Recent intake experience.

[misbehave]

I bought a set of 35 dollars short ram intake when I first bought my p5.
Then later on, I bought another "K&N type" cone shape filter from Ebay again for $9 so that when I need to wash my filter, I can put in the replacement while waiting for the original one to dry.

The $9 one looks kind of cheap to me, and it doesn't look like it was oiled like all the real K&N type filter does. I am kind of unsure about its performance and worry about filtering problem too. And I did feel that my p5 seems not very reponsive after putting that 2nd filter in.
So last week when I saw an Reactive Tornado cone shape filter in J.I. Joe's, I bought it immediately for about $35 and put that into my p5.
From what I heard, Reactive filter is suppose to be the same or almost perform the same as real K&N filter.

After putting that in and take out the $9 cheap ebay filter, I notice quite a huge difference in accerlation, especially on driving uphill.
It proves that the $9 filter is really a piece of crap. I know perhaps not all the filter sellers on Ebay sell crappy filter, but the one I bought from is.

So, I strongly recommend that if you choose to get those cheap intake kit from Ebay, go cheap on the piping and kits but don't go cheap on the filter. Get a decent filter.
I know that Circuit City now carry Reactive brand products. And they are selling regular Reactive cone shape fitler for 3" pipe intake for $29.99, which I think is not very expensive.

I will try to take pics with the 2 filters later when I have chance.

 

[Action Jackson]

In my personal experience, the Ractive SP-100 that comes with it's SRI kit does not perform the same as a K&N.

 

[misbehave]

In my personal experience, the Ractive SP-100 that comes with it's SRI kit does not perform the same as a K&N.

I never try K&N.

But the Reactive I bought sure performs much better than the Ebay filter.

 

[loccusst]

Nothing beats a K&N filter. I have a ram air K&N filter on my civic and one of the pilot 25 dollar filters on the mp5. I can notice a differance between the two even though they are on different cars. The only thing is I bought the K&N about 4 years ago fo 89 dollars, I hope they have dropped in price since then so I can get one for the mp5. The differance between the two is simple. K&N uses oil and cloth while the cheapo's use paper. The way to tell is the paper ones don't have oil. Take a peice of papr, hold it up to your mouth and try and suck air through it. Then do the same with your t-shirt. You can breath easier through the cloth, this is the same with your car. The paper ones don't hold up to well to getting wet either.

 

[misbehave]

Nothing beats a K&N filter. I have a ram air K&N filter on my civic and one of the pilot 25 dollar filters on the mp5. I can notice a differance between the two even though they are on different cars. The only thing is I bought the K&N about 4 years ago fo 89 dollars, I hope they have dropped in price since then so I can get one for the mp5. The differance between the two is simple. K&N uses oil and cloth while the cheapo's use paper. The way to tell is the paper ones don't have oil. Take a peice of papr, hold it up to your mouth and try and suck air through it. Then do the same with your t-shirt. You can breath easier through the cloth, this is the same with your car. The paper ones don't hold up to well to getting wet either.

That is exactly the same difference between the new Reactive filter I got and the Ebay one. The Reactive one is oiled and the Ebay one isn't. And the Ebay one doesn't seem like using cloth either. It looks more like orange colored tissue paper to me.

 

[ELEmental59437]

You sure it isn't just Ractive?

 

[leungwingkei]

More air equals more crap going into the engine also. You can't have the best of both worlds. That's why in terms on filtering capacity, stock is the best. And the airflow differences between stock and aftermarket are neglible.

Of course it say's otherwise on the aftermarket manufacturers' websites.

An interesting read-----> http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest1.htm

 

[redfyre]

http://www.mkiv.com/techarticles/filters_test/2/

BTW, it's RACTIVE not Reactive.

 

[IndecisionKills]

I don't think I would buy anything other than a K&N filter after seeing what happened to people buying other filter brands.

 

[loccusst]

I disagree, stock is not best. You get more power from an after market intake than the factory one. Check out power pages in the tuner mags. Just look at dyno results.

 

[IndecisionKills]

I can see how stock would be best as far as warranty and proven reliability, but aftermarket intakes are certainly going to improve hp where stock will not.

 

[leungwingkei]

Yup aftermarket intakes do. I was just discussing the different types of panel filters in the stock airbox.

But the thing is aftermarket intakes also let in more dirt to the engine.

 

[1sty]

anyone try accells cool blue filter.
Some friends of mine with WRX seemed to feel an improvement over the K&N filters

 

[Subghetto]

Personally I would go with apexi power intake filter it is possibly the best filter on the market besides the k&N. Very expensive but worth the money here are some test that they did on the couple of filters and here is the k&N and the Apexi one:


Air Filter Tests

 

[misbehave]

http://www.mkiv.com/techarticles/filters_test/2/

BTW, it's RACTIVE not Reactive. [/QUOTE ]

Thanks for the correction!

By the way, I just checked out the test you posted above. In the comparasion chart, it says "Zero Maintenance - Lifetime Use" under the Apexi Power Intake category while all other types of filter needed to be washed or replaced from time to time.

Is that really ture?
I mean, I found it hard to believe a filter that never needed to be washed or replaced.
How can dirt particles not building up on the filter?
Just curious.

 

[black&chromep5]

i bought a k&n for my car just after a few trips to the track. it picked my times up a full second and i just added an electric blower to my p5 now im running 10.50 in the 1/8. not to bad seeing no outher mods have been done except for a system and started off with a 12.00.

 

[1sty]

I'd suggest editting that "blower" part before the dogs see it.

 

[misbehave]

i bought a k&n for my car just after a few trips to the track. it picked my times up a full second and i just added an electric blower to my p5 now im running 10.50 in the 1/8. not to bad seeing no outher mods have been done except for a system and started off with a 12.00.

What does a blower look like?
Where did you get it from?

 

[Togan]

thx for the info i will consider it

 

[misbehave]

Mr. Togan,
What is the car in the photo under your name on the left side?

Looks like a hatch back with a Mazda6 front and a VW Golf back to me.