Page One - Exterior
Page Two - Interior
Page Three - Performance
The Sorento had okay performance, but I read a few forum posts and decided to add to the fun.
I started out by taking out the top of the OEM airbox and bolted on a Power Adder High Velocity Filter ($25 at Autozone). That helped a bit but once you start you always want more.
While I was into the intake I removed the screens before the MAF sensor to increase response and air flow even more. I also cleaned out the throttle body which improved my idling.
To finish it all off I removed a plastic wind deflector from behind the grill and added a Cold Air Intake tube that flowed to the air filter. This combined with the original tube from the stock box drew cold air from the outside to the new filter.
A few weeks later I found the adapter that attaches the air flow tube directly to the front of the filter. Installing that piece and having the air forced directly to the cone of the filter made a HUGE difference. The response and power delivery is much smoother than before and WAY better than the stock set up.
I also disconnect the vacuum harness so that the butterflies in the intake are left "Open" and the air takes the short track 100% of the time. This increased my low end torque quite a bit and negates the butterfly screw ingestion problem. ***This issue has been addressed in an official recall from KIA***
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To finish up on the performance side I got rid of the warping prone stock rotors and pads. I replaced them front and rear with drilled and slotted rotors and posi-quiet pads I found on eBay. With the help of my brother in law I installed these in my driveway in about an hour or so. They offer improved braking when they've warmed up. You really have to hit the brake pedal the first few stops when they are cold though. I think they are a nice upgrade for sure. Much better than the "glide to a stop" feel the OEM rotors and pads had. These have some serious bite when you hit the brake.
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One Final Revision to the CAI. I re-routed the CAI tube and reoved the stock airbox. I still left the fender hose attached but worked out a mount to keep the filter secure.
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I recently did some testing on the intake after an online discussion about air flow and temps and how the affect open air filters. I tested the suction from the tube to the filter and the suction from the open side of the filter in the engine bay. The difference was huge. The open side of the filter sucked in air so fiercely that it would literally draw a piece of paper in from nearly 10 inches away. The suction from the tube would not even draw a feather into the tube or pull it close to the filter from more than halfway in the tube already. My conclusion was that the tube may force air into the filter when moving, but the filter will have already drawn most or all of the air it needs from inside the engine next to the open side of the filter.
This made me think that if I could raise the hood using spacers it would vent the air better and offer a cooler engine bay and better air induction under the hood. Here's what I found out.
My first round of testing was on two separate days and I think the temps and other contributing factors gave me bad data. Here is what I found out today using a digital thermometer.
Environment was 70 degrees outside and sunny. I tested with the engine warmed up. The temp sensor was placed on the side of the filter closest to the engine block. First with the spacers in place and then without. Testing was within 10 minutes of each other. I was blown away with the results and I'm really glad I did it.
With spacers the temp was 147 degrees F under the hood at idle. It got as hot as 149 but leveled out at 147. When driving an average of 25mph the temp eventually dropped to 76 degrees at speed. When stopped at a stop sign the temp rose to 97 degrees fairly quickly.
Without the spacers the temp under the hood at idle only raised to 137 degrees max and leveled out at 135 degrees. When driving the same route at roughly 25mph average the temp dropped to 77 degrees. At stop signs it raised more slowly than with the spacers to only 92 degrees.
Because these results were so off from what I expected I decided to try the temps with the deflectors back in place on either side of the radiator and no spacers
At idle the temp was leveled out at 137 degrees. When driving 25mph the temp only dropped to 86 degrees and at stop signs raised to 96 degrees.
I was absolutely shocked that the temps were lower and more stable without spacing the hood to allow warm air to escape. Needless to say I have the hood back to factory settings and am getting good results. I'm still planning on getting the heat shield but have left the tube off of the center of the filter and still removed the deflectors next to the radiator.
In light of the new information I figured the only area that puts off a large amount of heat is at the engine block on the side of the open air filter.
Okay. I decided a metal or aluminum heat shield might be counter productive so I started thinking "outside the box". Then I realized That's it! A battery box can be modified to make a heat shield for the filter. It's perfect. Plastic that is tough enough and made to withstand the heat of the engine already. And they're cheap!
Here's how it turned out for the low, low price of $9.99
24" battery box
I used the heavier plastic from the bottom as the part of the shield that will deflect the heat from the engine block. So with a hack saw and box cutter I went to town.
Fitment with filter
I cut a hole and put the backside of the filter through it where it attaches to the MAF.
Top View
I cleaned up cuts a bit and made some adjustments after it was fit in the engine bay. The adjustments will allow for maximum air flow from the front grill and OEM fender tube to the filter while still blocking the heat from the engine block. No heat readings yet, but I may get to that soon.
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This is one of many different ways to setup an intake. I've since used parts and pieces of this setup and the knowledge from testing to modify my intake even more.
Both still uses the OEM piping from the MAF to the throttle assembly, but the front end is a true CAI. It was an inexpensive mod and parts are available at most local auto parts stores. The Air filter and accessories are made by a company called Spectre. You can find them at local auto part stores in the tunre section or online
http://www.sfxperformance.com/parts
Here is what you're looking for:
Air Filter
Power Adder P4 Air Filter - universal fit from 3" to 4". They come in varied colors. Here is the PN for the silver filter. SPT8138 - about $26
3" Air Duct (optional)
These are also color specific. PN range from 8471-8478 - about $15
Intake Duct to filter adapter (if using optional 3" duct) - PN 8147 - about $5
24" Battery Box $9.99
This will get you going. I also removed the screens that are before the MAF. This seemed to make a BIG difference in throttle response (thanks Soar4Fun).
When it's all finished it should look something like this:
