Has anyone out there installed the heat riser kit from LC Engineering? What is your experience with it?

I haven't installed it yet, but for the life of me, I can't see how it can work.

The way the system is supposed to work: When the temperature of incoming air is below a certain point, the flapper valve in the air cleaner closes off the front of the air intake completely. 100% of the air coming in then is warmed air coming from below, from the riser coming off the heat shield on the exhaust manifold.

The LCE riser kit is completely sealed so that it essentially completely plugs that bottom passage. Any air getting into the air cleaner is necessarily only air that has somehow managed to come past the flapper valve. There is no way whatsoever that air can flow in from that riser kit. And to be certain that it is completely sealed, hose clamps are provided.

LCE tells me, "Works as designed." They also say that it is required by the state of California. Perhaps, but it is nothing more than a placebo.

 

The bottom end of the riser just clamps on to their header and is open, thus pulling up hot air off the header. It's not completely sealed.

 

That's the thing. It is not open. The saddle piece has no hole in it. If it DID, and if the assembly were on a standoff, at least air could flow. As it is, it is totally plugged.

No air getting through there! :-)

 

Oh, it must just radiate heat and mix with incoming air. Seems like something that you could easily fab up with scrap parts at home. I was going to make my own heat shield with an adapter for the heat riser. I currently don't have the stock filter housing so I don't have a heat riser. I would like one though.

 

Does the flapper move down if the bottom is sealed? Or does the engine stall?

Is this a piece that follows some rule book for racing, and it's purpose is simple to ensure "always cold air"? There is a performance aspect to consider here.

Street use, it's basically useless as I see it. Unless you live in a hot state maybe.