gambi06

OK, so I just installed my CAI...I got a C&L "street" kit without the inlet pipe on ebay. I am using it with my factory rubber inlet tube (Think Steeda kit, and you get the idea)

Anyway, after driving in to work this morning, I popped the hood to make sure everything was doing ok, and...wow! That aluminum MAF housing gets too hot to touch! Not to mention the rest of the inlet tube wasn't much cooler. Plus, my upper radiator hose touches the inlet tube, right where it connects to the MAF now, so there's more heat...

Granted, it's 100 degrees here right now, so 'cool' is a relative term. So, it gets me to thinking...is my inlet air now HOTTER than is was with the factory setup? I mean, what good is the heat shield on the filter end, if the incoming air is met with a MAF and tube that you could just about fry an egg on?

I have an idea, though. I have an aluminized kevlar fire suit that I bought at a garage sale a few years ago. I've already used it for a few Halloween costumes, so it's time to "repurpose" it! It's one of those types of fabrics that you can take a blowtorch to, while you are wearing it, and it doesn't get hot. My thought is, if I make a sleeve, so to speak, and use it to cover my inlet and MAF, it'll definitely keep the heat out. It probably won't look pretty, but it could prove to really cool down that incoming air charge. Anybody tried anything like this?

-Gambi06

bob

If you wanna check out the inlet temps, get a good OBDII reader that displays the cars running inputs, I hooked one up to my 02 when I had it and road to work monitoring the data, the air temperature temps were eye popping with the steeda CAI on the car, moving down the raod it wasn't bad, but the intake temp soared at stops when airt wasn't moving around the engine compartment, at best, it was barely above the outside temp, but at a rest IIRC, it would shot up an easy 30 or 40 degrees and hover there for a bit when the car started moving.

whs

I've noticed that my C&L street intakes aluminum tube gets way hot and stays that way for along time. I met a bunch of guys a couple weeks ago and took a look at a friend's JLT setup it was cool to the touch a few minutes after he pulled up, my car had set for an hour and the MAF and intake tube were uncomfortable to touch.

The aluminum retains and conducts heat. There is no way around that besides using a material like plastic or carbon fiber, something that is durable and a good insulator. The amount of time that the air is exposed to the tubing while the car is in motion is pretty small, it moves pretty fast through the intake tract.

From a cost/weight/heat retention analysis the C&L racer kit is probably a better buy.

gambi06

Well, like I said, it's probably not pretty, (although some die-hards might consider it to look Race-like! or is it, SPace-like?? ) but I went ahead and installed it. I figured what better time to test it than when it's in the triple digits outside.
I don't have a code reader unfortunately, but I should at least be able to make an educated guess, if I get all the way to work tomorrow, (25 minute drive) and give the MAF and intake pipe a good handshake, and not pull back a burned hand!

I'll let you know! It should make a difference. Radiated heat does NOT penetrate this fabric, the only thing I'm worried about is dissipated heat that travels through the TB end of the intake, but that shouldn't be enough to make any diffrerence.

ps. here's a pic:



-gambi06

AnotherMustangMan

Are you the guy that took apart my dryer?

gambi06

I'd be lying if I said that visual didn't cross my mind at one point!!

JedCranium

Hey who can argue it's your ride, do what you want. It does have the Apollo 13 look. Now just clean that engine bay!

Houston we have a ...


Bill2

sound wave

man, that looks jacked up! lol. but if it works, that is the main thing i guess.

don_w

From a thermodynamics and heat transfer perspective, it's completely unneccessary... but if it makes you feel better, go for it.

gambi06

Well, a scientist or engineer, I am not, but if you ask me, keeping a sensitive electronic device such as the MAF in the s197 cool makes a whole lot of sense.
And keep it cool it does!
Yesterday, after my drive to work, the housing, as well as the inlet tube was too hot to touch for longer than a split second. Today, the entire intake tract was hardly lukewarm after 25 minutes of driving, and we're in the middle of a heatwave.
So, whatever. Yes, I know that the intake air is travelling at a good rate when you are moving, and therefore probably isn't affected much by intake heat, but since, (according to the car's computer) my average speed on any given day is 30 mph, then I think if the car isn't constantly trying to cool down the heat soak it builds up from every stop, then it's worth it, IMHO.
-gambi06

gambi06

Yes, I know, my engine is dirty!!
It was late, and I just wanted to get the photo up!

Again, I know it's ugly, but let's see....how many people have seen my engine compartment in the year I've owned the car....there's me, and.....um......oh yeah...me!
Oh, wait...there was the kid down the street that came by when I first brought her home!
I haven't been to any cruises or anything, so I haven't been too concerned with the underhood looks for the time being...

-gambi06

sook

Seems like an interesting idea. Question though... When you said the pipe is lukewarm to the touch after 25 minutes, did you remove the heat shield fabric and touch the aluminum or just touch the fabric? The answer is probably obvious, but I am just wondering.

You should see if you can borrow someones Xcal2 to datalog the IATs. I have seen it proven in the plastic vs. aluminum debates that inlet pipe material doesn't really change IATs, so I don't think that this would, but again, I'm just wondering.

Way to innovate.

gambi06

Thanks, Sook!

And yes, I got my fingers up under the fabric, so I could touch the MAF housing directly.(It's got a tight, elastic sleeve on the MAF end.) It definitely made a huge difference in the temp of the intake tract and MAF housing. Again, I can't speak for actual intake air temp, since I don't have a tuner. If anyone lives in the Kansas City area, and wants to get together to hook one up to my car and do some datalogging, I'm all for it!
-gambi06

m05fastbackGT

You may also want to consider, going with either the Steeda high-flow inlet elbow, or C&L racer inlet tube ? In which both are constructed from ABS molded plastic, instead of cast aluminum..Supposedly, plastic doesn't heat soak as much..However, there's also been some heated debates, over the plastic vs aluminum heat soak theory as well.. You might also consider using header tape as another option, being that it works great on headers which are exposed to much higher temps, than an intake tube ! Plus, it would also look much cleaner in the process..

Error404

used to put a wood spacer and aluminum shield under my carburetor. Had vapor lock issues in Phoenix, this took care of it. Not sure if it was mostly the wood spacer, or mostly the aluminum shield, probably a bit of both.

gambi06

Well, that's one beauty of FI systems...no vapor lock!

Sharky

What are you doing with the other sleve?

gambi06

Nothing right now!

Tucker

[quote=whs;980214]I've noticed that my C&L street intakes aluminum tube gets way hot and stays that way for along time. I met a bunch of guys a couple weeks ago and took a look at a friend's JLT setup it was cool to the touch a few minutes after he pulled up, my car had set for an hour and the MAF and intake tube were uncomfortable to touch.
quote]
Thank you for your honesty.
We preach this fact.

Jay

06GT4RAD

This right here says it all. The air does not sit in the tube to absorb the heat. Yes some minor heat soaking does occur. If i recall about a year ago one of the Members here did test with all the various intakes and the C&L and JLT had the lowest intake temps once the car got moving and they dropped pretty quick once the car did begin to move. The stock box was one of the highest if i recall.

Richard