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DIY Intake. So far feels promising...

2810 Views 37 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  Article_Automotives
I've hated the stock intake every since I saw it. It just has to be restrictive and with miles of plastic duct, that kinks, morphs in different shapes and sucks from a small opening above the radiator, it cant be good, esp if you're gonna try to push past stock hp levels. When I built my intake for my Audi, I never really felt a difference when I was piecing it together. It was fast that's for sure but I never noticed what a difference it made until I traded it in. I put in the stock intake and it felt super super laggy and slow. Crazy

So when I started throwing codes from the Jb4 and probably my failing Diverter valves (turbo performance codes), I kept thinking the stock intake is probably hurting. Most of the times when it threw those codes, it took forever for it build boost. I built a cheap intake for my Audi how hard could it be for the quad? Well this may look simple but trust me it took a bit of time to figure out what would fit where and where would be the best place to keep the heat out, etc...

But this is what I came up with. Two 3", 90 deg, Aluminum tube (Bought from Amazon), a 2 K&N filters, some hose clamps (These tool-less ones are the best) and some sheet foam.


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Ok, so gets down with it. Yes, it feels much faster and dang, the lag has been cut in half. I've been driving it all after noon (Getting JB4 logs and taking the family to dinner, watching the IATs, etc). And just once it felt soft but the other times, I was feeling quite impressed. Before, I felt the longer I drive the quad the slower it feels. I'll try to get draggy runs next weekend and I'm thinking there will be something to show... stay tuned.

The notes: The big one, its louder but just a bit. Kinda disappointing. Driving normally, you might not notice. A bit more faint whistle at low rpms but no wooshes, blow off valve farts, just.. well, all I hear is my wonderful Ragazzon exhaust once it goes.

IATs seem a bit warmer when on it. I'm seeing around 5 degs above ambient. During stop and go traffic, it gets to about 10 - 20 degs over which is what I saw with stock but it can't be as good as stock at keeping the heat out. When I came home from driving, I felt the intake and it was ice cold and the engine bay was hot.. so if you're moving its not too bad?

I don't think I can get the stock clamps back on the turbo inlets. I've been taking the stock air box in and out since I got the quad and those clamps are easy peasy. But those lower ones.. dang.

I found oil in my drivers side turbo inlet. No biggie, you can see the EGR and PCV right there but my passenger side was dry as a bone.. =(

Here's the one that stumps me. I capped the high pressure venturi a few months ago. Figured its just a boost leak (I felt no difference). No codes. Then when I just left the carbon canister hose just hanging in the engine bay when I did my first test drive, no cel again. Wow. So i just left it disconnected for now but I may put a rubber tube back to my inake for it.

So hoping for the best and your results may vary (my car is mildly tuned. Discuss...

(and if anyone copies my intake, we all know who think he did it first!!)
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I shouldn't speak out of turn but wouldn't you guys be worried driving in the rain and sucking water into the manifold?
There is zero chance of sucking in water. The cone filters are fed from the same holes that feed the stock intake and water (not drops) would have to pour in before it would be a problem. If water got that high, the stock system would suck it in like a straw vs an open cone filter. If the cone filters were exposed directly to the rain, then yes, that would not be good.

Also a few drops of water down the intake would actually help with IAT's. There are guys that spray water down the intake to help cool the charge (But wet filters are bad for flow).
The hood vents may be a potential issue where water might be able to penetrate, but I'm not sure how much water would be required to actually cause hydrolock. From what I read.. it would need to be a substantial amount. I don't know much of how it all works out though driving through extreme wet conditions.. I'm a bit more conservative with intake mods. But, I fully support your idea of making the engine able to breath better.

My friends Charger SRT hydrolocked after driving it on a rainy day only a day after he had one of those low mounted cold intakes installed.
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Your idea actually seems the most simple and cost effective way of increasing intake volumes.

What do you think about having the whole intake filtration system made out for the QV?

Also, I think I read online that the new 2020+ models have a more restrictive intake box or filter. Did you know about that?


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That angle of the photo looks really cool!

I can see it coming together.
Thats pretty interesting.. So my best 0-60 time to date was 3.9. Best 0-30 was 2.44. Still getting a hang of how to properly launch this thing but I need to find a clear flat road where i can test the 1/4. I will post updates on 0-60 and 1/4 with the Squadra+200cel cat next month
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Do you have any videos of the sound in this setup? Revving under the hood stationary and in cabin on the move?
I'm in search for an intake to give me more whooshy sounds. I know ideal race have one but I'm in UK and at $1600 plus duty and delivery its a bit excessive for just some sound. So now I'm waiting for one from an UK company which is currently in development by Airtec. Pretty much same setup as ideal race but not carbon and a lot cheaper.
I know it'll probably have a some heat soak but I think that's fine as I don't use all 510bhp all the time. Whilst driving normally around town I would rather have some cool sounds 100% of the time than losing 20/25bhp(if that) 20-30% of the time. But I know you guys chase draggy times so I understand.
Bit strange how you're saying you don't get much sound though. Cones too far away to the front or not long enough piping for air to resonate louder sounds?
A cheaper alternative is going with the higher flow combustion air filter like BMC or Sprint. I will eventually get a Go Fast Bits Diverter vent to atmosphere valve to get that turbo purge noise
I run 93 octane by adding about 4 gallons of 100 to my tank and topping it off with 91. Then of course, I wait a few cycles with 91 octane until I repeat again. The car idles much better in running 93 and I get a bit more out of the car.

By the way - can you access the ECU modules by just by removing the intake box?
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