NEW K&N CAI for GE8!! :]

[09 Fit]

The ultimate response.

The wife felt the difference!!!!!


I also bypassed the coolant hose around the throttle body. It wasn't very hard. I used the coolant hose that came with the kit. I ran it from the thermostat housing to the back of the block just above the transmission. Follow the path of the coolant hose through the throttle body and down to the back of the block. Remove all of the hoses and take the short route from the thermostat housing to the nipple on the rear (or right side if you prefer) of the block. The passenger side being the front of the block. I did go to my local auto parts store and found a larger hose that the one from the kit would slide inside of (with a little lubricant) that made a 180degree bend. I slid the kit hose through the bigger hose and attached it to the nipple on the block. The thicker hose only keeps the skinnier kit hose from kinking and also protects it from chafing on the metal bracket that holds the heater hose. Attache the other end of the kit hose to the thermostat body nipple.

A simpler and cheeper solution would be to disconnect both hoses from the throttle body and hook them together using a double ended nipple. It does not look as neat but would accomplish the same thing.

The radiator coolant runs through the throttle body to keep it from freezing up in sub 0 degree weather. I live in SoCal so weather is not an issue.

Cooler air = more oxygen = more horsepower. Heating the incoming air in the throttle body results in warming the incoming air.

While I had the radiator drained I also added a bottle of Water Wetter. It helps with radiator heat exchange.

[shane]

so hows are the results with ur K&N 09 fit?

[09 Fit]

Like I said the wife felt a difference (It's her car mostly) and so did I.
There is not much of a difference but it is there.
4.5 HP is not a lot but every little bit helps. 117+4.5=121.5 and don't forget drive train loss at about 25-30%.
K&N tests are real tests done on stock cars. Other companies claims seem to be exaggerated.
K&N filters also do a great job filtering. Just be careful not to over oil the filter when you clean it and give it a little time to soak in.
Have realistic expectations (4.5 HP = 2.6% gain) and you won't be disappointed.

[danielg]

Thanks for the info. I'll probably pick one up eventually.

[ev8siv3]

For those with MT cars keep in mind that the directions for this product are SPECIFIC to the AT model. The bracket that goes onto the driver side motor/tranny mount will not line up properly and therefore is not used. It's still possible to install the product but not according to the included instructions or all of their hardware.

I've been able to determine that the intake has led to an over-rich condition during full throttle, which is allowing slightly higher timing to increase power output. There is also higher airflow at the top of the powerband which is increasing power as well. Overall it's a good mod if you want a little bit more power and some increased engine sound.

[ghettoboy247]

Originally Posted by ev8siv3

For those with MT cars keep in mind that the directions for this product are SPECIFIC to the AT model. The bracket that goes onto the driver side motor/tranny mount will not line up properly and therefore is not used. It's still possible to install the product but not according to the included instructions or all of their hardware.

I've been able to determine that the intake has led to an over-rich condition during full throttle, which is allowing slightly higher timing to increase power output. There is also higher airflow at the top of the powerband which is increasing power as well. Overall it's a good mod if you want a little bit more power and some increased engine sound.

actually, the intake design was made to fit the best of both worlds, but i think the main design was for a MT though...

[Selden]

Originally Posted by 09 Fit

K&N tests are real tests done on stock cars. Other companies claims seem to be exaggerated.
K&N filters also do a great job filtering. Just be careful not to over oil the filter when you clean it and give it a little time to soak in.
Have realistic expectations (4.5 HP = 2.6% gain) and you won't be disappointed.

Hype rules in this field, but published dyno results are better than none, and K&Ns, in applications where airflow is restricted, may flow more air, at the expense of filtration effectiveness.

It has been widely documented (by non-commercial sources other than K&N) that K&N filters pass much more particulates than OEM pleated paper filters. The most comprehensive write-up I have seen on the subject is available here: http://mr2.com/TEXT/kn_filter.txt

Unfortunately, for me, every single unit having alternative re-usable air cleaners showed an immediate large jump in silicon (dirt) levels with corresponding major increases in wear metals. In one extreme case, a unit with a primary and secondary air cleaner, the secondary (small paper element) clogged before even one day's test run could be completed. This particular unit had a Cummins V-12 engine that had paper/paper one one bank and K&N/paper on the other bank; two completely independent induction systems. The conditions were EXACTLY duplicated for each bank yet the K&N allowed so much dirt to pass through that the small filter became clogged before lunch. The same outcome occured with oiled foams on this unit.

Try this: smear a little grease on the inside of the intake tract downstream from the air filter. Run the vehicle for a month, then feel the grease with your fingers. If it feels gritty, dirt is getting past the filter, and you may want to go back to the OEM pleated paper filter. Or sand your engine; it's your choice.

If you live in a wet area, K&N lack of filtration is probably not an issue; if I lived in the desert or in dusty conditions, I would not use a K&N air filter on an engine that I wanted to last more than 50,000 miles.

[09 Fit]

There are always differing opinions.
These tests were on tractors in a coal mine and on some trucks used in the fields.

I'm not even sure that K&N makes many filters for heavy duty tractors. I would check this out before posting it as fact. There is a lot of bunk on the internet.

K&N has a long history of satisfied customers particularly in the off road dirt bike field.

I've had very good luck including getting in a dust storm (looked like an felt like orangish talcum powder) in Colorado with my Corvette. I hit speeds after that storm of up to 122mph. When I got home to So Cal the filter was filthy but I did a white glove test behind the filter and it was as clean as a whistle.

My experience has been great and I run K&N on all 5 of my cars.

[Selden]

Did you even bother to read the article? A wide variety of vehicle types was included in the testing, not just construction equipment:

"I was responsible for evaluating re-usable air filters for a major construction/mining company that had hundreds of vehicles ranging from large earthmovers to pick-up trucks and salesmen's cars."

"We discontinued the tests on the large pieces almost immediately but continued with service trucks, formen's vehicles, and my own company car. Analysis results continued showing markedly increased wear rates for all the vehicles, mine included. Test concluded, switched back to paper/glass and all vehicles showed reduction back to near original levels of both wear metals and dirt. I continued with the K&N on my company car out of stubborness and at 85,000 miles the Chevy 305 V-8 wheezed its last breath. The top end was sanded badly; bottom end was just fine. End of test."

Another source that provides actual test results, rather than hearsay or opinion is at: Filtration Testing for Amsoil, K&N, Napa, Jackson Racing, Baldwin, and Mazda air filters on a Miata

Money quote:

Well there is a clear pattern on filtration ability compared to both flow and the type of filtration media used. The "high performance" cotton gauze and foam filters do not filter as well as some have claimed. I actually received an e-mail from K&N stating their filters filter within 99% of the OEM filters. This may be true, and 1% may not sound like much. I contend that 1% over many miles, may be important. Really, it is up to each individual to decide. The poorer flowing filters, remove more particles, and the better flowing filters remove less particles. If you think about it, that conclusion passes any and all common sense tests, so it is not surprising. There are many that will be shocked by the results, that should not be though. I've used high performance filters in the past, and I might again in the future. At the same time, I know that the stock OEM type filters perform very well in filtration and don't inhibit flow nearly as much as some think.

These reports are evidence, not opinion.

K&N spends enormous amounts of money on advertising and sponsorship; it's not unreasonable to be skeptical of their claims, which are designed to sell products. I stand by my original statement: If you live in a wet area, K&N lack of filtration is probably not an issue; if I lived in the desert or in dusty conditions, I would not use a K&N air filter on an engine that I wanted to last more than 50,000 miles.

Originally Posted by 09 Fit

There are always differing opinions.
These tests were on tractors in a coal mine and on some trucks used in the fields.

I'm not even sure that K&N makes many filters for heavy duty tractors. I would check this out before posting it as fact. There is a lot of bunk on the internet.

K&N has a long history of satisfied customers particularly in the off road dirt bike field.

I've had very good luck including getting in a dust storm (looked like an felt like orangish talcum powder) in Colorado with my Corvette. I hit speeds after that storm of up to 122mph. When I got home to So Cal the filter was filthy but I did a white glove test behind the filter and it was as clean as a whistle.

My experience has been great and I run K&N on all 5 of my cars.

[09 Fit]

Yes, I did read the articles.

Do you realize that this thread is about a performance upgrade? It is not about paper VS gauze. There are always some tradeoffs.

Your point about filtration is rather mute since this unit uses a cone filter that seems to have more square inches of area than the stock filter.

If you really think that using a K&N filter will destroy your engine in 50,000 miles then maybe you should not use one. I've been using them for 10 years with excelent results. My 86 civic has 160,000 miles and is still going strong.

I've been around for a long time. My first car used an oil bath air filter (most people don't even know that there was such a thing). Paper filters are fine. K&N and other brands also work well and are less restrictive. No filter is 100%.

Maybe one of the dino oil VS synthetic oil threads might interest you. Those debates go on forever.

[Selden]

I don't think we're really saying different things. Paper = more filtration; oiled = greater air flow (at least initially -- but clogs up faster).

Debunking the K&N Myth. The graphs are self-explanatory.