| Q: |
What is a C.A.R.B. E.O.
number? |
| A: |
AEM intake systems carry or are pending
approval for a California Air Resources Board Executive Order (CARB EO)
number, exempting them from the prohibitions of California Vehicle Code
(CVC) 27156, which states that you cannot modify your car in the area of
the emission control system. The C.A.R.B. E.O. number allows you to
legally use the AEM intake system on your car. |
| |
| Q: |
What does the soft mount do
and how important is it? |
| A: |
The majority of AEM air intake system
designs mount to a vehicle in two locations. One mounting location is to
the engine at the throttle body and the “cold” or filter end of the
inlet pipe mounts to the body of the car. The movement of the engine on
the engine mounts allows it to rock inside the engine bay, so we
compensate for engine motion by using a soft mount that provides a
flexible link for the inlet pipe between the engine and the body of the
car. If you do not install the soft mount properly the inlet tube may
break at the bracket weld and void the warranty on the intake system.
Our instructions provide a detailed diagram of proper installation of
the soft mount, and are viewable from the search results page for each
application. |
| |
| Q: |
I have an engine swap.
Which intake should I use? |
| A: |
AEM manufactures hybrid intake systems for
Hondas and Acuras with a popular engine swaps. These intakes are a
direct fit and fully warranted. For cars with other engine swaps, we do
not recommend using our intake because of potential fitment problems. If
you elect to purchase an AEM intake for your engine swap application, we
cannot guarantee proper fitment and any modifications to the intake
system will void the manufacturer warranty. |
| |
| Q: |
What is the warranty on my
AEM intake? |
| A: |
AEM warrants that its intake systems will
last for the life of your vehicle. AEM will not honor this warranty due
to mechanical damage (i.e. improper installation or fitment), damage
from misuse, accidents or flying debris. AEM will not warrant its
powdercoating if the finish has been cleaned with a hydrocarbon-based
solvent. The powdercoating should only be cleaned with a mild soap and
water solution. Proof of purchase of both the vehicle and AEM intake
system is required for redemption of a warranty claim.
This warranty is limited to the repair or replacement of the AEM part.
In no event shall this warranty exceed the original purchase price of
the AEM part nor shall AEM be responsible for special, incidental or
consequential damages or cost incurred due to the failure of this
product. Warranty claims to AEM must be transportation prepaid and
accompanied with dated proof of purchase. This warranty applies only to
the original purchaser of product and is non-transferable. Improper use
or installation, use for racing, accident, abuse, unauthorized repairs
or alterations voids this warranty. AEM disclaims any liability for
consequential damages due to breach of any written or implied warranty
on all products manufactured by AEM. Warranty returns will only be
accepted by AEM when accompanied by a valid Return Merchandise
Authorization (RMA) number. Credit for defective products will be issued
pending inspection. Product must be received by AEM within 30 days of
the date RMA is issued.
If you have a warranty issue, please call 800-875-8511 , and our
customer service department will assist you. A proof of purchase is
required for all AEM warranty claims. |
| |
| Q: |
Why does AEM use aluminum
for its intake piping? |
| A: |
Our Chief Engineer John Concialdi provides
an explanation of the difference between Aluminum vs. Steel vs. Plastic
in inlet piping:
The issue of heat absorption with an intake system has a degree of
validity, however we have found that too much emphasis is placed on
material selection, instead of the real issue of tuning the system. Our
systems feature a unique shape and diameter because this is what we
found to make the most useable torque and horsepower for each individual
application in testing. However, for the purposes of this discussion, we
will limit it to why we choose to make our systems from aluminum and the
effects of heat absorption on all materials. If you do not wish to
review all of this information right now, a quick synopsis of this
discussion is outlined in the following bullet points, with complete
topic discussions below:
- We use aluminum to eliminate any chance of the system rusting, and
it's lighter than steel
- We limit our use of plastic because this material absorbs some of
the sound energy we work to create in the inlet duct
- Whether or not an inlet system is made from aluminum, steel or
plastic, the thermal conductivity of the duct material has little
effect on engine power
- The rate at which air travels through the inlet path under open
throttle, when one is asking the engine for maximum power, negates the
effect of material heat soak, regardless of the material
We use aluminum—or a combination of aluminum and plastic plenums for
throttle-body-injected applications that require a special plenum—for
every intake we produce. This eliminates any chance of rust occurring on
the inside of the inlet pipe. We have seen chrome-plated steel systems
whose inner diameter became rusted over time, causing flakes of rust to
travel along the inlet path. We also choose aluminum because of its
lightweight properties. Heavier components place higher loads on the
brackets they are attached to—or even worse, to the pipes they are
attached to. We combine our lightweight aluminum design with a flexible
coupling device we call a soft mount that connects the intake system to
the body of the vehicle. In addition to the soft mount, we use doublers
at the point where the mounting bracket is welded to the pipe for
additional strength.
We limit our use of plastic because this material absorbs some of the
sound energy we work to create in the inlet duct. Although we use the
best plastic material for our plenums, it is still not as resilient and
does not retain the visual appeal of aluminum over long-term use.
Because we have to use plastic on throttle body applications, we take
extra precautions to ensure that the aluminum retaining ring that
attaches to the throttle body is anchored securely into the plastic
plenum; this is done by making an interlocking mechanical link between
the plastic and aluminum.
Whether or not an inlet system is made from aluminum, steel, or plastic,
the thermal conductivity of the duct material has little effect on
engine power. We have found that the tuning of the pipe, in addition to
providing the coolest inlet air source, are the keys to making useable
power. We perform engine inlet-air-temp studies when developing each
application to determine the coolest location for sourcing inlet air. In
addition to this, we determine the safest location for the inlet source
to protect it from highly dusty conditions and water. To this end, we
provide a stainless-steel heat shield to help minimize heat soak into
the inlet area, as well as to provide protection from dust, dirt and
mud.
At light throttle opening, air speed and airflow at the inlet system are
relatively low. The high residence time of air in the inlet while at
low-throttle settings will increase inlet charge temps when materials
with high thermal conductivity are used. Typically, when someone is at
light throttle they are not asking the engine to make power. Most
likely, fuel economy is the issue.
When the throttle is fully opened however, air speed and airflow
increase considerably. Typically, the inlet air speed of a 5.7L engine
with a four-inch duct at full throttle is 34 feet-per-second, based on a
volumetric efficiency of 70% and an engine speed of 3,000 rpm. Most
inlet systems for every intake manufacturer for this engine are 30
inches or less. This means that the air in the duct of a 30-inch inlet
length on this engine at the given rpm is 1/10th of a second—hardly
enough time to transfer an appreciable amount of heat into the air
stream on any system.
Basically, the rate at which air travels through the inlet path under
open throttle, when one is asking the engine for maximum power, negates
the effect of material heat soak, regardless of the material. We hope
that this helps to clear up the issues of material heat absorption in
intake systems. |
| |
| Q: |
Can I use an AEM Bypass
Valve with the V2? |
| A: |
NO. AEM V2 Induction Systems utilize a
dual chamber to create multiple frequency sound waves. The installation
of the AEM Bypass Valve would disrupt the tuning of these systems, and
in many cases the tube diameter of V2 systems exceeds the maximum size
of the AEM BPV making it impossible to install. |
| |
| Q: |
Will an AEM intake void my
new car warranty? |
| A: |
NO. The only time this can happen is from
improper installation that causes damage to a vehicle system. If a
service technician denies your warranty claim ONLY because the car is
modified with an AEM intake system and the vehicle system failure was
not a direct result of the installation and use of an AEM intake, please
refer him to the Magnusson Moss Warranty act. You can download the
Magnusson Moss Warranty act from SEMA’s website at:
http://www.enjoythedrive.com/san. |
| |
| Q: |
My V2 does not route the
filter outside of the engine compartment. Why is my V2 application an
underhood system? |
| A: |
Just as some vehicles respond better to
Short Ram systems (denoted in the search results), length and diameter
of the dual chamber piping in a V2 induction system plays a vital role
in creating power. Because of this, not all V2 systems relocate the
filter outside of the engine compartment. AEM performs extensive R&D for
every application (including V2 systems), both with respect to length
tuning and inlet temperature testing. We will always manufacture the
best performing product regardless of its configuration and do not
subscribe to what the industry generally accepts as a “method” for
manufacturing performance induction systems. We have manufactured air
induction systems for 12 years, and over that time have developed a
comprehensive testing standard that nets consistent results. In this
regard, we develop V2 systems to produce maximum power, and this does
not always mean that a V2 will have a long runner configuration. We pay
particular attention to temperature testing on V2 systems with short
intake runner configurations. In cases where a heat shield is necessary
for keeping inlet air temperature under control, AEM will provide a
powdercoated steel, laser-cut heat shield with the system. You can
find a link to our temperature testing procedures right next to the link
for our dyno testing procedures on the application search results page
for our air induction systems. We also provide a link to our
temperature testing results right next to our dyno results for each
application. We do this to assure you that our test results prove each
short runner system makes repeatable power under real world driving
conditions. |
| |
| Q: |
Can I use an AEM Bypass
Valve with the V2? |
| A: |
NO. AEM V2 Induction Systems utilize a
dual chamber to create multiple frequency sound waves. The installation
of the AEM Bypass Valve would disrupt the tuning of these systems, and
in many cases the tube diameter of the V-2 systems exceeds the maximum
size of the AEM BPV making it impossible to install. |
| |
| Q: |
Where should I install my
nitrous nozzle on my V2 inlet pipe? |
| A: |
If you must install a nitrous nozzle on
your inlet pipe, make sure that it is installed on the smaller primary
pipe close to the throttle body. If you install it on the larger
secondary pipe the nitrous can get trapped in the chamber and may not
enter the inlet air stream. Ideally, the best place to install a single
fogger nitrous system when using a V2 intake is in the throttle body
plenum. |
| |
| Q: |
What is the warranty on my
V2 intake? |
| A: |
AEM warrants that its intake systems will
last for the life of your vehicle. AEM will not honor this warranty due
to mechanical damage (i.e. improper installation or fitment), damage
from misuse, accidents or flying debris. AEM will not warrant its
powdercoating if the finish has been cleaned with a hydrocarbon-based
solvent. The powdercoating should only be cleaned with a mild soap and
water solution. Proof of purchase of both the vehicle and AEM intake
system is required for redemption of a warranty claim. This warranty is
limited to the repair or replacement of the AEM part. In no event shall
this warranty exceed the original purchase price of the AEM part nor
shall AEM be responsible for special, incidental or consequential
damages or cost incurred due to the failure of this product. Warranty
claims to AEM must be transportation prepaid and accompanied with dated
proof of purchase. This warranty applies only to the original purchaser
of product and is non-transferable. Improper use or installation, use
for racing, accident, abuse, unauthorized repairs or alterations voids
this warranty. AEM disclaims any liability for consequential damages due
to breach of any written or implied warranty on all products
manufactured by AEM. Warranty returns will only be accepted by AEM when
accompanied by a valid Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number.
Credit for defective products will be issued pending inspection. Product
must be received by AEM within 30 days of the date RMA is issued. If you
have a warranty issue, please call 800-875-8511 , and our customer
service department will assist you. A proof of purchase is required for
all AEM warranty claims. |