Description
Design requirements for this intake were simple: The intake must not only be safe for the engine, but perform well both with and without tuning. The intake must be able to be installed quickly, without removal of the bumper. The intake must produce horsepower and torque gains throughout the RPM range, not just on the top end. Justification for the first is obvious, we want you to be able to bolt it on and go, without worrying about your air-fuel ratios and engine safety. Justification for the second came after installing other intakes, only to have our front bumper never fit the same way again. A little research showed that this was a common issue. Yuck. The design of this intake started with months of hands-on research. The entire development of the intake is chronicled in great detail in GrimmSpeed's FT86Club thread where members helped with major design decisions. After the research stages and the determination that there was a gap in the intake market, GrimmSpeed got to work with design. Using the FARO Arm, GrimmSpeed was able to MAP the engine bay in 3D to ensure a perfect fitment. GrimmSpeed used that working envelope to maximize performance by eliminating the 90 degree bend just before the airbox. GrimmSpeed found that this contributed to decreased resistance, but also helped with accurate MAF readings. GrimmSpeed placed the MAF sensor inside the airbox to ensure that the heat from the motor and headers didn't skew it's readings. With a solid theoretical foundation and a number of prototypes, our engineers hit the dyno. Working with a very well respected tuner, they tested 26 different intake configurations with over 140 dyno pulls. Armed with a massive amount of data, design decisions were made and we moved forward into production.
In true GrimmSpeed fashion, no corners were cut in the fabrication of each and every one of these intakes. The airbox is laser cut, CNC bent, riveted together and threaded inserts are installed before the entire assembly receives a heavy duty black wrinkle powdercoat. MAF flanges are CNC machined from 6061 aluminum and the intake tube is fabricated from custom bent tubing, made specifically for our application, to provide the perfect MAF diameter. The air straightener is laser cut from the same 6061 material and tumbled before the entire assembly is TIG welded by our expert welders. After welding, each tube is inspected and ported as needed to ensure maximum performance. The intake provides gains in horsepower and torque across the entire rev range. This includes gains of 3-4 ftlbs in the "torque dip," and peak gains of 6 horsepower as measured at the wheels on a Dyno Dynamics dynamometer (reads lower than the common Dynojet). These gains are not achieved through MAF trickery either, as the air to fuel ratio remains nearly identical to the factory's. Additional gains in the top end can be achieved by modifying your factory snorkel (around 2whp). Some of the best FT86 tuners in the country have had their hands on this intake and the response has been unanimous - they love it. Shiv at Open Flash Tablet has been kind enough to create an off the shelf map specifically paired with the GrimmSpeed intake to maximize gains. He's offered to provide the tune, free of charge, to anybody that owns an Open Flash Tablet. Contact him directly for more information!