Hello everyone,

During my last oil change, I decided it would be a good idea to take out the HRC supplied K&N oil filter, clean it, and re-oil it. When I took the filter off, I noticed one section of the filter was caved in and another section was rubbing on the connector for the radiator fan which actually put a hole in the cotton filter element. Here's some pictures of it's original location and the damaged filter (it lasted for two years).

Original Location:


Filter Crushed Against Intercooler Pipe (Result of Filter being too big):


Hole in Filter due to rubbing against the radiator fan connector:


After seeing the hole, I decided to search on 2gnt for filter options. Many of the results returned were people looking for a replacement filter but it seemed as no one ever posted a filter that fit better than the original. Here are the specs of the K&N filter that I bought. It is much smallar when compared to the original:

Original Filter:
Straight Filter
Height: 4"
Top and Bottom Diameter: 5.75
Flange Inlet: 2.5"
Flange Type: Offset
Chrome Top

My Replacement (Much Smaller, Different Design)
Tappered Cone Filter
Model#: RC-9700
Height: 3.75"
Bottom Diameter: 5.188"
Top Diameter: 3.5"
Flange Inlet: 2.5"
Flange Type: Offset .594"
Chrome Top

Notice that the replacement filter's flange is offset (meaning the hole where it mounts to the intake pipe is not directly in the center of the bottom of the filter) - it is to the right of center by a half inch. This works nicely as you can drill a hole (1/2" for breather line - depends on your hose barb as I replaced my 90 degree elbow from HRC with a straight hose barb from home depot to remove stress (pulling) on the filter - the stock HRC hose is also 1/2") into the bottom of the filter (very easy - see pictures - takes 5 minutes but make sure you vacuum the inside of the filter to remove the rubber pieces) to allow for the line for the valve cover breather.

This filter fits much better. It does not hit the radiator shroud, radiator fan electrical connector, or the hood prop. I purchased this filter from www.sparkplugs.com for $28.00 and it was delivered in about a week (they are located in California and I am in New Jersey). For $30 bucks, I think it is a good upgrade. Below are some pictures of how it fits:

Model Number:


Clearance of Hood Prop:


Clearance of Radiator Shroud and Fan Electrial Connection:


Overall shot (doesn't hit the headlight cover, can see valve cover breather line with straight barb instead of the HRC 90 degree barb):


Engine Compartment View:


I hope this post helps someone looking for a similar solution. I made many trips to the K&N website and spent many hours trying to decide on a filter that would fit the best as I made paper models to visualize how it would fit before buying it.

--Kurt

Wow, that's sweet. If I had a HAHN kit I'd be all about that mod :D

I was wondering if it would be detrimental to performance if I ran an intake pipe to the front bumper of my car, where an FMIC would normally go.

Would that cause the intake pipe to bee too long, causing lag? I don't think it would, but input from more experienced members would definitely be appreciated :)

You don't need to worry about lag. The concern is pressure drop (which can in turn cause lag and heat). If you can do it without many tight turns the cooler air is only beneficial. Then your final intake charge will be the same number of degrees cooler as the air switching from near the exhaust manifold to ambient (can be quite significant!). Corky Bell recommends getting the air outside the engine bay. I'm guessing you have a smic, but I'm running my intake where the Hahn kits place their smic, one 30* bend from my turbo.

Yeah, I have a 1G SMIC. The only problem I can think of, besides keeping the bends to a minimum, is that when the engine lurches forward that the piping may collide with the various shit under the hood.

I guess I could cure that with a small flex section.

Another idea I just thought up would be to do a hood scoop by cutting off a small portion of the hump, like some of the aftermarket hoods do it. I could line the cut area with rubber liner to make it look nice, then mount the piping from the inlet of the turbo straight up to the scoop, and enclose the filter in such a way that the heat from below is blocked (by heat wrap) and receives all the fresh air as you drive. I would have to bracket the piping so that when I close my hood I don't knock it out of place. I could seal the filter to the scoop with a simple rubber countour piece that would flatten as the hood drops on it. Again, a small flex section would probably be required so that the pipe doesn't move around as the engine lurches.

edit: hmm... the curved design of the hump may cause turbulence in the air as it hits the curved section and is pushed around by new incoming air at high speeds. Any ideas to cure that?

A cold air intake is pointless if you have a decent intercooler. If you don't have a decent intercooler, why not? They aren't all *that* expensive...

Originally posted by Ducking_Fumbass
Bla bla bla...

Thanks for the info, Hahn.

Originally posted by BRU_ce
Another idea I just thought up would be to do a hood scoop by cutting off a small portion of the hump, like some of the aftermarket hoods do it. I could line the cut area with rubber liner to make it look nice, then mount the piping from the inlet of the turbo straight up to the scoop, and enclose the filter in such a way that the heat from below is blocked (by heat wrap) and receives all the fresh air as you drive. I would have to bracket the piping so that when I close my hood I don't knock it out of place. I could seal the filter to the scoop with a simple rubber countour piece that would flatten as the hood drops on it.

Like this?

http://www.geocities.com/vttalon/hood.html

It's mainly just for fun, but it is functional.

Corbin

'95 ESI-T
Now with more power and fewer leaks



Gimme fuel...Gimme fire...Gimme that which I desire

Originally posted by Corbin
Like this? http://www.geocities.com/vttalon/hood.html It's mainly just for fun, but it is functional.

YES! Holy shit that is strange. That is almost EXACTLY what I was envisioning. You actually went much further than I would have by molding it to look all pretty :D

Unfortunately I am on a shoe string budget and can't afford to repaint my whole hood :(

Very nicely made though. Have you taken any before and after temperature readings? From what I've been reading at DSMTuners.com, reducing your intake temps can reduce your EGTs quite a bit.

Looking through your site, we seem to think alike. I was also considering putting a gauge in the A/C vent! And this is kinda scary... http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=86900&mesg_id=86900&page= Always think outside the box :)

Originally posted by BRU_ce

Originally posted by Corbin Like this? http://www.geocities.com/vttalon/hood.html It's mainly just for fun, but it is functional.

YES! Holy shit that is strange. That is almost EXACTLY what I was envisioning. You actually went much further than I would have by molding it to look all pretty :D

I'm assuming that's Corbin's sheet metal air box, but my communist firewall won't let me see it. How sad is that? Corbin's site is deemed bad by some weaksauce corporate policy. x(

In any case, local 1G az2gnter is doing az2gnt.net/hosted/Itworks/ to his spare hood. It's installed and he is seeing some noticeably lower temps as a result. Looks really cool in person in black.

Here is a pic for you DR. I won't derail the thread any more, but it's pretty damn close to what Bruce described. Close to those 1G pics too. I haven't taken any performance measurements. It's just something I wanted to do.

Corbin

'95 ESI-T
Now with more power and fewer leaks



Gimme fuel...Gimme fire...Gimme that which I desire

BTW, I think the original post should be stickied or at least submitted as an article here and on DSMTuners.com

I have a FMIC and I custom made a "cold air intake" pipe that snakes down just in front of the drivers side wheel. If you get under your car you'll see there's a lot of space there and it gets the intake out of the engine compartment and away from the heat of the turbo. All I had to do was move my horn. I'd take a pic to show everyone what I did, but my car is in a million pieces ... worked nice for the 1000 miles I had it running.

I want to get rid of the shitty HRC breather, is that a custom nipple on the filter? or does it come with that?

Originally posted by pr0
I want to get rid of the shitty HRC breather, is that a custom nipple on the filter? or does it come with that?

The new K&N filter that I used does not have a hole in the filter for the breather barb (black in the picture above). There are not many K&N filters that have a pre-drilled vent. On this new filter, you have to drill it yourself (the filter has three different markings on it that show where it is safe to drill - don't have to worry about hitting the cotton element or wire). Drill a hole slightly smaller than a 1/2" so that the hose barb fits snug.

The straight 1/2" to 1/2" hose barb that I used did not come with the filter. I bought it at Lowe's (Home Depot) for $0.78 in the plumbing department. It was white plastic but I used flat black high temperature engine paint on it to prevent the paint from cracking off during high temperatures. It comes out looking like the piece was originally made out of black plastic.

If you don't want to run a breather line to the air filter, just purchase the filter and don't drill the hole. It will still work.


--Kurt

Originally posted by KTECLIPSE
If you don't want to run a breather line to the air filter, just purchase the filter and don't drill the hole. It will still work.

Yeah really... i was wondering why everyone goes through all that trouble when it's not even necessary. The only reason you would do it is because a filter would allow oil to splatter on the engine, but you can cure that pretty easily with a cheap $3 fuel filter (catch can).

I drilled it. haha. Works great.

i don't know why you're having such an issue with the filter anyways, look where i put mine...



*edit* i just noticed your SMIC, so maybe the pipings a little different, but anyways mine fits snugly right there

Originally posted by BRU_ce
Yeah really... i was wondering why everyone goes through all that trouble when it's not even necessary. The only reason you would do it is because a filter would allow oil to splatter on the engine, but you can cure that pretty easily with a cheap $3 fuel filter (catch can).

This is true. You could avoid drilling the filter for the valve cover breather line and use a small crank case filter (K&N makes these also - http://www.knfilters.com/vent.htm ) on the vent. Personally, I wouldn't leave the vent with no filter attached. I would feel more comfortable running the breather to the filter or to a small crank case filter but that's just my opinion.

Just a word of warning before doing this, emissions laws state that the valve cover breather line must not be vented to the atmosphere (similar to BOVs, etc). It must be recycled through the engine and passed through the catalytic converter - whether the tech cares about this or the fact that there is a turbo on front of your engine is another issue :).


--Kurt

Originally posted by KTECLIPSE
Just a word of warning before doing this, emissions laws state that the valve cover breather line must not be vented to the atmosphere (similar to BOVs, etc). It must be recycled through the engine and passed through the catalytic converter - whether the tech cares about this or the fact that there is a turbo on front of your engine is another issue

Ah, now it makes sense :)

Well being in Florida I don't have to worry about that crap...

Originally posted by BRU_ce

Originally posted by Ducking_Fumbass Bla bla bla...

Thanks for the info, Hahn.

Who said anything about Hahn? There are about 50 intercooler core/endtank combinations that I would recommend for a FMIC before the HRC... <shrug>

Heh, my point is I'm just trying to innovate and see how far I can go on as small a budget as possible. We're tuners, we love to tweak, and at least for me, maximizing every little ounce of performance is extremely important.

My reference to Hahn was intended as sarcastic acknowledgment of your insight :D