# CAI Which one, Why?



## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Opinions please.

I am considering a CAI.

K&N is the big name but AEM and Volant are also up there. 

Which in your guys opinion is the one to go with, and why? I have been looking at K&N and the cheapest I have seen them is for 285 with the AEM a few dollars less.

Gas savings? Increased HP? Adds to the exhaust tone? Noticeable difference with one? 

Give me the scoop please.


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## Aramz06 (Mar 2, 2008)

I cant tell you the one is better because I dont have one either, but I hear some good things about Volant. Goodluck


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## PDQ GTO (Jun 21, 2007)

Well Judge – you the drill, if they a bought a K&N, K&N is the best, bought a Volant, that’s the best one and on and on. I think you will see HP gains of about 7 to 10+ from any CAI you purchase.

I chose the AEM because (if I recall) it had the largest diameter intake tube, 4”. The silver aluminum is supposed to dissipate intake air heat better and does not have the potential to “heat crack” as do the plastic tubes. Also the AEM just looks cool, had to through that one in the mix. One sure benefit is the dry filter, no oil residue getting into your intake TB and better flow, no oil to clog things up. When you clean the AEM filter you soak it in water and use a special dry filter cleaning solution. Blow dry - cold air to dry. Also have Install instructions if you want to look at them.

I also went with a stainless steel filter by SpectraPerformance.com My tuner through it on a 06 vet and put it on the Dyno; 4 more HP. Not a good filter if you are in the least bit dusty driving conditions, not the case with me.

If you like I can post some Pics. of my CAI and filter.

Good luck to ya…:cheers


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## NJG8GT (Nov 14, 2007)

*AEM Brute Force Air Intake(silver heat reflective)*

I have had K & N Cai's for different vehicles...sounded great engine and exhaust notes, hear the air sucking in, and looked nice...

I had the Volant on a truck..didnt like the fitment and the air sucking in was as noticeable...

S & B intake with clear fiberglass lid on my 04 GTP...looked great, sounded great, could hear more aggresiveness in engine and exhaust notes..

Air Raid..nice fit, could hear air being sucked in, engine seemed to breathe better...

AEM...nice look, pretty good fit, awesome sound of air sucking in, sound of engine awesome,engine seems to come alive along with exhaust sounding louder/more aggressive, silver painted tube heat reflective, larger intake tube, oil free filter which I heard several times and co-worker expeirenced MAF problems occurring with the oily filters like k/n. I paid $242.oo at performancecenter.com.

Good Luck Judge...If the goat sells I'll sell you mine :lol: :willy:


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## Chrisco (Mar 19, 2007)

I would say, don't go with any unless you are doing it for looks. I kinda wish I never bought my K&N.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Chrisco said:


> I would say, don't go with any unless you are doing it for looks. I kinda wish I never bought my K&N.



Why do you wish you never purchased it?

Also has anyone installed an IAT harness on the CAI?


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## Don (Sep 20, 2004)

You've been on this forum since May of 05 and are asking this question now? If you think you need one get the one you think looks best.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Don said:


> You've been on this forum since May of 05 and are asking this question now? If you think you need one get the one you think looks best.


Yeah I'm askin' it now, I never thought I'd get one so I never researched it with intent to buy. I know the fundamentals of them and how they operate what I am seeking is opinions of guys who have them which ones they recommend and why. Buying one cause it "looks best" isn't a reason to get one. I don't care how "perddy" it looks, nor does the mechanic working under the hood.


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## LOWET (Oct 21, 2007)

GTO JUDGE said:


> Opinions please.
> 
> I am considering a CAI.
> 
> ...


As far as HP and Torque increases go , they will vary slightly from car to car, but all of them are very close to each other. I now use a AEM Brute Force . I had a K&N system but I removed it when I started to notice that some dust and dirt particals on the inside of the intake tube. Ever since switching to the Brute Force there has been ZERO evidence of dust in the tube. I also went with AEM because of the larger diameter tube and the fact that they have more experience with Dry Filters then K & N does. No matter which CAI you pick it is a good idea to insulate the intake tube to help keep some of the radiator heat off of it,


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## 6QTS11OZ (Mar 27, 2005)

As said before, which one you choose should be based on which one you think will cosmetically compliment your engine bay. Other than that there is no big power gains that one has over the other. I have the LPE CAI so that's the only one I can speak on. With JBA ceramic shorties, MagnaFlow catback, LPE CAI and tune I dyno'd at 360/360 to the wheels. Insulating the intake tube, for me, isn't necessary because the air is moving so fast that it doesn't have time to heat up... PERIOD! You can't go wrong with either one but I think you'll be better off holding on to your cash and just doing a K & N drop in and calling it a day.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

I may do that as well, still debating.


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## PDQ GTO (Jun 21, 2007)

If you go the drop-in option don't buy a new one. I have two you can have; my K&N with about 50 miles on it and a brand new SLP dry filter drop in. I have tried to give them away before on this forum with no takers. I think folks though I was weird because I was not trying to make a buck; just not worth the hassle to me...

Another option is to retain the OEM tube, get rid of the old the filter box and put a cone filter on. There was a thread about it several months ago and it looked good, not rigged...





GTO JUDGE said:


> I may do that as well, still debating.


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## Redness (May 22, 2008)

I just bought a Volant off of Ebay. With a 10% off paypal coupon I had, the total came out to $250 and some change. I've read that the Volant was actually effective at reducing IAT's. Once I get the intake I'll run a data log with my Predator both before and after I install it and post the results.


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## Aramz06 (Mar 2, 2008)

Free filters with any purchase of a 24oz drink???


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## PDQ GTO (Jun 21, 2007)

Too funny. Hey - once less item in my cramped garage...

Guess God wants me to hang onto them till I am dead...:lol:



Aramz06 said:


> Free filters with any purchase of a 24oz drink???


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## vxssls1 (Sep 9, 2006)

most guys over here go a OTR or MCAI with 2 hole mod
I dont know if the GTO has the shroud on the front of the air box standard or not but that is what we call a MCAI (monaro CAI)
and we do a 2 hole mod on the bottom half of the air box
here is a link to a DIY
My CAI mod on my VY SS ute (series 1)
very cheap mod with good gains
add a K&N filter and it is a all good
I would do this over the K&N pod filters


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## Ronin GTO (May 28, 2008)

As many have said, it's really personal preference so since I've got a Volant, that's what I'll recommend. Since "Cold Air" is really a misnomer, the gains you get will be pretty much the same across the board. Mostly because of allowing your engine to breath, although the stock box with a drop-in does seem to work pretty well in that aspect. Using a harness to relocate your IAT will help in reducing temps.

There has been some debate over whether a flat drop in or a cone filter has more surface area for filtration and/or airflow. Having had both, I personally prefer a cone filter but that's just me. I guess my major decision breaker was the price. Not just the overall price of they system but what I was getting for my buck. I can't see paying a large price tag for a system that will just add a cone filter and use the rest of the stock system (Lingerfelter comes to mind). The AEM is a nice looking setup but with the heatsoak isssues that we already have with our engines, I didn't feel comfortable having metal as part of the tubing. Some of the others, like K&N, only have a "wall" or barrier seperating the cone from the rest of the engine bay. To me this seems a bit rediculous since it still allows hot air to be sucked into the intake. 

So I wound up going with the Volant. It does cost a little bit more than some of the others, but for the money I got an entire intake system from the MAF outward. It also has a closed box to isolate the cone and also offer up a nice place to relocate your IAT. I did notice a little difference in the sound, especially when I stomp on it. Some have said they can hear the "whooshing" sound of the air as it's being sucked into the intake. I don't know if I'd describe it quite like that but I do hear what I consider a "pleasant" sound. Is it better than the others? I don't know. What I do know is I like the way it has worked for me since I bought it. That and it looks pretty damned good too. I know that may not be as important as function but hey, why get something ugly under the hood? :lol:


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## LOWET (Oct 21, 2007)

GTO JUDGE said:


> Opinions please.
> 
> I am considering a CAI.
> 
> ...


As far as FIT, FINISH & Function I think the AEM BRUTE FORCE is the best way to go. Looks Great in the engine bay, sounds great, has a larger intake tube and filter system then the others. AEM also has the most experience when it comes to running DRY Hi perfromance filters on a cars intake. 
I may be wrong but I think AEM was the 1st company to invent and run After Market CAI systems [ not just a Filter alone ]. They started making them for Rally Cars and off road vehicles. Just my 2 cents worth


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

I got NJ's AEM for a nice price and installed it. The tube isn't silver like others I have seen, it's a grayish metallic color, nice looking. The cone filter has a sock over it for aiding in keeping the filter clean. Couldn't beat the price , it's in now and functioning.


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## UdnUdnGTO (Jan 30, 2006)

What ever you buy, I am partial to the Lingenfelter, change out the filter for an Amsoil EA air filter. The filtration on others only keeps out a small bird. You need to protect your investment.


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## LOWET (Oct 21, 2007)

GTO JUDGE said:


> I got NJ's AEM for a nice price and installed it. The tube isn't silver like others I have seen, it's a grayish metallic color, nice looking. The cone filter has a sock over it for aiding in keeping the filter clean. Couldn't beat the price , it's in now and functioning.


Good luck with your new CAI. When on the gas I love the sound this item makes


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## PDQ GTO (Jun 21, 2007)

Couple of things to watch out for. If the tube is angled too high it will rub against the hood insulation. Also, I had to cut my heat shield down about a ½ inch because it was digging into the hood insulation. The heat shield is not vertically adjustable so there is no other option should you encounter this problem…FYI…




GTO JUDGE said:


> I got NJ's AEM for a nice price and installed it. The tube isn't silver like others I have seen, it's a grayish metallic color, nice looking. The cone filter has a sock over it for aiding in keeping the filter clean. Couldn't beat the price , it's in now and functioning.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

PDQ GTO said:


> Couple of things to watch out for. If the tube is angled too high it will rub against the hood insulation. Also, I had to cut my heat shield down about a ½ inch because it was digging into the hood insulation. The heat shield is not vertically adjustable so there is no other option should you encounter this problem…FYI…


I see no evidence of the shield interfering with the hood nor do I see any indentations of the tube or shield in the hood insulation. I see no marks on the hood insulation, nor do I feel any resistance when lightly closing the hood. I did have the tube adjusted as high as it will allow in the elongated bracket hole. After reading your post I went out and lowered the filter to about 1/2 way down the the elongated hole. I notice the tube does get hot when run.


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## LOWET (Oct 21, 2007)

GTO JUDGE said:


> I see no evidence of the shield interfering with the hood nor do I see any indentations of the tube or shield in the hood insulation. I see no marks on the hood insulation, nor do I feel any resistance when lightly closing the hood. I did have the tube adjusted as high as it will allow in the elongated bracket hole. After reading your post I went out and lowered the filter to about 1/2 way down the the elongated hole. I notice the tube does get hot when run.


The tube does feel very warm to the touch when the car is warmed up and running, this is one on the reasons why I insulated mine. I used a automotive insulation wrap that I found on EBAY. Now the tube stays much cooler. Check out this engine picture, you can see part of my insulation.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Being the tube is metal and not plastic, I noticed it. The plastic OEM one never was as hot to the touch. 
The tube is NOT silver in color like PDQ's but a grayish metallic color.


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## fattirewilly (May 26, 2006)

vxssls1 said:


> most guys over here go a OTR or MCAI with 2 hole mod
> I dont know if the GTO has the shroud on the front of the air box standard or not but that is what we call a MCAI (monaro CAI)
> and we do a 2 hole mod on the bottom half of the air box
> here is a link to a DIY
> ...


Why not do the hole mod out the bottom through the fender well to pull cold air?? Looks like you opened up hot air from the engine bay


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## Colton9182 (Jan 6, 2008)

Volant was best by far, plastic intake tube does not heat up plus the box style holds air for when youre ready to step on it doesnt hesitate plus it keeps the air from the engine bay away and it looks cool. I had a K&N and didn't really like it, it was noisy and hesitant.


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## LOWET (Oct 21, 2007)

Colton9182 said:


> Volant was best by far, plastic intake tube does not heat up plus the box style holds air for when youre ready to step on it doesnt hesitate plus it keeps the air from the engine bay away and it looks cool. I had a K&N and didn't really like it, it was noisy and hesitant.


Being retired I have a lot of free time on my hands. I wanted to do some research to find out which CAI filter has the highest CFM rating and the highest filtration rating. I have contacted the tech departments on several CAI maker and was able to get these numbers. The CFM rate on the 05-06 filters from K&N and Lingenfelter are 621.88 CFMs. The AEM Brute Force has a CFM rating of 1,350. All of the systems seem to have about the same filtration rating. I have not heard from Volant


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## NJG8GT (Nov 14, 2007)

LOWET said:


> Being retired I have a lot of free time on my hands. I wanted to do some research to find out which CAI filter has the highest CFM rating and the highest filtration rating. I have contacted the tech departments on several CAI maker and was able to get these numbers. The CFM rate on the 05-06 filters from K&N and Lingenfelter are 621.88 CFMs. The AEM Brute Force has a CFM rating of 1,350. All of the systems seem to have about the same filtration rating. I have not heard from Volant


Let me know what you hear from volant....I am deciding between another AEM Brute Force or Maybe giving Volant another shot....I will probally go with AEM....I found a insulated wrap that is silver and velcros around tube of intake in stylin concepts website.. I dont know....I think it would definately help me in the truck with throttle response....


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Will he or won't he get a Volant CAI Poll? :lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## PDQ GTO (Jun 21, 2007)

The pistol is cocked and pointed at my head. Oh God please don’t…:willy::willy::willy:



GTO JUDGE said:


> Will he or won't he get a Volant CAI Poll? :lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## Gotagoat (Jan 6, 2006)

Do you all use the Dryflow option on the AEM? As has been mentioned by others, I'm a bit shy about using an oiled filter. Especially when it comes time for me to have to re-oil it. Do you reckon using the AEM Brute Force on an otherwise stock '05 is worth much gain? Does it sound significantly different than stock?


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

PDQ GTO said:


> The pistol is cocked and pointed at my head. Oh God please don’t…:willy::willy::willy:


ROFLMAO :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:


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## Vbp6us (May 6, 2008)

AEM ftw.


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## PDQ GTO (Jun 21, 2007)

AEM Brute Force intakes for the GTO are all dry filters, wet is not an option to the best of my knowledge. Expect around 7 to 10 HP gain, and a nice whine when punched...



Gotagoat said:


> Do you all use the Dryflow option on the AEM? As has been mentioned by others, I'm a bit shy about using an oiled filter. Especially when it comes time for me to have to re-oil it. Do you reckon using the AEM Brute Force on an otherwise stock '05 is worth much gain? Does it sound significantly different than stock?


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## NJG8GT (Nov 14, 2007)

I loved the AEM. They dont make a oil filter...Oh Judge, dont worry about a pole...thinkin' of going AEM again!!!:lol::rofl:


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## LOWET (Oct 21, 2007)

NJSierra said:


> Let me know what you hear from volant....I am deciding between another AEM Brute Force or Maybe giving Volant another shot....I will probally go with AEM....I found a insulated wrap that is silver and velcros around tube of intake in stylin concepts website.. I dont know....I think it would definately help me in the truck with throttle response....


 VOLANT claims their car filters have a CFM rating up to 900 CFMs. Their truck filters are slightly higher.

I have the same insulation wrap on my AEM. I think it works great. Reflects any heat that your tube could pick up from the radiator. You can see part of it on my AVATAR Picture. The silver you see is the wrap and not the finish on the intake tube


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## LOWET (Oct 21, 2007)

Gotagoat said:


> Do you all use the Dryflow option on the AEM? As has been mentioned by others, I'm a bit shy about using an oiled filter. Especially when it comes time for me to have to re-oil it. Do you reckon using the AEM Brute Force on an otherwise stock '05 is worth much gain? Does it sound significantly different than stock?


Never use a oiled filter on your car. That is why I went with AEM. They have the most experience when it comes to dry filters on a CAI set up. K&N filters are designed to run wet but a lot of people use them dry.If you run a K&N dry they will lose some of their efficiency.
The AEM sounds great. As far as gains, they are all pretty simular. On a stock car you can expect anywhere from 5-10 HP ? I have had both the K&N and the AEM. I liked the AEM and stayed with it. Just my 2 cents worth.


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## Gotagoat (Jan 6, 2006)

AEM is the one then. Thanks for the advice.


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