CAI which one?

[panhead]

Is it a diy job ?

No not a DIY.

It’s designed and built by Castle Hill Performance and was fitted as part of an upgrade package.

They offered other OTRCAI's and you could choice what you wanted.

I’d already had the big name brands and found the plastic ones were sucking in on themselves under load though I think that type of problem has now been rectified and I didn’t like the weight of the fibreglass ones.

I much preferred their own in house design and choose it because of the how well it collected air from a big surface area in front of the radiator and not just under the bonnet lip, it’s very sturdy yet light weight, it’s easy to maintain the filter and I can paint it any colour I choose without much effort.

Originally it also had a modified version of the early VE radiator surround that came fitted to the cars when they were first released.

I cut and shaped the surround to fit both sides of the CAI to cover the radiator and various fittings but as I’m overboard about cleaning the cars I found it easier to look after the engine bay without it being installed.

Though I’ll go back to what I said in my earlier post and that is there isn’t much between the good designs and it will usually come down to which one you like the most.

I don’t expect many to go for my type as some of the others do integrate very well for an OEM look where mine is minimal and more function over form.

I've just shown it as an alternative to what was being discussed and to show that there are other good functioning product available.

 

[OldDog]

Quick question from a Noob. I live in a very dusty environment, so I stick with the standard air filter system, but have always been curious about fitting an otr cai. How well do these systems filter vs the stock system? The question is probably subjective I guess, still I am quite curious.

Cheers

 

[Grennan]

Quick question from a Noob. I live in a very dusty environment, so I stick with the standard air filter system, but have always been curious about fitting an otr cai. How well do these systems filter vs the stock system? The question is probably subjective I guess, still I am quite curious.

Cheers

All depends on the filter you put in and how well its sealed.

Good quality panel filter in there, nice and tight seal you shouldnt have any issue.

 

[OldDog]

Thanks Gren, what's considered a good filter these days? I've got a lot of background on bikes, have tried the K&N several times and never been happy with their performance, are their any better options out there?

Cheers

 

[Banjo79]

Hi OldDog, Just to add to my initial post (VCM/K&N user), I just did a trip before Christmas though outback NSW/SA, dusty to say the least and at times just down right incredible with so much dirt in the air, visibility was dangerously restricted at times. Twice I pulled over due to lack of visibility. This dust continued in varying degrees for probably 1000k's of driving with another roughly 2000k's of fairly normal clear outback driving rounding out the trip.

First thing I did when I got home was give the filter a clean. I may have been able to collect the dirt and bugs in a pot and plant a seed with what came out, it was filthy, yet inside the intake was as clean as, white tissue stayed white. Fear not OldDog, keep the correct maintenance up, use some rubber grease to seal it and all should be sweet. My K&N filter when held to the light looks so thin and "holey" that it wouldn't filter sweet FA, but it never ceases to amaze me that it gets it all!

For those in the know, does K&N pod or panel account for most of the filters used in CAI's?

 

[OldDog]

Thanks Banjo, I work in the Nyngan - Cobar area during the week and the VF is my daily so what you've said there is pretty relevant, cheers. Glad to know I won't take a step backwards if I fit a CAI that's for sure.

 

[Grennan]

Most CAI come with a K&N washable filter.

I wouldnt worry about the filter letting in dust. Just ensure there is a nice seal around the filter and the actual CAI. Some of the early VCM ones had issues but have since been fixed.

 

[Banjo79]

I might add that by the end of my trip, unless due to a malfunction, my cabin fan speed wasn't blowing nearly as hard. And the (black as night) pollen filter had started to suck in on itself. I'm not joking it was effin dusty.
Like Grennan said, most CAI's use K&N, so which ever you choose, assuming K&N build there panels and pods to the same level of filtration that I'm getting, it will only be the CAI design that would let you down, and I don't think they're any on the market not sealing properly these days.

 

[RedLineMike]

+ one for the Ramjet!! I love mine, And the sound is unreal!! Must say to the guys who live in a dustbowl like I do in a new suberb in Canberra, You will need to wash the filter out every 5000kms at the longest!! Mine gets dirty as ####..but has not let any dirt in past the filter!

 

[lmoengnr]

+ one for the Ramjet!! I love mine, And the sound is unreal!! Must say to the guys who live in a dustbowl like I do in a new suberb in Canberra, You will need to wash the filter out every 5000kms at the longest!! Mine gets dirty as ####..but has not let any dirt in past the filter!

I bought a spare element, swap 'em over at 3000kms, and clean the old one when I get a chance.