Bypass valve

[JDMFantasy2k]

Hey everyone, i just bought a Injen technology rd series cold air intake for my 2000 civic ex and i absolutley love it. However my friends have been telling me to get a bypass valve for it or they say i'm going to suck up water. Now the filter is inside my bumper and i can hardly see how air gets in there nevermind water. But living in New England means crappy weather so i could use some adivice. I'd apprecieate it if you guys could tell me how a bypass valve works, how to install it, if i really need it, how much it costs, and lastly if it will affect my performance at all. Any help would be greatly apprecieated, thanks.
~will

[pdiggitydogg]

its just a filter element placed higher up on the intake arm
Air likes to travel in the easiest way. If the filter behind the bumper gets submerged in water the other filter will begin taking air in instead. This also means that water will not be sucked up.

Think of a vacuum hose that has a large hole in it. The tip will still suck air in, but large things (puddles of water in this case) will be much more difficult to get through. Also, the overall suction power is lessened. That also means that the cold air intake you have will generate less power w/ the bypass than it did before w/o it and just the 1 filter at the end.

More than likely you will have to cut the piping to install the bypass (its a mid-pipe filter)

http://chikaihuang.com/images/cars/cls/0603_IMG.jpg
like that (the grey thing is the bypass "valve"...its just a filter w/ 2 holes in it)

[JDMFantasy2k]

how badly do you think i need a bypass valve because i really don't feel like cutting my intake in half. It doesn't rain a lot here but i am in new england so you never know what to expect.

[pdiggitydogg]

I wouldnt run a cold air intake w/o one...In fact thats why I use a short ram.

Thing is, a bypass valve is not 100% insurance against hydrolock...

[JDMFantasy2k]

so if i successfuly install a bypass on my intake, what stops the air from being sucked in through the valve when there isn't water in the intake? also wouldn't the filter have to be submerged in water in order to draw water up through it?

[pdiggitydogg]

nothing stops it from taking air into the bypass filter...thats the entire drawback to the system.

The filter wouldnt have to be totally submerged, no. Just drive through a large enough or many puddles and you could suck water into the engine.

Personally, I totally suggest against cai's because of the risk. Then once the bypass is in...whats the point in it at all?

Another option is to cut the intake so in the wet/rainy seasons you run a short intake, then in the dry seasons reconnect the extension w/ a rubber coupler and ring clamps to regain colder air. (This is the same idea as the Iceman intake)
Many people do that

[AzCivic]

do you find yourself driving though deep ass puddles? not normal puddles-deep ass puddles.

[pdiggitydogg]

look at it this way:
You can either spend some more money and buy the bypass.
You can hack the intake so you can use a long or short intake - season depending
You can not do anything and run a much higher risk of killing your engine

[JDMFantasy2k]

ok thanks for the info, i think i'm gonna make it a seasonal short ram/cai. Now should i use a hack saw, band saw, or chop saw, seeing i have acess to all three. Aside from the cutting the only other thing i should need is a clamp correct?

[pdiggitydogg]

band saw would work the best

you'll need 2 clamps and 1 rubber connector (plumbing section of any hardare store)

[AzCivic]

should it be braced in any way?

[pdiggitydogg]

should what be braced?