i installed the apexi intake system this morning. before the intake system, i was getting a boost pattern of 12-10-12. after the system, i get a boost pattern of 8-6-7. man, i feel robbed. the apexi intake system sucks!!!!!

does anyone think i installed it incorrectly? everything seems fine to me, except for power.

is the apexi intake system a really bad deal? someone help me out here. should i return it? which one is the best for rx7 performance?

 

Its one of the better ones you can get.You could have a leak in one of your BOV.

 

You probably installed it incorrectly... installing should give you more boost if anything. I've had it for a few months and I'm very happy with it and it didn't affect my boost since it's regulated by my PowerFC. Check to make sure all your hoses are secure.

 

could it be because i am sucking in too much hot air?

 

I would go back a make sure eveything is tight and put back right.We use that kit all the time on 7's.

The way i look at it soon as the air hits the turbo it will get hot no matter what type of cold air sys you got.

 

well said Yenven. Those turbos get red hot that it makes no difference other than in your wallet.

 

I disagree with Ruos and Yenven. While it is true that regardless of what intake you use the turbos will heat up the air, the resulting temp of the air exiting the turbos will be higher with a hot air intake.

The typical response to this justification is, the IC will cool it down. Again true, but, it still will not be as low as if you used a cold air intake.

Mazda decided to redesign the air duct on the factory intake in 99 when they discovered that the old duct had a tendency to suck hot air from the ajoining IC duct under certain circumstances. Apparently they popped a motor while track testing as a result of this.

This debate has come up more times than I can remember. If someone has a couple temp meters and a hot intake and cold intake we could put it to rest fairly easily. Until that happens I'm using a cold air setup based on common sense and Mazda's judgment in this area.

RED drop me a line when you have time.

-Chris C.

 

Actually my intake temps according to the PowerFC were on average only 1-2C lower than after I installed the A'PEXi intakes. The intake temps also rise much faster when I'm stuck in traffic (as expected) due to heatsoak but then they also drop much faster once I actually start moving again. My water temps actually dropped 3-4C. I'm thinking this is because there's not more open space behind the radiator w/ the stock intake removed and air can flow more freely through the radiator. I know cold air would be optimal, but I'm a bit skeptical just how well the various cold air intakes actually perform.

 

I doubt it... I have the same intake, no problems. Check all the couplers and hoses again. That's a real easy way to drop boost. If you still have the stock plastic ypipe, make sure the couplers are all tight.

 

Personally I dont care for the intake...but I dont think it's the problem...either you installed it wrong or something completely differenr happened to your car...

 

true cold air intakes, like the M2 box along with other similiar box systems pull in cooler air from beside the radiator, cooler than just open air filters in the engine bay. Unless you remove the foam beside the radiator or you don't have the r1 oil cooler and removed the plastic plate, the apexi and other filters aren't a good choice since they'd almost always be pulling hot air from around the engine bay, moving or not. Potatobbq, did you remove the foam when you a were talking about the temp drops. I've coated my M2 box on the inside with 1200F ceramic paint to help even more shield it from heating, as well as the inside of the M2 intake pipes. the front pipe I coated both inside and out since its so close to the turbo. With summer upon us and temps rising. I'll keep track of what my temps are at cruise and maybe compare....say just like when you first get the car up to temp and then cruise at 65 mph for a predetermined length and see what the air intake temp is at the end of the cruise, so that way its not already heatsoaked from driving and parking the car at the mall and then drive around since the heak soak takes awhile to drop.

Tim

 

tim: yes, i did actually remove the foam weather stripping on the side of the radiator when i upgraded to a koyo radiator so that could be why my intake temps aren't that much higher than with the stock intake. i did install the koyo long before the intake so i don't think it should be a factor in the intake temps...

do you have any way to measure your intake temps? i'm curious to see what intake temps you are seeing if you still have the stock ic to compare. here in southern california, i'm seeing around 39C-42C in the early afternoons when it's pretty warm out and around 36C-40C at night. i would actually like to use a cold air intake but my koyo radiator forces the radiator hose to sit higher than usual so i don't think the m2 would fit well in my car. i'm pleasantly surprised by by the temperatures i've seen with the apex intakes but i would like to see some numbers on the m2 cai. anyone?

 

what's everyone else's intake temp?

i have apexi intake and greddy smic,stock radiator. my intake temp can get as high as 70deg in afternoon traffic.

 

I think mazda was concerned of the sudden temperature change in the combustion chamber due to the air inlet duct position. I think the constant air temperature & free flowing of the apex intake wouldn't have any factor in this matter. Besides when going single all this cold boxes go away anyway. just get a nice ic.