How to Make a Homemade Cold Air Intake for Your Car

A cold air intake system can be a real benefit to your car, and some varieties are even considered to improve the horsepower and mileage per gallon of the vehicle. Your car has its own intake system provided, but you may wish to increase the potential by adding an additional cold air intake system, such as if you race the car or use it for rally-driving. Cold air intake systems are typically built for a make and model of car, and professionals tend to install them so that they take up as little room as possible, in places without obstructions. If you wish to have a cold air intake system and are an automobile enthusiast, you may wish to make your own air intake system. Follow a few simple rules to get the job done quickly.

Step 1 - Mark Your Path

The first thing you will need to do is use the copper tubing to mark a path through the engine which the air intake pipe will follow. The copper tubing is easily bent and manipulated, so this should make it the ideal device for working out where you want your pipe to go. Once the tubing has reached the location for your engine, decide where you will want the air filter to go and cut the copper tube at this point. If you have an old air intake system that this new model will be replacing, you can simply use the piping from that rather than making a shape with the copper, unless you wish to change the layout of your cold air system.

Step 2 - Shape the Exhaust Pipe

Once you have marked out the path, remove the tubing and have the exhaust pipe molded to match the shape of the copper tube. The copper tubing should be removed very carefully so that you can copy the identical shape with your exhaust tube. This can be done either in your own home workshop, or you can take it to an automobile garage and have them make the shape. Be sure that your exhaust pipe will fit into the area defined before you begin fitting it into the space. You should also check that you can close the car bonnet completely with the exhaust pipe/air intake pipe in position.

Step 2 - Fit the Exhaust Pipe

Your exhaust pipe will become your new cold air intake pipe. Before you put it into the engine, place the cone filter at one end of the piping and then fix into position using the hose clamps. As an alternative, you may wish to place the air filter into a box at one end of the piping, and fix it into position by screwing it to the frame of the car. Once this is all done you can complete the task by applying a layer of heat-resistant paint to the outside of your piping and taking your car for a test spin to see whether you can spot any difference.