My 98 MY UK car is totally standard and I like it...Im trying to run it on a budget, the whole idea why I traded in my 02 plate A3 TDI for an older cheaper but more fun car!!

Anyway, at its next service it needs a new filter, I am thinking of an after market one, as a first "cheap" move towards modification. What I want to know is, a) is it worth it? b) whats a good one (only one ive heard of is K & N) and c) do they make any difference in terms of power, i.e. 5-10 BHP??

Also, do you think an induction kit would add much?

Trying to achieve just a few more BHP and only spend a small amount...!

 

Hi, Imo not really worth it without other mods, subaru standard filter is about £13 compared to a Green at around £30 to £40 iirc. If your keeping it standard keep it standard. Go on fight that modding bug [/I]

 

A replacement panel filter (i.e. K&N) is better over an OE paper one. It should enable the engine to breathe easier. Don't expect huge gains, and certainly nothing that you would feel powerwise. It is worth doing as a package, if you are considering a free'er flowing exhaust as well. if you plan to keep the car, it may work out cheaper than replacing the OE filter though, as something like a K&N will not need replacing under most applications.

 

had my K&N panel filter for 6 years now, once per year i take it out, spray it with TFR and then jetwash it clean and its still going strong, its best point is that of a cost effective solution IMO

 

Jet wash? Really?

I gently run (trickle) water through to avoid damaging the filter

 

Perhaps but does it filter as well ?

All the evidence i have seen suggests that it doesn't filter as well as OEM paper.

So in the long long term performance may be down as dust etc does its damage.

Since the gains are so small i'd rather keep my rebuilt engine in as good a condition as possible.

 

In tests, aftermarket lifetime filters offer little or no benefit. Filtration on the wire gauze/cotton (K&N or Green etc) type is at best only as good as the OE paper item, and performance gains are +/- 2bhp, so hardly worth it. Foam (Jetex or Piper etc) filters showed substantially worse filtration, but similar performance results. In two tests I know of, the STi item came out worse of the bunch. The only real justification is the lifetime serviceability, so if the cost over the paper items over your expected duration of ownership means you save a few quid then go for it.

Under no circumstance fit an induction kit to a 98-00 Scooby. With their hotwire MAF's you are asking for trouble, expensive trouble. Unless supporting mods can justify the increase in air then you will have little/no performance gain again, but vibration can kill the MAF which if unnoticed can lead to engine failure. Also, without a suitable cold air feed you will induce hot, dirty engine bay air, possibly reducing performance, and if the filter gets too gunk'd up and becomes overwhelmed by contaminants, your MAF will be under threat again.

 

I wouldn't think an induction kit would be any better than replacing the original panel filter with a better one. The best kind of induction systems are the ones that are enclosed - stopping heat getting to the filter - just like the standard box does.

However a direct cold air fed induction kit going through an insulated cone would be an upgrade. The car would need to be mapped after fitting this, or any other induction kit.

Corradoboy - I know what you're saying: the 99-00 cars have very sensitive MAFs. But I've had an induction kit on my Terzo with a MAF for years(98 car)

 

TypeRv4,
Some are better than others. But a K&N set-up (panel filter) is abosolutely fine. I don't know of anyone that runs a rebuilt, modified engine that retains a paper filter. You can of course choose the wrong type of filiment though.

Corradoboy,
I spent a lot of time testing induction stuff in 2005 and saw some great results on the Newage car. Both an uprated panel filter and induction cone kit had positive results. In the testing we completed the replacement panel filter was the way to go. Seeing increased power and torque (crica 9bhp difference in this specific test case) and better breathing at the top end.

 

Which panel was that then? K&N, Green, which?

 

K&N..... it's all documented in the Scoobynet Project Spec C articles.

 

Good ol' K&N. They truly are the Honda CBR-600 of the air filter world aren't they, lol... Everything to all men.