Do K&N air filters & induction kits deliver anything worthwhile?

[CheeseMaster]

Was looking at an induction kit and an air filter. However, do they deliver anything of real value? I'm no goy racer, but do they noticeably improve the power and flexibility of the drive? Whats the impact on fuel consumption?

Is it just a marketing thing?

 

[claymore]

It's useful to have one if you don't like replacing your filter regulary, performance and mpg seem to be affected in a better way but only just on my old punto. Just the filter mind.

 

[CheeseMaster]

Induction kits don't seem to be much beyond an angled air filter anyhow. So I might get one of the normal air filters put in on the Panda and Marea..

 

[jimboy]

Was looking at an induction kit and an air filter. However, do they deliver anything of real value? I'm no goy racer, but do they noticeably improve the power and flexibility of the drive? Whats the impact on fuel consumption?

Is it just a marketing thing?

Hit the search button.....Must be the most asked question on here in one form or the other. Simple answer you will see sod all gains just by slapping an induction kit on if thats what youre looking for. The guys that tell you more power, well the placebo effect works very good for them. Most do it for the sound Others will fork out three figures for their chosen kit

Personally I could think of much better & cheaper ways to make the wee punto run that bit better.

 

[Eklipze3k]

Personally I could think of much better & cheaper ways to make the wee punto run that bit better.

A good service never goes amiss

 

[volxstu]

LOL i like you sig. Take the **** out of the moderators doing their job and then post an Induction question in Leisure Lounge.

 

[ChrisUK]

And to answer your question... No they don't!.

 

[volxstu]

Aparently there is a Large possibility i would see a gain with the Typhoon kit on my car. But i have a well undeveloped 2.4l engine and the kit cost £280.

Just sticking a £50 "inducion kit" on a small engine will do more harm than good.

 

[AppleSei]

Just sticking a £50 "inducion kit" on a small engine will do more harm than good.

how misinformed are you?

you can get the 'focus' kit which is a decent kit for under £50 to fit on the 899 and 1108 engines plus some others maybe

gains and improved mpg are known as well as a good sound, and it doesnt suck in hot air like a k+n system

It isnt the best kit out there, or else it wouldnt be under £50 but for a starter system, its excellent

 

[The Beard]

If there are gains to be had, they must be marginal. There will always be some room for manouevre simply by the level of tolerance left by the manufacturer.

Remember that an induction kit will allow more air into the combustion chambers which will basically allow a (slightly) bigger bang, but if you have a bigger bang, that means more gas travelling at a higher speed which in turn needs to get out of the cylinder more quickly. If it can't then the combustion chambers won't be purged properly and your next charge will be corrupted by any remaining exhaust gas.

The way round that is to have a free-er flowing exhaust manifold and pipes. Bigger valves wouldn't hurt either. You are by then well into the older ways of doing things, in other words expensive time consuming methods.

In about 1980 I had a Vauxhall Chevette 2300HS. From the factory it put out 135bhp. It had a DOHC 16 valve head, but essentially the same block as the 8V SOHC Firenza which put out 131. The Firenza head simply had better inlet and exhaust flow. I steadily upgraded the HS with twin 40DCOE Weber carbs and appropriate inlet manifold, but that wasn't enough because it was like putting a lot of water into a pipe which got steadily narrower. Because not enough could get out at the end, it limited how much I could put in at the front end. So.....free flow exhaust manifold and big bore pipes helped, but, then there was a gap in the middle. The answer? Bigger valves and high lift camshafts.

We now have electronic control over engine management so some re-writing of the ECU can help eliminate the problems I had, but the basic premise still applies. If you put more in at the beginning, you won't get more out at the end unless you help it flow out more freely.

Remember a phase people had a few years ago whereby cars were running around with those huge DTM type exhausts. All they really did was make a noise. Yes they let the exhaust out more quickly, but unless you were putting the air and fuel in more quickly, it was of very limited use.

Now then, where's me zimmer frame.

 

[volxstu]

how misinformed are you?

you can get the 'focus' kit which is a decent kit for under £50 to fit on the 899 and 1108 engines plus some others maybe

gains and improved mpg are known as well as a good sound, and it doesnt suck in hot air like a k+n system

It isnt the best kit out there, or else it wouldnt be under £50 but for a starter system, its excellent

There will be no real world gains. Im not saying i know everything far from it but you go tell somebody who really really knows their stuff that you think puting a focus induction kit on a NA hair dryer makes real world gains.
The only saving grace in your statement is that you are talking about an older engine where perhaps not as much research went into the OE filtration system. It is maybe (just maybe) a very slight chance of a gain but you are more likely to get struck by lightning IMO.

 

[CheeseMaster]

LOL i like you sig. Take the **** out of the moderators doing their job and then post an Induction question in Leisure Lounge.

What is it about people leaping to conclusions? Its a general question, not about FIATs per se.

I wonder why its "taking the ****" even? I've posted on topic in the past a number of times and come back to find it moved to a forum section that was unhelpful.

I guess its easier to attack the poster rather than answer the question for some. Gotta say, if you don't /like/ a topic just ignore it, don't be a have-a-go hero.

 

[CheeseMaster]

If there are gains to be had, they must be marginal. There will always be some room for manouevre simply by the level of tolerance left by the manufacturer.

Remember that an induction kit will allow more air into the combustion chambers which will basically allow a (slightly) bigger bang, but if you have a bigger bang, that means more gas travelling at a higher speed which in turn needs to get out of the cylinder more quickly. If it can't then the combustion chambers won't be purged properly and your next charge will be corrupted by any remaining exhaust gas.

The way round that is to have a free-er flowing exhaust manifold and pipes. Bigger valves wouldn't hurt either. You are by then well into the older ways of doing things, in other words expensive time consuming methods.

In about 1980 I had a Vauxhall Chevette 2300HS. From the factory it put out 135bhp. It had a DOHC 16 valve head, but essentially the same block as the 8V SOHC Firenza which put out 131. The Firenza head simply had better inlet and exhaust flow. I steadily upgraded the HS with twin 40DCOE Weber carbs and appropriate inlet manifold, but that wasn't enough because it was like putting a lot of water into a pipe which got steadily narrower. Because not enough could get out at the end, it limited how much I could put in at the front end. So.....free flow exhaust manifold and big bore pipes helped, but, then there was a gap in the middle. The answer? Bigger valves and high lift camshafts.

We now have electronic control over engine management so some re-writing of the ECU can help eliminate the problems I had, but the basic premise still applies. If you put more in at the beginning, you won't get more out at the end unless you help it flow out more freely.

Remember a phase people had a few years ago whereby cars were running around with those huge DTM type exhausts. All they really did was make a noise. Yes they let the exhaust out more quickly, but unless you were putting the air and fuel in more quickly, it was of very limited use.

Now then, where's me zimmer frame.

Thanks for a well thought out and helpful answer.

 

[x Alex x]

what car you got mate?

as apple says the focus induction kit is £40 ish, looks great, sounds better and did give a slight power increase although i didn't notice any MPG difference.

(1242 8v mk2b punto)

 

[volxstu]

I guess its easier to attack the poster rather than answer the question for some. Gotta say, if you don't /like/ a topic just ignore it, don't be a have-a-go hero.

We cant just ignore it we are the staff here. We wont move something without good reason. if you have a specific complaint then please use the Report button.
Puting pointless complaints in your sig doesnt make your e-***** any bigger.

I answered your question quite simply. Cone induction on small N/A engines do not work. I have been there done that. They can sound great but in real world driving will sap your torque at the wheels.