Is NE1 using a K&N air filter for your car?

[RaoulDuke]

Really the only benefit to K&N is the fact you don't ever have to get a new filter, and it's a better than the cardboard stock ones. However, what's a decent intake system? Usually they come with or require you to buy a cone airfilter. usually they come with K&N or something.

 

[andylawcc]

wait, after KN installed, the car will run louder?

 

[RaoulDuke]

yah it will sound like you put straight pipes on it with no mufflers. pfft, no it won't sound much different at all.

 

[andylawcc]

thanks....

 

[bozack]

"will it run louder"---lol that is funny

I say get one because it is something nice for your car to have...

Will it make your car faster? not anything you would notice

Will it make your car louder? only in your mind

Will it make your car cooler? guess that is a matter of opinion

They are expensive, but so are most other HIPO parts for cars, and K&N's are on the cheap side when compaired to something like a Votech charger

I know My SVT contour will have one sooner or later.

went through a stock panel one on my 90 Stang when I had it, switched over to a Ram air kit, and finally ended up with just a conical filter (Ram air had the intake too low and pulled up all sorts of debris)...but that car is now gone, oh well

 

[perry]

I've seen the dyno plots. A conical oiled cotton gauze open air filter out performed a paper filter in the stock airbox. The cotton gauze filter also out performed a conical foam filter by a wee bit. 3 HP at peak, 4-5HP throughout almost the entire RPM band.

All the runs were done on the same day on the same car.

 

[Sacotool]

I have a 97 Chevy Silverado with a 5.7liter 350 engine. I installed a K&N cold air intake on it recently and I've got mixed feelings about it. At idle and normal driving rpm the engine sounds pretty much the same, but if I'm on the highway and I floor it, I get this loud overbearing sound that I never had before, it's kind of weird. It just roars like it never used to. Is this normal?

 

[RaoulDuke]

were these on stock cars or did they have anything else on them.

 

[Quaggoth]

They are not worth it if you have no power to start with. They are a must have if you have any more than 200 horse. I put one on my Sonoma GT and there was a not so suttle difference in the amount of tourque, and the switch from first to second now produces about 2-3' more rubber (Both Wheels). Top speed went fron 118-123 (It's a truck, what do you expect? It get's there quick though). Went from dead even with a 2000 Eclipse GS-T to about 8' ahead at 60. It was WELL worth it for me. I plan on putting one in my Mach1 as soon as I get it down here from MN.

 

[RaoulDuke]

what kind of measurement is 8' ahead at 60mph? how do you know he didn't shift differently or he wasn't doing the same thing.

 

[Pliablemoose]

The extra noise you hear is intake noise, usually reduced by a complicated airbox with lots of ducts & chambers. EPA regulates noise now, as well as emissions, most of the restriction from the stock airbox is to reduce the intake noise, especially on passenger cars.

I plop in a K&N in everything I buy, currently have the conical filter set-up on my Maxima.

 

[Sacotool]

Yeah, I'm considering putting the stock intake back on, the cold air setup is so loud at full throttle that it drowns out the horn if you beep it. The only drawback is that I paid almost $200 for the intake. It does seem more responsive at highway speeds I must admit.

 

[Cyberian]

Don't forget one of those exhaust pipe tips. They are usually good for at least 25 HP.
The best ones seem to be made by Folgers and Maxwell House.

 

[geno]

I think NFS is just talking about a drop in filter - not an intake. There's not much of a noticible difference with one, nor will it make your engine louder

 

[Emulex]

remember hot air = less hp. If you don't run a cone straight to the ground, and suck hot engine bay air in. you'll lose power. Guaranteed.

Those plastic airboxes, when ported (drilled, chopped) generally shield heat better than metal or nothing.

 

[perry]

<< were these on stock cars or did they have anything else on them. >>



A new muffler on the back of the car, that's it. A 1995 Ford Contour SE V6 MTX.

 

[perry]

<< remember hot air = less hp. If you don't run a cone straight to the ground, and suck hot engine bay air in. you'll lose power. Guaranteed.

Those plastic airboxes, when ported (drilled, chopped) generally shield heat better than metal or nothing. >>



You lose some power... Not all of the power gained by increasing air flow. Adding some sort of heat shield around a conical filter really helps out. We proved that on a dyno as well.

Two 1999 Ford Contour SVT's, built within a week of each other. Took measurements of both cars with the hood open, and measurements of both cars with the hood closed. The one without the heat shield lost 4HP, the one with the heat shield only lost like 1 or 2HP.

Results will vary from car to car, YMMV.

 

[Soybomb]

Personally I don't think its worth it for a drop in filter, if you're puttin gtogether a cold air system with a cone its another story. My personal favorite is a cone filter attached right to the turbo inlet....tell me that doesn't make a noticeable difference in noise

 

[Linh]

i have the aem CAI myself, the thing works wonders. makes a nice sweet sound at WOT

 

[stanger]

i use them in all my vehicles , have one in my mustang and one in the wife's gran prix.shoot if they made it for my riding mower i'd have one in it *lol* they pay for themselves in the long run got mine at a local speedshop for $39.

stanger

 

[Pacfanweb]

<<The sad truth of the matter is that with today's electronics controlling air flow, fuel mixture, etc. just installing a free-flowing air filter (with stock intake) makes no difference in fuel economy or power>>

The sad truth is you are wrong. I agree that there's no way you can FEEL any diff. a K&amp;N might make, but they most certainly do increase HP, if only slightly.
If your stock air filter is restricting the flow into the intake, then computer will adjust the fuel/air mixture accordingly. If somehow the available airflow is increased, then the cpu will do the same, thereby increasing horsepower.
I have seen too many dyno tests where they just slapped a K&amp;N in and picked up several horsepower within a few minutes of a previous test.
A K&amp;N will make even more of a difference on a modified engine vs. a stock filter. This has been proven time and time again. Hotrodders don't buy things over and over if they don't work, just ask Splitfire. You don't see those in race cars because they make no difference. You do see K&amp;N's because they DO make a difference.

 

[Emulex]

Just make sure you don't suck hot air from the engine bay, when your stuck in traffic it will significantly increase the operating temps of the car.

I can certainly tell the difference between having my kone filter in the engine bay and having it go into the wheel well.

I'm also running a 1.8 motor with nearly 20psi of boost so air charge temps play a big role when you're cooking the air.

 

[HKSturboKID]

If u r into performance, definitely go 4 it. I had a cone filter in my car for 8 yrs and its totally worth it. Make sure u get a free flow muffler to go with it, since u r getting more intake....u should balance it out with more exhaust.
While u order the filter, make sure u pickup the cleaner kit also. Speaking of cleaning, I haven't clean my filter in like 2 yrs...I'll do it this weekend. hehehe

 

[Stallion]

I have one on my Olds ,a 14x4 inch and I just recently bought a K&amp;N X-Stream filter top also.

I don't remember the magazine (Car craft,Hot Rod) but they put one on a 440 Cuda and saw 15 horse at the rear wheels with just the filter added. I'm sure if I had to I could find the article.

 

[bigd480]

i want to pick up 2 - cheaper at pepboys or somewhere online?

also - are there any cheap freeflow exhausts that aren't noisy? both mom's and g/f's cars have holes in the mufflers...