I detached the right side of the housing that holds my air filter and attached my air filter to the left side for more air flow. I feel like I'm getting better gas mileage, and it most definitely makes the car louder. Is this okay to do? Can it cause harm to the engine or cause me any troubles? Here's pictures

http://imgur.com/ARCRw

http://imgur.com/SNdIK

 

Well...your filter is certainly going to get dirty alot faster id say..plus if its not sealed well you'll be taking in more air than needed and your maf wont know what to do with it so theres a chance your car will start to run like ****..i think anyways..

 

Also if its not sealed well you will be sucking in fine grit and dirt which also probably wont do your engine favors

 

Wow, that is ghetto.

 

The only change is that now you are sucking in some hot underhood air from the engine bay with the possible slight benefit of more maximum air volume if you are out flowing the stock ducting when it's all sealed up to the air box.

Duct tape around the side does look ghetto but I don't see any dirty air getting past it like others are suggesting. Essentially you turned your airfilter into a cone style filter open to the engine bay. While the stock air ducting is in place, unless you actually have air flowing through it better than the stock twisted path, there would be no reason for the engine to draw through it versus just sucking in hot air from the engine bay.

A better solution is to upgrade the ducting leading to the airbox with 4" tubing or similar and have air from the front of the car flow right into the stock airbox. Then swap in a K&N drop in filter and you should have yourself a 5-10 hp increase between filter flow capacity and colder air charge. You will have to clean the filter more often if you drive in dusty or rainy weather often but it will definitely make a difference.

 

So you're saying he put an invisible turbocharger on his car??? FAIL!

 

aside from it looking ghetto as hell, as long as you keep an eye on your duct tape seal, you should be fine. If I were you, I'd put it back to stock, and save for a legit short ram.


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The hot air thing is true and you will lose power because of it.

I did the duct-to-stock-airbox mod, check out my how-to in the 04-06 Ralliart section. This is much cheaper and as effective as any $300 CAI tube. 3" tubing is more than adequate for your application. The stock air filter flows fine, there is not a significant pressure drop thru it, I'd keep it. If you do get an aftermarket item like K&N that requires oiling, in a couple years the oil will foul your MAF and you'll need a new sensor because of it (even if you oil the filter sparingly and properly).

My comments are all from direct experience.

 

You've got it be kidding.

 

As long as the seal is good you will not damage your car, this is just a ghetto SRI. No you will not see any gains, not that you see much with a legit set up. You may have better air flow, but the air is much hotter, less dense, and therefore contains less oxygen. Improved gas mileage is based on the idea that an increase in oxygen allows for more efficient burning of fuel. In any case it's all just splitting hairs. Even if you are seeing an increase in oxygen, the gains are insignificant.

Also, if you're a fan of the roar I wouldn't expect better gas mileage. The new sound of an intake causes most people to extend the gas pedal further in order to hear it. People often mistake this heavy footwork as an increase of power and it will likely reduce your gas mileage.

If you like the sound, save up for a legit SRI. Chicks also dig the sound.
If you want the power, your might as well not even bother with an intake and spend your money on other mods. If money grows on tress in your back yard and you're an optimist, buy a cold air intake.