Do you guys think building your own intake would be just as effective as purchasing one from K&N or a comoany like that?

Originally posted by MILOTEK

Do you guys think building your own intake would be just as effective as purchasing one from K&N or a comoany like that?

Building your own intake is not only satisfying, but usually cost-effective as well. Do you have the ability to do mandrel bending and such? Because if not, some local performance shops surely do, and they typ do a great job with intakes and such. When it really breaks down to it, an intake really is just a coupling, bent tubing, and the filter. The filter is the biggest decision IMHO. So many different types on the market. You can always get a K&N filter and custom build your actual intake On my next build everything is going to be custom fabricated. Intake, Turbo/IC piping, exhaust. There's no reason not to

Since I'm just doing a short RAM it will not require too much bending. My only concern is that a custom intake will not produce as much whp as a name brand intake.

Originally posted by MILOTEK

Since I'm just doing a short RAM it will not require too much bending. My only concern is that a custom intake will not produce as much whp as a name brand intake.

It's pretty much all about limiting the restriction in the air flow. As long as the diameter of the piping is equal or greater than that of the name brand, then you're good to go. You mention that the bending is limited, this is another area where you would want to ensure that you're using mandrel bending so that it doesn't kink and maintains the diameter of the tubing through the bend. All name brand intakes will do this, just a thought

I agree with this. Unless you can find one for a steal and just want to slap it in within an hour, making your own will be much cheaper and give you the same horsepower gains. It really is all about removing the restriction to the engine. Lower the number of bends, keep the diameter as big as possible, and keep the filter from drawing hot air. I would be impressed if you made your own and dyno tested it against an aftermarket one and there was more than a 1% difference in power.

Do you know anyone with an SPT intake? Or maybe you can find the dimentions somewhere? I know that would be a great design to follow. The only pain I could think of by making your own intake is placement and design of the MAF sensor on a Subaru. I have heard moving the MAF further down the intake tube can mess with your AFR's a bit on a WRX... Not sure exactly how true it is but with the quirkiness of a Subaru PCM i'd belive it haha.

Originally posted by talonIV

Do you know anyone with an SPT intake? Or maybe you can find the dimentions somewhere? I know that would be a great design to follow. The only pain I could think of by making your own intake is placement and design of the MAF sensor on a Subaru. I have heard moving the MAF further down the intake tube can mess with your AFR's a bit on a WRX... Not sure exactly how true it is but with the quirkiness of a Subaru PCM i'd belive it haha.

Is the MAF a suck through or blow through? Its weird that the placement would affect how it reads.

It is held into the intake with 2 screws. From everything I have read up on pipe size and placement of the sensor will affect the readings...

Originally posted by talonIV

It is held into the intake with 2 screws. From everything I have read up on pipe size and placement of the sensor will affect the readings...

Oh that is the MAF? I can see location being a big deal then. It doesnt have any honeycombs or venturi to regulate the airflow.

Yep thats it man. It'd be so easy to do your own intake for a rex if you did not have to worry about MAF placement so much.