Associate
- Joined
- 22 Jul 2009
- Posts
- 356
- Location
- United Kingdom
i dont think there will be too much performance increase but might be worth it just for the sound 
Anything to be gained from a K&N filter?
- Thread starter matt100
- Start date
if you have one laying about, hold it up to the light and the size of the holes will bring tears to your eyes when you see the size of the bits that would have been making their way into your engine
i dont think there will be too much performance increase but might be worth it just for the sound
That only applies to the induction kits, not the panel filters
Caporegime
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 37,804
- Location
- block 16, cell 12
id say yes it would do better, more power...
as long as your talking a proper cone... seriously guys its become so cliche to say;
most cars with a proper CAI will see a gain in WHP... there are so many dyno, manufacturer and private car drivers, to prove it...
i wouldnt get a K&N though, id get an Apexi, Injen, or similar...
id do it.
ive had panel filters and ive had cone filters on current and previous cars. go for it.
btw consider importing from USA with our current exchange rate u might be able to find a great deal on brands not easily obtainable over here. im not into fords so not sure if the US have an equiv model?
as long as your talking a proper cone... seriously guys its become so cliche to say;
most cars with a proper CAI will see a gain in WHP... there are so many dyno, manufacturer and private car drivers, to prove it...
i wouldnt get a K&N though, id get an Apexi, Injen, or similar...
id do it.
ive had panel filters and ive had cone filters on current and previous cars. go for it.
btw consider importing from USA with our current exchange rate u might be able to find a great deal on brands not easily obtainable over here. im not into fords so not sure if the US have an equiv model?
Last edited:
Really? I've heard a few cars with them on and they sounded exactly the same to me! What cars have you heard that it makes a difference on?
the golf, the mr2, even the diesel audi (made the turbo more audiable), a guy i know who has just got a gti6. on the petrol cars it has made a difference to the noise made on full throttle, it made it sound slightly deeper but thats about it... which i suppose will go toward the placebo power increase because it sounds like the engine really MEANS IT 
as for cones, in theory you could gain if you have a restrictive airbox to start with. if there is no bell mouth in place lots of cold air supplied then id bet money the cone will actually lose power for you.
as for cones, in theory you could gain if you have a restrictive airbox to start with. if there is no bell mouth in place lots of cold air supplied then id bet money the cone will actually lose power for you.
its a turbo and it'd be the filter not the induction kit for the moment...
Caporegime
- Joined
- 11 Mar 2005
- Posts
- 32,247
- Location
- Leafy Cheshire
Oiled filter and a Hotwire MAF? If so nice......
In which case it will respond well to a decent induction kit and ECU remap as well.
http://pumabuild.co.uk/mods_focus_st.htm are a good start to get pricing etc. There are lots of options.
The basic is just to swap out the panel filter for a performance one. Takes 2 mins to swap out and cost £30-40 ish. Won't make any difference to noise and will probably only give a tiny gain in BHP (i.e. a couple at most). The better option would be a cone induction kit, preferably with cold air feed or with heat shield. Most people make the mistake of having just a cone, but this will hurt performance as it just sucks in hot engine air. It needs to either have a heat shield or have a cold air feed from the front. These will give a small boost in BHP and should sound great when giving it some beans.
To get the most gains (and help economy and rid flat spots), a ECU remap would be ideal. You can either get a custom map at a specialist with a rolling road or one of the portable flasher units (a few hundred upwards) which just plug in, flash and remove.
Induction kits do hardly anything with turbos, if not nothing...it's all done by the intercooler. Far better with a good panel filter and decent cold air feed. Heat shields are over rated, hot air circulates around the engine bay. If an induction kit is a must then go for a fully enclosed one with a cold air feed, such as a BMC CDA or a Green Dynatwist...but both are a waste of cash that could be put towards a remap or turbo back exhaust system
heat shields are so stupid. dont people realise how much air an engine will be injesting?
a stupid heatshield isnt going to stop the engine breathing up all the hot air from under the engine bay. it may slightly reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the filter itself due tl heat radiated from the engine, but the filter will be warmed up anyway by all the hot air it takes in.
a stupid heatshield isnt going to stop the engine breathing up all the hot air from under the engine bay. it may slightly reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the filter itself due tl heat radiated from the engine, but the filter will be warmed up anyway by all the hot air it takes in.
Ive got a Green panel filter. Cant say ive noticed any difference in performance although I have had a slight increase in average MPG. The main difference is that the filter is bright green! How cool is that
I dont personally subscribe to the "ZOMG heat soak" camp. Bar sitting with the engine running like a chav in sainsburys there should be ample cool(ish)air circulating around the engine bay while on the move. Its not like its a sealed bay.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 11 Mar 2005
- Posts
- 32,247
- Location
- Leafy Cheshire
Clearly you've never felt under the bonnet of a turbo charged car then
, you could roast a chicken near my turbo, actually when you see it glowing red hot at night after a hard drive it becomes clear than underbonnet temps could be quite high.