Engine : Aftermarket Intakes

This is usually the first performance modification done by a new import enthusiast. Aftermarket air intakes usually use a larger or better flowing air filter to suck more air into the intake manifold. This increase in air consumption usually results in more power. Dyno tests have shown that these gains can be anywhere from 3hp to 15hp depending on the engine setup, the intake itself, and specific rpm. It’s important to remember that Acura tuning is some of the finest in the world and improving over the factory intake manifold usually results in a sacrifice of something. There are few sacrifices when replacing your factory intake, in fact in some cases fuel efficency is improved.

There are three distinctly different types of air intakes available today. The first type is known as a short ram air intake which is shorter than the stock air box and provides a shorter distance between the air filter and intake manifold. In cars with a hood scoop this type of intake can be very effective. The scoop would allow cooler air (compared to the engine bay temperature) into the air filter, which would create a type of forced air induction. However, as everyone knows Acura didn’t offer a stock hood scoop on any of their vehicles. Therefore to get this affect an aftermarket hood is required and even then the physics aren’t exact. Therefore, short ram intakes on most applications offer less power when compared to a cold air intake.

A cold air intake is designed to inhale colder air than that of the engine bay. Remember, as air gets colder, density increases and so do the number of oxygen molecules. This, in turn, results in more O₂ molecules being used in the combustion chamber, which results in more power. As always, there are some negative aspects to this type of air intake. Almost every cold air intake features a similar design that places the air filter below the engine bay directly in front of the passenger side front signal lens. In wet conditions, the air filter is more likely to inhale water, which could lead to damage in the intake manifold or “hydro-lock” if enough water is inhaled. This of course is very rare and unless you drive through a pond/lake or other large body of water your cold air intake should just inhale cold air. There are also products called by-pass valves which help to deter the sucking up of water. Companies like Spoon and Comptech offer a third type of air intake that is called an air box. The Spoon Intake utilizes a large area and near-stock placement allowing for consumption of colder air and larger quantities of air. The Comptech Airbox is very similar to Acura’s stock air box. It is less restrictive compared to stock but is also slightly more restrictive that a cold air or short ram.

There are many companies that offer aftermarket air intakes. AEM, DC Sports, RActive, Spoon Sports, Comptech, IceMan and a slew of other companies offer intakes that are somewhat similar in design. However, the AEM cold air intake is probably the best with its quality, construction and design. DC Sports offers a similar DAC extension that isn’t engineered as well and dyno tests have shown that it’s not as efficient. Recently, Comptech introduced its IceBox, which rivals the AEM cold air intake in efficiency but costs substantially more. The design that Comptech uses offers a more factory-like design that will be less likely to ingest water. However, with this type of design and engineering philosophy the results will be slightly less dramatic.

Under supercharged applications, the Iceman intake has shown to dyno the best with the Jackson Racing Super Chargers. If you are going turbo, generally the kit you get will come with some sort of intake designed for it. Other than that, the AEM takes the lead on the dyno for N/A applications. Stay away from the RActive, WeaponR, and other designs that are a simple short ram rip off design. Not only do they not function they way a performance tuner would like, the quality of construction is close to horrible.