CAI question

[ryan34]

Is it possible to paint the SLP unit with heat resistant paint to get it to resist heat soak? And same with the elbow. Thanks, Ryan.

[78formula78]

I don't belive it will help a whole lot with heat soak but you could send them out to get Jet-hot coated if you really wanted to prevent heat soak.

[Joe 1320]

You could get a ceramic coating but the gains wouldn't be worth the expense. I use a 4.7K ohm resistor in place of the intake air temperature sensor in warm weather. This fools the computer into thinking the air temperature is cooler, the rate of timing advance isn't backed down and the resultant power loss at low throttle and part throttle is eliminated. There are some that will debate the effects, but the bottom line is that the sensor gets heat soaked. When it does, the computer decreases the rate of timing advance and the throttle can tend to feel a little less sharp as the temps climb. Every spring I add the resistor and take it out again when the ambient air temps fall below 60º in the fall. It works great! (a 4.7K ohm resistor gives the computer the resistance in order to make it think the air temp is 57º). below that actual temperature, it's best to remove the resistor and hook the harness back into the sensor. Total cost: About a buck and a half.

[lt1redz]

joe 1320..question. i see that you have a 93-z. do you use the 4.7 resistor on it? i was told that that year goes into alpha mode and the resistor will not work.. i had one instaled with a dash on&off switch and only used it when
needed. could you clarify the use on a 93-z..

[Injuneer]

"Heat resistant" paint doesn't act as an insulator, it "resists" burning off. You don't need heat resistant paint on a CAI. The best surface is one that reflects heat.... polished finish, silver, white, etc. The worst color would be black, since it absorbs heat. The layer of any paint would have a tiny insulating value, but not much. If you are really concerned about heat entering the CAI, wrap it in real insulation.

The 93's don't run in "alpha" modes (actually N-alpha), they run in speed density and a false inlet air temp produces the incorrect air density calcualtion and throws off the mass air calculation. If you tell the ECM the air id cold with the 4.7kohm resistor, the density is overstated, the mass air calculation is inflated and the ECM adds extra fuel, causing it to run rich. If you are lucky, the ECM long term fuel corrections may be able to correct for the calculation error, but when you go WOT, it will still run rich. For the 3rd Gen S-D cars, that sometimes helped. But in a 4th Gen S-D, with the excessively rich factory WOT programming, the last thing you want to do is fool the ECM into thinking the air is cooler than it actually is.

[Joe 1320]

joe 1320..question. i see that you have a 93-z. do you use the 4.7 resistor on it? i was told that that year goes into alpha mode and the resistor will not work.. i had one instaled with a dash on&off switch and only used it when
needed. could you clarify the use on a 93-z..

You and Fred are both correct and no, I can't use it on my 93. I do use an SLP cold air intake though.