newbie questions about intakes...
 

what's the difference between a short ram intake and a cold air intake?

and what are the reasons for strut bars?

thanks.

honestly I don't xactly know whats the difference, other than the Shortram is well...shorter...but I do believe the Cold Air intake is better
but as for strut bars, they tie the chassis of the car together in a way, therefore making it stiffer, and handling better (I do beleive)

so it's better to get strut bars, correct?

u don't really need struts ....but yeah if it's nice if u have it....makes a big difference handling/turns....

understood.

Cold air intake (or CAI) Is tubing from your throttle body going to your wheel well. The filter sucks colder air from outside the engine bay which results in slightly better performance. On unmodified cars you might get a few horses, but you wont get the claimed 15hp difference thats claimed in magazines (at least not on a honda). Its a good first mod.

Shortram (or SRI) is just less tubing, but the same concept. The filter still sits inside your engine bay and sucks air from there. Both types result in slight hp gains. I have a SRI for two reasons: 1) much cheaper to buy 2) less of a chance of sucking up water. CAI's sit almost exposed to undercar elements, so if you where to hit a buttload of puddles or lived in a wet climate, you'll have to buy a 50 dollar air bypass valve thing, to reduce the risk of waterlogging.

basically the point to both of them is to flow more air. Factory doesnt do this because of sound, emissions, and possible mpg, but im not sure on that.

just make sure that when you are referring to air intakes you say AIR intakes and not be lazy and say intake. People drive me crazy when they talk about their intake, and I have to ask "air intake or your intake manifold?"

so then what's a intake manifold?

so then the SRI sounds much better...but people say CAI is better?

is it just the water thing?

CAI Is better because it intakes colder air = denser air, better for performance. probably the best idea. I have an SRI because I just didnt want to pay the extra cash, risk water intake, and possibly do some cutting to get the tube down to my wheel well. (I wish I would've known that a perfect little hole is already there. It was where the old resonator was, and it wouldve been perfect for a CAI.)(BTW: resonator I'm talking about is just a plastic box that is attached on the factory air hoses to quite the sound. Its not necessary at all. There are other kindas of resonators, like for exhaust. Those quite your exhaust down, and make it not sound like a weedwacker when you install a perf exhuast.)

intake manifold is the big metal thing that your throttle body sits on. This is the thing that deals with air and fuel going into your engine. Sorry I cant be more specific, but thats the extent of what I know about it. Aftermarket ones are very pricey. And I know that intake manifolds can get all sorts of nastiness in them, carbon buildup and crap.

understood.

thanks for the info.