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Smart Choice Cai

5K views 24 replies 11 participants last post by  chithead 
#1 ·
What would be the most cost effective way to add a cai to an 03 4.7 Ram. I really dont see the point of puttin down some plastic almost home depot style pipes for 200$ at the cheapest.. Is there a DIY guide to making one?
 
#3 ·
when i had an old suzuki jeep i had a muffler guy bend some pipe for me and we just stuck it to the throttle body and put a filter on the end. i'll see if i can find a pic. honestly it was pretty ghetto so i usualy dont point peepz down that ally unless you dont give a crap about how it looks or about Reliability
 
#10 · (Edited)
Couldn't tell you HP or Torque changes without a dyno, but at the very least it is running much cooler on the guage and my MPG city improved about half a mile per gallon.

Sweet do you have a guide?
No real need to have a guide.

Use ABS piping, 3 inch. Will need a rubber 3" coupling for connecting to engine. I used 2x 3" long 90degree elbows. Then just measure out and connect the elbows with 3" pipe. Angled the end (going to the filter) downward just a little bit (not more then 10-15 degrees). Peiced it all together and test fitted it, then ABS cemented them together, painted it all with Krylon Fusion textures silver (feels like sand paper).

Bent a peice of metal that had holes run through it, bolted around the piping then bolted to the frame where the air filter box used to be bolted. Picked up a "Specter" filter from the local Schucks (Napa, Autozone, whatever).

On an 03 or newer dodge you will need to move the IAS sensor (has blue wires) into the CAI. Just drill a lil hole in the first elbow (by the engine) and mount it in there. You can then run the oil breather hose into the CAI or just pop a small filter on it (like I did).

Couple more photos:



 
#12 · (Edited)
I got both the large and small filter from Shuck's. They only had one size of the small filter. I don't think it really matters what size you use for the oil breather as long as you can get it to connect :)

They carried only one brand of the main cone filter, connects on 3, 3.5 and 4 inch connections.

http://www.sfxperformance.com/parts/SPT8138.htm

Comes in the white, red, blue and a more expensive stainless something or other.

The small ones are called "breather filters" also come in multiple colors

http://www.sfxperformance.com/parts/SPT3998.htm

Edit:
Oh and the best reason to do it? Piping, spray paint, ABS cement and filters total less then $50.
 
#16 ·
I would stay away from that. It is going to be drawing in its air from much closer to the engine which will be hotter air.

And I also have heard nothing but bad things about the low budget ebay cai. One gentleman on another Dodge forum compared a DIY ABS pipe cai, a $200 name brand cai, and one of the $50 ebay cai.

The DIY and name brand were about the same. The ebay cai was running substantially warmer then the others.
 
#17 ·
If your going to build your own PVC intake then go with the 4" PVC... there is a noticeable HP difference between 3" systems and 4" systems. 4" systems always end up at the top.

Other then that I would recommend the SPECTRE intake seen in this picture...



For the money the price is hard to beat.

Team it up with a JET STREAM SCOOP and you would have the best all round intake for your money...



SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM
 
#20 ·
Here a home depot style intake I found. Not bad looking and cheap. This on a 5.7 or 4.7 I can't remember but it works for both. I am currently working on this to fit my 360. I also found how to make an air box out of a trash can, the little office rubbermaid ones.
Make sure its not something that after it gets warm it becomes pliable and implodes when you give it gas. Rubbermaid products are soft rubber... and thin... Just keep that thought in the back of your mind as you build it.

SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM
 
#22 ·
Got my Homemade CAI on

I found a hat at a junk yard off a dakota and connected the tube. With the 4.7 you can mount straight to the TB from the 3 inch clamp. I will post more pics in the 5.9 section since that is what mine is. I have decided not to go the trash can route, but will eventually make something.
 

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#23 ·
Turns out my friend had one on his car before he sold it he replaced the stock box, and let me have the one off his old car, it is a 3in set with a K&N, so i have it about ready for install, went down to pepboys and got a 3in exhaust extention pipe to make it work, but it has the breather pipe hole in the tube thats about 4 inch from the filter, and theres a half inch wide hole for a sensor. what should i do about those?
 
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