Benefit of changing the Air Intake ?

[KAM]

Feel free to direct me to any previous posts if this has already been done to death.

I have a NB8B and considering replacing the Air Intake.
I've read on here and all the adds claim it will increase the power
But where is this extra power, only at the top end 6500 to 7000rpm or is it spread accross the rev range
What effect does it have on torque output
All the Dyno sheets I've seen on here only show power output, no torque figures, anyone have some torque curves before and after

While extra top end power would be nice I don't want to lose out in low to mid range power and torque.

[Boags]

You won't loose anything KAM, only gain

The air intake mods are usually for 2 things - make it breath easier, and make it breath colder air.

Easier breathing is going improve throttle response, all the way through the range, which is always a good thing! The biggest difference though is up higher, where the stock system really chokes the intake. Have you got a breathy zorst?

Others may have real figures, but most will just be talking from the butt dyno!

Boags

[jules]

Just the sound is worth the mod. TRUST ME!


Jules

[sirbob]

I noticed that my Mania intake really increased power when you got some speed up. I found that my car actually got faster the faster you were going, (would go from 100-140 in the what seemed to be the same amount of time as going from 60-100!)

Plus, the induction roar is a very nice thing indeed....

[StanTheMan]

i tought it added torque.......which is exactly what sirbob is talking about.
and the roar.......ohhhhhh yea.....

[irwin83r]

i cant see you loosing power.

however the power increase seems to benefit topend power more than bottom end. hence making the car feel like all the power is up high.. you may not have any less anywhere along the rev range but since the gains have been greatest up top the bottom feels less potent.

[KAM]

Thanks guys

Past experience has taught me that changing exhaust/air intakes from standard usually has gains and losses in different areas.
Changing the exhaust to a larger diameter may improve the top end power but the lack of back pressure can have a detrimental effect in the low to mid rev range.

Thats why I was hoping for some dyno sheets showing the actual gains or losses from replacing the air intake.
What intakes have you used
1. pod air filter only
2. short ram intake pipe and air filter

[SuperMazdaKart]

oh a pod filter, get the cowl intake like Loch Stewarts or MX-5 Manias. takes air from the higher pressure cooler cowl area. it's probably what everyone thought you were writing about. a pod will breathe in hot air from the engine bay unless you got pipes & hosing routed to get colder air to it. a ram type will be rather expensive to buy i'd think (if you mean ones like JR from the US), not sold here either i dont think.

loch stewart had dyno figures for his intake design on his website but i don't seem to be able to find it. has his shop closed since his passing away?

[Richee]

Hi KAM

Check this Link : http://www.miata.net.au/loch.html I am unsure if the Phone nos are correct.

Lochs son Gary Stewart is still supplying these little beauties

Growl factor alone is enough reason to want one of these.

Richard

[KAM]

I have a NB8B and considering replacing the Air Intake.

Cannot fit the true Cold Air Intake to a NB8B as the ABS etc are in the way.

So the choices are somthing like
this http://www.mx5mania.com.au/product829.htm using the existing piping
or replace the whole lot with this http://www.mx5mania.com.au/product657.htm
either way the air temp will be much the same as the standard setup.
Air flow would obviously be improved.

[Craig]

Cannot fit the true Cold Air Intake to a NB8B as the ABS etc are in the way.

So the choices are somthing like
this http://www.mx5mania.com.au/product829.htm using the existing piping
or replace the whole lot with this http://www.mx5mania.com.au/product657.htm
either way the air temp will be much the same as the standard setup.
Air flow would obviously be improved.

Stu has one fitted to his NB8B. When I saw it last time in Victoria, it had a Mania intake running through the firewall, so there must be a way of doing it. Pretty cramped though.

SP Motorsports do a proper cold air intake for the NB8B but it's not cheap.

http://www.spmotorsport.com.au/

[Sean]

But the SPM one is so damn sexy in carbon and relatively well hidden from officer plod...

[ASE05]

But the SPM one is so damn sexy in carbon and relatively well hidden from officer plod...

and works a treat but makes cleaning the filter a bit of a pain

[JSE]

I really only noticed a power increase above 3500 range ( i have the mania intake). But yes the sound is purely worth it....although you can't hear it when you get an exhaust as much

[Casey]

I have a NB8B and considering replacing the Air Intake.

Cannot fit the true Cold Air Intake to a NB8B as the ABS etc are in the way.

So the choices are somthing like
this http://www.mx5mania.com.au/product829.htm using the existing piping
or replace the whole lot with this http://www.mx5mania.com.au/product657.htm
either way the air temp will be much the same as the standard setup.
Air flow would obviously be improved.

One of the reasons, aside from being much cheaper and easier to make, for Lochie changing to the "new" style CAI (using the Simota filter instead of the Mazda item) was to allow clearance for the ABS fitted to the 10AE and NB8B cars. Certainly the "old" style Lochie fibreglass boxes won't clear the ABS monoblock.

IIRC if you change the crossover pipe between the AFM/MAF and the throttle body you loose an important resonance chamber and may loose bottom end torque. This is true on the '93-'97 NA 1800 engines, not sure about the later models as the SP doesn't use the same crossover pipe.

However replacing everything before the AFM/MAF only results in more induction noise.