# drop-in K & N air filter question.



## enjracing (Jun 7, 2006)

will a simple drop-in K & N air filter give me a small power increase and a tad better MPG? i assume it will. i just am not sold on spending 200-300 on a CAI, as i am not sure about it's bang for the buck compared to a drop-in air filter. thanks.


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## MJGTOWISH (Jun 15, 2006)

enjracing said:


> will a simple drop-in K & N air filter give me a small power increase and a tad better MPG? .


It all depends on the air you are pulling in. If you pulling in hot humid air then no. 

But no matter what, an cold air intake will always be better than the stock restrictive ones on any car.

My adivice don't cheap out on an intake. Spend around $260-350


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## XGTO (Mar 2, 2006)

*K&n*

get the K&N make sure you follow the instructions, you'll get more power for sure.


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## FastFreddy (Jul 29, 2005)

enjracing said:


> will a simple drop-in K & N air filter give me a small power increase and a tad better MPG? i assume it will. i just am not sold on spending 200-300 on a CAI, as i am not sure about it's bang for the buck compared to a drop-in air filter. thanks.


Just installed the drop in myself. There were a few reasons. A few years ago, Grassroots Motorsports magazine did a test of the K&N CAI vs. the K&N drop in vs. the stock air filter. The K&N drop in came in first, the stock filter came in second and the CAI came in 3rd. Now this was on a BMW, and every car varies in terms of the way the air is routed to the intake, and the placement of the CAI. In the BMW they tested, the CAI was picking up the hot engine air, and not the cooler air through the grill or other area. I had the same problem with my Alfa Romeo. The CAI was placed behind the headlight next to the fender well and was picking up warm engine air, where as the stock air box picked up fresh air. Took the CAI off after less than a week. You could feel the diminshed performance. Now itt doesn't seem that this is an issue on the GTO, since nobody had mentioned it, but I am happy with the drop in, and it took all of 3 minutes to install. 

The second reason is that I couldn't find a plain paper replacement filter locally...Not the dealer, Pep Boys or Autozone.

Which brings me to the third reason...I know that a lot of people on this list use both the K&N and the Lingenfelter and it seems that most of the time the install goes smoothly, but sometimes, it does not. I just don't have the time right now to troubleshoot any problems if they arise. Haven't even washed the car in 3 weeks and the next project is an exhaust install (which has been sitting in my garage for a month) on the Alfa. 

Don't know if this helps, but the best part is that regardless of what you do, the GTO will continue to be a blast to drive.


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## ridgegoat (Jun 11, 2006)

I was reading some older threads and have a question on this one. Is the K&H Drop-in better then the stock replacement. Why would it be?


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

MJGTOWISH said:


> It all depends on the air you are pulling in. If you pulling in hot humid air then no.
> 
> But no matter what, an cold air intake will always be better than the stock restrictive ones on any car.
> 
> My adivice don't cheap out on an intake. Spend around $260-350


it's true the stock filter is a bit restrictive especially after mods. the sad fact is the $260-$350 buys you a bigger cone filter but not much is the "C" department. i've gone round and round on discussions about it and you'll get lots of "seat of the pants" stories and dyno numbers but nobody wants to talk intake air temperatures. on the street or track (i'm assuming you don't drive a lot on a dyno) logging of IATs show temperatures well above ambient and slow response times to temp changes when you get moving. high IATs (anything above 86*) start to pull timing and thus power. on the street or at the track a 1-5 minute wait for heat soak of 120* to settle down usually has you past the end of the track and back at the pits. you're slightly better off getting the drop in and doing the Aussie two hole mod unless you like the looks of the "C"AI. now please all you people jump in with your SOTP and dyno #s and be sure to skirt the temperature side of your $350 filter "C"AI.


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## kwiktsi (Apr 5, 2006)

svede1212 said:


> it's true the stock filter is a bit restrictive especially after mods. the sad fact is the $260-$350 buys you a bigger cone filter but not much is the "C" department. i've gone round and round on discussions about it and you'll get lots of "seat of the pants" stories and dyno numbers but nobody wants to talk intake air temperatures. on the street or track (i'm assuming you don't drive a lot on a dyno) logging of IATs show temperatures well above ambient and slow response times to temp changes when you get moving. high IATs (anything above 86*) start to pull timing and thus power. on the street or at the track a 1-5 minute wait for heat soak of 120* to settle down usually has you past the end of the track and back at the pits. you're slightly better off getting the drop in and doing the Aussie two hole mod unless you like the looks of the "C"AI. now please all you people jump in with your SOTP and dyno #s and be sure to skirt the temperature side of your $350 filter "C"AI.


Spoken like somone who actually knows what they are talking about. I have owned and modded several cars in the past and the gains were always equal or better going with just a drop in. Only CAI's that worked worth a damn were on my Talon- it moved the filter out of the engine bay and behind the passenger fog light and my 94 Z28 which moved it into the drivers wheel well. For the most part, they are just a pretty tube with a cone filter and BS performance numbers from my experience.
Joe


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## MJGTOWISH (Jun 15, 2006)

kwiktsi said:


> Spoken like somone who actually knows what they are talking about. I have owned and modded several cars in the past and the gains were always equal or better going with just a drop in. Only CAI's that worked worth a damn were on my Talon- it moved the filter out of the engine bay and behind the passenger fog light and my 94 Z28 which moved it into the drivers wheel well. For the most part, they are just a pretty tube with a cone filter and BS performance numbers from my experience.
> Joe


If anybody here watch the powerblock check out how they did ther cai on there elmanio
I would rather build one from some tubing and put it by in the lower front grill you would get the best airflow and the coldest!!.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

i have logged a lot of IATs and MAPs (manifold absolute pressure, it can tell you if you're pulling a vacuum at WOT) and all of the stock and commercial setups fell short of being CAIs. the stocker is as "sheilded" as the aftermarkets and pulls air from the same place they do. the slightly larger cone filter of the aftermarkets place less of a restriction on the intake but $350 for a filter? with the '05 & '06 LPE you don't even get a smoother MAF tube. in addition the stock thermistor probe gets heat soaked, reacts slowly and doesn't reflect the true IAT going into the throttle body. another member is working on taking my ideas and adapting them to a LPE. the problems are getting cold air in and reading it right. he's going to pull air the same way i am and ducting it into his LPE box as well as replacing the stock thermistor. i don't drive mine in the rain but his should be fine as a daily driver. here's my intake. it has a bigger filter and much faster acting thermistor as well as pulling in true cold air from outside the engine bay. take the idea and adapt it to your own system.


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## TexasAggie (Mar 2, 2005)

svede1212 said:


> i have logged a lot of IATs and MAPs (manifold absolute pressure, it can tell you if you're pulling a vacuum at WOT) and all of the stock and commercial setups fell short of being CAIs. the stocker is as "sheilded" as the aftermarkets and pulls air from the same place they do. the slightly larger cone filter of the aftermarkets place less of a restriction on the intake but $350 for a filter? with the '05 & '06 LPE you don't even get a smoother MAF tube. in addition the stock thermistor probe gets heat soaked, reacts slowly and doesn't reflect the true IAT going into the throttle body. another member is working on taking my ideas and adapting them to a LPE. the problems are getting cold air in and reading it right. he's going to pull air the same way i am and ducting it into his LPE box as well as replacing the stock thermistor. i don't drive mine in the rain but his should be fine as a daily driver. here's my intake. it has a bigger filter and much faster acting thermistor as well as pulling in true cold air from outside the engine bay. take the idea and adapt it to your own system.


You've just made me realize how little I know.:confused


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## dustin60 (Jun 28, 2006)

i put a k&n cai on my 05...i found it on ebay for $155 before shipping. try there first, see if u cant find a deal. also if u check the k&n website it gives you detailed installation intructions to make sure everything is perfect.


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## ridgegoat (Jun 11, 2006)

If I decide to go with the Dropin, it sounds like I will get a boost in performance and gas economy over the factory, can anyone tell me why?


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## Subdriver (Dec 28, 2004)

ridgegoat said:


> If I decide to go with the Dropin, it sounds like I will get a boost in performance and gas economy over the factory, can anyone tell me why?


The oil wetted foam filters flow higher than paper filters when new and clean. In my opinion, their downfall is that their performance benefits fall off quickly as the foam accumulates dirt. I ran a drop in K&N in my Z06 for two race weekends, a grand total of about 500 miles, then had my car dyno'd for other reasons. Car seemed down on power. Took the K&N out and dropped in a new paper filter and gained 1.5 HP. While that is probably within the accuracy of the dyno, it clearly showed I wasn't gaining anything with the K&N either.
:cheers


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## RipTheSix (Apr 26, 2006)

*ummm*

You might want to check out the fram boost system.


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## ridgegoat (Jun 11, 2006)

Very interesting, what do you guys think?

http://framboost.com/dynoPDF/FIS1039C.pdf


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