Originally posted by pimpin90GL@Dec 22 2003, 04:13 PM
but aluminum is able to dissapate heat very quickly (probally part of the reason of why they used it) and it would be cheaper and you would probally get more gain out of keeping the current upper and adding a CAI. just my $.02
Aluminum also makes a great heatsoak. If it didn't soak up the heat, there would be nothing to dissipate.
That said, the plastic intake should be a good upgrade from the aluminum unit. The insides are swirly, like Mikey said, and they are pretty smooth. Smoother than one could get with polishing an aluminum intake. They also don't act as a heatsoak, which is another plus.
When doing this swap, keep in mind that the G3 and 4 intakes do not have an integral throttle body like the G1 and 2. You'll need the throttle body as well, but the TPS should swap over, or the G4 one may work on the G2. In fact, try to get the whole intake setup, MAF and all, from a junkyard car. The MAFs were plastic too, and the same benefits can be had from swapping that over.
Tom, you are correct. Cooler air is denser air, and denser air contains more oxygen molecules, making for a more efficient burn. I think gains are to be had, and I plan on adding this to the cherry jellybean if I decide to supercharge the 93 instead.
I gotta take this opportunity to add a shameless plug too. When you swap manifolds, or if you decide not to swap, you should try out a super duper AMS phenolic spacer.
I hear they're great, and the guy who makes them is dead sexy.
If you had EEC-V, I'd suggest larger injectors too, like 19lbs or so. The 14's that are in there now are marginal at best. If you wanted to swap, I would guess that you could compensate with a recalibrated MAF, or a chip.