It offers the least resistance to the air flowing from the filter to the engine, allowing the throttle body to take in huge gulps of air. This is good, but the intake is usually still relatively close to the engine where the air is warmer.
Cold air intakes are placed as far away from the engine as possible, which often results in longer piping with more bends. This can restrict the free-flowing air more than a short ram, but the air is much cooler, which the engine enjoys more.
So, how do you go about installing one? Well, it's usually pretty simple, and if you've purchased an aftermarket air filter specifically for your car, it will come with instructions, as well as all the hardware and mounts required to do it.
In the video below, Zac from Donut Media takes us through the process on his Mazda Miata project car and makes it look simple enough. The consensus on this particular is that it increases the engine output by 6whp, which is pretty good on a car that weighs very little.
It's definitely worth your time to watch the episode so that you're better prepared to do this yourself. The relative ease of the process makes the small gains in power and sound all the more rewarding.