I mentioned in my other thread that I have been trying to install the CTS intake with a lot of problems. I have it installed now, so here’s the full story. Again, kind of long. Sorry…
Intro: I like trying new products to the market. Some people hate installing parts over-and-over, but I am pretty known to try different things for the sake of trying them and moving on (I have gone through 3 sets of wheels, 4 suspension setups, now 2 intakes, etc.). I like to work on the car, and try new things. I don’t usually stick with one setup. Especially since I have gotten into the logging and drag strip recently. I replaced my stock airbox, APR CF tube, and AWE filter with the new CTS intake.
Summary:
The good-
- The CTS intake is basically a Roc-Euro knock-off with a few improvements. It adds a machined mounting bracket for the breather hose, and dedicated mounting points for the heat shield. Other than that, it’s pretty similar.
- Air Mass was up 100 kg/h with the new intake. Previous maxes were usually in the 1150-1250 range, with an all-time high of 1268. With the CTS, I am now consistently in the 1300-1350 range, with a high of 1366.
- IAT’s are down an over an average of 15C. During my logging, I was typically seeing temps in the low to mid 60C range with the previous setup. I am now seeing temps mid-40C range. The highest number I saw today on my logging loop was 48C which is pretty amazing as I normally creep into the 70C range in most cases.
**I should mention my logging is done is similar conditions between 75-80F and a DA between 1600-1800, but maybe not exactly the same. We had some nice low temps today (75F, 70% humidity, 30 BP). Most of my other logging was done is 78F-80F, 40% humidity, 30 BP).
The bad:
CTS pretty much sucks…
****The intake originally did not include an extension for the vacuum hose which was about 2 inches short of reaching their intake tube, and they included no mounting hardware for the heat shield (which they obviously designed to be mounted to the factory grommets).
****I contacted CTS, and got no response. I contacted the vendor, who actually was super helpful. If it wasn’t for him I would have returned the intake. He contacted CTS, and had the missing parts sent out. However, I got the parts, and the mounting hardware for the heat shield did not fit through the mounting holes. They provided M10 hardware (10mm), and the holes were 8mm. Awesome.
****I got a direct contact for CTS from the vendor, and got a response back. They requested pictures, which I provided, and then I never heard anything else back… I ended up drilling out the mounting holes to make it work, along with several other modifications to the heat shield that I thought were needed (I moved the mounting holes to move the heat shield away from the coolant line as it was touching the way they had it. I also rounded off a sharp corner that was close the rubber hose that crosses over the top of the intake.
****No doubt I could have just gone to the hardware store and got what I needed in the first place, but since I was one of the first people to buy this, I wanted them to make it right so others would not have to go through the same thing.
****The vendor Thomas@Emmanuel Designs was great. He ended up giving me a $100 refund, and he said he has been supplying M8 hardware with the ones he ships out. If you do order this intake, go through him as opposed to CTS directly. At the end of the day, the intake cost me $215, and a little work. Hopefully CTS gets their crap together.