Cold Air Intakes..................

[94StewFord]

OK, I'll qualify my statement: "Unless you're building a race-only car and/or an engine requiring airflow volume which exceeds the factory system's capability and have no other option... the "cold-air intakes" that put the filter in the engine bay are garbage because they typically come with substandard filters *and* suck hot air which decreases performance and in some cases can affect drivability."

Yes, they look cool, and just like intake spacers, huge throttle bodies, and big MAF's, they're advertised to add a bazillion horsepower, so people will continue to buy and install them, reality be damned.

As for the filter being in the fenderwell being a "nightmare," if you lie on your back and reach up in there, the location is pretty easy to access, especially for the once a year or so it may need to be cleaned. (Do it when you change the oil, Daryl.)

I'll use the "g" word one last time to describe just about any aftermarket oiled filter that comes with those "performance" intakes as well (even K&N, which I used to use in many vehicles and still do on my '95, since a cone filter is the only option for my setup and I drive the car about 2,500 miles each year if I'm lucky.) Watch this video, and pay particular attention to the graph shown at 15:33:

How do you feel about that cheap gauze filter, now?

EDIT: Here's the comparison graph for those who don't want to watch/search the video.

View attachment 14119

That test while no where near "real world" will at least give you a baseline. Like you, I drive my car about 1,500 miles a year only on clear sunny days, so not too worried about the contaminants. Keeping the stock intake and installing a K&N filter. Thanks for all the reply's!!

 

[Jp6.0]

I’m probably sucking more air than some of y’all, but having my filter in the fender is awful. It gets so dirty it ain’t even funny. I bet I clean it every 500-1k miles. I even run a pre-filter over it still nasty as can be.

When I first got the power pipe built and the car finished I was driving the car to get it broke in and the tune lined out. In that time I probably put 2-3k miles on it. I noticed my car dropped about 2-3 pounds of boost and never thought the air filter would be that dirty in that few of miles. Well, it was nasty.

Anyway op, I would probably just get on silicone intakes website and build one of you really wanted to. You will save a lot of money on everything but the filter... you need the best filter you can get. Just do your research on what location is the best. For anyone saying you can clean the filters in the fender 1 time a year or even 2 times a year I’d like to see it. Mine gets dirty 3 trips to town.

 

[94StewFord]

Just purchased a brand new replacement K&N filter on EBay for $30 shipped to my door, boom.

 

[ttocs]

is it from an authorized seller of K&N? I quit looking for discount car parts on ebay a while back as they have a knock off of almost everything now.

 

[94StewFord]

is it from an authorized seller of K&N? I quit looking for discount car parts on ebay a while back as they have a knock off of almost everything now.

Still in the original box/wrapping, should be ok.......

 

[Makoto]

JLT all the way. The pipe is super thick plastic to help keep out radiant heat.

 

[ttocs]

Still in the original box/wrapping, should be ok.......

the "good" knock offs fake the box/wrapper as well.

 

[tinnocker]

I agree that the factory air box and filter is probably better than the high dollar and cheap cold air intakes but most, including me, buy them for their looks. Ever what turns you on!

 

[TrickVert]

AEM would be about the only "performance" filter I'd probably buy today.

 

[Daryl]

is it from an authorized seller of K&N? I quit looking for discount car parts on ebay a while back as they have a knock off of almost everything now.

I’m probably sucking more air than some of y’all, but having my filter in the fender is awful. It gets so dirty it ain’t even funny. I bet I clean it every 500-1k miles. I even run a pre-filter over it still nasty as can be.

When I first got the power pipe built and the car finished I was driving the car to get it broke in and the tune lined out. In that time I probably put 2-3k miles on it. I noticed my car dropped about 2-3 pounds of boost and never thought the air filter would be that dirty in that few of miles. Well, it was nasty.

Anyway op, I would probably just get on silicone intakes website and build one of you really wanted to. You will save a lot of money on everything but the filter... you need the best filter you can get. Just do your research on what location is the best. For anyone saying you can clean the filters in the fender 1 time a year or even 2 times a year I’d like to see it. Mine gets dirty 3 trips to town.

Jp6.0,
just curious: (and if you don’t mind me asking) where do you live that your filter gets that bad in 1k? Lots of dirt or unpaved roads? I don’t mean anything disparaging or demeaning by asking, that just seems such a brief interval.

 

[Jp6.0]

Jp6.0,
just curious: (and if you don’t mind me asking) where do you live that your filter gets that bad in 1k? Lots of dirt or unpaved roads? I don’t mean anything disparaging or demeaning by asking, that just seems such a brief interval.

Well, my car has 2” drop spindles and coil overs with 12” springs. I am limited to the type of roads I can even go down, so no type of rough driving at all. Like I said in my post I probably suck twice the air of a stock car and add in the bov pushing air around don’t help.

My main point is there is little to no protection to the outside elements when the filter is mounted to the bumper. Unless you drive inside no road you drive down is clean. Not only that if you drive behind anyone at all you are only sucking up the dirt they are pulling in the air they are driving over. Just something to think about when picking the location you want.

 

[RAU03MACH]

JLT all the way. The pipe is super thick plastic to help keep out radiant heat.

I thought my JLT was kinda pricey for some plastic
I have the clamps no it so tight that when the motor is wormed up hot temp its collapsing the plastic intake tube
I will call it heat warp

 

[RAU03MACH]

And crap

 

[ttocs]

I am willing to bet the majority of sn's still on the road have cold air intakes. It can be an issue but if it was that much of one we would hear about it regularly.

 

[from6to8]

I went down this road about 6 months ago, figuring $200/300 was too much when the one's on ebay looked the same. I bought one from ebay that went in the fender well (cold air) but then saw that changing the filter was going to be a nightmare. The tubing on the cheap one fit good and looked as good as the BBK in the pictures. I did some cutting on it and now the filter is directly in front of the hole but is now easy to access the filter. It still should pull in mostly cool air. The cone filter that came on it looked ok but I didn't want to take any chances so then I researched filters. I forgot what brand I bought , in the $35/$45 range, but the quality compared to the other was much better. I had to modify the stock bracket to stabilize the filter end but I am happy with the outcome. I would post a picture but my car is in the shop. Carbed cars almost always got their "hot" air from under the hood with the filter directly on top of the carb. Don't call the one's under the hood garbage! I bet there is no more than 5 hp difference, if that much. What ever the difference there would be no 'seat of the pants feel' in the fender well filter vs, one on the other side of the intake hole in the fender.

the filter on this one doesn't look cheap but it is smaller than the k&n. Is this what came with the one you bought?

Cold Air Intake Kit MATT BLACK + RED Filter For 94-95 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 V8 | eBay

1994-1995 Ford Mustang GT / GTS with 5.0L V8 Engine. The air intake kit can help your engine to draw more cold air resulting in better throttle response and higher explosive horsepower output. It's the ultimate performance Cold Air intake Kit.

www.ebay.com

 

[from6to8]

I found my paperwork on my filter and it was the Spectrum brand for $28.94. And this is the cold air intake that I bought https://www.ebay.com/itm/233487514254

that link isn't working but I suspect you likely bought a similiar kit to the one I bought? Also I've seen spectrum filters and from what the one I bought comes with, It looks like the same filter actually. Wouldn't be surprised if most of all of them are made at the same place, pretty much the same filter....

 

[from6to8]

I am willing to bet the majority of sn's still on the road have cold air intakes. It can be an issue but if it was that much of one we would hear about it regularly.

so likely no reason to replace the smaller filter that comes with them with the larger k&n flter correct?

 

[Musturd]

so likely no reason to replace the smaller filter that comes with them with the larger k&n flter correct?

The bigger filters usually flow better . I don’t even run a filter on my blower inlet the pipes right under the cowl inlet on my hood .

 

[from6to8]

The bigger filters usually flow better . I don’t even run a filter on my blower inlet the pipes right under the cowl inlet on my hood .

Well I will confirm that or try to confirm that next week by making some calls and see how significant it is as in me spending money on a larger filter

 

[Musturd]

Well I will confirm that or try to confirm that next week by making some calls and see how significant it is as in me spending money on a larger filter

You’re going to call to confirm that. Most people confirm with real life testing .