[Stingray280zx]

Well after much talk about routing a cowl induction system into my 280zx I decided I would open my hood and look in there. Well I said if i move the brake lines over a little big there just might be a chance for it to work out. Then I look , this piping will run right by my exhaust manifold, well this is useless, the air will warm up to engine temperature and in result I would lose all cold air advantage. This is for an FI system, so if I had a V8 carb or a dual SU setup, this would work out since the intake manifold is close, and there is less piping, and its not nearly as close with contact to the exhaust manifold it would be succesful. So if you have FI and want cowl induction, wait for the God of air Induction ( Tony D) to finish his setup in the summer of 2002 sometime, and it could mean a hood similar to a camaro or cavalier with their model of Cowl Induction. So if you have FI stick with the existing option of cold air and go with it. I'll make mine though, I think MSA can go fly a kite for the prices they are asking for the easiest cold air intake ever. I could make one for half as much. So back to the induction, in my opion wait till next summer, or if you have the car torn down to bar bone, you could work something out from there.

-Emir

 

[FlameZZZ]

You should try to find a industrial complex that ceramic coats & have your exhaust treated and you wo'nt have to worry about the heat anymore if it is still a prob. then just build a simple heat shield to protect it.

 

[RetrofitZ]

I agree that the cold air intake on a Z is the easiest ever. 90d elbow pipe, K&N cone filter, bracket, rubber boot and a couple of hose clamps, do the job great! So why go cowl induction? What advantage could it possibly have? You'll only drain your wallet.
Retro

 

[240 4U2NV]

cowl induction the way i understand it has the same advantage as the cold air intake plus the added effect of using high pressure air created as the air hits the car. This is kind of like a passive turbo or supercharging effect, not as effective but its "free" because the high pressure air is there all the time regardless of if your using it so it takes no power from the motor to presurize the air. Very similar to Ram Air.

 

[Stingray280zx]

Yeah the high air pressure from the cowl acts like ram air, but actually gets the air into your engine. The ceramic coating is an idea, but i'll wait until I have money, and until Tony D has a design too, i'm a student, not a gold mine lol. Thanx for the input

-Emir

 

[Tony D]

Hmmmm, POYA?

Perhaps you are not interested in brawing from pressurized air, but others are. What advantage could it possibly have? easy answer: Horsepower at speeds above 30mph. It's nothing you could measure on a dyno, as any aerodynamic advantage, but horsepower is the undeniable answer.
The discussion started off SU's, and that offers the easiest option. I said from the start, plumbing for STOCK EFI would be challenging. All along, I said that piping inside the engine compartment was not easy, no r would it prove to be very efficient. Proper engineering and the challenges make many people throw up their hands and say "what possible value could it possibly have", but with that attitude, we'd never have gone to the moon. Nothing is impossible, and if you want the MOST possible out of something, you have to jump some hurdles.
Ceramic coating of the exhaust manifold is a given, regardless of the application, as is insulation of intake air ducting, but then again, many of us are content with "good enough" and leave off the finer details. That's the difference between total engineering and backyard wrenching. Those content with "good 'nuff" invariably are looking at someone elses' tail lights and wondering why. Or lamenting that they "threw away too much money on that car". It's all mental attitude and quest for excellence. That's the difference. Plain and simple.

Remember, if you were to use a properly designed intake, with the throttle body towards the rear of the inlet plenum, this puzzle would not be nearly as difficult. Sam for an intake that positions the TB in the plenum facing the vlave cover between inlet runners 3 & 4...