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Quick Intake question?

A

acontour

CEG'er
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
245
Hi guys , i bought the Cosmo Racing Intake a while ago and had lots of issues with it. The valve cover connection was too small and for the MAF , there is just a hole which makes the air to not be read properly.

I'm planning on getting the one at CTA Motorsports for $200. It's the Zetec Aluminum Intake Kit(the one with the black boot). Part # CTAZTCALPBL

It looks like you can use your old MAF "housing" and has a bigger intake connection. Have any of you guys bought that?? Any opinions?
Thanks
 
I made mine for about $35...

100_1528.jpg


It's the Focus Intake from e-bay. The major problem I had was fitting the filter over the MAF. It was SO hard to stretch it over the MAF so I used a different filter...I left the stock airbox and used a 3" to 4" "downspout connector" from Lowe's (the inlet for airbox is 3.5"), and I used a rubber coupler stretched around the airbox to fill the gap to 4", and clamped it on. The clamp that comes with the car is JUST big enough to fit the 4" :cool:

EDIT: I forgot to mention the IAT. I literally just cut a hole in the rubber coupler and let the hole stretch itself around the sensor as I "screwed" it in. it threaded itself right into the rubber, and so far has held a good seal without using any other kind of applicants...
 
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You can always give the guy a PM. But the valve cover breather port should go back into the intake. If it doesn't have a hole for it, just get one of those breathers available at your local auto store.
 
I did a stickie about this topic JUST for this reason, it helps to read the provided information

any Focus zetec short ram will work fine, however the adaptor between the MAF and the large pipe that goes towards the throttle body is too small, you can get a universal 3 inch one at autozone for like $10, then drill a small hole in it for the IAT sensor.

Problem solved.

Oh and Zorrex, your intake is missing out a little bit, its not much better than stock, trust me, if you get rid of that big black box on the top of your throttle body, your intake will REALLY sing.

Mine is louder than my magnaflow exhaust.
 
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While I understand your concern Alias, I have heard from multiple sources that keeping the airbox on the throttle body provides better throttle response and power. When it gets warmer out I'll fiddle with both setups, but I'm happy with it right now. I just need to clean my filter...lol
 
zorrex said:
While I understand your concern Alias, I have heard from multiple sources that keeping the airbox on the throttle body provides better throttle response and power. When it gets warmer out I'll fiddle with both setups, but I'm happy with it right now. I just need to clean my filter...lol
Click to expand...

he's right. There is a part in the sleeperz thread about that i belive. The plenum is an air reserver chamber, because our intake manifold is to small to have an internal one. The plenum could use alittle internal work for flow but its still good.

I also remember PMing sleeperz about his intake and although he didnt have the plenum on. He did put it back on very soon after. He said he just never updated the thread with it.
 
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Sooooo, plenum or no plenum??? I read SleeperZ's thread, and it seemed like it could go either way... And what the hell is that massive black extension going straight forward offf the intake, right next to the MAF???
 
What I did until I can get a new intake/filter - Removed stock airbox, used some zip ties to hold filter to the intake and let it hang. When I can get a new intake pipe it will go on.
 
The plenum gives you MUCH better throttle response. I've run my CAI both with and without. It may not look pretty, but the plenum is there for a reason.

Also, there is a spot on the bottom of the plenum to bolt your IAT. You just have to remove a threaded plug to put it in.

devanmc said:
he's right. There is a part in the sleeperz thread about that i belive. The plenum is an air reserver chamber, because our intake manifold is to small to have an internal one. The plenum could use alittle internal work for flow but its still good.

I also remember PMing sleeperz about his intake and although he didnt have the plenum on. He did put it back on very soon after. He said he just never updated the thread with it.
Click to expand...


HTH,
BP
 
that should work just fine. the air filter goes directly on the end of the stock MAF and then the coupler joins the MAF to the new pipe. the 90 degree coupler goes from the pipe to the throttle body.
 
striker2 said:
that should work just fine. the air filter goes directly on the end of the stock MAF and then the coupler joins the MAF to the new pipe. the 90 degree coupler goes from the pipe to the throttle body.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks for the help.
 
Hi, I'm new here and I'm new to cars in general (terms and stuff). I'm hoping to put an intake on my Zetec and I didn't really want to start a new thread about it. I have looked at a lot of other intake threads. This one seams kinda dead so I'm gonna hi-jack this thread and ask some questions.

So the Plenum is the big black box on top of the Carberator? I see that some people say it helps and some say it doesn't. Could you leave it on so it helps, but cut out any baffles inside that quiet/restrict air flow? Then you can just put the IAT in the plenum instead of having to put a custom/ghetto hole in the tubing or something.

I'm hoping to get rid of the air box and panel filter and use a conical style. I hear that the MAF is 3.25" (correct me if I'm wrong) so its hard to fit 3" filters on it, and focus kits come with 3" filters, right? So could I just buy an aftermarket 3.25" filter to make life easier? Then can I do a sleeper-Z style piping? I was thinking a 45* elbow coming off the plenum, then the 3" pipe (again, correct me if I'm wrong), then another 45* elbow going into the MAF. I could just get one of those little breather filters instead of trying to weld a fitting to the pipe.

So if this set up would work, kinda like a spin-off of the sleeper-z style, I would need to:
-increase flow in plenum
-move IAT sensor to bottom of plenum
-2 45* elbows and 4 clamps
-3" pipe cut to right length
-stock MAF
-3.25" after market filter
-after market breather filter

I'll have to figure out a way to secure the filter end of the intake so it doesn't bounce around and rub, but that should be easy.

Mostly I'm wondering if this set up will work and if it would be cheaper/easier then getting a focus intake from ebay and trying to mod it to fit a tour. Please help out a newbie trying to upgrade his car. My goal is to come close to my friend's 3.8L '97 Grand Prix in performance. I know my car is smaller and from what I've heard/experienced, contours have very good handling because aren't they based off of a european design/chassis? I can probably out manuver him, but I need some more power for straights.

Next up would probably be and underdrive pulley, I hear those are also inexpensive ways to up your power. Any views or suggestions on that too? How hard are those to install? Worth it?

Thanks for helping me out (if you do).

Thanks, Connor
 
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Hi Connor, welcome to the CEG! You should put your year and type of tranny in your sig so that we know what you are working with.


You are right on track with everything that you said. You can easily just use a 45 off of the plenum. It isn't 3" though. I think it may be 3.25 or 3.5". My CAI had an adapter off of the plenum to fit the 3" pipe that I was using.

Just try to keep any severe bends (over 45) away from the MAF.

Also, so you don't get flamed... The plenum sits on the throttle body (TB for short). We don't have a carb. ;)

A UDP is a great way to get more power for not much cash. If your Contour was built before 1998, you should also consider taking off your intake manifold and cleaning it. It's amazing how badly the EGR system gunks up an intake manifold.

Later,
Ben
 
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