Intakes
Intakes
An intake upgrade is an extremely popular engine modification. They are relatively cheap, easy to install, and they nearly always make good power. Intakes come in a variety of styles. The most popular types of intakes are often referred to as cold-air, short-ram, and ram-air.
A cold-air intake locates the filter element away from the heat of the engine bay. They are able to increase horsepower by drawing cooler air into the engine. One consideration for cold-air intakes is the location of the filter. Cold-air intakes often located the filter element in the lower front-end portion of the vehicle. Although unlikely, if the filter were to suck up water it could damage your engine. If you live in an area that sees standing water it is wise to avoid intakes that place the filter near the ground where they can ingest water.
A short-ram intake keeps the filter element beneath the engine bay where it is safe from standing water. It does so, however, at the expense of reaching cool air. While the intake charge will be warmer with a short-ram intake, they are still able to increase power and throttle response compared to the stock intake. The superior filter and direct piping route allows these intakes to provide a respectable performance gain while avoiding the risk of ingesting water.
Ram-air intakes typically located the filtering element safely inside the engine bay, but draw cool air from outside the engine bay to feed the engine. They often accomplish this with the use of a scoop or snorkel routed between the intake filter and the front of the vehicle. These intakes offer a good compromise between the safety of a short-ram and the performance of a cold-air intake.
