can the air filter be too small?

[Fast4Ward]

i'm plumbing the turbo air intake and bought an airfilter just big enough to fit outstide the hole going to back of lights and then will have a 4x10 duct aimed at it from the bottom. It will acutally sit half way in the duct and ram air'd via duct from the air dam.
Air filter size is 3 thick and 5 wide.

 

[DailyDrifter]

It sounds a little too small IMO

 

[pacecarta]

Air Filter Calculations

 

[novaderrik]

i'm plumbing the turbo air intake and bought an airfilter just big enough to fit outstide the hole going to back of lights and then will have a 4x10 duct aimed at it from the bottom. It will acutally sit half way in the duct and ram air'd via duct from the air dam.
Air filter size is 3 thick and 5 wide.

my 97 Cavalier with the mighty 2.2 liter engine has a filter that has probably double the surface area of the one you've got. i bet the one you have is about as big as the stock one for your car.

 

[87gnguy]

Yes, the air filter can be too small. I put a smaller one on my car cause it looked sitting under the hood. I could tell a huge difference in the amount of boost I got. Needless to say, my old one is back on.

 

[JayC]

Depends.. the filter we sell with the cold air kits is "too small" by everyone's standards here, Im sure. However, we've dynoed countless cars with this filter, made well over 650 horsepower at the wheels with one and didnt pick up anything taking it off.

A lot of it goes back to the "bigger is better" mentality and a lot of times, that just isnt true.

 

[DailyDrifter]

Depends.. the filter we sell with the cold air kits is "too small" by everyone's standards here, Im sure. However, we've dynoed countless cars with this filter, made well over 650 horsepower at the wheels with one and didnt pick up anything taking it off.

A lot of it goes back to the "bigger is better" mentality and a lot of times, that just isnt true.

What brand filter do you sell? I've got an old KB filter that looks like it can filter enough air for a 747.

 

[87gnguy]

Depends.. the filter we sell with the cold air kits is "too small" by everyone's standards here, Im sure. However, we've dynoed countless cars with this filter, made well over 650 horsepower at the wheels with one and didnt pick up anything taking it off.

A lot of it goes back to the "bigger is better" mentality and a lot of times, that just isnt true.

Yeah? Which one do you sell? I'm needing to buy a new one and would love to go smaller if it doesn't sacrifice power.