induction kit ????

Soldato
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is there any need for one ??? or is it just go faster stripes, ive been told that it improves engine efficiency and fuel consumption etc will it make a heap of difference and if so who do i go for make etc


as some of you may already know..... i have a vauxhall astra 1.8 sxi 03 ..... and if so is it a simple job that i could do myself or should i go to halfords or a garage of sorts ....???
 
You buy it for the noise primarily. They do make the nastiest of engines sound throaty and raucous.

If it's not fitted properly you could actually lose power.
 
Dont bother, the increase in air will increase the amount of fuel into the fuel/air mixture, resulting in higher fuel consumption. You will not see any noticable performance gain unless you were to fit it along with a free flowing exhaust. Look into a replacement panel filter for your existing air box instead.
 
panthro said:
Dont bother, the increase in air will increase the amount of fuel into the fuel/air mixture, resulting in higher fuel consumption. You will not see any noticable performance gain unless you were to fit it along with a free flowing exhaust. Look into a replacement panel filter for your existing air box instead.

But if its adding extra air and fuel then that means more power?

Problem with induction kits, unless you get a good one is it will suck up hot air from the engine, hot air is less dense so results in less power.
 
panthro said:
Dont bother, the increase in air will increase the amount of fuel into the fuel/air mixture, resulting in higher fuel consumption.

If you get extra air and extra fuel into the cylinders, you WILL see more power, simple as that. Oddly enough, that's what a super/turbocharger does.

More power always means more fuel consumption if it is used.

That said, the amount of extra air an induction kit lets into the engine would depend on how restrictive the OEM filter was. Typically power gains are quite small or nothing.
 
And a free flowing exhaust on an NA will only go to improve over inefficient stock one, less back pressure on NA could acually see you with slower pickup, the benefit of an induction kit and free flowing exhaust over just the exhaust is limited...
 
It's worth pointing out (for the benefit of the OP) that an induction kit will not actually increase the total amount of air that can go into the engine, only forced induction (and perhaps ram scoops) can do that.

What it may do though is reduce the restriction on air flowing into the engine, meaning that an engine will breath better across a wider rev range than the stock filter.

This helps engine pick up faster (as it's not struggling to suck air through a restrictive filter) and thus may restore some hp lost where the engine was being held back by the resistance of a restrictive air flow.

Where it may provide "more air" is during higher revs, where air flow may have been so restricted that cylinder could not fill fully during the open inlet valve timing.

However, if such a situation existed, then a restrictive exhaust would have to cope with situations, especially at higher revs, when there is now more exhaust gas to dispose of (as the cylinders will be filling fully, where they were not before). This may cause an increase in backpressure as the engine tries to ram all this gas down an inadequate pipe and subsequently an increase in both heat and burnt gasses remaining in the cylinder. This would mean that the cylinders would now not fill properly again as they will be half full of exhaust gasses.

So, as has been pointed out, an induction kit probably won't make much difference to power unless coupled with a freer flowing exhaust system, and then it will only push the engine a small way to achieving it's full displacement potential.
 
grab an enclosed BMC kit if you can find one. they will stop the warmer air from getting into the system and still give you good noise and improved engine response.

if you spend £100 i doubt you'd regret it.
 
I had a K&M typhoon on my MX5. Can't say I believe it made the slightest difference to actual performance, but certainly sounded good.

On an Astra...maybe not.
 
More air won't equal more fuel. The mixture will only get slightly leaner, probably a good thing as most stock ECUs run rich under open loop full throttle.


At cruise and part load the lambda sensor will be controlling the mixture so it will not affect fuel economy.

Also no engine wants backpressure, to big an exhaust creats back pressure.

What an engine wants is high exhaust gas speed. If the exhaust it too small though the gases will choke causing backpressure and reduce power output
 
at the end of the day if u do decied to get one.. make sure its FULLY enclosed or just dont bother

and as metioned above i can recomend the BMC cda ;)
 
Cones are a waste of time unless it is enclosed, else you just get bundles of hot air going in. I use panel filters which just swap out inside the airbox, meaning you still get the cold feed plus less restrictive air filtering. They dont give the same noise as a cone, but are only £30 ish anyway, compared to ~£80.
 
Simon said:
More air won't equal more fuel. The mixture will only get slightly leaner, probably a good thing as most stock ECUs run rich under open loop full throttle.

More air will equal more fuel as the ECU measures the amount of air entering the engine and adds the appropriate amount of fuel. Within certain limits of course, but a better flowing filter will almost certainly be within those limits :)
 
used to have a k&n, but you could really notice the heat soak on hot days...

I've gone for a standard airbox with an ITG panel filter now, and its much better! noise aint bad either, though nothing on the k&n
 
To overcome the problem of sucking in the hot air, Im pretty sure on the astra if you take the panel out and connect the new cone filter onto it you can actually fit it back in the airbox and that will then take cool air from the front of the car.
 
playworker said:
More air will equal more fuel as the ECU measures the amount of air entering the engine and adds the appropriate amount of fuel. Within certain limits of course, but a better flowing filter will almost certainly be within those limits :)

Depends on the engine management system
 
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