Is there any benefit to adding a CAI intake, performance or otherwise, on a 2008 LS 3 with NPP exhaust if you don't do anything else at the moment?

 

Yes. While the gains won't be as great, they will be present.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1573850812

I actually have a nice CAI in my basement since I have a blower on the car if you're interested.

 

Simple answer, yes. Any air flow improvement, intake and/or exhaust, will improve performance (to a point). How much, depends on how much you improve it, there are many CAI systems out and all, to differing degrees, will provide some, although minimal improved performance in comparison to other modes.

Many, to include myself, start with CAI system & exhaust mods to improve performance, as well as sound, with out voiding warranties.

 

Depends on what you buy...anything that does not include cutting the radiator shroud is a waste of money...sure you can prop the bottom of the shroud but ymmv. I went with the lingenfelter system, a lot go with the Vararam system. Either one gets you 100% fresh air from the front of the car.

 

Get a vararam and call it a day.

 

If it flows more air it flows more dirt into your engine.

 

After years of buying so called CAI's (they may all be called that but not all are) I finally figured out that the stock units nowadays are good for 436,505 and 638 HP right out of the box and they filter the air according to factory specs..How can you improve on that? There have been multiple tests done on K+N and other filters....they do not "filter" the dirt anywhere near as good as OEM and GM put out a bulletin or something a few years ago about that oil in the filters getting into the throttle body and messing things up.... Search this forum,the results are posted somewhere in the archives....as for gains?? 0-2,3,4,5,maybe...on a good day with the likes of a VARARAM or CALLAWAY that actually takes outside cooler air in...BIG FILTER??0-0...years ago during the c5 run,some magazine did a real world test- not just on a dyno -unless you plan on riding around with your hood up all day- on a big filter that showed a whopping 19 HP gain on the dyno.Well,as soon as they close the hood,drove the car for a while and it heated up under there,guess what?The car not only gace up the 19 it gained but it actually gave up 1 or 2 more...Don't believe most of the marketing hype. They are there to sell a product-and good for them in this free enterprise-but gains??Nope,not happening. VARARAM real world has shown 2/10ths or so at the drag strip...a couple of hp gain I guess...if it was that easy GM would have done it.They spend millions on reaserch.

 

With rain and bugs.

 

Well the rain is kinda like a pseudo water injection and the bugs are protein...

 

alittle bit more free revving and alittle more intake noise but that's about it.....

 

Like 'not 08' said.....if it will feed a Z06 it will feed yours. I would just get some cool air to your stock filter and spend the money on a tune, which will give you some actual horsepower.

 

I installed an AirRaid air filter which is basically a much larger filter. I then measured an increase in air pressure behind the filter. That means less air filter restriction. My short term fuel trim then increased 5. That says the ECU is increasing fuel to match the increase in air.
But even better than a better filter is to decrease inlet air temp. Simply block hot engine bay air from going over the top of the radiator and into the air intake. On a 70 degree day I measured IAT at 110 degrees. Some simple air dams around the rad dropped it to 75.

 

Yes, as long as its really a CAI. Don't fall into the trap where manufacturers call any old air cleaner a CAI. If it doesn't bring in air from outside the engine compartment, it is not a CAI and won't provide any measurable gain on an otherwise unmodified LS3.

The reason for this is that the stock intake already outflows the LS3. So don't buy an intake based on advertised CFM. Its like adding an extra gallon of water to a swimming pool, and expecting to get wetter.

To add any improvement, the incoming air must be denser which allows you to burn more fuel per charge. It is also the case that on hot days and at highway speed, a lower intake temp will minimize how much timing is pulled.

 

Its not the volume that's the issue, it's the temperature. Air is an excellent thermal conductor, simply feeïding cooler air to a hot intake isn't going to help much, start putting some velocity behind it and now the transfer goes down...which is why most intakes don't show much, if any, gain on a dyno.

 

I am in no way very knowledgeable about this stuff. But as I read all the replies to my original posting it all boils down cold air and that I get. So can one can assume that a dyno conducted on a 40 degree day will be substantially different then one conducted on a 95 degree day. If that is the case then how do they "tune" the car for year round best performance?

 

Cool air is a big deal but on a dyno with the hood open you are not going to see a big change. High speed on the road will make some difference but not enough to spend the money in my opinion. Hot intake air temp will tell the ECM to pull timing and hurt performance but that can be changed with a tune. The LS3 has a very good intake air system with a good filter so gains will be little with a CAI in my opinion.

 

Like me owning a vette, the PCM uses compensation. It knows that at different temps the fuel needed will be different.

 

It's a good start, I have the Halltech CAI with a cut radiator shroud. Also the Beehive which keeps the incoming air cooler.
I like it...

 

You have to clarify what you really mean by "at the moment". If you honestly have no plans on any future mods, then no I don't feel just a CAI is worth it. If you eventually plan to continue your mod path, ie; CAI now, then in a few months, headers, then tune, etc. Then I'd say, sure go for it. But just a CAI, I'd tell you to save your money.

If you're looking for performance that you'll actually notice in the CAI price range of +/- $500, then I would go straight for a tune. This should net you some power and improve drivability. Or for even less money, but with no actual power gain, is the Vitesse Throttle Controller. With that unit you can dial in the throttle response of the car to make it feel more snappy or even more lag if the need arises. It wont make you any faster, but it does improve your driving experience.

All in all you have to decide what you really want out of your build. Sometimes you just get the urge to do something but you're not really sure what. Which is fine. However, spontaneous mod decisions based on that can quickly result in wasted money and a car you may not be happy with. So try to come up with a game plan. How long are you going to keep the car? How do you drive it? Daily driver with no racing? Weekend/fair weather car? Occasional track days? Then figure out your budget and whether you want 1 big build or several incremental builds. Answering these questions can save you a lot of time and money.

Geez all that from just a simple CAI question.

 

This guy knows what he's talkin about. Bigger filter equals more dirt in the engine. I've experienced this first hand on my motorcycle. The HP gains won't be noticeable even with a good tune.