After market air filters

Relentless81

Relentless81

Relentless81

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18 May 2010
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If you have fitted an air filter to your car either your current car or a previous one what did you fit and why?

This is just air filters please dont list any other modifications

I've only ever used replacement panel filters and an open cone filter which was promptly removed due to the fact that it actually made the car it was fitted to drive worse

These days I stick to the standard air box with standard paper filter basically because its the best compromise between filtration and flow when changing the filter regulary but the temptation to go after market is always there because of the noise and the increased power on some engines but most of the time cost per gain is rarely worth it, some companies like GruppeM for example make intake kits that increase power with no loss in throttle response due to the design but they cost a fortune

Here are some links for your reading enjoyment, I didnt write them so if you have a problem with them thats your problem, i'm just linking them for anyone thats interested in reading them, what put me off is washable filters such as the K&N's is mentioned in the Bob Is The Oil Guy link which makes for great reading if this type of thing interests you

Filtration

http://www.mkiv.com/techarticles/filters_test/2/

Cold air intakes

http://www.strikeengine.com/technical_information/cold-air-intake-cai-information.html

Filtration and flow in depth tests

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest1.htm
 
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I put K&N's in all my cars. just for the POWERZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

but only direct replacement ones that go in the airbox.
 
I had a customer GSR Induction Kit which replaced my airbox/filter. The original was next to useless and the GSR allowed me to get the best results from my remap.

I wouldn't install one unless I was remapping, and I wouldn't really bother remapping unless the car was F/I.
 
Depends on what is acheived by fitting it, if like most filters it just makes a noise and loses you a load of throttle response making the car drive like crap in traffic etc then obviously its not worth it.

Is it an enclosed air box with cold air feed? These are usually the best but most expensive options
 
tried and done all sorts.

sticking to paper filters now and will mod an airbox if necessary.

filtration is what its there for and gains from a filter are going to be minimal
 
I fitted a K&N drop in filter for a bit more induction noise. I then removed it because it gave an annoying drove every time I backed off the throttle.
 
I used to have a K&N cone filter thing on my golf, decided to take it off and cheesebox instead which gave pretty much the same result but it was free :)
 
Fitted an AEM CAI to my Integra, largely because there was almost zero induction noise using the standard air box, even with a K&N drop-in filter.

There is a slight hesitation when changing into VTEC but the sound on full throttle in VTEC is awesome.

I expect little to no performance gain though. In fact, I did an RR on my old MR2 with and without a K&N open filter (runs literally 10mins apart) and there was zero, bugger all difference between the two of them.
 
Had an open cone on the taxi for 10kmmiles only difference was more noise and worse fuel economy back to stock panel ATM but thinking about a lexmaul closed system
 
Matt82 said:
tried and done all sorts.

sticking to paper filters now and will mod an airbox if necessary.

filtration is what its there for and gains from a filter are going to be minimal
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Oh my we agree on something :eek:

ci_newman said:
Fitted an AEM CAI to my Integra, largely because there was almost zero induction noise using the standard air box, even with a K&N drop-in filter.

There is a slight hesitation when changing into VTEC but the sound on full throttle in VTEC is awesome.

I expect little to no performance gain though. In fact, I did an RR on my old MR2 with and without a K&N open filter (runs literally 10mins apart) and there was zero, bugger all difference between the two of them.
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VTEC engines are one of the worse engines to fit an open cone to IMO mine drove like crap with an open cone and the standard box was night and day difference, the standard air boxes are engineered to deliver low down throttle response whilst flowing enough air for 8200 RPM of DOHC goodness so I just stick with the standard stuff unless I can afford something like a Mugen or GruppeM but for the gains I would never spend that kind of money its just not worth it

The back to back is interesting on the MR2, it depends on if the standard box is restrictive some boxes are very restrictive some arnt

Eliot said:
I was giing to chuck in a apexi air filter for my mr2 of futureness
Dunno why really lol
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Apexi make one of the best open cones on the market, built in velocity stack and fibreous material that does not require servicing, I am tempted by one for my Corolla but I highly doubt i'll bother
 
Got a K&N cone on mine. Built a custom heatshield around it and have got 2 subastantial air feeds to it. Only did it because I was mapping, but it sounds awesome. During the mapping my intake from the cone temps were never 1c higher than ambient :)
 
A long while ago (unfortunately I can't find it anymore) one of the Corvette clubs in America ran back-to-back tests on a rolling road (allowing for cooldown inbetween) and found that the best filter overall was.......

............the stock paper element.

The K&N, and various equivalents, all results in a gain of about 1BHP (about .3 of a % increase) - which is basically nothing and accountable for by measurement inaccuracies of the rolling road.

The paper filter also offered superior filtration, whilst maintaining acceptable flow - the K&N oiled filter provided good flow to start off with, but once clogged with dirt, dropped below the flow levels of the paper filter.

A K&N filter for the Corvette costs anywhere from £40-70 too, whereas a stock paper element is £11. That's a lot of paper replacements, almost cheaper than the cleaning kit for the K&N as well :D

The paper air filter has a large surface area in the Corvette though - but there are virtually no cars where the filter is the restriction in the intake system - it will always be the housing for the air filter, noise-reduction systems or intake manifold itself.

I like paper filters. They work well and don't result in anything unexpected. There are instances where I could see me using aftermarket filters though, for example where there was nothing OEM suitable for my application, like on my old 3.5 Dolomite.
 
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ScoobyDoo69 said:
Got a K&N cone on mine. Built a custom heatshield around it and have got 2 subastantial air feeds to it. Only did it because I was mapping, but it sounds awesome. During the mapping my intake from the cone temps were never 1c higher than ambient :)
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With the power that your car puts out the standard box would be a major restriction I imagine an open cone is the only option on an engine with that kind of power
 
Lashout_UK said:
The paper filter also offered superior filtration, whilst maintaining acceptable flow - the K&N oiled filter provided good flow to start off with, but once clogged with dirt, dropped below the flow levels of the paper filter.

The paper air filter has a large surface area in the Corvette though - but there are virtually no cars where the filter is the restriction in the intake system - it will always be the housing for the air filter, noise-reduction systems or intake manifold itself.
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Very similar to the last link I posted when I started the thread, very interesting and out of all the reading I have done on the subject I agree with you on the last point paragraph

Would love to read it if you ever find the link

Its almost as if these filters are a scam but they do work on some cars where the factory air box becomes a restriction
 
i hav just dragged the july 09 copy of Japanese performance out of my stash.

got a CRX with a D16 engine, and they test two panel filters and four kits.

standard filter in box. 129.3bhp - 115lb ft

filter removed. 132.2bhp - 118lb ft

ITG panel filter. 133.3bhp - 119lb ft

K&N panel filter. 133.5bhp - 119lb ft

Pipercross cone. 133.1bhp - 121lb ft

K&N 57i. 130.7bhp - 125lb ft

AEM short ram. 134.5bhp - 122lb ft

Quickshift cone. 134.4bhp - 121lb ft
 
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