DIY Short Ram Intake Guide: 10th Gen Honda Civic 1.5T
How to Build a DIY Short Ram Intake for the 10th Gen Honda Civic 1.5T
Factory intakes on the 10th Gen Civic 1.5T are designed for silence, suffocating the sound of the turbo spool and bypass valve. This DIY guide explains how to build a custom short ram intake using an OEM airbox cover and a cone filter to get that turbo noise without dropping $400.
The Short Answer (TL;DR)
Building a DIY short ram intake for the 10th Gen Civic 1.5T takes about 4 hours. You will need a spare OEM air cleaner cover, a dremel, an AEM cone filter, and aluminum flat stock for a bracket. You must cut the MAF housing from the factory plastic, attach a reducing coupler, and bolt it down to bypass the factory resonator.
The DIY Process Overview
First, remove the factory airbox and the restrictive intake resonator hidden in the fender well. Taking out the resonator from the top requires moving the intercooler piping out of the way and maneuvering the plastic box carefully. Once the factory intake tract is removed, take your spare OEM air cleaner top cover (Part # 17210-5AA-A00) and carefully cut out the circular MAF sensor housing using a dremel or razor blade.
Clean off all plastic shavings before moving forward. Mount a 2.5-inch or 2.75-inch AEM dry-flow cone filter to the cut MAF housing using a silicone reducing coupler. If you are fitting a larger filter, you may need to plastic-weld a 2-inch ABS pipe coupling to the MAF housing using a soldering iron and appropriate epoxy.
Finally, fabricate a mounting bracket. Cut a piece of aluminum flat stock, bend it to a 90-degree angle, and drill holes to secure it to the factory threaded holes on the upper radiator support. Bolt the modified MAF housing to the bracket, reinstall the MAF sensor, plug in the wiring harness, and tighten all hose clamps.
Why You Should Upgrade While You're In There
Removing the factory intake and resonator is the hardest part of this job. Hacking up an OEM plastic cover and relying on plastic-welding can lead to unmetered air leaks, which will throw off your fuel trims and trigger a Check Engine Light. Since you already have the front end taken apart, installing a proper aftermarket intake system is a much smarter move.
A precision-machined aftermarket intake guarantees correct MAF scaling, a perfect seal, and dyno-proven airflow improvements. You get the exact same aggressive turbo spool sound without the risk of destroying your $200 factory MAF sensor or dealing with homemade brackets failing under engine vibration.
Recommended Upgrade: 10th Gen Civic 1.5T Bolt-On Short Ram or Cold Air Intake System
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it hard to remove the factory intake resonator?
Yes. The factory resonator is massive and secured by two bolts that thread from the bottom. You either have to remove the front bumper and lower splash shield to drop it out the bottom, or disconnect the intercooler piping and wrestle it out through the top of the engine bay.
Will a DIY intake add horsepower to my L15B7 engine?
Intakes on modern forced-induction engines primarily alter the sound, not the peak power. While you may notice slightly better throttle response and hear the bypass valve vent, any actual horsepower gains require an ECU tune to take advantage of the increased airflow.
