NB: Cold Air Intake on the cheap
 

Well, due to interest in my Intake, I am writing a how-to for it. Finished Product:
https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1319593876
https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1319593876
https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1319593876
WARNING: I ONLY run this intake on the track. I think it can be ran on the street if you are careful not to drive in large amounts of water or with some minor work to protect the filter from external debris.
Sorry, all my pictures suck for this as I am taking them after the fact here. I will try to get better ones over the next few days.
Parts to buy:
2.75" to 2.5" 90* bend silicone
2.5" to 2.5" 90* bend silicone
2.5" ~15.5" aluminum piping ****SEE NOTE****
Clamps (you can reuse the stock clamps if you like, and buy the rest)
Intake filter (K&N, AEM, Spectre, whatever)

Tools:
Tin snipes and/or dremel with cutting wheel
random sockets
electrical tape
small cutters to get at the electric tape already on the harness
Drill + drill bit (drill bit will need to be 1/2"+ to make a large enough hole for the IAT sensor+ its gasket)
Angle grinder to cut the aluminum piping if its too long

Note:Aluminum piping...This all depends on how you want to position the intake in the wheel well area. My measurements were pretty much spot on at 14". You can also effectively change the length by changing the overlap with the silicone. I would aim for 14"-15" and use the silicone for the fine tuning on fitment. If you use the ebay seller I note below, they offer a cutting service on the intake pipe for $1-$2.


This totally cost me $70 for everything except the intake filter. You can get shittier silicone for half the cost, making the price $50+intake filter. I got the filter for about $35 from summitracing, putting the total cost between $90-$120 depending on shipping. Here is the ebay seller I used (I got all my silicone parts except the 2.5" to 2.5" as it was out of stock at the time):
http://myworld.ebay.com/siliconeinta...:X:CEM:US:1181

To begin, remove the stock intake and airbox. Step one is to free up the MAF/IAT wires from the factory harness so they can be routed down. This pretty self-explanatory. Just cut the electric tape at the edge, being careful not to nick a wire or cut the plastic sleeve. then unfurl the electric tape all the way down. You want to get it free all the way to the throttle body.

https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1319593876
https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1319593876
https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1319593876

You will have to seperate it from the Crank Position Sensor and the power steering pump wires. re-wrap those up with electric tape and put them back where they belong. You don't have to, but I suggest you do this, unwrap it from the cluster of connectors seen in my last picture. (the ones next to the thermostat where the exposed wires are coming from). re-wrap everything with electrical tape and make sure you leave the plastic sleeve on the MAF/IAT wires, like I did. Not an end-all, but its for safety and peace of mind.

-Anyways, next step is to get the aluminum pipe ready. You need to cut it to length then drill the IAT sensor hole. You can see mine is near the pink/red silicone in the 3rd picture at the top. It does NOT matter if the IAT is before or after the MAF.

-The rest is just piecing things together. At this point, I would test fit the silicone pieces, you MAY have to trim the TB 90* elbow( 2.5" to 2.5") so that it doesn't hit against the upper radiator hose. How to connect:

2.5"->90*->2.5" ---> aluminum tube ---> 2.5" -> 90* -> 2.75" ---> MAF Sensor+Air Straightener ---> Air Filter

Suggestions for improvement:
-Need to extend the air Filter further into the front bumper. At that point, you can pretty much safely run this on the street and/or the track and not worry about the air filter getting physically damaged or water into the intake.
-nicer cutting of the under tray?
-Sealing the hole in the under tray if you plan to run it street/track. This will help keep the undertray's profile intact and allow it to do what it was intended to do. Personally, I won't make any claims to cooling or whatever, as thats off-topic.

Here is the trimming I did on the undertray:
https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1319761496

https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1319761496

Don't do any big puddles

Those are my favorite! 6" standing water or bust.

That's crazy clever Joe. Thanks for doing the work and then writing about it!

No problem Alex! Glad to see you got back on here. I think if you do this, you could realllly improve on my shoddy work. I have been brainstorming ideas to improve it, and I think extending the intake further into the front bumper would be great, especially if one used some aluminum between the filter and the wheel to block any debris or water from getting in.

At that point, I would daily the ---- out of this intake.

https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1319761496

Are you Fae's room mate?

Unless Fae is my mom/brother/sister(s), I don't think so. What gives you that conclusion? Fae is in Maryland, I am in North Carolina.

Just giving you crap for your jagged edges, that's all. Try an angle grinder next time, it'll melt the plastic but break off the molten plastic with your fingers and you'll end up with a straighter, cleaner edge.

dohh!! Yea, its probably not obvious, but I put this intake together the night before my CMP event this last 15th/16th. I just ordered some stuff to clean it up including a 3-5" extension to put the filter further into the front bumper. I will be taking the under tray off to clean it up this coming week while I do the suspension and control arm bushings.

I gotta spend more time on MT (although the CR guys are starting to complain lol) so I get to know you guys better ;).

I made some slight measurement corrections. Aluminum tube needs to be 14", not 15.5"

Joe,

Don't know if this really applies in your case but have you checked out Home Depot's selection of plumbing and pipes? It's not like you have to worry about heat soak at this point but they have all sorts of elbows and scoops that may work here like those that mount to the side of a house to vent the dryer but not let rain and small animals in.

I'm not getting at anything specific here, only that they have a big selection of parts that can be applied to a custom project. I did something remotely similar a few years ago routing fresh air from below via a tin scoop into a cold-air box behind the driver headlight.

I haven't given it much thought really. I am content with my next step of moving it further into the bumper and sealing the wheel well and undertray. More than likely, I will just mock something up, buy a new undertray+splash guard and do a clean install. But that won't be finalized until mid december. Unfortunately, the suspension is taking over all my time for now, and I have events for 2 out of the next 4 weekends.

I will look into it, once I start finalizing the ducting in the area. I reallllly need a 01+ bumper so I can take into account future brake ducting, but thats a whole nother' beast.

I hear you. Got too much on my plate right now too.

You're right I might do this one day.
Why didn't AEM or some other company make an intake like this?

^haha, not sure.

Anyways, to update people on water fears, I ran the intake with the extension further into the bumper this weekend at RA while it rained. had no problems what so ever, and I check once to see if water was on it and didn't see any. I would say this intake is a success.

I have a 1990 mazda miata and want to get a cold air i take for it . Im not sure what all to get for it and or how to get around the sensor conected to the air filter.how do i get the cold air intake to work with the whole air map sensor thing. Can i somehow just take it out and dwlete it from the system?

the air flow meter is a pia, to delete it you either need to go with a standalone ecu of some sort megasquirts are always good, and a gm intake air temp sensor. could do something like this on the cheap though http://www.flyinmiata.com/support/in...Randall_M1.pdf

with a NA, it would be much easier to do a headlight intake and then do some ducting to seal it from the engine.