I know this has probably been beaten to death over and over but, for a stock or mostly stock 87 (93 chip and/or exhaust) what would be the most effective route to go intake wise for a car that still has the stock box and AC filter? Keep the stock AC filter/airbox setup, run a K&N in the factory box, or do an open K&N cone either underhood or fresh air setup? What I'm trying to get at is would an intake make a difference on a stock Buick? Thanks.
Stockish 87 air intake?
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I'm asking because a few years ago we did a couple pulls on Eric Rankin's dyno with a pickup and we went from stock intake to some aftermarket cold air kits all without taking the truck off the dyno, and we saw little to no difference. I wondered how a stock to mostly stock GN responds. he didn't have any running (or stock) Buicks there that day to try out.
Keep the route short and direct. A hard intake pipe with an open K&N cone type filter on the end is more than sufficient. Don't bother with all the "cold air" kits that put the filter outside of the engine bay. And yes, this has been beaten to death. Use the search function and read away.
Junior Samples
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Boostedpimp
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I would leave the stock box in there with a kn drop in on a completely stock car.. the open element cone filter in the engine bay will of course suck up more cfm then the box but the air will be much higher in temp which defeats the purpose in my opinion. Unless it's a track only car where heat soak and heat generated from stop and go driving isn't a factor
Cutlassjim
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If you want to know if you will see any performance benefit from a larger more free flowing filter take your boost/vacuum gauge and tap it into the intake pipe. If under a full throttle run you're seeing vacuum then you would see a benefit from a larger filter. A restriction pre-compressor causes a higher boost threshold and higher intake air temps as well as higher exhaust back pressure.
It's usually par for the course that factory intakes and exhausts for turbo charged cars are marginal at best and should be the first area's of upgrade.
It's usually par for the course that factory intakes and exhausts for turbo charged cars are marginal at best and should be the first area's of upgrade.
The stock Airfilter is a pretty big restriction compared to the a proper cone airfilter when you turn up the boost.
If you are running 13.5's or faster through the stock airbox, swap it out with a cone K&N and you will run 12's with no other mods.
At pumpgas boost levels with a 93 chip and a stock motor, the difference won't be much, but the cone K&N will give the best performance.
I like a stock appearance so I put a LT1 MAF inside the stock airbox with a small cone K&N and the bottom of the box cut out:
So far it has run 11.53@118 with a stock motor, TA49, 36# injectors and drag radials on 23 psi of boost. Hopefully sometime soon I can see what it will do with ported heads and more injector.
If you are running 13.5's or faster through the stock airbox, swap it out with a cone K&N and you will run 12's with no other mods.
At pumpgas boost levels with a 93 chip and a stock motor, the difference won't be much, but the cone K&N will give the best performance.
I like a stock appearance so I put a LT1 MAF inside the stock airbox with a small cone K&N and the bottom of the box cut out:
So far it has run 11.53@118 with a stock motor, TA49, 36# injectors and drag radials on 23 psi of boost. Hopefully sometime soon I can see what it will do with ported heads and more injector.
I remember Richard Clark posting that a stock AC filter would out flow the stock K&N filter, he proved this on a flow bench. I like the stock look as well, so I run the open base lid on the original set up. I've been in the upper 96-97 mph range in the 1/8 mile, with plenty of room to turn it up. So I don't really see a restriction with my set up.
The stock Airfilter is a pretty big restriction compared to the a proper cone airfilter when you turn up the boost.
If you are running 13.5's or faster through the stock airbox, swap it out with a cone K&N and you will run 12's with no other mods.
At pumpgas boost levels with a 93 chip and a stock motor, the difference won't be much, but the cone K&N will give the best performance.
I like a stock appearance so I put a LT1 MAF inside the stock airbox with a small cone K&N and the bottom of the box cut out:
So far it has run 11.53@118 with a stock motor, TA49, 36# injectors and drag radials on 23 psi of boost. Hopefully sometime soon I can see what it will do with ported heads and more injector.
So you hollowed out a stock MAF to keep the stock look?
Very sneaky if you did.....I like, I like.
So you hollowed out a stock MAF to keep the stock look?
Very sneaky if you did.....I like, I like.
Yes the factory MAF is a hollow tube. I broke out the circuit board and filled the remaining side slots with epoxy to make it smooth. The LT1 sensor just fits into the airbox lid when you remove the elbow neck. I used cabinet door hardware to attach the lid to the base (since I don't use the center rod anymore), but I'm going to try neodymium magnets on my next one.
I mean to do a how-to with dimensions and instructions to mod the MAF and the Airbox, but I need to find the time.
