Niachspeed Cai

[FormulaNERD]

First of all, this is obviously for the 3.4 only, sorry for not adding that to the topic.

Store/Site purchased: AleroMOD member : Niach
Cost/Shipping: 75 shipped
Store service, contact, delivery, problems, props: pretty quick shipping, neatly packed, some damage but may have not been during shipping.

Initial product impressions, quality: 7/10, a few minor defects, but you get what you pay for.

Instructions, good, bad, none, etc: excellent instructions for most users who keep up in the forums.

Installation notes, easy, hard, PITA: well if everything fits, should be cake. more info on that tomorrow.


Performance, appearance opinions: looks great, havent had a chance to test performance yet.

Any other thoughts about the product: overall, satisfied, great deal for the price. would have been 100% happy if the filter wasnt dented, or if there was an aleromod decal, either in the box, or on the intake tube itsself :thumbsup:

[FormulaNERD]

ok, first of all packaging was good, everything bubble wrapped

http://formulanerd.com/alero/packaging.jpg

now the first short coming, the filter... not a huge problem, but it has a fairly large dent in it.

http://formulanerd.com/alero/dent.jpg

and there was a fairly deep scratch at the top, almost looks like from a grinder

http://formulanerd.com/alero/filterscratches.jpg

coupler looks fine except for a small blemish, and one of the grommets looks as though it might not seal, easy fix though...

http://formulanerd.com/alero/coupler.jpg

grommet...

http://formulanerd.com/alero/couplergap.jpg

long tube, couplers already attached, and for those who might not know alot, there are some metal shavings inside and on the couplers, i suggest cleaning that out so it doesnt get in your intake. oh, and the polish looks alot better than in the pictures, very nice looking.

http://formulanerd.com/alero/long.jpg

short tube, one end is a little rough, but who cares.

http://formulanerd.com/alero/short.jpg

like i said, very good for the price! i reccomend this product to any 3.4 owner without CAI

[Pimpalero03]

come on nick !!! lol

[dadirtybulldog]

hmmm..... i was considering one of these.... have to think about it now :(

[Naich]

Hey man, I assure you that the filter was definately NOT dented like that when I shipped it. If you want, I can see if I can replace it for you. It must have gotten smashed durring shipping, although I doubt it would really affect the performance (and you don't see the filter once its installed anyway).

Also, the pics make it look dirty. You can polish the tubing with aluminum polish to make them look gorgeous.

Again, I apolagise for the damaged filter, it wasn't damaged when I shipped it. I have no idea how those marks on the top if the filter got there. Maybe the tubing rubbed on the top of the filter in transit? I will package the filter in its own esparate box maybe in the future if I can find a box that is the right size from the post office.

With the grommets, the problem is that you're putting a part that is made to go on a straight piece into a curved housing. Unfortunately, no matter what you do, it won't fit in there exactly perfect. I made the holes tight enough so that it won't let the tubes pop out. It will work fine. The grommets are exactly the same as the ones in my APOC CAI, and I've never had a problem with them in over 2 years.

Also, I would have loved to include an Aleromod decal on them, and I will probably do it later... but I am out of stock of dark colored stickers, and I have no money to order more right now :wacko:

Once again, let me assure you that most of you will *not* get a damaged filter, and if you want to make sure, add $5 on to the shipping cost, and I'll put shipping insurance on the package. That price will still be cheap.

Take some pics after the installation, and let me know how it was. Again, this whole venture is a work in progess for me. You must remember, I live in a small apartment, and I don't have a lot of tools and machinery to cut these pipes as nicely as I would like to... and if I did, the CAI's would wind up costing a lot more. For $75 shipped, you are easily getting the best CAI deal you can... and I am always working to improve the product.

Maybe I'll try glueing the grommets in place next time.... but I am 100% sure they will work fine.

[AleroSS]

Damnit Nick, you gotta start makin $75 ecotec CAI's :D

[FormulaNERD]

yea nick, like i said, i'm in NO WAY complaining!

just tried to give the most in depth review i could, it wasnt my intent to scare anyone away from buying, as i DO reccomend getting this, like i said a great deal for the price

im not sure if the dent happened during shipping, but im almost 100% sure that the scratch didnt occur during shipping, it's rather deep.

but i'm fine with the filter, not worried about performance loss or anything like that. and i dont need you to send me a new filter.

but a light colored (white) aleromod decal would be nice :thumbsup:

and nick is right about the polish, these look horrible in the pics, but that's the bad thing about 5mp camera's, they bring out the worst in every detail, this cai looks great in person. install pics coming soon.

and if the grommets give me any trouble, i have some gorilla glue.

[Youngblood77]

I can't WAIT til mine arrives! :)

[alerocity]

we ecos need some cheap cais
nobody is showing us any luv

[FormulaNERD]

30-45 min install... i did NOT remove the wheel or jack the car up. just turned the wheel all the way left and worked around it.

ok, ok, only one more complaint, it's a fairly tight fit in the fender, and the battery WILL HAVE TO BE relocated.

edit: took her for a spin, sounds great and i can squeal the tires a little more from a dead stop, so at least a little low end power gain, and i'm going to try and rotate the pipes a little to make room for the battery, not sure if that will help because of the tight fit in the fender well.

battery removed
http://formulanerd.com/alero/nobattery.jpg

battery sorta installed with no bracket underneath, NOT SECURE
http://formulanerd.com/alero/battery.jpg

[Naich]

Yeah, it is going to be a bit tight in the fender. Even mine from APOC only barely fits in, and its just because the car wasn't designed to have a big filter between tne engine compartment and the fender. Also, it looks like the battery you have is pretty damn big! lol. The stock one & especially the Sears Diehard Gold one I have is smaller. It might be a tad tight for those of you who have big batteries installed.

Again, I SWEAR that it wasn't dented. About the scratch, I am 50-50, because honestly, I didn't pay too much attention to it. I can take pictures of all the other 3 filters to prove that none of them are dented. I wouldn't sell them like that.

[FormulaNERD]

actually my battery is pretty small. i know alot of people run optima's, and mines alot smaller than an optima.

[Naich]

did you have any luck getting the battery in? You can try loosening the couplers a bit, because the CAI should have a fair ammount of play in the couplers to help work it around the battery.

[Naich]

Allright... I just got back to my apartment to check out the rest of the filters, and while they aren't flawless, they aren't dented or scratched like yours. I am sorry that yours had those flaws. Again, I am fairly sure that the minor dings in the mesh of the filters is caused by shipping, and will not have any affect whatsoever in the performance of the intake.

In the future I will see if I can get my supplier to ship the filters in boxes to prevent this minor damage.

Here is a pic of the 3 remaining filters

[Naich]

And, here is a pic of the 5 extra couplers I needed to order.

[Youngblood77]

Got mine tonight....w00t ! Got home from work, saw the box, then immediately made plans to toss that sucker in after dinner !

I found the same results as Formula, but I have roughly the same size battery, and I just adjusted the couplers a bit, "cheated" here and there, and got it to fit...

( by cheating, I mean where the pipes meet, and where the MAF and pipe meet, It isn't truly straight, but hey, a little bend isn't gonna hurt airflow NEAR as much as the "corrugated" rubber piping our cars came with. I jacked the car up, removed the inner fender-well, but I never removed the headlight. ( I should have, as it would definately have saved time )

Sorry about the crappy pics, but this was in my parent's garage, and it got dark out...( I'm still a year or 2 away from building a garage for myself )

The packaging was excellent, parts quality is great ( a few burrs from the saw, but a 1/2-round file took care of that ) and all the couplers and grommets fit nice and tight.

[Youngblood77]

What's in the box. The pic doesn't do the polished pieces justice. These look fantastic in person.

[Youngblood77]

finally, an installed pic. I've yet to clean up the mess that was under the stock airbox, but it's midnight, and I gotta be up @ 4:30 to goto work tomorrow. lol :D

[Youngblood77]

Conclusion: For the small, SMALL price of 75 bills shipped, these CAI's are a STEAL. Great quality, great look, and the added "growl" is a welcome bonus, especially if you get on it @ around 3,500rpm. I get to drive her to work tomorrow, ( 104 miles round trip ) so i'll see what kinda mileage difference there is also. TRULY recommended.

Thanks again Naich ! :thumbsup:

[Naich]

You're welcome YB!

If anyone still wants some of these, you can paypal npbamond@optonline.net. Price scale will be this from now on:

$75 shipped for standard shipping
$80 shipped for priority shipping (2-3 days shipping)
$85 shipped internationally

As of now, I am out of materials. I will reorder them when I get around 2 more paid orders, b/c right now, I don't have enough scratch to buy the materials beforehand :(

[FormulaNERD]

i agree with YB, a great deal for the price, almost like a "dented can" special at the grocery store in my case :P but would still like to see a decal, either on the intake or included in the package...

still havent fixed the battery problem, i'm gonna play with the couplers a little more today. but it seems like they are already "flexed" a little. we'll see.

[Youngblood77]

Honestly, I think the major problem with making these fit isn't the battery, or it's size. You know how the resonator is comprised of 2 pieces, both pieces held by 1 bolt each? ( with the pieces snapped together in the middle ) The bottom half ( or second piece in line as air flows towards the engine ) bolts to a metal bracket, that extends from the engine-bay housing, straight towards the end of the bumper where it wraps around to meet the tire. I can't remember if this bracket holds any fasteners for the inner wheel-well, but if it doesn't, I think removing the bracket with a die-grinder / cut-off wheel would help the lower pipe's fit TREMENDOUSLY. With it removed, the lower pipe with the 45 in it could swivel the cone more towards the front of the car, giving more room for the battery situation above.....

I got it fitting decent, and it looks good, but I'm half-tempted to pull everything apart to see what can be done ( if anything ) about that bracket.

Whatchya think Formula? :popcorn:

[Youngblood77]

Whoa. Hold that thought. MAYbe the answer lies in adding another coupler. check out this thread, and scroll down to the 1st pic.

http://invision.aleromod.com/index.php?showtopic=996


I don't know WHAT intake kit that is, but it's got another coupler in there in between the 90 and the MAF. I'm thinking that just cutting the 90 pipe about 4.5" from the MAF, and ading another coupler and 2 more hose clamps would help "relax" the pipe so that it's easier to route around the battery. Both ideas would work IMO, but I like the look of Naich's kit better because it looks "cleaner" in a way...less couplers. If there's someone who just CAN'T get the kit in around their battery, 1 more coupler would definately help.

Maybe making additional couplers available for purchase would be a good idea, Naich. ( If I were having big troubles making it fit, I'd gladly pay another 5-8 dollars shipped for an answer to my install-troubles )

Just a thought...... :popcorn:

[FormulaNERD]

i see what you're saying, could work.

i was also thinking of relocating the washer fluid res. to make more room in the fender for the filter, so it can be rotated a little more.

just need to find a square washer res to put where the airbox was... i could get one from a hummer at work.

[Youngblood77]

But then, you're sacrificing the amount of fluid you can have, ( not that that's a problem ), but I'm really leaning towards taking off that bracket if at all possible....

[FormulaNERD]

which bracket are you talking about?

[Youngblood77]

gimme a minute, I'll see if i can find a pic....

[Naich]

The intake with the extra coupler in the top pipe is the APOC intake. And yes, it is a slightly better fit. I know because that is the one I have (I was one of the first to get one back in the day of Aleroboard.com).

It's not really as simple as adding another coupler. The APOC one has a slight curve in the metal piece that kind of bends out around the battery. IMO having more chrome pipe and less couplers looks better, and also, the fewer bends in the pipes, the better.

[Youngblood77]

"IMO having more chrome pipe and less couplers looks better, and also, the fewer bends in the pipes, the better."

Absolutely. B)

[FormulaNERD]

IMO having a battery sitting at an angle looks like ass. no matter how much chrome is under the hood. :pissed:


http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/2/web/614000-614999/614269_19_full.jpg

[FormulaNERD]

oh, and YB, i saw the comment in my cardomain guestbook, thanks.

[Naich]

notice the way that YB has his angled in? That is the way yours should be too. It looks too upright. You just need to fudge with the couplers and bend them a little to get it to wrap around the battery better. Try rotating your top pipe about 10 degrees to the back.of the car.

[FormulaNERD]

Originally posted by Naich@Jun 21 2004, 12:07 PM
notice the way that YB has his angled in? That is the way yours should be too. It looks too upright. You just need to fudge with the couplers and bend them a little to get it to wrap around the battery better. Try rotating your top pipe about 10 degrees to the back.of the car.
yea, i'm gonna try that today....

[brim]

let us know how it goes man

[DCAleroGL]

I want to upgrade my intake, but I am still unsure whether to go all out with Naich's CAI, or go with the WAI setup. I don't race, but I would like to improve the low end power and fuel economy. The SLP exhaust will be my next mod. Which intake would you recommend? Naich, can you still make a 2.5" setup for the 3400?
Second bit, I saw a commercial WAI setup with a cover for the filter, stating that it kept the filter much cooler. Can I get one or is it a load? When I get the intake, I would also like to buy a set of those decals, white preferred.
I ask because I keep seeing mixed opinions regarding CAI vs WAI, but no one really states what kind of driving they do, and I think that factors in on opinions. :blink:

[b-spot]

You said you want low end and don't race, so get WAI.

[DCAleroGL]

Thanks B, I thought so, but I was worried that the air under the hood would be too damn hot to be good. I guess the stocker aint real cool, though. Time to get a ram air setup designed. :lol:

[Naich]

Sure, I can do WAI or CAI setups still in 2.5, but I'm thinking about making the 3" CAI a mainstay. Unfortunately, I'm out of money to make another parts order, so anyone who orders them in the next couple of weeks might have a wait.

I am about 2 weeks behind schedule right now because the company I got the parts from didn't include the 3" couplers I had ordered. I'm screwed now because I have customers waiting for their intakes and I'm waiting for the couplers. The intakes are cut and sitting in a box right here on my computer desk, waiting to be shipped out.

[DCAleroGL]

In topic http://invision.aleromod.com/index.php?sho...=4429&hl=intake (http://invision.aleromod.com/index.php?showtopic=4429&hl=intake)
SweetAlero99 commented:
ive had both in my car. IMO....... the car runs better with the 2.5 intake. u loose less bottom end.

Since I want the low end power, not the high rev gain, I was more interested in the 2.5" Do u have enough scraps to make a 2.5" WAI? I'll wait if couplers are needed.

[derek_ski99]

you can buy couplers at any autostore....
they have around 100 million of them along with clamps.

you can also just go and buy a 4" long pipe and do it yourself. Then again, you could just have Nick do your dirty work

[Naich]

what kind of auto stores have couplers? I've been to autozone, pep boys, advanced auto and others with no luck. I found a new site where I can order them from, but if I could pick them up locally, I would. Any idea how much they cost and what colors they have? Do you have a part number?

[Mach1]

Can I get some specs of your CAI? I'm interested in it ...