installed cai.... what now?

[smj999smj]

The K&N drop-in filters only produce about a 2 HP gain and is not really worth the expense, IMO. It's probably why K&N never show any dyno results from the drop-in filters.

I recall reviewing a study on airflow K&N Filter Charger drop in vs OEM Paper.

I can't find it now, but IIRC the K&N had a much better performance once loaded with dirt, whereas the OEM Paper filters became quite restrictive.

So performance is similar at the beginning, leaning to the K&N, but better over time, if that makes any sense.

That and I haven't bought an air filter in 6 years, which up here are $20-30 a piece. So this filter charger has paid for itself at least twice now. And it seems to be doing a great job with filtration, based on the white rag test I did on the intake the other day. Win-Win-Win!

Yes, a dirty paper filter will be more restrictive than a dirty cloth-type filter like K&N. Clean, a paper filter flows very well. I guess that's an issue if you off-road or drive in a very dirty environment. I drive on the occasional dusty road, but mostly paved roads and highways, and it's 45,000 miles before I can say my paper filters are even close to being somewhat dirty, except for that little spot near the air box inlet.
There's also the point that cloth filters have been shown to let more dirt pass through them than a conventional paper filter, which we should mention, if we go by the results of the Spicer air filter test.
We thing we didn't touch on is the different type of air boxes used on CAI systems. Sealed air boxes, like Stillen and Volant, are better for low-end torque than open boxes, like K&N and aFe, which sacrifice the lower-end torque for higher horsepower. Another factor is if you go off-roading in muddy and wet environments, the sealed box may be a better choice as the open boxes can let water and mud inside them and onto the filter.
A lot of people put air intake systems in their vehicle because it's a simple install and usually not very expensive, but there should be some serious thought put into it as to what system is best for what one's goals are. There are a number of good options available, but all of them have compromises somewhere and benefits elsewhere, and that includes the stock system.

[SETI20]

Seriously. Just go with those flat K&N replacement filters in the stock box. And if you're feeling particularly DIY like, you may replace the plastic piping to the intake with some of those cheap aluminum tubing kits. Spray with rhino liner to make them nice and stealthy. Smooth tubes > ridged tubes.

The K&N drop-in filters only produce about a 2 HP gain and is not really worth the expense, IMO. It's probably why K&N never show any dyno results from the drop-in filters.

whoever told you that air filters give you HP, was lying to you. Best case scenario, you might gain a horse to two. But there are way more important factors to engine power than a filter.

Air temperature is much higher on the list of import, and if there is one thing that all those short ram intakes have in common is that they do NOT increase air velocity, they do NOT increase air volume (your MAF sensor will prove that to you) and those flimsy aluminum tubes soak up tons of heat, and sucking in hot air in the first place only hurts you.

Get a K&N drop in filter, or get a cone-in box filter that uses heat insulated piping. Everything else will do nothing but add noise.

Which isn't a bad thing, per se. I like intake noise. But don't fool yourself into thinking that it actually gives you a performance gain.

[smj999smj]

Well, certain design air intake systems have certain advantages over the others. Rather than "produce 2 HP," I think the better statement would be that the drop-in, compared to a paper filter, can help the engine achieve an additional couple of horsepower due to less restriction under certain conditions. The stock R51 box is actually pretty good in its design in that it's a cold air intake design, has a built in resonator (this is something often overlooked...a resonator, which most think is only there to reduce noise, also plays into performance by addressing intake pulse harmonics, which is a whole topic in itself), and works very well for a stock engine. It's shortcomings appear for those who start making mods and start needing more air at higher RPM conditions in that it becomes restrictive in its design. Aftermarket CAI's address this issue and most show very similar gains in HP and torque when the vehicle is put on a dyno, typically in the 10-14 HP/6-12 ft/lbs torque range, however there are advantages to some designs over others. Open box designs are not the best for those vehicles that see a lot of mud and water, i.e. those that go off-roading in sloppy conditions. The sealed-box design is much better in those conditions, and also the torque results tend to be much better with a sealed box system compared to an open box. It seems the Volant and the Injen intake systems seem to show the best results when comparing different intake systems on the dyno and both of those are sealed box type systems. The Injen is a different in that it may be the only aftermarket system that retains a resonator. One tester on a Titan forum, who did extensive testing on multiple air intake systems and used both a dyno and actual track testing on his modified Titan, found that while the Volant fared slightly better than the Injen on the dyno results, it was the Injen that had better results at the track. Both systems, however, performed well and tested at the top of the list, behind only one, the system from S&B Intake systems. The problem with S&B is that they don't currently offer a system for the V6 R51 Pathy, but they do for the V8. They are also priced well compare to other systems.
It's really all about what you want to do with your vehicle. If you are going to do nothing else but throw on an intake system or a drop-in filter, you are pretty much wasting your money. However, if you do plan on upgrading the exhaust and making other performance mods, it makes sense to upgrade the air intake system to an aftermarket. It's just best when adding an aftermarket system, to get a system that has already been designed for the vehicle by a company who has done some research, rather than just get basically a universal kit that is going to suck in hot air from the engine compartment, which does nothing, if not decreases, the performance of the vehicle.

[SETI20]

Alright, so, at least we agree.

I have an Injen system on my '00 Integra as well as on my '09 Civic (yes, I am a ricer at heart) and while I agree that the finish is much nicer than most, it's still nothing more than a powder coated aluminum tube with a bracket welded on, and a generic rebranded filter. I found the filter inferior to the ones that K&N and AEM use. For larger capacity engines, I hope it's a bit sturdier.
The reason I went with Injen is that the plenum for the MAF, as well as the welding for that was vastly superior to most other brands. I can't even count how many pinhole leaks I have seen on that specific part.

Like I said, I work with wholesale and R&D manufacturers for "tuners", so I get parts at cost.

Resonators in the intake tract are not much more than marketing speak, by the way. Intake pulsing is exclusively relevant for carbureted cars, or cars running individual, or paired throttle bodies. And, quite frankly, our cars simply don't flow all that much air, for an engine with this displacement. Think about it. If that were the case, we would have a plenum and manifold per bank.

But, then again, V-engines can be finicky. Non performance engines don't have the most well thought out intake manifold designs and can be a bit on the asymmetric side at times. So it could possibly be relevant to some unique circumstances.

[ValleyWalker]

Without replacing the hole thing, this is my only option...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mbcjbawdazdqdlc/29.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/l5qth5aajfnmr39/28.jpg?dl=0

My intention was to add the Bully Dog tuner and an exhaust soon but with Christmas coming up I thought I'd wait until January. But my engine light is now out and my mpg is steady in the high 16's

[smj999smj]

Part of the reason to go to a aftermarket CAI system is because of the restrictiveness of the stock air box at higher RPMs. Using the stock box does keep you from sucking in hot engine compartment air, but I don't necessarily think you gain much in performance. If performance is your goal, I think you would be better off replacing what you have with a system that is designed for your vehicle, such Volant or Injen or one of the other systems currently available. For me, it seems the best bang for the buck is the Volant system with the Powercore filter, which you can get for around $250 and Volant has a $25 gift card deal for purchases until the end of the year. Maybe you could sell off your old system on Ebay or Craig's list?

[eieio]

I can see spending the dough on a performance system, if that's what one really wants.
But $250.00 will also buy a dozen OEM air filters or 22 of Nissans' "Value Advantage" air filters, either of which take about 3 minutes to replace, with none of the mess and additional materials (cleaner, oil) needed for the aftermarket filters.
But if that's what you gotta have............

[smj999smj]

The Powercore is a dry filter, so no oiling is needed...and also no issues with oil contamination of the MAS hotwire. The stock air box and paper filters are fine and it is already a "cold air intake" design, but it has its limitations in performance on modified engine. If you're never going to change the the stock exhaust or do other mods, then sticking with the stock system makes perfect sense. If you plan on improving on the breathing capabilities of the engine, i.e. installing headers and performance cat-back exhaust, then going with a good, aftermarket intake system makes sense.

[ValleyWalker]

So ended up w/ the Volant! Hope you like...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/92epkhswna36scs/30.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hxflks3gselcpuw/31.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zaz6qz37krvtfzo/32.JPG?dl=0

Just got it installed and letting it idle for a few minutes now. Now I need the exhaust system and I think the BullyDog thing too

[jhg120]

Revive

The volant fit, no issues? I've seen some say the box won't fit to allow the hood to close. Any codes or check engine light?

Looking on volant website, I only see 2005-07 kits, which one did you use? Thanks.

I'm looking to purchase

[ValleyWalker]

Absolutely no issues what-so-ever to be honest. I'm very impressed.