The only place a high-flow filter/intake is going to make one lick of difference is at WOT. At any other time, the throttle plate is restricting any amount of gained airflow. So that being said, it's physically impossible to improve MPG by adding a high flow filter. The amount of air being ingested at highway cruising where your mileage is going to be at its highest is very little.

Think of it like a faucet with a hose attatched. One hose flows 2 GPM, and another only flows 1 GPM. If you turn the water on at just a slight trickle, say 0.2 GPM, both will flow identically.

 

I'm glad to see that at least someone actually understands how this really works.

Unless the engine is running in open loop, its impossible for the filter to affect mileage. If the driver spends enough time in open loop for the filter to matter, then fuel mileage is clearly not important to the driver.

The real (unbiased) dyno results I've seen show most aftermarket intakes actually cost you horsepower below 3000 rpm, and maybe gain 2 hp at the very high end. That's not a good investment of $200 in my book.

 

no it doesn't seem like much of an investment to me either. Now I've got a better understanding of things. I appreciate everyone's input, guess I'll just have to suck it up at the pumps just like everyone else.

 

I know it's been mentioned (kinda) but the K&N filters are horrible for filtering out dirt. My dad had one in a GMC PowerStroke (and mind you, he takes care of his vehicles, yadda yadda) and it was quite apparent it let through a fair bit of fine particulate with how much was plastered to the insides of the intake tube.

Have 2 cents.

 

that's all crap, SUBJECTIVE....if K&N was so bad, then why are they still around?

http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...Prod=77-2514KP

PLUS

http://www.hypertech.com/dynocharts....-150+PICKUP&pn=

 

Who's to say K&N is or is not bad? This is all personal experience (hence SUBJECTIVE), it's a matter on who's had what experience. No one can deny they do flow better, because they do, and more air is always good.

My opinion happens to be that for the investment, it's not worth the dirt it's still letting through and what mild amounts of improvement you will gain if it's simply a stock motor.

K&N and like companies are still around because for some applications, they work quite well and there's always a demand.

 

guess you're a bit more tactful this evening than i am LOL.

with my Hypertech Power Programmer III running 93 Octane, dual (cat back) flowmaster and the K&N Series 77, i can guarantee i at least have more throttle response....and surprise rice burner cars and trucks all the time....
then again, thinking about switching back to the 87 Octane program.....i'm not getting the increased gas mileage...."for some reason" LOL
later.

 

Heh, no worries.

You definitely have a setup to warrant the extra breathing on the intake.

Again I got thinking.. and remembering how an engine is essentially a massive air pump. The general idea is supposed to be that the less restricted it is, the more it'll pump, and, in theory, the more power it should provide.

You know... I think honestly, it never hurts to try the system and return it if you decide it's not for you. That was the point of this thread anyway, wasn't it? To buy or not to buy? (And no, I'm not trying to pull a Hamlet pun)

 

Lots of products are worthless, or even harmful, and stay on the market forever. Look at additives, Prolong, Zmax, Slick50, etc. I think K&N intake systems sell mainly because of how they look under the hood. The extra noise they make convince many drivers that they are going faster. There is also very effective marketing phycology at work here. If you spend a significant amount of money, its hard to admit that it was wasted and the more you spend on a product, the better it must be.

Jim

 

good points on the other products....but K&N made their money on filters that you couldn't see, OEM replacements.

I wouldn't get a K&N if it weren't for the other mods....

if i was going aftermarket, i'd get the Amsoil synthetic filter.