The K&N debate.

[RobHook]

I installed K&Ns in my '94 yesterday after having read all of the posts about it on the board and, frankly, worrying a little. One of the big advantages of the K&N upgrade is that it's completely reversible without any permanent changes to the car required. However, some time ago someone reported that the K&Ns don't fit properly with grinding away a ridge inside the airbox. There was a debate in a couple threads about whether this was actually neeeded. I'm happy to report that it appears that it is not, at least on my early '94.

The original posts indicated that a small ridge around the inside of the airbox didn't allow the K&N to fit in properly and caused too much tension to close the airbox without the retaining clips popping off and probably getting lost. I found this to be true only if the K&N filter wasn't seated properly anyway. Grinding the ridge is not really necesarry.

Also another thing I didn't realize about the smooth tube installation is that you NEED to get new hose clamps. I had planned on using the originals but didn't realize until I tried to remove them that they're RIVITED to the original hoses! Oops.

--Rob

 

[Charlie]

Anyone selling Smooth tubes should be furnishing stainless clamps with them, I would think.

Just my .02

 

[Ron]

<FONT face="Comic Sans MS">Timely info:

Just got off the dyno a couple of hours ago (IN/KY VCA Dyno Day)

With nothing more than an OEM to K&N filter change, I picked up 11.94HP and 9.45 ft lbs of torque.

Car is a 1996 GTS, 8,800 miles, Adderware Smooth tubes and home made H pipe rear muffler eliminator with fresh Champion OEM plugs. All else stock and untouched. OEM filters had 2K miles on them and the K&N's had 7K miles, never cleaned.

TTL HP was 433.68 and TTL Torque was 489.51 both SAE corrected.

Of interest is that I also ran with the hood unlatched (opens airflow to K&N's) and took off the nose of the airbox (less restriction?) and HP went to 435.29 or +1.61. Seems the airbox and hood represent little obstruction.

No surprise, but K&N's really do increase HP.......</FONT f>

 

[RobHook]

Oh yeah...the reason I didn't have the clamps is that JonB just happened to be out of them. I told him not to worry about it and picked them up at NAPA.

One thing I forgot to mention is that in another thread supporting the idea of grinding the airbox, the author mentioned that the K&Ns had no groove for the ridge in the airbox to fit into. Niether did the filters I removed from my car and they appear to be the MOPARs.

--Rob