I have been reading so many posts lately where people are knocking CAI's due to the fact that they bring in warm air from the engine compartment. I decided to try to make one myself with a heat shield that actually works. This is what I came up with today. Remember, I woke up this morning and decided to pull this off.
Parts List:
Steralite storage tub from Target @ $3.00
Spectre 60 degree elbo Intake tube from Autozone @ $10.00
3" x 3" Coupling from Sears Hardware @ $6.60
3/4" x 7/16" x 10' Rubber foam weatherseal self stick tape from Sears Hardware @ $3.80
1 - 1/4" x 42" Air Conditioner weatherstrip from Sears Hardware @ $1.70
Small tube of clear silicone @ $2.20
PowerAdder cone air filter from AutoZone @ $25.00

I did not take pics until the project was completed, so you will have to do your best to visualize the different steps.
Step 1:
Remove your current air box. Including the top which will require you to unscrew it from the MAF sensor housing.
Step 2:
Cut the corner of the Steralite container off.
Trim the container so that it fits into the opening where the air box once was. You want to leave extra at the top so that it nearly comes into contact with the hood when you shut it. This will allow you to create a seal that keeps out even more of the engine heat.
Step 3:
Cut a hole in the shield for the turbo's intake hose that has the MAF sensor on it. Use a marker to mark where the two holes on the MAF housing line up with the shield. Drill them out just larger than the bolt that you will use to attach it.
Step 4:
Cut a hole for the current air intake hose to come through the shield below the turbo's intake hose. This is the hose with the square end. It is a tricky cut since it will not be square with the shield.
Step 5:
Attach the shield to the bottom of the cavity. I used a self tapping screw with a washer and drilled into a shiny metal thing. Make sure not to hit the small line that is down there. I don't know what it is, but I think that would be bad.
Step 6:
Slip the MAF housing through the opening that you made in the shield. Bolt it on and put a dab of silicone on the end of the bolts so that the nuts will not work loose. I used the rubber O-ring that came on the original MAF housing to help make the seal even tighter. Probably not necessary.
Step 7:
Attach the square intake hose to the shield and use a silicone sealant around the edge to keep it in place.
Step 8:
Use the 3" x 3" coupling to attach the 60 degree elbo to the MAF housing inside the shield.
Step 9:
Now you can attach the cone filter to the elbo and clamp it down.
Step 10:
Line either side of the top of the shield with self stick foam tape. Also, run it down either side of the edge next to the fuse box also. This gives you a larger surface to attach the foam strip to.
Step 11:
Now rub a layer of silicone along the top of the foam tape and attach the foam strip to it. I used the entire 42" strip and sealed off part of the bottom of the box also.
Make sure to let everything dry and reattach the MAF sensor cable when you are done.

I have not had time to do much driving on it. I will keep you posted on my findings. It does sound pretty wild, though. I did notice that after about 30 minutes of aggressive driving, I lifted the hood and the area within the shield was cool to the touch, while the outside of the shield was very warm. Maybe it works.
I will let you know if my car blows up.
I almost forgot to mention the best thing.....No stock parts were hurt. You can put the old box back in with no problems.

$52.00 and 3.5 hours later, this is what I got:
CAI Photos (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/the_swish/detail?.dir=1d91&.dnm=a1c2.jpg&.src=ph)

That looks really good. And a Real Cold Air intake setup.

very clean

ORIGINAL: tech

That looks really good. And a Real Cold Air intake setup.


It is just like the EST setup from what I can tell. Since the stock pipe from the grille area is still being used.

ORIGINAL: S70driver

ORIGINAL: tech

That looks really good. And a Real Cold Air intake setup.


It is just like the EST setup from what I can tell. Since the stock pipe from the grille area is still being used.


Like I said in the other post I guess I couldn't see the fresh air hose from the pics that were posted.

ORIGINAL: tech


ORIGINAL: S70driver

ORIGINAL: tech

That looks really good. And a Real Cold Air intake setup.


It is just like the EST setup from what I can tell. Since the stock pipe from the grille area is still being used.


Like I said in the other post I guess I couldn't see the fresh air hose from the pics that were posted.


Point taken, I was just commenting. It is a nice setup, however it still leave some room for heatsoak. Slaters kit he made is pretty much air tight and or is airtight.

I decided to make one after reading Slater's post. I plan on testing it out for a while and then if I like it, I will go ahead and make a cleaner lookin' one. On the S60 there is not a good route for a large intake hose. That is why I am using the original intake. Along with this, I left the front open so that cold air passing through the front grill will enter into the chamber. I sealed off the engine side. After driving around for a couple of hours last night, I checked the intake compartment temperature. It was much cooler than the engine bay. The intake was actually very cool (almost cold) to the touch. :) I have noticed a slight power increase at higher RPM's. Especially while passing on the highway. I also keep pumping the gass to hear the cool turbo sound. Ssshhhhhh! Whhoossshhh! [sm=gears.gif] So far, I am working a an improved model and looking for suggestions on a good cone filter that does not use oil. Any ideas?????

The APEXI filter I don't think uses oil

ORIGINAL: S70driver

ORIGINAL: tech


ORIGINAL: S70driver

ORIGINAL: tech

That looks really good. And a Real Cold Air intake setup.


It is just like the EST setup from what I can tell. Since the stock pipe from the grille area is still being used.


Like I said in the other post I guess I couldn't see the fresh air hose from the pics that were posted.


Point taken, I was just commenting. It is a nice setup, however it still leave some room for heatsoak. Slaters kit he made is pretty much air tight and or is airtight.


By the way....What is this EST setup that you are talking about. Is it an aftermarket upgrade, or a homade unit? Also, I am interested in any ideas for improvement.

Thanks for the compliment tech. :)

Where do you recommend that I pick up an Apexi.

EST is eurosporttuning. you can go to eurosporttuning.ca and buy a CAI from them and it comes with a heatshield.


i need to stop browsing the internet and keep working on my english paper. its 1230 and im only halfway done :(

Thanks S70turbo1999. I have run across that CAI a time or two. That is the only aftermarket unit that I have seen with a "heat shield." Notice that it does not make a seal with the hood, or anywhere at all. That is one of the reasons that I did not buy it. If you look at mine, I had to cut the shield a couple of inches above the fuse box in order to make a hood seal. On my next model, I am going to try make a seal all the way around and squeeze another fresh air intake hose up through the bottom of the shield. I am already working on the route and will be picking up more hose this weekend. ;)

yea thats the one problem with the heatshield. i stilll have noticed a slight increase in performance and tell me if im wrong i think i can hear the CBV? going off when i let off the gas now. lets just say i never heard the pshhhh sound before the CAI. i like.

good luck with the homemade tho let us know how it turns out.




DAMN its 1:20 and im still not done this english paper...i have school at 7... maybe i shuld pull an all nighter.

yes you can hear your CBV going off now with the cone filter.

the apexi, i've read about it b4. Its only good in areas where dust isn't a problem right ? I myself haven't tried it, but I live in a praerie region, so dust is going to be a problem for me. With a K&N Filter with a cold air intake, will i be running into any problems with the (is it MAF?) temperature readings/pre-turbo spooling ? (As for a BOV, adds anything or just aesthetics ?)

i should actually ask, the pros and cons of dry vs oil cone filters...

Dude that is sick. I like the blue color adds a touch of coolness.

Would this setup work on an S80 N/A?

Or an S80 T6? I'm assuming it would, I might just have to make a few adjustments. Any ideas?

To answer your questions yes. You could make this work for your cars.

You would just have to revise the size and shape of the heatshield most likely.

ORIGINAL: S70driver

To answer your questions yes. You could make this work for your cars.

You would just have to revise the size and shape of the heatshield most likely.




there's only one big issue for doing a CAI on the S80. There are small vacuum tubes that hook up to the air box and unless they're hooked up, they WILL cause the engine to misfire. VERY VERY BADLY I might add. Talk about atouchy engine.

The reason why I know this is because I adsent-mindedly disconnected them when removing the airbox to detail in areas I could not get to. And for the longest time, the engine was misfiring because they were disconnected.

Does anybody have any ideas on how to get around this problem or how to add on the provisions, or tranfer the metal piece with the nipples on it for the tubes?

Oh, and I think for a cold air intake to be worthwhile, ditching the exhaust preheater tube is a must. Keep it on the shelf because I think it's required for emissions purposes. But heat is not a good thing for horsepower. I took mine off today as well as the shield that went over the exhaust headers/manifolds. I like being able to see the internals of my engine.