Why are we buying expensive short rams?

Still looking at various intakes with a little more diameter than stock so I won't run out of resolution for my FP Green. Imagine my shock when I was browsing AutoZone and saw that Spectre sells exactly what I need for under $15!

 

This site shows what I'm talking about:

http://www.thepartsbin.com/sitemap/subaru~mass_air_flow_sensor_adaptor~parts.html

 

 

Chrome plated steel - add a silicone coupler and a 3in cone filter and I'm done for maybe $50 instead of the $150-250+ the brand names want for theirs. By my calculations, its 2.875 inch internal diameter equates to roughly 73 mm. That should give me the flow I need.

 

Can anyone point out any glaring issues I've overlooked?

Yes. It's chrome!!

J/K try it out and let us know how it datalogs.

doesnt the maf sensor have to be placed in a specific spot so the sensor is not throwing codes?

It is more about how it's placed. As long as the air shots straight past the MAF and doesn't have a bend too close in front of it to cause turbulence. Just scale the MAF and you should be fine.

Why short ram? Add a 45 degree bend and you've got a CAI.

 

And I'm pretty sure you can make your own heat shield that will be at least as good as AEM's, and won't rust like theirs. I have a couple ideas for that, but it might be a while before I get off my ass and build something.

with propper intercooling, a cai makes no real difference on a turbo car. the heat off compression will negate any benefits a CAI has over a WAI or short ram. A good intercooler core, and WI will be much more beneficial. I would worry about getting a cai.

Imagine my shock when I was browsing AutoZone and saw that Spectre sells exactly what I need for under $15!

 

I've got one of those sitting in my garage not being used...

It is more about how it's placed. As long as the air shots straight past the MAF and doesn't have a bend too close in front of it to cause turbulence. Just scale the MAF and you should be fine.

 

It's the scaling part that's going to keep me busy. Until this point I've never tuned for so many mods at once. Theoretically I should be able to get the 850 injectors working with only a few changes but they'll require fine tuning of course. Throw in the all-new MAF diameter and I know my hands will be full.

 

Let me stress that this is not a good option for anyone not shooting for this much horsepower. Until you out-flow the stock MAF there's no reason to go with a bigger tube. Unfortunately it doesn't look like Spectre sells anything in the stock size but I think I'll give this a try for my situation.

A while back, someone found MAF sensor mounting things (for lack of a better word) on eBay for various sizes of tubing. It was basically just a machined aluminum square with a curved underside that you'd sandwich between the MAF sensor and the tube to give a proper fit. I don't see them on ebay now but they might be available elsewhere.

Someone posted this at RomRaider, it's the part I mentioned above:

http://www.kstech.biz/servlet/the-9/blow-thru-through-MAF/Detail

Before you buy the $20 tube in the original post, read the 4th post in this RomRaider thread:

 

http://www.romraider.com/forum/post39361.html#p39361

 

Key words: it's plastic.

Our stocker is plastic too so I could live with that. You don't have to crank down on intake piping so there's no danger of splitting it with the force of the screwdriver.

 

I'll report once the car is driving with the new setup. It'll be a few more weeks since I only get to do work on the weekends.

Just wanted to be sure you know it's not steel as you wrote in your first post.

new member here...does KnN make a drop in filter for the GT???

i just got an AVO drop in and a smooth air bellow and will keep everything else stock. No need to go further then that in my opinion.

i just got an AVO drop in and a smooth air bellow and will keep everything else stock. No need to go further then that in my opinion.

When you are doing a turbo upgrade and FMIC as John is, it is very necessary to go further than a drop in filter.

I used something similar to that on my 05 Tacoma Xrunner. It was cheap and performed the same. I preferred platic over metal for the N/A engine for better insulation.

new member here...does KnN make a drop in filter for the GT???

yes

http://www.knfilters.com/search/product.aspx?Prod=33-2304

with propper intercooling, a cai makes no real difference on a turbo car. the heat off compression will negate any benefits a CAI has over a WAI or short ram. A good intercooler core, and WI will be much more beneficial. I would worry about getting a cai.

A CAI will make a difference. Regardless of intercooler efficentcy, the cooler the air is even before compression the cooler the output will be pre intercooler. These effects are even more apparent at each extreme cold/hot, but especially cold. Not to mention having the short ram drawing in high under hood temps while at idle that take additional time to come back down.

Random observation: my AEM was pulling 100 degree air from my fender the other day in traffic, with about 60 degrees ambient temperature.

Random observation: my AEM was pulling 100 degree air from my fender the other day in traffic, with about 60 degrees ambient temperature.

Yes and a short ram would of been even higher. I have a Typhoon modified to extend down in the fender and have seen IAT as high as 170+degree while waiting in staging lanes. I have logged it in its original position vs in the fender, the biggest difference is the time it takes to cool after sitting at idle.

last week i had a meeting and traffic was stop and go for almost 40 minutes, i could see the heat mirage coming out of the intercooler hole... i thought this cant be good at all.

i just got an AVO drop in and a smooth air bellow and will keep everything else stock. No need to go further then that in my opinion.

 

where can u get a smooth air bellow at?

i *think* the bellow he's talking about is the pipe that goes from the air box to the turbo inlet, the stock one is ribbed for her pleasure.

 

i think zerosports makes one, possibly perrin as well.

Interesting...