K & N short intake...opinions

speedfreek · 06-12-2012, 11:24 AM

This subject has gone round and round. Everyone has an opinion on it. My take is this. If you do not want to go with a long tube setup to get true cold air with the Stillen G3's or Takeda Stage 2 setups then I would go Post MAF tubes with K&N drop ins. The short ram kits are nice and look good under the hood but the effects are minimal over the Post MAF setup. Plus on top of that most already have a CBE of some sort and the returns from the intake systems will be even less. It comes down to how much you are willing to pay for a few more hp and looks. Mainly I think its the latter if you like the look of the system and want it than get it...if it gives you a few more hp and at the very least doesnt take away any then its a win/win.

1. Will the engine sound as loud with the drop-ins?

No it will not sound much louder if any. Everyone's ears are different but it will have minimal effect on sound.

2. Why no danger of heat soak with the drop ins?

People will argue that Short ram kits such as the Typhoon will suffer from heat soak due to the style of heat shields used. There are reviews saying they are great and some saying they are not worth the extra money and suffer from heat soak. The filters are no longer fully enclosed in a air box and when the temp gets hot under the hood some claim they are more susceptible to heat soak. I think the stock air boxes are probably just a susceptible as well, maybe slightly better since they are fully enclosed.

3. How can the drop in filters plus maf set up be the same hp as the K&N short ram?

They will not be the same. On a stock car the Typhoon kit will open the engine up more yielding you the 13-15hp they claim much like the Stillen G3's will yield you the 18hp they claim. If you already added or plan to add an exhaust system the gains are not stackable. So if you installed the Typhoon kit and netted the 13+ hp gain and then install an exhaust system that claims 20+ hp gain you will not get a total of 33+ hp gained. The rate of return diminishes with each bolt on.

That is where it comes down to what looks nice, sounds good, and price come into play. If you like the way the Typhoon kit looks and are ok with the price then you will get some hp gains and a more aggressive sound.

If it is about price alone. You can get a Post MAF with drop ins for around $190 shipped and the Typhoon kit goes for around $300 shipped. Assuming most who mod thier cars will have a CBE of some kind. The Typhoon kit will give you a few more hp gains over the Post MAF setup with a more agressive sound. However is the $100+ price difference worth it? Well that is for you to decide.

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06-12-2012, 11:24 AM	#29 (permalink)
speedfreek A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Huntsville,AL Posts: 1,724 Drives: '12 370Z PW 6sp Rep Power: 18	This subject has gone round and round. Everyone has an opinion on it. My take is this. If you do not want to go with a long tube setup to get true cold air with the Stillen G3's or Takeda Stage 2 setups then I would go Post MAF tubes with K&N drop ins. The short ram kits are nice and look good under the hood but the effects are minimal over the Post MAF setup. Plus on top of that most already have a CBE of some sort and the returns from the intake systems will be even less. It comes down to how much you are willing to pay for a few more hp and looks. Mainly I think its the latter if you like the look of the system and want it than get it...if it gives you a few more hp and at the very least doesnt take away any then its a win/win. 1. Will the engine sound as loud with the drop-ins? No it will not sound much louder if any. Everyone's ears are different but it will have minimal effect on sound. 2. Why no danger of heat soak with the drop ins? People will argue that Short ram kits such as the Typhoon will suffer from heat soak due to the style of heat shields used. There are reviews saying they are great and some saying they are not worth the extra money and suffer from heat soak. The filters are no longer fully enclosed in a air box and when the temp gets hot under the hood some claim they are more susceptible to heat soak. I think the stock air boxes are probably just a susceptible as well, maybe slightly better since they are fully enclosed. 3. How can the drop in filters plus maf set up be the same hp as the K&N short ram? They will not be the same. On a stock car the Typhoon kit will open the engine up more yielding you the 13-15hp they claim much like the Stillen G3's will yield you the 18hp they claim. If you already added or plan to add an exhaust system the gains are not stackable. So if you installed the Typhoon kit and netted the 13+ hp gain and then install an exhaust system that claims 20+ hp gain you will not get a total of 33+ hp gained. The rate of return diminishes with each bolt on. That is where it comes down to what looks nice, sounds good, and price come into play. If you like the way the Typhoon kit looks and are ok with the price then you will get some hp gains and a more aggressive sound. If it is about price alone. You can get a Post MAF with drop ins for around $190 shipped and the Typhoon kit goes for around $300 shipped. Assuming most who mod thier cars will have a CBE of some kind. The Typhoon kit will give you a few more hp gains over the Post MAF setup with a more agressive sound. However is the $100+ price difference worth it? Well that is for you to decide.