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Picked the filter up for 54 bucks at Autozone,heres what i think of it.....
Pros:5 min. install, Cleans up idle, across the board pull, makes the rotary responsive, agressive sound ..dare i say borderline exotic,slightly better gas milage
Cons: Possibly could coat the MAFS with its oil, mild noise vibration in the cabin....
Well needless to say i am impressed , i installed the panel filter yesterday and been smiling ever since. The diffrence between stock and this filter is noticable....
First off, comparing the two filters side by side, the stock filter is thicker,heavier, and it seems to use really thick cotton which seems to choke the rotary"possibly" casuing a ruff idle and lack of responsiveness in the lower rpm.* User be weary*....noticed the fibers on the stock filter seem to be pulling away from the housing. Almost like a nit blanket that has the fibers wooling up..... could be from the extreme suction that rotary produces from hitting its lofty 9000 rpm.
The K&N is lighter , thinner and more flexible and seals around the air filter slightly better. Squeezed the filtration material , and it seems the panel filter doesn't have that much oil as there cone filters counterparts. Well now for the fun stuff....
Installed her and took the 8 out for a drive. Imediately i noticed the idle was ruff for a min then instantly smooth out. Similiar to the HKS racing suction.....
You can hear a faint whirling sound or faint whistle from the filter , also like the HKS racing suction.
Got the 8 out and from a 5 mph roll i punched it , noticably the car came to life at 2k rpm and the sound put a smile on my face! It didn't sound like the HKS which IMO sounded like a Angry Mosquito , it just sounded angry. For you stock sounding guys who love the stock sound, i think you will get a kick out of the K&N panel filter. Stock the RX-8 sounds alright, slightly buzzy with a high end wine that isn't annoying to the ears. Well K&N just adds a touch of base to the already acoustic high wine,it sounds agressive,and in the high rpms, it sounds heavenly!
When approaching close to 8k rpm, you will notice slight noise vibration entering the cabin , but nothing like the HKS where it actually starts to make the interior rattle pretty bad.
Had a friend ride with me, no radio on and he said the sound reminded him of a engine winding out on a sport bike or a 90 Porsche turbo. I could agree with the sport bike part, 90's Porsche turbo seems a little far feched ,from riding in one and comparing the sound , the RX-8 sounds close , epecially in the upper rpm range but no cigar......
but i would say the K&N panel does make the 8 sound borderline exotic.
Far as performance , i am also impressed, the thing that impresses me the most is how the K&N cleans up the lag. In stock form the 8 seem to come alive around 3500 then pull steadily to redline, but seem like it was choking trying to do it.Stomping on the gas in stock form from a stand still the 8 seem not to respond well and came alive at 3500 rpm. With the K&N the responsiveness is there, the 8 kicks in about 2200 and pulls gracefully to redline! could be coasting in 2nd gear or 3rd gear then punch it(30mph), the 8 comes to life and pulls gracefully.
Compared to the HKS racing suction,i would have to say the HKS pulls harder from 6500k-to redline, but lags in the low end. Coast in 2nd or 3rd and nail it(30mph), the HKS is making noise but you the driver don't really feel any pull until that 6500 mark, then the HKS becomes explosive!
On the highway...OH BOY, i love the K&N! doing 70 mph , throw it into 3rd and listen to the car sing! I haven't smiled this hard since i last owned my TTZ. It sounds lovely! If you guys think in stock form the rotary sounded good on the highway when thrown into a passing gear, the K&N makes it sound better! No droneing either like the HKS(which droned slightly)...cruising at 73 mph and the filter is whisper quiet. Notice to on my commute to work today, i drive 55 miles one way , usually use just over a 1/4 of a tank doing 70 mph. Today i was hammering it and getting on it pretty good, from home to work. Started out with 3/4 of a tank and ended up with just a notch above the half. Makes me wonder what i would have gotten if i been steady cruising at 70.......
Bottom line: I recommend this filter , for 54 bucks you can't go wrong. Before you drop 200-600 bucks like some of us have on this forum on Air intake systems(HKS,,AEM, Umnitza, Etc..) ,you owe to yourself to spend 54 bucks and try the K&N.If this filter is to tame for you,at least you blew 54 bucks instead hundreds of dollars. For you Revi guys, if your filter is quiet, then upgrade to the K&N filter panel. But it may already sound the same, and many of you are satisfied with your purchase.
For a fraction of the price , you get the responsiveness, overall performance throughout the rpm range ,and a cool sound that isn't obnoxious and won't have people running for the hills everytime you get on it.
I look at it like this , the HKS i had is a great product, but honestly that filter would be best suited for the track, its power is best felt and appreciated at high rpms,the sound is extreme and could be appreciated there, i am assuming the other brand intake systems probally feel and sound the same way.
The K&N panel filter IMO is more for everyday life,its offers all across the board responsiveness and pull and a agressive sound to follow and it won't break the budget for people who are looking to get a little performance and sound.
So the choice is your people , i made mine and i am very happy with it!
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Last edited by DailyDriver2k5; 02-10-2006 at 11:31 AM.
I have the drop-in K&N filter also. Am I happy with it? Yes.
At the same time, you noticed a lot of things. My idle is the same, engine response is the same, gas mileage the same (17.5mpg) - everything is the same. Maybe for sound I can hear a suction noise a bit more, but I noticed that really started with my high flow cat, which came before the K&N.
But I do agree, I think this is nearly as good as purchasing a quality aftermarket intake, since the Mazda OEM intake is already quite good.
Awesome review - now if only I can figure out how to get the damn thing opened and off (I've tried and given up three times) I'll be alright.
I cant help but wonder if some of your comments are 'in your head'. ex: I cant imagine the filter making any different noise, and even if so, someone noticing.
Awesome review - now if only I can figure out how to get the damn thing opened and off (I've tried and given up three times) I'll be alright.
I cant help but wonder if some of your comments are 'in your head'. ex: I cant imagine the filter making any different noise, and even if so, someone noticing.
Bottom line: I recommend this filter , for 54 bucks you can't go wrong. Before you drop 200-600 bucks like some of us have on this forum on Air intake systems(HKS,,AEM, Umnitza, Etc..) ,you owe to yourself to spend 54 bucks and try the K&N.
A wise man you are
I have the aFE (Advanced Filter Engineering) drop in filter. I figure it has already paid for itself once already.
It just amazes me that people are willing to spend $350+ for an intake that might give them -3 to +3HP.....then they justify it by saying " I love the sound it makes" Great so you spent $400+ for a noise maker?....pure Genius.
Here is to you, Mr. Rice Car Driver Intake Noise Maker.....you are not happy with a Stock OEM intake..hells no You have too reduce your HP and make sure everybody can hear you come home at 2AM in the morning....Pure Genius.
When you drive by a dog kennel, the canines all stop and listen to you. yes truely, your noise making ability has gone beyond human perception.
Cost is of no concern as long as that suction intake is sucking you hard earned cash.
So Crack open a bud light Mr. Rice Car Drive Intake Noise Maker and rest assured you car can vibrate your neighbors windows anytime you want to.
Awesome review - now if only I can figure out how to get the damn thing opened and off (I've tried and given up three times) I'll be alright.
I cant help but wonder if some of your comments are 'in your head'. ex: I cant imagine the filter making any different noise, and even if so, someone noticing.
$48 at Schuck's. If you wait for their K&N special (get cleaning kit free with purchase), is the best deal!! Here is the link..print it out, take it to Schuck's and they'll match the price...
Awesome review - now if only I can figure out how to get the damn thing opened and off (I've tried and given up three times) I'll be alright..
LOL Must of made 4 different attempts before finally getting the *%^$#@ thing apart... you really gotta put some muscle into it, at least the first time. I think the magic was pulling the backend of the box up hard first.
LOL Must of made 4 different attempts before finally getting the *%^$#@ thing apart... you really gotta put some muscle into it, at least the first time. I think the magic was pulling the backend of the box up hard first.
Great thread. I put this puppy in months ago. I too had some trouble at first. I am far from an experienced gearhead and was afraid to put some muscle into it... finally just loosened the air intake hose behind it a little and it gave me enough play to pry open and slide it in. I had a little bit of a rough idle for the first 5 minutes or so, then everything cleared up and I noticed a difference for the better. I did notice a little more power... same thing my "sweet spot" seemed to kick in at lower then the normal 3500 rpms.
The really fun part is that it's such a simple mod and the car gets a little Dr. Jekyl and Mr Hyde syndrome which I love. (At lower RPM and relaxed driving it's really "civilized" and quiet... but when you decide to pass someone and let them know they are driving too slow, My Hyde rears his ugly head and a nice roar comes out as you swing by with middle finger extended proudly.) (this technique can be especially gratifying if your victim is a 350z)
Anyway... I would recomend it as well... very easy to do, even more inexpensive. The only question I have is how often does everyone tend to clean thiers? Also.. are their any other inexpensive and easy to do mods that help increase hp or acceleration that anyone has tried and been happy with?
Anybody have experience with using the K&N filter in an AT RX-8? Given that the 4-port engine is tuned differently from the 6-port, I'm wondering if the K&N would be as beneficial (or, perhaps, more beneficial?).
Best place to get it is Summit racing. $41.69 w/ free shipping AND a FREE K&N oil filter ( 8 - 12 dollar value).
Can't beat that.
Wow, that's a great deal. Ordered the filter for my RX8 and my wife's Protege. Haven't been able to find the K&N in stock anyplace around here for her car. Then to top it off I was able to get another free oil filter for her air filter. $29 air filter and it came with a free $12 oil filter. Not too shabby.
Just went to order a K&N from Summit (with the free shipping and free oil filter). Thought it would be a great deal, but what's up with a $9.50 handling charge?
VERY weak! How hard is it to throw two items into a box? Sounds like a way to get their shipping costs covered, if you ask me.
Installed mine last night. So far I see a slight increase on the butt-dyno. Seems to run a little smoother and start up is quicker. Haven't really driven it hard yet because of all the snow and sand!
Impressions on the K&N panel filter
It didn't sound like the HKS which IMO sounded like a Angry Mosquito , it just sounded angry. For you stock sounding guys who love the stock sound, i think you will get a kick out of the K&N panel filter. Stock the RX-8 sounds alright, slightly buzzy with a high end wine that isn't annoying to the ears. Well K&N just adds a touch of base to the already acoustic high wine,it sounds agressive,and in the high rpms, it sounds heavenly! 
thing apart... you really gotta put some muscle into it, at least the first time. I think the magic was pulling the backend of the box up hard first.
Linear Mode
