General Intake / Exhaust Mods

12467…17

Comments

  • projectzx3projectzx3 Member Posts: 256
    I recently saw a commercial that stated K&N relacement filter can add up to 15% HP compared to
    the original manufacturer. True? even when maintaining stock intake system?
  • bheplerbhepler Member Posts: 101
    Sure, it's true, except that thing about the stock intake system. You just have to realize that in order to gain 15% of original hp from a filter, you have add heads, headers, exhaust, intake and probably some forced induction.

    Hypothetical time!

    Let's say you own something nice and sedate, with 100hp. You wish a 15hp gain from the filter. That's a tall order from an air filter. Now, throw on heads, a turbocharger, a new intake, off-road exhaust and a reprogram, and you're now making 500hp (for one glorious pass on the drag strip, during which your pistons will shatter with a sound not entirely unlike a grand piano being dropped from a great height, because you forgot to upgrade the internals).

    If the filter frees up 15hp from this 500hp engine, it's not that big of a deal any more, is it? But it's still 15% of factory orginal horsepower.

    Expect maybe 3-5hp total with a stock setup. And that's pretty generous, really.
  • spnxspnx Member Posts: 37
    It all comes down to how poorly-designed your oem filter setup is. Honda intakes are pretty well designed, so they see little gain with adding an aftermarket setup.

    My Nissan's stock setup wasn't great, so I saw a surprising 6 hp gain at the wheels (on a dynojet) by switching to a cone-type filter.
  • bladefirebladefire Member Posts: 1
    Ok, ive got a 1993 Mercury Sable with the 3.8L V6, i think its rated at 140hp and 215 ft-lbs torque stock. I want to improve its responsiveness and performance, but I dont want to spend thousands of dollars. Ive been thinking about a K&N and possibly a superchip. Also, can I use taurus performance parts in it(like a new exhaust)? I know this isnt a performance vehicle but ive been told that extra breathing room can do wonders for a vehicle, and right now this car is needing a wonder, the engine just hit 100,000 miles but its in good condition. Ive already done all the regular maintenence tune-ups(new spark plugs, fuel injector cleaner, etc...), and im now looking for true performance upgrades. Anybody have any experience with these vehicles by any odd cooincedence?
  • seth11seth11 Member Posts: 5
    You may be able to find a company that sells performance parts (intake/chip/exhaust) for this car, but-this isn't the kind of car good for modifications. These cars typically don't hold up well after 100k completely stock, even the well maintained ones. If it were me(no offense,but god forbid I ever own a Sable) I would save my $$$$ and trade up to a clean SHO Taurus or Nissan Maxima of the same vintage, which already have ample power, and a significant amount of aftermarket goodies. While not astounding, the reliability and build quality of these two would be much better than that of the Sable.
  • pbb98pbb98 Member Posts: 19
    bladefire- Sables are nice cars, but they aren't really performance cars. As far as mods, there aren't all that many. Basically, you're looking at intake/exhaust/chip/plugs and that's about it. Tauruses and Sables are the same mechanically so you should be able to use Taurus parts. Here's a website you may find interesting if you haven't already seen it: http://www.dc.net/twallace/taurus/
  • butch11butch11 Member Posts: 153
    Ever hear of anyone having an engine destroyed by hydro-lock after installing an aftermarket performance filter. If hydro-lock happens, wonder what happens to the warranty assuming the engine is still covered.
  • bheplerbhepler Member Posts: 101
    You mean water getting in far enough to stop the engine?

    If you have this problem, a cloth filter or a K&N is the least of your worries. Driving through lakes is probably top on the list.
  • bjammin2bjammin2 Member Posts: 42
    I just started reading this chat and don't know if anyone has asked this yet. I own a 2000 focus zx3. It has the air intake port at the front of the hood, kinda ram air like. By switching to a cone filter set up I would loose the cool air and pressure I'm getting now. Does switching to a cone filter setup still make sense???
  • bheplerbhepler Member Posts: 101
    Switching to a reuseable filter element makes sense. Switching to an in-fender cold air kit makes sense.

    Switching to an underhood cone filter is probably not a wise idea.
  • willywillwillywill Member Posts: 18
    hello...i was wondering if any ine out there has a 2000 dakota with a k&n filter and how much they run
  • SPYDER98SPYDER98 Member Posts: 239
    Does anyone know of a quicker way of drying a K&N filter after cleaning all the dirt out of it?
    The instructions say to just let it sit somewhere outside and let the fresh air do all the drying.
    I can't wait all day and I don't want to install the factory air box in the interim. It's a pain in the ###.
    It did say a hair dryer may shrink the material, so that's out of the question. Maybe a fan would work?

    thanks....
  • fredlyfredly Member Posts: 201
    A Fan would help somewhat, I left mine in the sun and it Dried in about 30 minutes,(Turned it after 15 to make sure the inside was dry) while its drying I just did some other car care.. Your other alternative is to clean it at night and in the morning it will be dry.
  • lindeman1lindeman1 Member Posts: 9
    I just cleaned and re-oiled the K & N filter in my 1994 Mercury Villager after 25,000 miles. The filter had a round concentration of dirt in the center but the rest of it looked fairly clean. I decided to clean and oil it anyway. I do have a problem with the fit in the housing. The rubber gasket seems to be thicker than the previous paper element and prevents two tabs on the top of the housing from fitting into their slots. The best I can do is to get them into the tabs part way and install the clips. The fit isn't ideal and I have been concerned about leakage around the top of the housing. I spoke to a rep. at Amsoil about their foam filter. I was told that the foam provides a better seal and prevents leakage around the housing which could admit dirt. He also claims that THEIR tests indicate that the Amsoil air filter provides as much air flow as the K & N but filters much better. He said K & N emphasizes airflow but their filters don't filter all that well admitting more dirt into the engine. I checked the filter I have and the stock no. is correct. I'm a little concerned about both the filtering ability of my K & N as well as the poor fit in the housing. Also, when reoiling, do you reoil both the clean and dirty sides?
  • bheplerbhepler Member Posts: 101
    When you re-oil, you wash and re-oil the whole thing.
  • dgeminidgemini Member Posts: 161
    I have a KKM intake on my 99 Cougar. I would go ahead and use the S&B powerstack air filter that comes with the Zetec kit.

    It is just as good as a KKM, costs less, and you can use a K&N filter cleaning kit too!
  • pragmatykpragmatyk Member Posts: 2
    Do any of you know where I could get my hands on an intake performance kit or something similar to allow me to use a k&n or s&b filter in my 98 escort lx? I recently discovered that the factory system draws air in through about 1" hole and am trying to find a way to get the little engine a bit more air without doing anything drastic like cutting away part of the airbox as they suggest in several of the escort performance sites around. Any help would be appreciated.
  • vac23vac23 Member Posts: 118
    not sure how the airbox of an escort looks like but on my '99 Galant, the air box is a "box" the filter goes in the middle. What's I'm going to do this weekend is flip the top half of the airbox upside down so that the filter is exposed in instead being sandwiched in between the top half and bottom half of the air box. the filter would still work only I'll be getting more air in the engine. You might want to do something like that if your set up allows. If you don't like it you can always put it back the way it was.
  • fredlyfredly Member Posts: 201
    Well if its the 2.0L I4 Zetec there is a aftermarket intake for your vehicle at
    Kurtz Kustom Automotive:
    Only if this is what your engine looks like
    http://www.kustomz.com/zetec.jpg
    http://www.kustomz.com
  • pragmatykpragmatyk Member Posts: 2
    Unfortunately this car has the non-zetec 2.0 I4. Do any of you know if this engine uses the same intake as the earlier escort lx models? I can find adapters to fit up to 1996 models and I found one MAF adapter that claims to work with all escort lx models but no response yet from the mfg on whether it will work in this car.
  • xorbtantxorbtant Member Posts: 37
    First off I replaced my stock air filter on my BMW for a K&N drop in filter and I didn't relize a difference at all. Actually at times I think my stock filter performed better. Dispointed by this I got an Air Intake with a 9in K&N cone filter. I still don't feel much difference, but I do relize that when driven hard, the car gets worser gas miliage then when I used to drive the car hard with the stock filter. I am confused about this any suggestions or answers for me?
  • bheplerbhepler Member Posts: 101
    Theoretically, if you are allowing more air into the engine with the K&N filter, this allows your car to add more fuel to maintain the proper ratio. More fuel=worse gas mileage. It also equals better performance, but depending on the car, you might not notice the change.
  • 2000zx32000zx3 Member Posts: 4
    Just got our 2000 Focus ZX3 and lovin it. Ford has a winner. Someone here mentioned he didn't see much of a power gain by installing a K&N filter. Gezzzz what does one expect from a mear filter change? Regardless... I know K&N filters dirt better than most anything and need changing a lot less often. Can't beat em. I need to get one for my ZX3. HEY! anyone have a K&N site link??
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    Has any body have or comparied the OBX filters to the K&N filters?

    xorbtant, What type of exhaust system, and headers do you have? In most cases there is not a improvement with just a filter change. Usually it is done with a exhaust modification.
    Don't go by "feeling" pick out a strech of road that you can do compareson tests on. or have the car dyno tested.
  • edpoaedpoa Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 Toyota Corolla and wanted to start improving the performance a bit. However, reliability and dependability are very important to me, and I don't want to use anything that will void warranties. I'm interested in the K&N air filters - has anyone had any bad experiences with them like hurting engines/voiding warranties/etc? Also wondering if the increased airflow puts more strain on the engine because it is burning more fuel. Anyone with a Corolla with a K&N filter, and if so, did you notice any performance improvement? Thanks a lot.
  • vac23vac23 Member Posts: 118
    these filter should not void any warranty provided they are installed correctly. The K&N filters are just like any other aftermarket filters you buy. If you ever run into a warranty problem where the dealer says it's because of the K&N filter, they have to prove that the filter cause whatever problem you have. I've had one on my '99 Galant for about 10k miles now & no problems. They don't really increase hp etc. but they're reuseable.
  • xorbtantxorbtant Member Posts: 37
    I got a Remus Cat back system on my car along with the K&N Air Intake from ECIS which also has a seperate housing for it. I hear people talk about this great intake noise and stuff but I dont' realize a darn thing. What am I missing here?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    KnN filters=2-3% hp gain...in your case not worth it especially when it comes time to clean and oil. If you over oil it the oil will go down into your intake and may even clog your MAF...BTW, the filter will not void your warranty. It will void your warranty on the air filter though...
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    The reason it probaly because your BMW already has a catback exhaust. The filter doesn't do much by itself. The filter just lets air flow into the engine easyer. Normal filters will create a small amount of negitive pressure in the intake system. The easyer it is for the engine to get air the faster it will perform. The extra housing around the filter should make it quieter.
    I had a dual exhaust installed on my 300M and noticed a big difference, esp. in the MPG +4 on the Freeway. With a friends filter (K&N)I noticed a increase in the noise levels, at the exhaust and under the hood. Not a lot but noticeable
  • swingerswinger Member Posts: 1
    Hi there my name is Wayne GOldrick and I right now am driving a 1982 Grand LeMans. I want to see pictures, I want to see recalls, and I want to know statics about my car, I want to know everything that there is to know about the 1982 Grand LeMans car, so please help me. Wayne100@rocketmail.com Thanks
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    Go to the main branch library in your city and check the old copies of Motor Trend, Car & Driver and so forth. They may be on micro film. Consumer Reports usually lists recall notices. Most places don't keep auto information over 10 years so, this is the best info I can give you.
    Good Luck,
  • bud20bud20 Member Posts: 1
    I had a Honda Hatchback, the cheapest thing Honda makes in cars. It was pretty fiesty, so I decided to see what could be done without major expense. I put an Akimoto intake with K&N filter, and a Supertrapp exhaust system on it. With fatter tires than the little donuts that come on it, I knocked a full 1.6 seconds off the quarter mile time, measured. I think the K&N was a big part of that.
  • bheplerbhepler Member Posts: 101
    I think your tires were a larger part of that.
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    The tires, exhaust, and K&N filter in that order helped you time improvement.
  • emsanquiemsanqui Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone tried it? If yes, did you notice any increase in performance?
  • dmkdmk Member Posts: 22
    I would think it would help on this type on high-performance motor. It seems these types of filters help on the hi-po, turbocharged, or high-revving multi-valve motors.
    Go for it!
  • ogolden1ogolden1 Member Posts: 1
    I have been in contact with K&N for the last month, and they are still in development on the "Filtercharger" - Flat filter replacement. ETA is late this year! Straight from their "tech"!

    The K&N allows 6.02 CFM, as opposed to a NEW paper filter allows 4.95 CFM - but only for a short while, until it starts getting dirty.

    I removed the lower air box, and ran a 3" plastic
    flexible hose from under the bumper for a "Ram Air" effect! Works great - No flat spot anymore!

    0 - 60 MPH 6.51 sec


    Ron
    Red Type S
    O.C./So.Cal.
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    Has anyone compared some of the other brands of cone type filters to the K&N filters? Like Shogun's, Weapon-R's, AutoPhysics, or Akimoto's for instance?
  • jarjar2001jarjar2001 Member Posts: 1
    I put an Akimoto ram air intake on my 1998 Eclipse and it made a huge difference in pickup. It cost me $220 and only took 10 minutes to put on( you take off more than you replace ). I added a Flowmaster muffler and it's great. For $275 I gained 15-20 horse and it sounds awesome! I plan on putting headers on when I got the money ( that's another 15 horse )Not much else you can do for cheap.Don't do a "home job" with tubing, too many chances for dirt to invade plus you need a high-quality filter on the end of it!
  • bheplerbhepler Member Posts: 101
    Do you have dynographs to back this up, or are you reading off the box?
  • gonzo7gonzo7 Member Posts: 259
    I noticed that no one seems to be saying...

    "Boy, I am sure glad I spent that money on that filter. What a difference it made."

    So, K&N owners, was it worth it?
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    Sense the stock filters are $20 dollars for my car, I bought a S&B 7' dual cone filter instead. The cost was $24 dollars, plus $10 for the service kit. I figure that after the second filter change I will be ahead. So was it worth it? Yes, and No. First the No, as I didn't buy a K&N (to me it was more than twice the price) so it was not worth it. Now the Yes, it is less restrictive, and is less expensive to maintain.
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    The key words to familarize yourselves with: (1)Horsepower (2) Throttel Responsiveness

    The K&N replacement filter, alone does not produce BHP increase, it will only (in some cases, like supercharged/turbocharged vehicles) increase it's throttle responsiveness - to reduce lag.

    Just some FYI: a Dyno's results can be affected by several factors, i.e engine temp, tire temp, fuel mixture etc.....

    The only thing it does is allow a slight increase in air flow - and increase air flow, does not equate to added BHP for naturally aspired cars...
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    Has anyone been able to locate a manufacture that has a replacement High-Flowing Air Filter for the Millenia S?
  • SPYDER98SPYDER98 Member Posts: 239
    I've always bought their filters for all my old cars. K&N's drop in air filters don't do anything for performance. They do increase intake noise a bit. Some vehicles may actually benifit from them, but most don't. The filters do last a long time and only need cleaning every 50k miles. That alone makes them worth it. But don't expect hp increase from them, if this is the only reason your buying one.
    You need an aftermarket intake system for that.
    I had a drop in K&N in my turbo eclipse and did'nt notice any difference.
  • spnxspnx Member Posts: 37
    Boy, I'm glad I bought my K&N. I have the dyno charts to prove that it made a difference.

    It will only make a difference if your stock intake is poorly-designed, as mine is on my NX2000.

    I believe that the gains are mainly due to the machined aluminium intake horn with came with the piece. For what it's worth, I recorded a startling 6hp @ the wheels over stock. I expected 1-2, at the most.

    Believe it or not.
  • SPYDER98SPYDER98 Member Posts: 239
    Sounds like most of the power came from the intake horn your talking about.

    With the K&N drop-in I had, I felt no difference. When I removed the stock air filter box and connected a cone K&N filter to my eclipse, it was a totally different story. The car at a minimum gained at least 10-15hp.
  • bheplerbhepler Member Posts: 101
    Again, do you have dynographs to back this up?

    I washed my K&N filter about three weeks ago.

    Boy what a difference it made. I'm really glad I got the K&N. Instead of dropping yet another $25 or so on a paper filter, I just had to invest a little time and be willing to get a little dirty.
  • SPYDER98SPYDER98 Member Posts: 239
    No unfortunately I don't have any dyno sheets to prove this. I'm just relaying info I've read out on the WWW and my experience.
    I just cleaned my filter too and the car runs much better.
  • pfeiffer85pfeiffer85 Member Posts: 5
    I want to remove the factory airbox and filter on
    my 99 Grand Caravan Sport with the 3.8L engine and put a K&N cone-type filter on instead. Has anyone else done
    this? If so, what kinds of results did you get?
    I've already done the same thing with my 98 Buick
    Regal GS and it improved both fuel economy and
    mid/upper rpm power and responsiveness. Are there any kits out there?
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