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1991 Subaru Legacy Cold Air Intake?


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hey' date='

i was wondering if anyone would know where I could buy a cold air intake for my 1991 Subaru Legacy? i would like one for some more horsepower. i also would like to know if I could just tear out the turbo for the turbo legacy and put it in my legacy L? thanks[/quote']

 

I am very skeptical about the benefits of cold air intakes on anything except engines which breath HUGE amounts of air. If any appreciable increase in power and/or economy was possible by using a device so simple, then why don't the auto companies install them at the factory ?

I've seen all the "independant" tests published by the folks from the different makers of intakes and WOW...they're quite impressive !! Some of them will give you upwards of 15 HP !!,(and they've got the charts to "prove" it).

 

The placebo effect is very convincing. After you pay a couple of hundred bucks for something which is supposed to make your car go faster, you make yourself believe that it does indeed go faster...especially if it sounds faster­ .

 

When I was a kid I used to put baseball cards on my bike frame so they'd smack the spokes...it made a really cool sound and I swear to god...my bike really did go faster !!..(I can publish the dyno charts if anyone would like to see them).

 

Why spend upwards of $200 on an intake when you could simply buy one of these guys here...http://www.hurricane-horsepower.com/ and look !! They've got the charts to prove it works !...(it's guaranteed too).:rolleyes:

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Check ebay for cold air intakes. You can usually get them for about 20 bucks shipped. It may not be specific to your 91, but they can easily be made to work. Do a search on NASIOC.com for details.

 

P.S. 20 bucks makes it alot easier to smile when you are putting your stock one back on.

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'91

 

I did some testing on my '96 with the stock intake pipe located just behind the right headlamp. When the car is moving, the temp just inside the air inlet was the same as the ambient air temp.

 

I don't know where or how you could get cooler air into your system, at any price.

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Hello????

 

'91Subaru, your Legacy left the factory with a cold air intake. So, CHIP, your primary analysis is incorrect.

 

Inside the fender there lives an intake silencer. You can remove this and add a short intake trumpet from the air filter housing, so that you still draw air from the fender cavity. The sound improves vastly, and the throttle response is sharpened, but HP gains are minimal.

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Hello????

 

'91Subaru, your Legacy left the factory with a cold air intake. So, CHIP, your primary analysis is incorrect.

 

Inside the fender there lives an intake silencer. You can remove this and add a short intake trumpet from the air filter housing, so that you still draw air from the fender cavity. The sound improves vastly, and the throttle response is sharpened, but HP gains are minimal.

 

That's right....just about every manufacturer makes sure that the engine intakes it's air from the most ideal place in the engine compartement....That was my point. A $200 tube with a filter on the end won't improve something which a team of factory engineers spent months working on.

 

And like you said.. "The sound improves vastly, and the throttle response is sharpened, but HP gains are minimal".

 

Here's an idea that might get you a few hp....take a stick,(you could use the one I pull out of my rump roast), and shove it into the catalytic convertor a bunch of times,( if your car has one), until it's gutted. It'll definitely free up the exhaust flow a bit....(although that would be illegal and environmentally incorrect).

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...take a stick,(you could use the one I pull out of my rump roast), and shove it into the catalytic convertor a bunch of times,( if your car has one), until it's gutted. It'll definitely free up the exhaust flow a bit....(although that would be illegal and environmentally incorrect).

 

Not to mention, quite messy!

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Inside the fender there lives an intake silencer. You can remove this and add a short intake trumpet from the air filter housing, so that you still draw air from the fender cavity. The sound improves vastly, and the throttle response is sharpened, but HP gains are minimal.

 

What do you mean a short air trumpet? Is that the pipe? How can i get to this to? Will it have a little bit of a ricey sound too?

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That's right....just about every manufacturer makes sure that the engine intakes it's air from the most ideal place in the engine compartement....That was my point. A $200 tube with a filter on the end won't improve something which a team of factory engineers spent months working on.

 

That's not necessarily true. Factory engineers also have to take into account the sound an intake system will make, emissions restrictions (depending on the market it will be sold in), and mileage numbers that look good on paper. I don't know about the Legacy's intake or how it works, to be honest, but it's not like every car ever made has a great stock intake just because it was designed by engineers. (Hopefully :)) I've seen plenty of positive gains Subarus at Nasioc, but mostly for the EJ253. There are other concerns, such as leaning out at high RPMs or having various ECU and MAF issues that can screw with fuel, but there is definitely power to be had from the intake.

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'91 Legacy: Leave the air filter box where it is, but remove the silencer that lives in the fender. This will leave a round hole with a rubber grommet in the air filter box. Insert into this a short lenght of pipe with a "bell mouth" / velocity stack / intake trumpet on the other end. This will provide a smooth flow into the air filter box, from the fender cavity.

 

Here's what it looks like on my previous car:

 

http://geocities.com/vik2r/Sube/intake2.jpg

 

Photo is taken from ahead of the front wheel, with the fender liner moved aside temporarily.

 

This will make your car sound absolutely excellent! The trumpet is essential, because otherwise the sound will be rough and uncultured. IMHO.

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I've heard that you can get MAF trouble if there isn't enough straight pipe before it after the filter? Have you experienced this?

 

i take it your asking me right?

 

no trouble at all cause the MAF was already attached to the filter box/ simply unbolted it from box an bolted it together to the adapter,then put filter on.sounded real cool,specially at about 3000rpms.when i would shut engine down,it would almost sound like it was exhailing.

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The MAF doesn't like filter oil or vibrations. A panel K&N might lose some oil and coat the MAF, but it won't shake it to pieces.

 

I reckon my suggestions is cheaper, sounds at least as good, and since it's undectable when you pop the hood, it's also safe under scrutiny from Police and vehicle inspectors.

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RalliTek I believe has a CAI for a gen1 legacy, or at least one that will fit, I was gonna get one for mine but then decided not to. I took the "snorkus" out of mine and it helped a bit, but my buddy cut the bottom of his airbox out (kinda like I did with my Turbowagon) on his 95 and it made it sound a lot better, gave it more snappy throttle response too! (Not a huge HP gain though, maybe 2-3 at high RPM)

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So Subie94...the only thing you did was take the filter box out and strap on a cone filter w/ a custom brace?

 

How did the gas milage change if anything.

 

What does it sound like?

 

yup that's pretty much all i did/ did use alittle more gas,not sure of numbers

 

sound pretty good specially at about 3k rpms

wish i had been able to record it.figures now that i can i don't have the same car an set-up.as soon as i can hook up my 94 leg/i'll record it an let yah have a listen.

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