Is it really worth putting a Cold Air Intake on 370z and what HP gains

UNKNOWN_370

You get the same gains on the FI plus weight loss is pretty high for a stainless exhaust. With the carbon fiber muffler your're looking at over 30lbs in weight reduction for under 1600.
I'm sure the titanium exhaust doesn't take off that much more in pounds for over double the price.

Pelican170

I have the AFE Dryflow's and those are washable...

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batman_4

yessir

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gsxr750

If your going to run the stock air system , then you may as well just stick with the stock paper element or just the simple fram oem filters. These flat slided oiled filters are even more prone to getting dirt transfered to intake side of the filter after cleaning, than the round cone type. Like I said before in the original beginning of the post, you really want throw away your old air cleaner after 3k-5K miles and replace if with a new oem unit. I do it with every oil change, as they are so cheap.

Another note with these oiled air filters is that they flow more air mainly due to their larger screen mesh or filter material hole size or MICRON size. Meaning the actual diameter of a dust particle which can pass thru the filter mesh or media.

Interesting to note that the cheaper paper or disposable filters have superior dirt filtration when compared to the high price cleanable filters.

Your ultimate goal with the air filter is to protect your engine life span.

Another issue is that these complicated air intake sysytems may actually void the factory waranty, if you put one on it should be one that can be put completely back to stock after instally it if any issues develope.

elmz

Logically speaking, I think you're right. But just how small are these particles you're talking about? How much more pass through the after market ones than the stock ones? and what kind of damage are we talking? Negligible or enough to cause issues in the long run? Do you have any evidence to back up this statement? I've always put aftermarket intakes on my cars and I've never had any internal issues. I think there is more to it than just that, if so K&N would have been out of business a long time ago.

Masa

I agree, I've run K&N reusable oiled filters on all my previous cars and none of them ever had any problems. My 03' Civic Si had an Injen CAI with K&N oiled cone filter on it for 147k miles and no problems ever arose from it or the car itself. Similar instance on my 00' GTI VR6. Electrical gremlins were abound in that car but the engine itself was rock solid up until I got rid of it at 97k miles.

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gsxr750

The key thing is that you want stop any dirt from getting into the engine. It doesn't take much dirt or road dirt to completely destroy an engine. Even a small amount of dirt as 1/4 teaspoon of fine dust or road dirt can destroy an engine. The fine dust or grit will get into the intake and get sucked into the crankcase and in short time destry the piston rings and crank bearings.

Look at in inside of a vacuum cleaner bag or filter assembly and you can see the possible fine dust that could be sucked into the engine.

You have to remember that a cars gas engine is nothing moe than a LARGE GAS POWERED AIR PUMP.

In my early STREET DORK DAYS in the late 70's we all seem to go thru it to some extent , it was the fashion to ride your bikes with open velocity stacks, that only had a small wire mesh screen on them, baking flower could pass thru the screen. I completely rebuilt the top end of the bike by thursday night and road about 150 miles on clean city streets just cruising with the screened velocity stacks, then at 150 miles the engine died due to lack of compression, I found out that the piston rings were completly shot and I ended up completely rebuilding the top end and bottom end to fix the engine.

elmz

I think it's different when we start comparing cars with bikes. And I don't have any experience with modding bikes. I do agree with what you're saying though, however in the end that's not how it turns out. I think you're over thinking it a little, because the same can be said with any mod e.g. HFC, CBE, Headers, pretty much anything that will gain more HP. I can now say that Nissan did massive R&D for the 370Z at it's current spec. Adding another 30+ HP can translate to more strain on the drivetrain, tranny, axles, etc...which in the end will damage the car in the long run. But hey! to each his own.

gsxr750

The comparison of intake systems between bikes and cars is a good one, as they are both gas powered engines, they both use tunned cold air pressurized intake system when the vehicles get up to speed on most sports cars and sport bikes.

These systems were first pioneered by Yoshimura on there factory race bikes in the late 80's and was introduced functionally as a ram cold air system on the new series 1995 GSXR750's

Some will argue that the early Mopar Grabber Hood was the first factory cold ram air system, but it didn't use a tunned cold air duct system.

Also externally oiled cleanable air filters were first used on motorcycles for years before they were ever really used for cars.

Now if you a large amount of dirt can be sucked into a small 600cc-1000cc bike engine then think how much more air sucked in by a 5.7 liter engine or 5700cc car engine. On regular paved roads.

Remember your comparing 1000cc gas powered AIR PUMP to a 5700cc AIR PUMP, which one engine would produce a dirty air filter or restricted air filter, if both engines are stationary using the same airfilter and run in identical outside air conditions and run at the same rpm. Logic would tell you the 5700cc engine would need the airfilter replaced sooner than the 1000cc engine.

batman_4

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UNKNOWN_370

K & N filters have a high filtration capability. That's why almost all oem service depts recommend them

sfearl1

FWIW, Cosworth states on their site:

Reduced restriction (10%+ compared to OE filters)
Over 98% efficiency*

*ISO5011:200 Fine Dust Test

Performance Air Filter - Performance Air Filter - Cosworth USA

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Skeeterbop

Well I personally have no issue with either the Drop-in filters, COne filters (as found on the CAI) or any other quality filter. I also don't see why you are changing filters at every oil change either. I changed mine at the recommended 15k miles and while yes, it was dirty on the outside the filter still looked good on the inside. I'll also say that when it was dirty, that's compared to a new filter, otherwise it wasn't as dirty as what I would have expected for the enviroment that my car has been in. Our stock engine bay is pretty well sealed. I honestly doubt you have much to wory about if keeping the stock airboxes. If you are so worried about it, just stick with the OEM filters and intake setup. I would love to see an independent study comparing OEM filters to various aftermarket companies. I could see how early designs of reusable airfilters wouldn't be as good compared to paper filters, but I think with all the advances in technology this gap has definitely closed if not become nonexistent.

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Z_ealot

you also have to take into consideration the big difference between a sport bikes air filter and a sport cars air filter is that the bikes will always be more open to the environment where it can suck up more dirt from the road whereas the air filters on our cars tend to be tucked away behind the front bumper to prevent alot of that same dirt from getting to the air filters to begin with.

Skeeterbop

Massive wall of text incoming

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