General Intake / Exhaust Mods

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  • mparis1mparis1 Member Posts: 107
    this magazine test the hi-flow air filter system on the 2004 GTO............RESULTS..don't bother.....
  • badoldsbadolds Member Posts: 2
    Would my '86 ('80 cutlass motor) fit a Chevy header set. 350 small block. My engine is an Olds. 350.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    which system did they test specifically?
  • fredmcmurrayfredmcmurray Member Posts: 215
    It would probably bolt up to the heads OK but headers are designed for a very specific application. The routing of the tubes is specific to the model and year of the car because the tubes have to wind their way through the engine bay and exit at the proper point underneath. Trying to get a set of headers from some unknown vehicle to fit on some other vehicle very well may not work.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    the K&N FIPK. The results they said were good with an increase in HP of around 1-2 with a variance of +- 5. I had to reread that one. Guess it helps when K&N is an advertiser in the mag.

    IMO having added it to my Silverado, then Denali is that the in cab resonance, dirty throttle body which requires cleaning vs. the overall performance increase and initial cost makes it a no brainer. I'll never do it again and have reinstalled the stock intakes on both vehicles.

    Funny thing is that Granatelli Motorsports which sells aftermarket MAF sensors recommend that you do not install an air intake kit as the air turbulance will affect the MAF readings. They do go on to say that they have another MAF which will take this into account. Those with the initial MAF can upgrade to the one which handles the turbulace for $100 and returning their old Granatelli MAF. What a joke.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That's right...the fit is very important and needs to be exact, especially where the flange meets the head, or your headers will probably crack or the nuts will loosen up all the damn time. You can't "bend to fit" these things, they need to be machine-perfect to do a good job.
  • mparis1mparis1 Member Posts: 107
    the system was put in by ...LS1SPEED inc, schaumburg , illinois..................................looked like a" typical" K/N system HIGH-FLOW.....1/4 mile times stock airbox faster....same times for 1/8 mile.......waste of time and money....no mention of MAF problems.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well that's disappointing for you I'm sure. The interesting thing is that the K&N is supposed to be of greater benefit to a larger displacement engine.

    I guess these "ram-effect" systems are better but even with them the overall gain for the money and time spent is not great.
  • fredmcmurrayfredmcmurray Member Posts: 215
    And how do you substantiate the horsepower gains of a ram-effect system? Seems like you would need a dyno in a wind tunnel to do it.
    I guess you could do it with a G-Tech Pro or similar on board performance diagnosis system, but the variablility in those seems to be higher than any gain you would see from an intake system.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It's supposed to work at low speeds, too, as I understand it. Some guys claim that the dyno will show 8-10 flywheel HP after installation, and the tests I read seem quite credible.

    Of course, all that dyno stuff depends on the competence of the person setting up the dyno. You can set a dyno up to read whatever HP you want. I can give you 500 wheel HP dyno slips on a Toyota Echo if you want them.
  • meandmetoomeandmetoo Member Posts: 6
    i am the owner of a 1999 audi a6 quattro 2.8l 30v engine and all i want is an intake kit, i have searched every possible intake manufacturer and no one i mean no one has one listed for the audi a6. the only thing that comes up is the k&n air filter. does anyone no where i can find an intake specifically designed for my a6 or even one from a different make that will still match up with my engine. i've been searching online for 3 days and the only option i've come up with is ordering separate pieces and building my own from akimoto or weapon r. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thank you in advance.....
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You may also want to cross-check the list at Enjoy The Drive. Click on Resources to search their supplier database.

    Steve, Host
  • meandmetoomeandmetoo Member Posts: 6
    AS IM SURE YOU'VE HEARD THIS A THOUSAND TIMES BEFORE BUT HERE GOES AGAIN, IM NEW TO THE WHOLE MODS WORLD ONLY OWNING ONE CAR PRIOR TO THIS(forgive the caps) but this intake situation is crazy, realizing my car is a sedan i've still seen intakes for camrys and everything, and after reading many of your previous posts you seem to have extensive knowledge in mods so any advice any advice at all i.e. should i continue my search? is it worth it? and can i substitute from other cars?
  • meandmetoomeandmetoo Member Posts: 6
    would be so greatly appreciated!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    extensive knowledge in mods

    Actually I think you mean Mr. Shiftright - he's the mod pro. Shifty?

    Steve, Host
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I don't know diddley about modding an A6 but I might be able to find out something if you are patient.

    Shifty
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Might try this place but it's not clear what the can do for an A6. You might have to call them.

    http://www.momentumtuning.com/site/services/#intakemanifolds
  • dialm4speeddialm4speed Member Posts: 110
    I honest don't know if you get all that much of a performance boost or not. I really think combined with other mods you will get a boost. It certainly feels that way in my car. The biggest benefit (and a no brainer at that) is that you don't have to keep replacing your filter. Buy it once, clean it every 50K or so and forget about it. Your car will die before that K & N. One Fram filter $7 every 15K, one K & N $31 + $10 for the cleaner kit and your done, do the math. :D
  • meandmetoomeandmetoo Member Posts: 6
    thanks to everyone for all your help and input,i took a look at the site you directed me to and it seems to be the best lead i've had yet, so thanks a million mr.shiftright. i have another question now though, with a cold air induction kit that sucks air up from below the engine so you run the risk of sucking up water if you hit a puddle or something right?
  • meandmetoomeandmetoo Member Posts: 6
    :)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Absolutely you run the risk of hydro-locking your engine. Some aftermarket cold air induction systems are okay and some are asking for trouble in that regard.

    If you hydro lock, your engine is totally toast, since water will not compress in the cylinder and your connecting rods will bend.

    So "don't go too low".
  • meandmetoomeandmetoo Member Posts: 6
    now how low is too low, if you could give me a point to gauge by, i might just end up ordering a ready to make intake system. but the thing is i know there has to be a volkswagen intake that will fit my car it's just a matter of figuiring which volkswagen engine is the same as mine.
  • dialm4speeddialm4speed Member Posts: 110
    AEM does make a bypass for this situation. I've never used one but just wanted to point out that they do exist. Look it up on there site.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well I think it's a matter of common sense...if the induction system goes below the front bumper, you're asking for it. It's a matter of figuring out the likelihood of water getting up to a certain height when you plow through a normal puddle.

    Would I personally have the air intake at the level of my license plates? Nooooooo......I like 'em just about at the height of the bottom of the air filter...or in a space that water can't easily intrude into.
  • atvdraggeratvdragger Member Posts: 26
    We all agree that a good bit of water in a cylinder is very bad. But an ocasional spray is actually benificial. It helps to clean carbon deposits inside the cylinder walls and simply passes right out the exhaust. No harm, no foul. In any case BE CAREFULL!! Use good judgement. If your not comfortable putting it down low then don't, you will constantly worry about it.
    There actually are kits designed to inject water into an engine in small amounts. These are primarilly intended to cool down air /fuel charges running through a blower system (air heats up when you compress it) to help make more power. They perform the same function as an intercooler. :)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well, true---water/alcohol injection will allow you to run lower octane fuel, too....BUT...... with a too-low induction system you aren't going to get a fine mist, you are going to get cupfuls of water if you hit a puddle, and your engine will be very very dead, very very quickly.

    The old Mercedes 280SLs were notorious for doing this, if the driver was careless, and certain Jeeps had this problem (people watched too many Jeep commercials of Wranglers fording streams and spraying up water).

    I'd be real careful about CAI placement....the consequences of being wrong are disastrous
  • ralph204ralph204 Member Posts: 4
    Make sure the puddle you go through contains only nice clean water or you could get your cylinders honed the hard way.
  • only1harryonly1harry Member Posts: 1,140
    That's right, headers are application specific, meaning car specific even if 10 different cars have the same motor. There are several aftermarket headers for your car and motor, although Chevy does tend to make the same headers for different models because their 350's back then were all pretty identical. You should also consider dual exhaust. It 'll make a big difference in power.
    In the late '80's I had a '79 Firebird Formula with a Chevy 305 (Z28) motor and I installed aftermarket headers with SS dual exhaust and it made a huge difference in power and throttle response. My friend also had a 1980 Olds Cutlass with a Chevy 350 motor and did the same thing when he saw the difference it made on my car and when I started passing him at the light. After the exhaust upgrades, his car felt like it gained 40-50 HP. I can't remember what company made the headers though. My mechanic picked them out because he had installed several of those in other Camaros and Firebirds. SS exhausts were not expensive back then ('88-89) and of course we did not install any CATs, just straight pipes but the exhausts were muffled.

    It would be much easier for a good mechanic or muffler shop to make slight modifications if you also installed an aftermarket exhaust (or dual) at the same time.
    '99 Integra GSR
    '06 Civic LX coupe
    '11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
    '13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
  • popiepopie Member Posts: 1
    I bought an ' Air Hog' at wally world. It's the same thing as K & N , just a different brand. I got it for Christmas . Loved it . Made a surprising differents.
    Sounded great. I seemed to notice more power too.
    Three months later my head gasket blew. :sick:
    But it was and old engine with allot of miles on it, the filter just was enough to push it over the edge.
  • trueustrueus Member Posts: 5
    I would like to let everyone in on an Air Filter Brand i never heard of before my friend Jim introduced them to me. These things kick [non-permissible content removed]. If you have a square air filter such as the one in my Ford Probe, or my friends cavalier, then they kill K&N by far. Once you put it in, you notice a difference in power. On my brothers 77 impala though, K&N and Green both worked equally well. Im a true believer in Green air filters now. ;)
  • xnappoxnappo Member Posts: 47
    I killed my 1991 300ZX just like this. We had a bad storm in Austin about a year ago, I hit a big puddle and hydrolocked.

    That said, I should have just stayed at work and waited out the storm.

    That said #2, my insurance covered it and I ended up with a rebuilt engine for $500 :surprise:

    xnappo
  • synlubessynlubes Member Posts: 184
    i am a distributor for oil air filters and am returning them for credit will replace them with the new donaldson nanofiber that can be cleaned with a air hose oil air filters are wiping out map sensors
  • jims40jims40 Member Posts: 5
    i want to upgrade my whole exhaust system the headers, turbo downpipe to the cat, muffler, everything could somone tell me a good website or somone to call caus its pretty hard to find out about volvo performace parts i also want an intake but im pretty sure k & n will work
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    we answered this in your duplicate post:

    www.ipdusa.com

    www. volvospeed.com
  • oldsboyoldsboy Member Posts: 2
    I've just recently replaced the computer in my 90 cutlass supreme. 2 days later i've got more problems. car is is idling funny in gear and then stalls. brought it back and the mechanic hooked it up to the computer and decided that the o2 sensor needed to be changed. worked alright for 4 days and then i noticed the same problem again. brought it to another guy who hooked it up to the computer and thought the engine idle motor (is that the right name?) may need to be replaced. 1st he just cleaned it out and told me to see if that makes a difference. it did for 2 days. brought it back to him (great guy, wasn't even charging me!) and he said that the computer would show something, they'd check it, then the computer would show something else when they hooked it back up. he doesn't wanna go and just change every part with out knowing if it is the main problem (nor do i want him to) has anyone out there dealt with anything like this before????
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Hi oldsboy!

    Welcome to the Forums.

    You seem to be on the wrong board so let me re-direct you to our "Technical Questions" discussion, in our Maintenance & Repair Board.

    Here's the link for you. Just cut and paste your question and re-post it here:

    Technical Questions Discussion

    best

    MrShiftright
    Co-Host
  • fastwagonfastwagon Member Posts: 1
    Chevy headers will not fit an Olds engine. They're completely different engines. Check the major performance suppliers for an exact fit(Jegs,Summit,etc). Also, go to Realoldsperformance.com for a forum just for Oldmobiles.
  • cavyneedsworkcavyneedswork Member Posts: 12
    I was just wandering is their anyone in here that has had results from any certain header for a cavalier i was goin to go with a pacesetter but i havent heard any good results about them. can any one also tell me the difference between a 4-2-1 header and a 4-1 header? thank you
  • bryaninoregonbryaninoregon Member Posts: 7
    Does anyone think I would gain much of anything by putting a K&N on my 96 Intrepid? (3.5L, 148000 miles)
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    nope
  • bigfurbigfur Member Posts: 649
    Probably not much.
  • xtecxtec Member Posts: 354
    I put on a K&N replacement filter on my Charger SXT 3.5 and
    had less power then the stock filter,and lost MPG from 19.3 to barely 18.I took it out put back stock filter, now the car is back to normal.I had other people tell me the same thing,so for me the K&N did not work.
  • 944boy944boy Member Posts: 14
    Car manufactures are already squeezing maximum efficiency out of their cars with all there test thru air intake and exhaust test on there own. So simply changing a filter element will gain you little if any results just like swapping mufflers to a larger one may sound sporty...but again they (the manufacture) has already done the back pressure testing for optimum horse power rating. Your best bet for H.P. gains are a complete intake (cold air preferred) along with a cat back exhaust system or if acceptable performance chipping…
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Just putting in a drop-in filter in the hopes of gaining HP is, in my opinion, a total waste of money.
  • nexusracenexusrace Member Posts: 2
    The oil mesh filter (these are the types of filters that K&N are) is the single best modification you can do to your car. These filters restrict the airflow less, and clean the air better than normal. Because of the increase in air, a cleaner burn is obtained, resulting in more power, and a mild increase in gas milage (2-3 miles per gallon on some applications) The most important thing to address when using these types of filters is the oil needed to do the filtering, its very important to follow the directions on the box when oiling these filters (the oil is what catches the dirt) if its under oiled, the filter stops filtering, on a late model car, if the filter is over oiled, the oil will come off and stick to the sensor wires on the mass air flow meter, this ruines the MAF and is not covered under vehicle warranty, these can be anywhere from $300-$650, so make sure that you keep that noted, otherwise theres no down side to a K&N or the like.
  • 944boy944boy Member Posts: 14
    Your right Mr. Shift right....I remember back in the Jurassic period of (import) performance we could bolt on an exhaust, a header, slap on an intake and presto uncorked power gains. Those days are gone, Manufacturers are leaving much less for us to squeeze out, there new cars are made with higher performing parts smarter computer controls that lessen the impact of bolt on and can end up causing losses in power unless the ECU is restored to factory settings....VTEC controllers, larger waste gates, blow off valves, lighter flywheels, fuel pressure regulators, adjustible cam gears, larger fuel injectors/pumps and fuel rails..Are all just tuning tools. None of these will make any real HP without proper calibration and adjustments
  • xtecxtec Member Posts: 354
    I put a K&N filter on my wifes 03 Mazda Tribute and it did improve the performance and mpgs.It also worked on my 02 Dodge Intrepid SXT.It just wont work on my 06 Charger.I
    checked out the stock filter and it says on it that its a high air flow,and looked like the same thickness as the K&N
    so your right that the Manufactors are doing their homework on getting the most power.However I think it may help on certain applications.I also noticed that the air box on my Charger is about 1/2the size bigger then I had on my Intrepid.Both same engine and HP.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well good for you on that one!personally I've never seen a dyno test that showed any increase in HP with a K&N filter alone....well I won't say never...let's say the increase was so slight as to be part of "statistical variation". So being the skeptic that I am, the "science" so far that I've seen says it isn't likely. But then, not every car has been tested on a dyno--which is the only sure way to know anything. Our senses (and even our mathematics) can fool us.
    I've tried the K&N three times so far on three different cars, and came up with zilch on mpg. I never dynoe'd my own cars however.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    I've tried K&N and all I've ended up with is a dirty throttle body.....
  • xtecxtec Member Posts: 354
    I don't care if you run a K&N or stock filter your going to
    get a dirty throttle body anyway.Thats why they make fuel injections cleaners.The heat new engines put out and the gas that being used you cant stop it from happening.Your
    suppose to use injection cleaner with every oil change
    after so many miles anyway.I was a mechanic for 25 years and i seen alot of dirty carbs and throttle bodies on car with stock filters.
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