Engine Cheap CAI Vs. AEM CAI

Cheap CAI Vs. AEM CAI

I'm about to purchase a CAI for my corolla, and I take a look at the AEM brand since it's the only one that has any reviews and everyone rated it a perfect 5. So I decide to take a quick look on e-bay to see if anyone had it under $200 and I found a whole bunch of what seem to be REALY cheap CAIs is there any diffrence between the $200 AEM Intake and the $50 Cheap stuff on e-bay?

AEM Vs. TRD

While I'm at the previous question... which one of these are better? I read somewhere on a diffrent page that the TRD CAI will fit the supercharger later and the the injen wouldn't, what about the AEM?

The difference between the cheap CAI and the AEM is that the AEM has been dyno tested to give optimal HP......the cheap ones are not....They also are equiped with a much better air filter than the cheap ones (so this also jacks up the price.........and the performance) so if you have the money, go for the AEM (INJEN or TRD).....But if you want to add a s/c later on, go for TRD cause the other ones won't fit it.

AEM short-ram intake will fit even with a supercharger, and I presume an Injen will too.

the first one i bought was a 60 dollar one off ebay, I'll have to disagree about the filter though, it was a very good quality filter, on the other hand the reat of it was not. It fit fine, but the mouting brackets broke off shortly after the install, but not just off the bottom, the welds on the brackets made the tubing weak and it broke the bracket off, along with a 1 inch section of the intake tube, thus sucking anything it could into my engine. Also, the AEM tubing is 3/4 of an inch bigger, wether it really needs it or not. So I would go for the name brands... just for security reasons

I don't beleive into the AEM dyno sheet. It seem to have a trick behind that...

I have CAI on all my car (expensive or cheap ones) and I think it's more like a "psychological" HP than real feelable HP.

I my own mind, the only difference between cheap "no-name" CAI and AEM expensive CAI is the air filter. The AEM carry a true or equal quality K&N filter (washable and reusable) when the cheap "no-name" CAI only carry a paper single use and very crappy air filter...

Your best way : take a cheap "no-name" CAI and put a genuine K&N on (around 40$) and you'll get the same result than AEM for the half of the price.

My 2¢.

...you get what you pay for. The AEM, TRD, and Injen are all specifally engineered for the Corolla where as you don't know who designed the the Brand X cold air intake. If you don't have the money to the AEM, TRD, or Injen, save up or buy one of them slightly used.

Get a TRD or other expensive CAI. Try it on your car.
Make a CAI from plastic water pipe. Try it.
Amazing thing, folks...you'll se no difference at all.
A pipe is a pipe is a pipe. There's no engineering here, they just bend a pipe to fit into the confines if the engine bay.
Don't waste your money, get the ebay unit and add a good K&N filter...you'll be in money, unless you have a car that sits around with the hood up al the time. In that case, use some polish on the cheep pipe.

Word of God. AMEN.

I made my own CAI with plastic pipe, I buy some expensive shit like AEM and I buy some cheap "no-name" CAI. They are ALL THE SAME, stop loosing your money for paying only for a brand name. The filter are crappy, but a pipe is a fuckin' pipe! 8)

Yeah I know the short ram fits....but he said he wanted a CAI....the AEM and Injen wont fit.

i dont have any kind of cai but i still wanna put my two cents in here
THINK OF IT THIS WAY WOULD YOU RATHER BUY A RELIABLE CAI THAT YOU HAVE LESS OF A CHANCE OF IT BREAKING REGARDLESS OF THE AIR FILTER OR AIR INTAKE RATIO.
OR: WOULD YOU JUST WANNA BUY SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE LESS TRUSTED AND COULD BREAK LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER GUY RESULTING IN SOME ENGINE REPAIR FAR MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE 160 OR SO BUCKS YOU SAVED YOUR SELF WHEN YOU BOUGHT THAT CHEAP CAI?
I MEAN REALLY WHEN IT REALLY COME DOWN TO IT ITS YOUR CHOICE
OF COURSE IM JUST SAYING THINK ABOUT IT TWICE BEFORE YOU BUY A CHEAP ONE IF THAT WAS THE CASE