Injen CAI vs AEM CAI Review....hesitation etc.

**sickyute** · 07-18-2006, 05:35 PM

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

BLU BY U · 07-18-2006, 05:40 PM

From what i have seen from aem in the past....it's all garbage. They are more worried about getting the product out first than doing any type of R&D. The quality of AEM is also to be questioned.....hence the improper fittings they send you.

Torredo · 07-18-2006, 09:06 PM

all i gotta say....

damn im glad im gettin a InjEn

**Silver8th** · 07-18-2006, 09:20 PM

Nice write up, Marvie. I think I just may invest in a Injen now that you mentioned it's better. Now, I just have to decide wheter it's gonna be the SRI or CAI.

TwofouroSi · 07-18-2006, 09:56 PM

Where'd you get yours, I'm convinced that I gotta dump the AEM. It's just money right? Thanks for the great write up Sicky, you're always making excellent contributions to the site!!

tennisfan16 · 07-18-2006, 10:41 PM

good write up, but I have the aem and I cant say I notice any hesitation myself. MAybe its just diffrent for every car?

hurricane · 07-18-2006, 11:23 PM

I have not seen these parts in person but they just look like metal tubes to me. Can anyone explain WHY one would perform different than the other?

**atruhondagrl** · 07-18-2006, 11:27 PM

I can't thank you enough for posting this. I've been wanting to trade up from my AEM CAI to an INjen but I wanted to hear an opinion first. I'm planning on getting the reflash so again, this has helped.

Thanks as always for being a guinea pig. You rock.

**sickyute** · 07-19-2006, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurricane

I have not seen these parts in person but they just look like metal tubes to me. Can anyone explain WHY one would perform different than the other?

1. It has shorter piping
2. MR technology
3. piping diameter is bigger and changes throughout the pipe....big at a point smaller at the other(maf point), then bigger again.
4. more intake capacity(bigger filter and piping)
5. more pressurized-bigger intake, then pipe get's smaller at the maf...maf reads more pressure??...the bigger again, then smaller right at the throttle body...map reads more pressure??best way i can explain...i'm tired
6. bolt in a better place than the aem...thus allowing it clearance from metal wall, but then u have to cut the splash guard...aem i cut my splash guard and it still hit the wall...so then i put foam in between it and the wall to stop the vibration noises.
7. the butt dyno doesn't lie.....in this case it's not just the butt dyno, it's the back dyno also..i can actually feeeeel the car pull now...

8. IT'S NOT JUST A PIPE...if it was i'd have made my own and so would every body else...don't think honda would do all that to their intake system either if just a pipe could have done the job...FLOW/VELOCITY etc etc: it can do a lot of different things...like cause hesitation in one pipe and none in another...so it's not just a pipe....ever seen the aem v2(can't be used on Si)...is uses sound waves and air flow to create power(i think)....it's not just a pipe.

legendman · 07-19-2006, 12:24 AM

Awesome write up man! The only thing I can disagree with you on is that I didn't have to cut the fenderwell to get mine in. It's bolted at the mounting point and everything.

irichard · 07-19-2006, 12:22 PM

save in my cp

Tom1222 · 07-25-2006, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver8th

Nice write up, Marvie. I think I just may invest in a Injen now that you mentioned it's better. Now, I just have to decide wheter it's gonna be the SRI or CAI.

Why would anyone but a SRI Or a better term would be (HAI) under the hood of their car. All it does provide you with a louder sounding intake that sucks in HOT Air and robs you of power instead of gaining you more power.
Just doesn't make sense.

Tom1222 · 07-25-2006, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sickyute

1. It has shorter piping
2. MR technology
3. piping diameter is bigger and changes throughout the pipe....big at a point smaller at the other(maf point), then bigger again.
4. more intake capacity(bigger filter and piping)
5. more pressurized-bigger intake, then pipe get's smaller at the maf...maf reads more pressure??...the bigger again, then smaller right at the throttle body...map reads more pressure??best way i can explain...i'm tired
6. bolt in a better place than the aem...thus allowing it clearance from metal wall, but then u have to cut the splash guard...aem i cut my splash guard and it still hit the wall...so then i put foam in between it and the wall to stop the vibration noises.
7. the butt dyno doesn't lie.....in this case it's not just the butt dyno, it's the back dyno also..i can actually feeeeel the car pull now...

8. IT'S NOT JUST A PIPE...if it was i'd have made my own and so would every body else...don't think honda would do all that to their intake system either if just a pipe could have done the job...FLOW/VELOCITY etc etc: it can do a lot of different things...like cause hesitation in one pipe and none in another...so it's not just a pipe....ever seen the aem v2(can't be used on Si)...is uses sound waves and air flow to create power(i think)....it's not just a pipe.

What he said. There is a lot of Research that goes into the development of these "Metal Pipes". The Injen Cai is the only one that offers a Pressurized design which works a lot better with the Si's MAF. I just received mine yesterday and it is a very well made product. I chose the black powdercoated version since you really can't see it from the top anyhow and I read somewhere that the powdercoated pipe will stay a bit cooler.
Anyway, I will try and install it this weekend. I just hate to cut into the fenderwell but if it has to be it has to be

Can't wait to feel the difference.

TwofouroSi · 07-26-2006, 02:56 PM

Thanks to your write-up sicky, I ordered and, just yesterday, installed the Injen CAI. I can't say enough about the difference in driveability vs. the AEM CAI. The torquey, instant-power feel that I first associated with my new Si is now back. When I hit the gas, the car goes. The intake is only what i would call, slightly louder, however It definately sounds more aggressive throughout the VTEC range. Additionally, I installed the Greddy EVO2 exhaust yesterday, and I can't say enough good things about that. It took me less than an hour to install in my driveway, all by myself. Sounds 99% stock, just as others have claimed. The torque in VTEC is much more pronounced. To sum it all up, the Injen CAI is the way to go. I would even say it's worth replacing the AEM CAI with the Injen CAI if you've already gone down that route. And oh yeah, one last thing...it's faster :)

Tom1222 · 07-26-2006, 04:01 PM

Faster is Better

Tom1222 · 07-26-2006, 04:03 PM

How long did it take you to install the Injen Cai? I am debating doing it after work tonight or holding out unti the weekend. Can I get it done in 2-3 hours or will it take me a lot longer? I am by myself and wont have any help.
Also what's the best tool to use to cut into the fenderwell?

**atruhondagrl** · 07-26-2006, 04:18 PM

I just put my order in for the Injen CAI. :)

peliROJO · 07-26-2006, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom1222

Also what's the best tool to use to cut into the fenderwell?

A razor, box cutter, knife, wire cutters. it's just plastic.

**sickyute** · 07-26-2006, 06:38 PM

glad u like it too.
get a dremel to do ur cutting and future jobs around the house.
2-3 hours is more than enough time if u remove the bumper.

Tom1222 · 07-28-2006, 03:07 PM

I do have a Dremel. It's the best tool around the house.

07-18-2006, 05:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
sickyute MoDiFiEd Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Pembroke Pines, Fl Age: 27 Posts: 9,405 Marvie iTrader: 12 / 100%	Injen CAI vs AEM CAI Review....hesitation etc. 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 __________________ Shift when it blinks! http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2640940 FA5 http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2216565 FG2

07-18-2006, 09:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
Silver8th Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 6,639 iTrader: 4 / 100%	Nice write up, Marvie. I think I just may invest in a Injen now that you mentioned it's better. Now, I just have to decide wheter it's gonna be the SRI or CAI. __________________

07-18-2006, 11:27 PM	#8 (permalink)
atruhondagrl Why...so...serious? Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Gotham City Posts: 23,353 iTrader: 22 / 100%	I can't thank you enough for posting this. I've been wanting to trade up from my AEM CAI to an INjen but I wanted to hear an opinion first. I'm planning on getting the reflash so again, this has helped. Thanks as always for being a guinea pig. You rock. __________________ "I'm a dog chasing cars. I don't have plans. I just do things. I'm not a schemer. "

07-26-2006, 04:18 PM	#17 (permalink)
atruhondagrl Why...so...serious? Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Gotham City Posts: 23,353 iTrader: 22 / 100%	I just put my order in for the Injen CAI. :) __________________ "I'm a dog chasing cars. I don't have plans. I just do things. I'm not a schemer. "

07-26-2006, 06:38 PM	#19 (permalink)
sickyute MoDiFiEd Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Pembroke Pines, Fl Age: 27 Posts: 9,405 Marvie iTrader: 12 / 100%	glad u like it too. get a dremel to do ur cutting and future jobs around the house. 2-3 hours is more than enough time if u remove the bumper. __________________ Shift when it blinks! http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2640940 FA5 http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2216565 FG2

07-18-2006, 05:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
BLU BY U Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 24 Posts: 7,397 iTrader: 2 / 100%	From what i have seen from aem in the past....it's all garbage. They are more worried about getting the product out first than doing any type of R&D. The quality of AEM is also to be questioned.....hence the improper fittings they send you.

07-18-2006, 09:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
Torredo Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,160 iTrader: 0 / 0%	all i gotta say.... damn im glad im gettin a InjEn

07-18-2006, 09:56 PM	#5 (permalink)
TwofouroSi Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bellingham, WA Age: 23 Posts: 389 Josh iTrader: 1 / 100%	Where'd you get yours, I'm convinced that I gotta dump the AEM. It's just money right? Thanks for the great write up Sicky, you're always making excellent contributions to the site!!

07-18-2006, 10:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
tennisfan16 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: I have a cat. Age: 24 Posts: 3,724 iTrader: 3 / 100%	good write up, but I have the aem and I cant say I notice any hesitation myself. MAybe its just diffrent for every car?

07-18-2006, 11:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
hurricane Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Nebraska Posts: 167 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I have not seen these parts in person but they just look like metal tubes to me. Can anyone explain WHY one would perform different than the other?

07-19-2006, 12:24 AM	#10 (permalink)
legendman Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Age: 23 Posts: 645 iTrader: 4 / 100%	Awesome write up man! The only thing I can disagree with you on is that I didn't have to cut the fenderwell to get mine in. It's bolted at the mounting point and everything.

07-19-2006, 12:22 PM	#11 (permalink)
irichard Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,107 **** iTrader: 1 / 100%	save in my cp

07-26-2006, 02:56 PM	#14 (permalink)
TwofouroSi Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bellingham, WA Age: 23 Posts: 389 Josh iTrader: 1 / 100%	Thanks to your write-up sicky, I ordered and, just yesterday, installed the Injen CAI. I can't say enough about the difference in driveability vs. the AEM CAI. The torquey, instant-power feel that I first associated with my new Si is now back. When I hit the gas, the car goes. The intake is only what i would call, slightly louder, however It definately sounds more aggressive throughout the VTEC range. Additionally, I installed the Greddy EVO2 exhaust yesterday, and I can't say enough good things about that. It took me less than an hour to install in my driveway, all by myself. Sounds 99% stock, just as others have claimed. The torque in VTEC is much more pronounced. To sum it all up, the Injen CAI is the way to go. I would even say it's worth replacing the AEM CAI with the Injen CAI if you've already gone down that route. And oh yeah, one last thing...it's faster :)

07-26-2006, 04:01 PM	#15 (permalink)
Tom1222 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana USA Posts: 3,125 Tom Smith iTrader: 6 / 100%	Faster is Better

07-26-2006, 04:03 PM	#16 (permalink)
Tom1222 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana USA Posts: 3,125 Tom Smith iTrader: 6 / 100%	How long did it take you to install the Injen Cai? I am debating doing it after work tonight or holding out unti the weekend. Can I get it done in 2-3 hours or will it take me a lot longer? I am by myself and wont have any help. Also what's the best tool to use to cut into the fenderwell?

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07-28-2006, 03:07 PM	#20 (permalink)
Tom1222 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana USA Posts: 3,125 Tom Smith iTrader: 6 / 100%	I do have a Dremel. It's the best tool around the house.