Kit Vexed Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 i rarely post, and due to that, this could very well be another spark plug conundrum... i've done almost every bolt on in the book to my T5-R. one would think an air intake is atop any self-tuners list. I've always read mixed things about them though, so i'd like to set the record straight so this can be a dead topic for future VS'ers. ARE intakes worth it? the pinned 'bible' we all referenced as newbies claims volvo's intake design is fine and a simple K&N replacement is good enough. other ppl say 'intakes provide more surface area... yada yada yada' then we all know an intake is 'open' whilst the stock setup is 'sealed'. how could something open possibly NOT suck in hot engine air? so what IS the deal?? anyone have cold hard proof thier EST or iPd intake made a difference other than a 'cooler sucking sound' or is it just a gimmick? gas mileage gains? how often are you cleaning this open element-type filter? anybody notice a difference in midrange since opening things up is less constrictive? thoughts, feelings, PROOF - let's hear it ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snabb T5M Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 Boy I really feel sorry for this dead horse. i rarely post, and due to that, this could very well be another spark plug conundrum... i've done almost every bolt on in the book to my T5-R. one would think an air intake is atop any self-tuners list. I've always read mixed things about them though, so i'd like to set the record straight so this can be a dead topic for future VS'ers. ARE intakes worth it? the pinned 'bible' we all referenced as newbies claims volvo's intake design is fine and a simple K&N replacement is good enough. other ppl say 'intakes provide more surface area... yada yada yada' then we all know an intake is 'open' whilst the stock setup is 'sealed'. how could something open possibly NOT suck in hot engine air? so what IS the deal?? anyone have cold hard proof thier EST or iPd intake made a difference other than a 'cooler sucking sound' or is it just a gimmick? gas mileage gains? how often are you cleaning this open element-type filter? anybody notice a difference in midrange since opening things up is less constrictive? thoughts, feelings, PROOF - let's hear it ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicaljake Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 completely stock my car ran 14.9 with a k&n and cheap ass mbc i ran 14.8 after a cone filter with heat shield and halman pro mbc...i ran 14.4 but then again there are alot of things to take into account... just saying...i noticed results...weather they are directly related to the "intake" or not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty33W Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 i believe ur intercooler should be able to make up for a "hot air" intake - i could def feel the difference when i swapped to a metal intake pipe with highflow open element cone - and i felt even more of a difference after i ditched the highflow cone (paper/cotton) for a all mesh cone filter - my high flow cone lasted a long time , but keep in mind i'm in arizona where it's summer 10 months out of the year , haha - i havent seen any dyno results that can say for sure - but nobody can disagree that there's dyno results for highflow intakes on OTHER vehicles - why wouldnt it work for us too ? - my biggest thing is that why would you pay several hundred dollars for a high flow open element kit when you can fab your own (just as effective) for a tiny fraction of the costs ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8 APEKS Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 To the OP: Dyno after dyno after dyno on nearly EVERY force-inducted car proves that not only to open element intakes work, but they make substantial power gains if the engine is making above-stock boost (moving more air). I'm not sure there's any ground to debate this, actually. Again...at road speed, the open intakes are NOT heat soaked, and they flow significantly more CFM (have less restriction) than an airbox (esp w/ paper filter element). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kit Vexed Posted November 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 well, i know there's @ least *some benefit to the intakes, but is it significant enough to warrant spending the money? i guess that's a big question here.. does it also change the hp/tq curve to higher rpms?? cause i like the low/midrange power of the 'choked out' stock system and looking to just see if the open element can add to that? keep the replies coming fellas; this is for all of us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanehutton Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 My 2 cents is that at 17psi I sucked the hose that runs from the grill to the stock airbox closed on itself. That tells me that the car needed more air than that tube could flow. I don't know about the actual airbox but that hose / the opening into the airbox is restricting flow. I was thinking about running a second hose but decided I might as well get an EST cone setup and that way if I max out that tube then it will just pull air from somewhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kit Vexed Posted November 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 that's an interesting story, cause i do notice that very same tube from the grill that goes to the bottom of the airbox is always shifted - and i fix it every time. im running an iPd stage 1 ecu @ 14.5-15 psi. on the note of the EST intake, who has it and who has the iPd?? anything better on one than the other? quality or fitment issues perhaps? so was it MUCH improved when you upgraded (besides the fact the tubed sucked into itself) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave 54 Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 that's an interesting story, cause i do notice that very same tube from the grill that goes to the bottom of the airbox is always shifted - and i fix it every time. im running an iPd stage 1 ecu @ 14.5-15 psi. on the note of the EST intake, who has it and who has the iPd?? anything better on one than the other? quality or fitment issues perhaps? so was it MUCH improved when you upgraded (besides the fact the tubed sucked into itself) I personally like the IPD heat shield better, from what i've seen from the EST intakes is that they have much larger gaps allowing hot engine air to soak in at a stop. I personally also believe that they are better than the stock box, how much is debateable depending on what your running, as mentioned by L8 APEKS "Dyno after dyno after dyno on nearly EVERY force-inducted car proves that not only to open element intakes work, but they make substantial power gains if the engine is making above-stock boost (moving more air). I'm not sure there's any ground to debate this, actually." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c_long20 Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 I dont know about the performance, but it sure does open up a LOT of room getting rid of the stock airbox. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the commissar! Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 And there is room to improve the IPD (which I have), you can block the gaps and replace the stock air pipes with smooth bore of your choice...I have aluminum/silicone from grill to turbo and contemplating wrapping or insulating them from the heated bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty33W Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 well, i know there's @ least *some benefit to the intakes, but is it significant enough to warrant spending the money? i guess that's a big question here.. does it also change the hp/tq curve to higher rpms?? cause i like the low/midrange power of the 'choked out' stock system and looking to just see if the open element can add to that? keep the replies coming fellas; this is for all of us def if u fab your own - you get all the bennies at the fraction of the cost of a kit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
project_850 Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Here is mine: It's not final as the battery is getting relocated to the back w/ kill switch, which means that I'm taking the mesh filter all the way to the driver's side headlight and the silicone couplers are gonna disappear in favour of tig welds. I'm still in the process of making a heat shield to go in place where the battery tray was and the 2.75" polished aluminum straight piece where I'm gonna house the MAF to get rid of the mess right before the filter. Moroso dual inlet breather catch can means deleting the odd shaped hole and vac fitting off the stock post-MAF accordion pipe meaning the bends are truly mandrel bent, without disruption, from filter to turbo. Made a world of difference with throttle response, probably freed up a few hp too, at least that's what my butt dyno tells me. Took care of my blow-by once and for all, and managed to get a much more efficient intake altogether! Not pictured is the hose beneath the catch can going through the air guide for easy drainage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T5Manual850 Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 To the OP: Dyno after dyno after dyno on nearly EVERY force-inducted car proves that not only to open element intakes work, but they make substantial power gains if the engine is making above-stock boost (moving more air). I'm not sure there's any ground to debate this, actually. Again...at road speed, the open intakes are NOT heat soaked, and they flow significantly more CFM (have less restriction) than an airbox (esp w/ paper filter element). this is true, setting temps aside, just the amount of air the open element will suck in will net an improvement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks31 Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 im surprised nobody has brought up how you get the "WOOOOOOOSHH" which is +100 cool points :ph34r: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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