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Thread: Aftermarket air filter systems: are they that good?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Las Cruces, NM
    Posts
    330
    My Cars
    BMW M6 M63 V10 6 sp

    Aftermarket air filter systems: are they that good?

    Hello;
    Today I was doing a thorough cleaning of my car. As part of my OCD habits I pull out the front grilles to clean the area behind the grilles in front of the radiator.
    Every time I clean the air intakes to the air boxes I have been surprised on how small the intake ducts that lead from behind the front grilles to the air filter boxes are.
    I realize several intake manufacturers claim good HP and torque gains with their systems. Is it because their systems eliminate the restrictive air passages from the grilles to the air filers?
    I can see eliminating the restrictive air passages from the front grilles to the air filters, but with open 360* air filters in the engine comparetment, I can see those systems getting more air into the engine, but also a LOT of HOT air from the engine compartment. Good in many ways, not so good in others, may show some places for improvement.
    My humble 0.02 $ would be to have a system that uses a larger front grille intake and limits the amount of hot engine compartment air the aftermarket system can suck in.

    OPINIONS ??

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Ca
    Posts
    6,981
    My Cars
    2001 525it
    Cold air is good hot air is bad ram air is free and ther is more of it as speeds increase. The engine wants to be fed cold air. Why do you think all those super bikes have huge sealed air boxes with the air coming in at the front of the fairing or now it's fed around the steering tube in the frame. Like k/n filters of course they flow more the filter medium is very thin and I don't like it, seems to delicate. But with out dyno charts you can't really verify the improvements, plus the gains are probably very small.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Las Cruces, NM
    Posts
    330
    My Cars
    BMW M6 M63 V10 6 sp
    What I'm thinking is an air intake system that draws air from both the grilles and lower radiator/oil cooler opening into the airboxes just prior to the filer element. I wan to eliminate the narrow gap at the entrance. And make it wider to cold air. As to ram air, yes, ram air works, but for that you'd have to be a quite high speeds to have any effect. There are systems that claim to have a venturi effect: very common on airplanes as vacuum devices, meaning negative pressure, not positive pressure. Maybe a simple PVC piece of tubing from the lower grille to the air box should fix this problem...even if it's just to feed cold air to a round exposed round or conical filter element.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Las Cruces, NM
    Posts
    330
    My Cars
    BMW M6 M63 V10 6 sp
    Again, I think our community is doomed to extinction, our cars will all be disposed of in very short time... no answers, I keep on answering my own treads.
    I recently went for the K&N filter system. Very easy installation, very good quality components. Tricky part is getting the gaskets to line up. Doable. Have a glass of wine while at it.
    If I had known I would have bought the air flow sensors and installed them new, didn't like using the old ones, nothing wrong with them, it's only I'm OCD.
    I haven't dynoed my car. My ear dyno says closest sound to an F1 car on the street (my car has been "slightly tweaked"). My butt dyno states "kicks butt" above 6000 rpm.
    Worth it? for the sounds, a resounding YES !! For the dyno numbers... who cares... I already have more than I can use.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Again, I think our community is doomed to extinction, our cars will all be disposed of in very short time... no answers, I keep on answering my own treads.
    I recently went for the K&N filter system. Very easy installation, very good quality components. Tricky part is getting the gaskets to line up. Doable. Have a glass of wine while at it.
    If I had known I would have bought the air flow sensors and installed them new, didn't like using the old ones, nothing wrong with them, it's only I'm OCD. I ordered a new pair today.
    In the process I took out the fire shield under the hood. Good for fire, bad for sound. Make your choice. I chose sound.
    I haven't dynoed my car. My ear dyno says closest sound to an F1 car on the street (my car has been "slightly tweaked"). My butt dyno states "kicks butt" above 6000 rpm.
    Worth it? for the sounds, a resounding YES !! For the dyno numbers... who cares... I already have more than I can use.

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