3.3TT Should I bother with intakes?

[StingerJefferson]

Getting ready to do a bunch of upgrades at the end of the month, and after spending hours reading here, I can’t tell if intakes actually make any difference beyond improving the sound.

I am going to do scoops, exhaust, sway bars, brakes and a couple minor exterior items. I might do a piggyback tune. Likely, in fact.

I can’t find any evidence intakes change anything but the sound. In fact, there seems to be a consensus that aftermarket intakes reduce low-end grunt, which, living in a city, is where I have the most fun.

But maybe that equation changes if I do get the JB4? If I don’t do intakes, I will upgrade to AEM dry filters using the factory boxes.

Regardless, I’d rather put the $400 for intakes into better brakes or a higher quality exhaust if the only thing intakes change is to hear the blow off noises (which are very cool, don’t get me wrong).

 

[Dodger Blue]

Consensus that intakes remove "low end grunt?" Based on what data?

Jb4 is definitely the best bang for your buck, and I'd rate an exhaust as the more important upgrade than an intake in terms of potential for increased power, but I've never seen anything that says an intake would be a detriment.

 

[ChaneRZ]

I think intake is a must if you have a tune.

 

[NS_Stinger]

If you're concerned about low end loss install a throttle tuner like the BMS pedal tuner at the same time as the intake. That will remove any feeling of low-end power loss. I have the BMS intakes and pedal tuner and they make a great match.

 

[ZedsGT]

The factory boxes are a known restriction. With a turbo car you gain power by taking more air in and getting more air out. You can do it yourself with a 4 inch piece of pipe and a cone filter.

 

[Dodger Blue]

For what it's worth, I noticed a definite improvement in throttle response when I installed my intake. I haven't put it on a dyno or had someone measure my acceleration times (I'm leaning towards doing before & after dyno pulls when I get the chance to fit the exhaust, and again after I get jb4, for science) but the car's performance in city or highway driving conditions hasn't suffered. It's doing something more than just making cool whoosh sounds, haha.

 

[M'Kehyah]

My $.02:

1. Stock box with K&N drop-in filter + Vellosa tech widemouth will be best for air inlet temps and power from a roll.
2. Any tube and cone filter will look nice (why i did it and love how they sound) but won't make a measureable difference over OEM box and clean OEM filter. I have seen no bench flow testing to say otherwise.

 

[Travis Wills]

The factory boxes are a known restriction. With a turbo car you gain power by taking more air in and getting more air out. You can do it yourself with a 4 inch piece of pipe and a cone filter.

The factory boxes are NOT the known restriction. The factory snorkels ARE the known restriction. Using an aftermarket open air intake alleviates that restriction. However, an aftermarket snorkel does that as well.

The stock snorkel and stock intake box together put a limit on how much air can efficiently flow into the intercooler. However, once you combine an aftermarket snorkel with the factory airbox and a free flowing filter you can see real gains in horsepower and torque throughout the rev range.

The aftermarket snorkels channel cold and dense air directly into the airbox. I have actually measured the pressure increase the snorkels provide in the airbox. At higher speeds it becomes significant.

I went from running a 12.96 1/4 mile @ 108 mph to a 12.62 1/4 mile @ 111 mph without a tune simply by adding snorkels and the AEM filter.

Whatever you do, you need to remove the restriction caused by the factory snorkel. That can be an open air intake or an aftermarket snorkel. Either one will get the job done but without it the engine is going to be restricted.

 

[ZedsGT]

The factory boxes are NOT the known restriction. The factory snorkels ARE the known restriction. Using an aftermarket open air intake alleviates that restriction. However, an aftermarket snorkel does that as well.

The stock snorkel and stock intake box together put a limit on how much air can efficiently flow into the intercooler. However, once you combine an aftermarket snorkel with the factory airbox and a free flowing filter you can see real gains in horsepower and torque throughout the rev range.

The aftermarket snorkels channel cold and dense air directly into the airbox. I have actually measured the pressure increase the snorkels provide in the airbox. At higher speeds it becomes significant.

I went from running a 12.96 1/4 mile @ 108 mph to a 12.62 1/4 mile @ 111 mph without a tune simply by adding snorkels and the AEM filter.

Whatever you do, you need to remove the restriction caused by the factory snorkel. That can be an open air intake or an aftermarket snorkel. Either one will get the job done but without it the engine is going to be restricted.

View attachment 55991View attachment 55992View attachment 55993

The factory boxes are NOT the known restriction. The factory snorkels ARE the known restriction. Using an aftermarket open air intake alleviates that restriction. However, an aftermarket snorkel does that as well.

The stock snorkel and stock intake box together put a limit on how much air can efficiently flow into the intercooler. However, once you combine an aftermarket snorkel with the factory airbox and a free flowing filter you can see real gains in horsepower and torque throughout the rev range.

The aftermarket snorkels channel cold and dense air directly into the airbox. I have actually measured the pressure increase the snorkels provide in the airbox. At higher speeds it becomes significant.

I went from running a 12.96 1/4 mile @ 108 mph to a 12.62 1/4 mile @ 111 mph without a tune simply by adding snorkels and the AEM filter.

Whatever you do, you need to remove the restriction caused by the factory snorkel. That can be an open air intake or an aftermarket snorkel. Either one will get the job done but without it the engine is going to be restricted.

View attachment 55991View attachment 55992View attachment 55993

Here is a picture of the factory box, which has the air coming in and then it has to go UP AND THEN RIGHT. That is a very restrictive because it is not smooth. Here is a picture for you.

 

[Travis Wills]

Here is a picture of the factory box, which has the air coming in and then it has to go UP AND THEN RIGHT. That is a very restrictive because it is not smooth. Here is a picture for you.

The factory snorkel is the restriction there. It has a MUCH smaller intake hole and does two bends. Once you pressurize that box it is surprisingly efficient at moving air through it with a free flowing filter.

 

[StingerJefferson]

Dodger, I’m with you on the upgrade path there. I’m going to do an exhaust (and sway bars and snorkels) asap. Once it’s really warm (and the Nats are in full swing), I’ll do the next round. Just don’t know if that round should include intakes.

To your point, I probably shouldn’t say “consensus.” I’ve seen a number of folks with good-to-decent data, Travis here included, that point towards minimal increases in power with aftermarket intakes, and that they noticed less low end power when using aftermarket intakes. One person, I don’t remember exactly who or what thread, said they put their factory boxes back on and saw enough of an uptick in response that they notched their pedal tuner down one.

The only attempt at data countering that argument—that I’ve found—is published by the manufacturers themselves. So just trying to get some independent verification.

Combine that with the fact that most of the CAIs suffer from heat sink issues, it’s a lot of bucks to pay for a sound upgrade, especially when I’m going to do an exhaust anyway. The one caveat there is if I do decide to do the JB4 (again, likely), does that increase the need for aftermarket intakes.

I saw Chane said he thinks so, which might be all I need! But Travis’ point about pressure in the air box is also well taken.

In any case, AEM filters going into the boxes today, which should make some immediate difference. Exhaust, snorkels and sway bars at the end of the month; I’m deciding between the Jun BL and the Thermal.

And I’m going to snag a Dragy and give myself some time to learn it and measure things as I upgrade through the summer, so I’ll obviously post that here.

I appreciate the feedback!

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Is there ANY downside to aftermarket intakes? Besides potential warranty breach?

 

[Dodger Blue]

Is there ANY downside to aftermarket intakes? Besides potential warranty breach?

I don't really see how an intake alone can void your warranty, unless they can prove it destroyed something else further down the line.

They'll definitely make getting smogged in certain states a bigger pain in the ass though. Nobody makes a CARB-legal intake system yet. If you're worried about that then the best course of action is probably to use something that retains the stock air box like the BMS, or even just the drop-in filters and snorkels.

 

[StingerJefferson]

Is there ANY downside to aftermarket intakes? Besides potential warranty breach?

I think whether or not there’s a reduction in “low end grunt” is up for debate, and there does seem to be an open question about whether or not some intakes pull more hot air than the stock boxes.

Other than that, it’s just about whether I spend the money on I takes or something else

 

[Dodger Blue]

Unfortunately the only intake true CAI system we had is no longer in production. It placed the intake filters behind the grill. That was the kit I originally wanted to buy but it was already almost impossible to find when I arrived on the scene.

One of the reasons I picked the JT intakes is that they go in a larger airbox of their own design, but the downside is the box is metal and not fully sealed. The company claims that temperatures were higher when they fully sealed it. My guess is that's because it wasn't made of plastic. I've been contemplating whether some thermal insulation around the outside of the box (or lining the inside) would lower IAT.

 

[ChaneRZ]

There is no downside especially when you are tuned. Once the car is moving, you are getting that fresh air in.

 

[DoctorStiches]

AEM IS NICE LOOKING SEMI ENCLOSED AND OMG CAPS LOCK WAS ON HAHAHA

 

[Devin]

I'm thinking of just doing the drop in AEM and a bigger snorkle. True CAI, that way, not a WAI.

 

[runner1]

I added bms intakes in the event that the system ‘might’ need more volume than stock box allows and less chance of air turbulence in pulling the air. I added JB4 and catback as well. I don’t know the intakes are helping for certain but my car sounds the part inside the cabin. Turbos sounds make it better. Combined intake and exhaust volume with a car that is now legitimately running low 12’s is just the definition of fun.

 

[StingerJefferson]

Yeah, I’ve decided to hold off on intakes right now, in favor of snorkels and the AEM filters that were dropped in yesterday. (There was a bit more “pop” to the car, but my old factory filters were pretty damn dirty, so the comparison is probably not accurate.)

Right now, I’m deciding what exhaust system to get (I’m indecisive enough that I’ve just started a spreadsheet). I’ll get a Drgay and do some pulls with it to get a baseline.

I’m still interested in intakes for the sound, but I’ll be happy with a used set, so that’ll give me time to find the right deal and before and after measurements.