Review on AEM 22-401P Polished Short Ram Intake System: Enhance Performance with Stylish Chrome Finish by Kyle Mason

I bought this Short Intake about 3 years ago (I didn't know much about cars at the time), the same year I bought my Civic. I've read quite a bit about how to improve my car's sound and maybe add some more power so this was one of the cheapest stud mounts you can easily make. These short receivers have their pros and cons! Do your research first. I'll start with the positive things. This air intake makes the car sound more pleasant due to the raspy growl. In fact, it makes you want to get in the car more often! Pretty fun. Now they claim you can get 5 more horsepower, but those numbers only show up at the top end of the rev range. The car seemed to breathe a little better at higher revs. What about low revs? Continue reading. VTEC sounds amazing and fuel mileage doesn't seem to have changed. This made the engine compartment more beautiful. In general, the sound of the car has become sportier. Now for the cons. You may think you're getting more horsepower, but you're going to LOSE horsepower and torque at low rpm. This is due to the missing resonators in the intake tract. These resonators should not only suppress intake noise, but also generate air (Helmholtz) impulses. This makes naturally aspirated engines more efficient. Explore yourself and you will understand. I noticed that with the short piston, when I got off the ground it almost felt like it was lagging behind or responding sluggishly. I put back the stock airbox and resonator with the high-flow filter, and to my surprise, my bass came back. Not to mention that a shorter piston draws in more hot air. Reheating is such a HUGE problem with this meal that it's not even funny. Oh yes, did I already mention that there is an annoying whistle under load for about 3k? Yes, it gets boring quickly! The Civic EX 96's stock airbag is already well designed and engineered. Honda did its homework. Save it and use a good filter. Although you get some maximum power with a short piston, you have less bottom end power so it's almost the same. I'm fed up with low power consumption (which is where I spend the most) and the Civic seems to struggle more under load. I've gotten smarter, it's just marketing in the first place. So, after 3 years of Kurzramer experience, I finally decided to give it up. If you want that breathy sound and don't mind sacrificing a little bass, this is perfect for you. If you don't want to lose bass but want a little more power, keep the standard pickup and get a high-bandwidth filter. Maybe even think about cold air intake, if at all.