warm air intake is in

[GasSavers_BEEF]

yesterday I put in my warm air intake. I am cheap so I used the stock airbox and filter. I did buy a piece of 2 1\8" flexible exhaust tube. I used metal tape (the good duct tape) to seal it to the box and to cover the existing inlet of the box.

I have already seent the difference in mileage. I just finished a tank with an average about 33 or so mpg. (haven't posted in the gas log yet) on the way home I got 36.5 mpg and I usually only get 34 or so.

I have a question about the temps. I am only getting about 20-30 deg warmer in the morning compared to the outside air. in the evenings about the same but the outside air is warmer thus better FE. I was thinking of making a shield to put in front of the inlet of the tube to keep the air from coming in from the outside. kind of like the exhaust manifold heat shield only made of window flashing or something relatively cheap. will this achieve what I want to do as far as raising these temps.

if you want to see pics I have them in my garage. still haven't totally figured out the picture thing. spent about half an hour getting my avatar the right size.

thanks in advance

*edit* and yes my car is a dirty mess

[Hateful]

Nice job. I do think the shield would help. Another idea would be to run your hose behind the engine,over to the other side and position it over the Catalytic converter.you have almost the same setup I have except I just joined the hoses together and didn't use my old box. you aren't getting the heat I am because the bottom is open.My underside has screen from the radiator on back and foam board blocking the underside from the bumper to the front of the radiator.
I don't know why older model Cavaliers seem to have a better aero design than my 02. The original front bumper on mine was much flatter.

[GasSavers_BEEF]

the section of tubing that I used was only 18" long and flexible is a bit of a strech for this stuff. it is very stiff. the amount of bent that you see is about all I can get from it. I wanted to place the tube opening behind my header between the engine and the header but that is where my dip stick holder is. I am still playing around with the idea of using flashing to better route the air.

hateful,
I didn't think about the belly pan that you have for better heat conduction but it makes sense. I do have the lower front grill blocked off (pic also in garage) I am thinking hard about blocking off half of the upper one so that air doesn't come directly to that pipe. I just want it to look neat and driveable. I have seen too many guys tape their hoods shut. I personally like to get under the hood from time to time.

I am going to play more with the setup that I have now but if it doesn't work then I may try the heat from the cat trick to get the temps up there.

thanks

[GasSavers_BEEF]

I am going to try to put this pic up of my new heat shield for my WAI. if it doesn't work, it is because this is my first attempt. here goes.

this is a pic of my new (anti) heat shield. I haven't tried it out yet. I will find out tomorrow how it goes. the tube is in the same place. I just made a shield to go around it.

I hope the attachment works.

[Hateful]

The attachment works.That should get your air temp up. Mine got up to 173 degrees today as water temp was about 214 degrees.No problem other than the usual stares.

[GasSavers_BEEF]

just got home from eating out (yea kind of late for supper) I ran 130s going out and 125 coming home. I am hoping that tomorrow coming home around 5 or so that it will hit the 140s. I am seeing 36-36.5 mpg here since I did the WAI. I hope it will continue to rise but time will tell on that one.

I am worried about the power difference. I don't usually have a lot of people in the car with me but I have had 5 people in it before and I am not sure how the power difference will handle that kind of load. luckily it isn't a regular thing.

over all I am happy with the WAI even with all my concerns. one thing you can't see in the picture is that the shield doesn't have a bottom just a top and a side. it is flashing with one seam in the middle of it to give it the shape it has. I may just stick with this for a while since it took a while to get in there and get right.

I'm going to bed.

[lovemysan]

I've driven 20,000+ miles with an HAI. Countless trips 10-12hr trips with the car loaded to the to the windows with people, stuff, and junk. I installed a $13 remote baking thermometer to monitor temps. Power shouldn't be a problem. I'd keep temps below 200f. I've even used the A/C with the car fully loaded. Intake temps edge over 200f around 70-75mph(this is in 90f+ weather). Water temps also increased to around 210f. But now I've revised the radiator inlets to trap high pressure air and force it through. So I should be able to do 80mph and keep air and water temps below 200f. Your setup is elegantly simple, very nice.

[brucepick]

Are you now getting only air from the preheated tube?

[GasSavers_BEEF]

bruce,

I am getting air just from that tube. I was (at first) going to leave a small opening where the original opening was. Just not tape it up completely. I decided to go ahead and tape it up since I wasn't getting the temps up there.

love my san,

I appreciate the coment about my setup. the shield took a little while to mock up and as you can see from the pic, it still has a stress point where the oil fill is. that is because of the curvature of the tube. I was thinking of cutting it to relieve the stress and pop riveting it but I was feeling lazy and just left it. thanks also for telling me about the load you put on your engine with a WAI. that puts me more at ease about loading mine down.

yesterday on the way home, I hit temps of 150+ but that was because I got behind a wreck in stop and go traffic. I also achieved 38.6 mpg for the trip (about 30 or so miles) and that is including the sitting to get past the wreck. this morning I crunk the car up and the IAT was reading 60 (I want to call that outside temp) and when I got to work I was reading 135. I am feeling like the heat shield is going to do the trick as far as the temp goes. in all of this, my water temp still does not go up any more while riding down the road and since I have put in the WAI, I have not had my fan come on once. it heats up relatively fast and doesn't overheat itself. I am pretty satisfied with it.

[Mr. Pig]

What are your typical coolant temps? Mine pretty much stays in the 200 degree range, although I have seen it as high as 215 in stop and go traffic. Still well within the safe operating range. I am curious what I will see when we hit 90 - 100 degree temps this summer with a full grill block off and hot air intake. I am hoping to leave the grill block off on all summer.