So as everyone may know i've had the aem cai, along with other mods including the hondata reflash and hondata img....well regardless of other mods i still had the same issues you people had with the AEM CAI....
So i decided to try out the Injen CAI to see if it fixed the problems and it also had more power advertised....
Fit and Finish.
So they are both polished and the polishing looks the same.
They both have the same level of craftsmanship with Injen paying a lot more attention to detail than aem...
The adapter for the MAF is more well constructed...the end of the pipe where the filter fits is kinda bevelled.
The Injen piping is bigger at the end where the filter sits, get's small at the MAF and opens up a little bit more after on it's way to the throttle body.
Overall it's about 6 inches or more shorter than the AEM CAI.
i won't go over installation again cuz ther's enuff threads like this here....it took me about 30 mins to remove the aem and install the Injen cai...
you must cut piece of your fender lining/splash guard with both the aem and injen cai...i had already cut for the aem...but i had to cut a little bit more inward and below for the injen...hence the larger space above the injen.
the space u see above the piping was there from the AEM cai...the injen fit a little lower down so now there is a little gap above...it also fits further back so i had to cut a little inward(repost...lol).
There is no way u could install the Injen without having to cut the splash guard....NO WAY...it's a must....if u don't cut it, then u can't bolt it down in the place it needs to be bolted down...u'll have to push it forward and if u have fogs it will hit those, not to mention it will also not be secure cuz i missed ur mounting point...
The injen mounts in a better location than the AEM CAI...there is not a way it will hit against the metal under there, like my aem did(made amends by putting some foam tape there)...no worries like that with the injen if u cut the fenderwell/splashguard.
However i did have to remove a bracket...this bracket is a non important one...it hold the positive wire for the battery...it sits just to the left of the battery tray....i removed it cuz i just thought it sit waaaaay to close to the piping, any movement of the cai and they would touch...even if the cai was pretty tight and not moving i just didn't want to have to do it later.....
Also be aware of the shift linkage after it is installed....the wire leading to the positive battery pole may be in the way, and u may fell like u are having problems getting into any gear depending on the position of this wire...(makes me wonder if this is a quick cure to the shift problems some of us are having)...just get this wire completely out the way....
Hesitation
GONE!!! The is no hesitation in any gear at any RPM under any circumstance...i know too well what it feels like cuz i had it with the AEM...it's no longer!! I tried and tried to induce the hesitation and it was not there! The car responds like it should.
Power Difference
WOW....WOW....WOW...though not everyone can expect to feel it like i did....the power difference is one that u cannot ignore...it's not slight! It's there and very noticeable....My car isn't stock and i know the reflash is to blame for this ever so present feel of more power.....but it is definitely more powerful than the aem was with the reflash.
quick math....
aem 7hp and 7tq roughly....
aem with reflash and supporting mods 14hp and 13 tq roughly
that's not counting what my exhaust may have added etc.
so the reflash either added 7 on each end or doubled the production.
which leads me to this being the reason the injen is that much more powerful in the mid range.
injen 11hp and 11tq roughly
someone dynoed at 13 hp added after 2 baseline runs with the injen...
that being said...if the reflash simply adds 7 then u have 18 hp and tq added on top of what it already gave.
and if it's doubled then 22 in each category on top of what u already gained from just the intake....
moral of the story is....more power from cai will equal more power delivered from reflash...how much? i don't know...but it's a lot whatever it is!!!
and believe me when i say this....MY CAR IS DEFINATELY MORE POWERFUL WITH THE INJEN CAI THAN IT WAS WITH THE AEM AND ALL THE SUPPORTING MODS...AND IT IS NOT SLIGHT...IT IS BY A BIGGER MARGIN THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN...IT PULLS DOWN LOW, PULLS WHEN VTEC HITS AT 4500, PULLS AND PULLS HARDER THAN IT EVER DID.
needless to say..I AM IMPRESSED....and apart from the reflash this is the best change i have made to my car...period!!
No hesitation of any kind at any rpm like i said before....
No CEL...to be fair i never had a CEL with the AEM...
Sound
it is louder than the AEM...no doubt about that....the sound is about the same, probably a lil more aggressive, but not enuff to notice, but the loudness is.
word of caution...
though i have not exaggerated the feel of power from this change in mod...
i don't expect everyone to feel the same power increase i did, especially on a stock car, or without the reflash....even if u had other mods...i think the reflash is the sole reason the bump in power was so definite.
i'm soooooo happy.
this is my story and i'm sticking to it!
P.S....i know yall see that shiny black bumper in there
