Review: Forced Performance Cast Aluminum Intake

[scheides]

I know, I know, a review on an intake? Is this a Honda forum? Ok, well after my close shave last week (http://dsmstyle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11916) I decided to ditch my old intake pipe for a nice, new FP intake setup. This is a simple, well-built piece with a full 4" radius. It is designed to mate up to everything from a big-fat S-cover garret setup to a stock TD05H sized turbo. The other end of the pipe will mate up to anything with a 4" radius, but Forced Performance offers up 2 varieties of K&N filters, both cone shaped, but in different lengths: 9" and 12" long. I opted for the 9" unit, as I was afraid of fitment issues, but the 12" filter would have definitly fit, although snugly.

The Old Unit:
http://www.scheides.com/albums/2g/DSC00216_001.sized.jpg

The Forced Performance Cast Aluminum 4" Intake:
http://www.scheides.com/albums/2g/DSC00291.sized.jpg

Big enough to fit my arm through!
http://www.scheides.com/albums/2g/DSC00292.sized.jpg

[scheides]

Same as my visit w/ your mom last night & your sister last weekend:
http://www.scheides.com/albums/2g/DSC00293.sized.jpg

Forced performance has a nice little silicon coupler that they came up with to make fitment easy on a TD05H application. It is off-set just slightly to get that huge pipe away from your lower radiator hose and shifter linkage. It was a bit spendy, but worth it in my opinion.
http://linux.forcedperformance.net/merchant2/graphics/00000001/full/INTICR400225_002_full.jpg

Like any intake pipe on a car without a mass airflow sensor (MAS) and a BOV vented to atmosphere, installation was a snap; maybe 10 minutes start to finish...by the time I finished sticking my fist through the thing and admiring it.

http://www.scheides.com/albums/2g/DSC00299.sized.jpg

[scheides]

http://www.scheides.com/albums/2g/DSC00300.sized.jpg

http://www.scheides.com/albums/2g/DSC00305.sized.jpg

Now....why am I writing this? Because I did have a decent intake on my car before...although a bit old, it was a full 3" unit that had no choice but to flow well. It was very similar to what a *lot* of other people run. Well, either the thing was reeeeaaaally dirty or the filter that was on there was not nearly up to snuff with this 4" x 9" K&N unit. With the full exhaust, the Tial BOV, the full intake piping setup and larger-than-stock turbo I didn't think my car would ever really get much louder until I installed a wastegate that dumped directly to the atmosphere and/or a bigger turbo.

I was immediatly impressed with the clear sucking sound I could now hear from under the hood, and the loud resonance that could be heard while accellerating and inbetween gears. My car's clear woooosh-ing sound with minor turbo whine was replaced with a clear, free-breathing sucking sound, more turbo whine, and a when letting off, the familiar crack-of-the-whip that my Tial gives off now sounds more like a big, bad-ass exhaust hale from my intake piping.

Massive change in whp? No, but I think it may be measureable. Transient boost response is certainly improved and while I *may* be mistaking being impressed by the neato new sounds coming from under the hood as more midrange torque, I think there may just be some there. I guess we'll see come July 23 (http://dsmstyle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11104)!

More pics here:
http://www.scheides.com/gallery/2g?&page=10

Feel free to post comments and questions here!

[tim]

Very nice. It really looks nice under the hood and will be able to accomodate you throughout many turbo choices, with the right coupler of course.

[1ViciousGSX]

Moved to "Good Stuff"

[HiImBrian]

Ah the joys of having a 1g and having space under your hood. It must be really nice haha. That intake looks nice. I wish I could fit that filter on my 2g :(

[scheides]

Ah the joys of having a 1g and having space under your hood. It must be really nice haha. That intake looks nice. I wish I could fit that filter on my 2g :(

Look closer my friend! I drive a 2g gsx :)

[Goat Blower]

Hmmm, I might have to get one of those for my new setup. My polished bushnuts cold air pipe is now too small. It's a 4" inlet and outlet, correct?

[scheides]

Yup, except on the filter end its *slightly* smooshed to ensure hood clearance, so a little more oval on that end. Full 4" round on the turbo side.

I'd actually like to polish this thing up, does cast aluminum polish well?

[Jakey]

Yup, except on the filter end its *slightly* smooshed to ensure hood clearance, so a little more oval on that end. Full 4" round on the turbo side.

Actually, I believe the upper end has the oval shape so that it matches that shape of the 2G MAS.

I'd actually like to polish this thing up, does cast aluminum polish well?

Yes. The Injen intake pipes are cast aluminum. The one I bought from BOVADDICT was in horrible shape so I followed this (http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108498) guide for polishing it. I'm not completely satisfied with it yet so sometime I am going to run a high-speed buffing wheel over it to add a final touch.