JLT RAI owners

[94CobraPace]

Anyone have JLT RAI on their Cobra? I purchased one and there was incorrect & missing parts in the kit, JLT corrected the issue BTW, but still wondering if I got the correct 01 parts. When installed, the filter hit the radiator support and the shield will not fit, not even close. Had to get a longer hose to connect to the valve cover also!
Had to cut 1" off the pipe to get the filter to fit with out hitting the rad support and try to angle the pipe & MAF meter to try and get the shield to fit.
Anyone else have these issues?

From all the good reviews I've heard about JLT, I'm not impressed with how the kit fits. I feel the car has more power, especially the low to mid range.

 

[quick01snake]

mine came with the wrong size fitting and grommet for the IAC, had to chop about 2-3" off the PVC tube to get it to fit up right and not have the filter jam into the heeader panel, and of course had the hood blanket rubbing...still the best kit out the for the money and power gains...

 

[K2AHollywood]

Yeah well the instructions that came with mine specifically state that you have to cut your PCV hose anyway. Myself and a lot of other couldnt get the sheild on and honestly your better off without it. And yes the filter will hit the support, its a HUGE RAI incase you didnt notice and before you become even more disappointed, it will rub on your hood blanket too

 

[cobrasvtcoupe25]

I have the same symptoms... :nonono: Rubbing against hood blanket, No strut bar, filter hits support, but I was able to get my heat shield on. Should I just take it off? :shrug:

Anybody thought about going C&L? Any Hp loss?

 

[olgreydog7]

I just loosened the coupler to the intake so I could angle it down and pushed all teh other couplers towards teh motor as far as they would go. It's a tight fit, but it's in there. I didn't use the heat shield thing, I honestly don't think it's needed, but I have functioning scoops on my 00R hood

 

[quick01snake]

yeah but if you jam the tube up into the elbow, you're hurting flow...my point is that it should be a few inches shorter and it would fit just right...

 

[olgreydog7]

Tell me how it hurts flow? It's already an over lapping joint, the air sees a transition from 4 inches to slightly less in a small step no matter how long the over lap is.

I do hear what you are saying though. The company that makes the filter for JLT make them in a million different sizes. Would going with a one inch shorter filter hurt performance any?

 

[Graves]

I have had 2. One is on my current car. I was never able to get the heat shield to fit on either of them...which sucks, because I'd like to put it on.

I like the Steeda 03/04 Cobra heat shield.

 

[quick01snake]

Tell me how it hurts flow?

i don't have any objective evidence, but certainly:

 

[olgreydog7]

Except that it doesn't go in that far. The air isn't at high enough velocity to create much of a vacuumm in that pocket, no matter how big it is.

 

[Un4GivN]

I was planning on buying the JLT RAI real soon, but maybe I won't...

As for your argument olgreydog, I do believe quick01 is correct on pushing the pipe in and hurting flow. You're giving the air less time/space to make a 90* turn. How bad you're hurting it? I doubt very much

 

[olgreydog7]

How much? I'd say maybe .01 hp. You are moving it in about a 1/2 inch IIRC. Not a big deal. Plus, like I said, there just isn't much inlet velocity. BTW, you are not changing the space the air is moving 90 degrees. The only way you can change the is to change the radius of the curve, which doesn't happen here at all. The air is going straight up until the rubber coupler. It really doesn't matter in this case because the flow is pretty turbulant through the intake. It doesn't have time to go laminar. So removing that 1/2 inch does little if anything. Now, if it was right at the threashold of going laminar, that would be different.

I was shocked though at the fitment. Everything went together well, but seriously, when you are paying ~150 bucks for some rubber, pvc, plastic, and cotton gauze, I'd expect a little better. But, every dyno test I have ever seen said JLT is the best, so unless they are handing every mag some $$ under the table, I'd say they are doing something right.

 

[K2AHollywood]

How much? I'd say maybe .01 hp. You are moving it in about a 1/2 inch IIRC. Not a big deal. Plus, like I said, there just isn't much inlet velocity. BTW, you are not changing the space the air is moving 90 degrees. The only way you can change the is to change the radius of the curve, which doesn't happen here at all. The air is going straight up until the rubber coupler. It really doesn't matter in this case because the flow is pretty turbulant through the intake. It doesn't have time to go laminar. So removing that 1/2 inch does little if anything. Now, if it was right at the threashold of going laminar, that would be different.

I was shocked though at the fitment. Everything went together well, but seriously, when you are paying ~150 bucks for some rubber, pvc, plastic, and cotton gauze, I'd expect a little better. But, every dyno test I have ever seen said JLT is the best, so unless they are handing every mag some $$ under the table, I'd say they are doing something right.

First of all the larger filter size allows for greater surface area and better flow, an inch shorter would result in a much lower surface area [like ever wonder why these K&N filters are ribbed? - surface area is IMPORTANT]

$150 isnt shit, especially for an intake, and even at almost $200 its still the best $:HP value out there. Even when I was in the import seen thats a bargain for an intake. Yes many people feel that the PCV seems cheap but its doesnt retain heat like metal [like say the BBK] You want to feel screwed out of your money and cheap, but have a 'good fit' I suggest you go try the K&N kit....

 

[olgreydog7]

First of all the larger filter size allows for greater surface area and better flow, an inch shorter would result in a much lower surface area [like ever wonder why these K&N filters are ribbed? - surface area is IMPORTANT]

$150 isnt shit, especially for an intake, and even at almost $200 its still the best $:HP value out there. Even when I was in the import seen thats a bargain for an intake. Yes many people feel that the PCV seems cheap but its doesnt retain heat like metal [like say the BBK] You want to feel screwed out of your money and cheap, but have a 'good fit' I suggest you go try the K&N kit....

True, but fitment is important too. And, like the tb, anything over the flow that is needed is just gravy anyway, it'snot going to give you more power. Ever see some of the tiny filters, relatively, on some turbo kits? They are flowing WAY more air. Bottom line, I don't think the filter is a choke point, or would be if you cut half an inch off. I like that they use pvc, for the exact reason you stated. I really think the reaosn intakes cost as much as they do is partly cause we'll pay it. The materials aren't that exspensive, even buying them retail. True there are alot of pieces and they add up. That's not the point. We are talking about an air filter, not rod bearings, so why the tight clearances? Even if you keep the filter the same size, there is plenty of material in the middle of the pvc pipe to pull out half an inch and it will fit much better.

On a side note, I thought mine didn't fit right cause I have an FR500 intake. I thought maybe the tb wasn't in exactly the same spot

 

[Jamie R.]

I had the JLT CAI on my car and then wanted to try the RAI. I just made my own with a spare piece of pipe I had. The RAI is very simple to make.

Jamie R.
'01 Silver Cobra on the Cover of MM&FF's August '07 Issue

 

[olgreydog7]

I had the JLT CAI on my car and then wanted to try the RAI. I just made my own with a spare piece of pipe I had. The RAI is very simple to make.

Jamie R.
'01 Silver Cobra on the Cover of MM&FF's August '07 Issue

Yea, but you had all the little parts that are hard to get.
The TB coupler is teh worst to get. You can hack up the stock pipe so that you can get the fitting for the vents and that electrical connector and they do sell the MAF adapter separate.
You are right though, there isn't much to it.

 

[quick01snake]

How much? I'd say maybe .01 hp. You are moving it in about a 1/2 inch IIRC. Not a big deal. Plus, like I said, there just isn't much inlet velocity. BTW, you are not changing the space the air is moving 90 degrees. The only way you can change the is to change the radius of the curve, which doesn't happen here at all. The air is going straight up until the rubber coupler. It really doesn't matter in this case because the flow is pretty turbulant through the intake. It doesn't have time to go laminar. So removing that 1/2 inch does little if anything. Now, if it was right at the threashold of going laminar, that would be different.

I was shocked though at the fitment. Everything went together well, but seriously, when you are paying ~150 bucks for some rubber, pvc, plastic, and cotton gauze, I'd expect a little better. But, every dyno test I have ever seen said JLT is the best, so unless they are handing every mag some $$ under the table, I'd say they are doing something right.

if you had read my first post, it's not 1/2" i had to remove, it was 2.5-3"...so yes the pipe was WAY up in the elbow...that can't be good for flow... 0.5" i wouldn't have worried too much about...

 

[olgreydog7]

if you had read my first post, it's not 1/2" i had to remove, it was 2.5-3"...so yes the pipe was WAY up in the elbow...that can't be good for flow... 0.5" i wouldn't have worried too much about...

Mine was only about half an inch :shrug: I don't think my elbow is long enough for 2-3". Maybe my pipe was cut, I did pick it up in the market section.

 

[cobrasvtcoupe25]

Anybody thought about going C&L? Any Hp loss?

:shrug:

 

[Jamie R.]

What electrical adapter are you talking about? Oh, your talking about the iat sensor rubber thingy, correct? Where could that be bought? I'm sure somebody sells that little rubber piece somewhere. The rubber couplers can be bought off sites here on the internet. The aluminum adapter for the ma sensor can be bought from some mustang stores, i.e...upr,mustangs unlimted, places like that & the filter can be bought anywhere. It really is a simple design that works and much props to jay for the great idea.
Cobracoupe25, get the jlt because I think it would be better than the c&l, even for nothing more than plastic over aluminum.

Jamie R.
'01 Silver Cobra on the Cover of MM&FF's August '07 Issue