What are the chances of my CAI sucking water into the motor while driving in rain? Its gonna rain anyday now and i dont feel safe driving my car with a CAI when it rains hard. I cant put the bypass valve in cause i have the 1st gen AEM CAL. Is my motor only affected by water when ithe air filter is completey submerged in a deep puddle of water?
Chances of water getting into CAI
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keep the filter oiled properly adn thats all i can say
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Water will ALWAYS get into a CAI when it rains. It won't hurt the engine in the least, though. It's when you drive through a huge flood with water more than one foot deep is when you should start worrying, since the water will envelop the filter and turn the CAI into a straw for the engine. 
During rain, downpours, hurricanes, etc., you don't have to worry at all unless you don't have your undercar plastics and drivers side wheel well on. That would allow a ton more water into the CAI, enough to start pooling up and eventually close off the piping completely. Then the car will hydrolock. A heatshield will help lessen the chance of that, since it wil block the excess water hitting the filter.
BTW, the bypass valve doesn't work on any Celica intakes, and make sure you don't overoil the filter, or you'll roast your MAFS. Just lightly mist the filter. The oil will soak in by itself. Then drive the car hard for a few min (sucks away any excess oil) and clean your MAFS.
During rain, downpours, hurricanes, etc., you don't have to worry at all unless you don't have your undercar plastics and drivers side wheel well on. That would allow a ton more water into the CAI, enough to start pooling up and eventually close off the piping completely. Then the car will hydrolock. A heatshield will help lessen the chance of that, since it wil block the excess water hitting the filter.BTW, the bypass valve doesn't work on any Celica intakes, and make sure you don't overoil the filter, or you'll roast your MAFS. Just lightly mist the filter. The oil will soak in by itself. Then drive the car hard for a few min (sucks away any excess oil) and clean your MAFS.
What filter oil comes in a spray bottle? I used the K&N recharge kit. That oil is too thick. I tried to put it in a spray bottle and it just sprayed a big thick ooze of oil. I was better off lightly squeezing the oil out of the bottle it came in while running the bottle up and down each pleat.
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Hmm, the K&N Filtercharger kit I got came with an aerosol can of filter oil:
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Applying it in liquid form isn't a very good idea at all. You'll get a ton of it coating the entire intake system, since the filter barely needs any oil.
Applying it in liquid form isn't a very good idea at all. You'll get a ton of it coating the entire intake system, since the filter barely needs any oil.
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Dont worry at ALL? Even in Hurricanes?
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Well, you won't have to worry about hydrolocking, at least.
where can i go to buy the underpanel for the drivers side? I still have the passanger side and center one but i took off the drivers one when i installed the CAL. i dont know what happened to it. Is it going to be a real problem if i dont have this underpanel?
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Partznet.com, part #51408-20090. Should be in the mid $50s, if not lower. If you don't have the panel, a bit more water will enter the CAI than normal. I think the most important part is the wheel well, though, since without it, the tire scoops up water aimed straight at the filter.
so this part number is for the driverside panel and wheel well right? I just wanna make sure before i order it beacuse it saide it was the right side on the site. I wasnt sure if they ment right side (while in the car) or looking at the car (while standing in front of it.) Thanks
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No, that's just for the driver's side underpanel. The number for the driver's side wheel well is 53875-20350. Should be around $60.
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