CAI Insulation?

[Snakebyte]

Have any of you tried insulating a CAI box to reduce AIT numbers? I am just curious how much it helped, by further isolating the cold air intake system from nearby engine compartment heat sources (radiator, AC Condenser, and engine of course).

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[NightmareMoon]

Is it an open element or a closed box?

if its a open element, I’m not sure how much thats going to help if the air its sucking inside is hot air from the engine bay.

anyhoo, I’ve not tried it so in to hear some actual data.

 

[Snakebyte]

Is it an open element or a closed box?

if its a open element, I’m not sure how much thats going to help if the air its sucking inside is hot air from the engine bay.

anyhoo, I’ve not tried it so in to hear some actual data.

Closed box I was speaking of, so there would be no exchange of air between the compartment and the intake air. I was more interested in how much heat gain occurs through the CAI plastic, compared to, if there was an insulation (foil face or otherwise).

 

[MiamiGT350]

I was skeptical, but I added heat shield to the backside and bottom of the intake box. I removed the intake, disassembled it, and cut all the pieces to fit.

It lowered my air temperature by a few degrees.

 

[EFI]

I've done it before on other cars, but only because the setup was very close to the headers and insane amounts of heat. With the Mustang engine bay, you won't have nearly that issue and the air moves fast enough through the intake that it doesn't really have time to absorb the heat. I would say it's not really worth the effort, the stock sealed intake works really well at keeping IATs near ambient.

 

[Weyland-Yutani]

It intuitively makes sense, but when you do the math it doesn’t. Ambient air, even at idle, hauls unholy ass through the intake tract. The density of “air” requires a massive amount of energy , or a long time period to increase the temperature even by 1 degree.

 

[MrDude_1]

It intuitively makes sense, but when you do the math it doesn’t. Ambient air, even at idle, hauls unholy ass through the intake tract. The density of “air” requires a massive amount of energy , or a long time period to increase the temperature even by 1 degree.

The math that doesn't make sense to me is how my gauge cluster can show a air temperature and an air intake temperature with 15° difference (in Fahrenheit)

 

[ihasnostang]

does it really go that fast at idle though? anyone know volume at idle? Volume = velocity*area.

i have a thermocouple DAQ, want me to tape a thermocouple somewhere on the outside of the intake?

 

[ice445]

The math that doesn't make sense to me is how my gauge cluster can show a air temperature and an air intake temperature with 15° difference (in Fahrenheit)

The plastic does heat up, the incoming air absorbs this and creates that difference. The longer you stay moving, the lower this difference becomes. Stock box is good for 5F over ambient in most cases unless you're moving slow.

 

[MrDude_1]

The plastic does heat up, the incoming air absorbs this and creates that difference. The longer you stay moving, the lower this difference becomes. Stock box is good for 5F over ambient in most cases unless you're moving slow.

I'm talking constant highway speeds... When there's no reason for it to not be ambient temperature.
Especially since, and I'm making an assumption here, the air temperature sensor is directly attached to the MAF sensor.
The only thing I could think of is that you have a large mass of stagnant air flow moving very slowly in the front radiator pocket area where the majority of the air is drawn from since the grill is partially blocked off.
I haven't taken the nose off yet but I'm hoping that if I open up the holes in the back of the grill on the air intake side, and block off the side feed from in front of the radiator it will lower the IAT.

I don't think the saturation is from heat in the engine bay unless the MAF sensor itself is what is being heatsoaked.

 

[WildHorse]

Well I've been fucking around with that for a year some moons ago.
Short story:
My stock air box gets just as hot as my PMAS (open), only it takes longer.
PMAS cools down much faster than the stock air box.
insulating it is great, till it gets hot. Then it stays hot much longer.
Both the PMAS & stock airbox are near ambient when cruising.

I'm hoping that if I open up the holes in the back of the grill on the air intake side, and block off the side feed from in front of the radiator it will lower the IAT.

Did that. It introduces a lot of air turbulence that the MAF 100% does not like.

 

[MrDude_1]

Did that. It introduces a lot of air turbulence that the MAF 100% does not like.

Are you saying that the stock air intake under the air filter gets issues if you feed air directly to it through the stock air filter causing mass air flow sensor issues?
I would think with the filter in between and the entire box feeding into there that you would still get fairly straight air flow and there wouldn't be any swirling turbulence.

I know they sell scoops just to do that.

 

[WildHorse]

Are you saying that the stock air intake under the air filter gets issues if you feed air directly to it through the stock air filter causing mass air flow sensor issues?

To a lesser extend vs and open CAI.

 

[GTP]

I was skeptical, but I added heat shield to the backside and bottom of the intake box. I removed the intake, disassembled it, and cut all the pieces to fit.

It lowered my air temperature by a few degrees.

Same here, using peel and stick foil shield, when I was shielding everything for track use.

Engine bay got so hot anyway that it would not stay stuck onto the ABS air box, so I gave up.

 

[MiamiGT350]

Same here, using peel and stick foil shield, when I was shielding everything for track use.

Engine bay got so hot anyway that it would not stay stuck onto the ABS air box, so I gave up.

Mine is only a few weeks old... pretty sure it is going to suffer the same fate.

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