K&N With Covered Airbox!
 

I datalogged my intake air temps on a hot day (91*F ambient) and saw that in stop and go my temps got up to 160 at max, and 140 or so cruising on the highway. Needless to say, it kind of opened my eyes to how ridiculous the IAT is with the open K&N. I bought the car with it on there, so I'm going to try and improve it how I can.

Anyways, here is the final product!!

https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...9&d=1339030336

After this, IAT dropped by about 20 degrees. Heat soak takes a little longer, and cruising at 5 degrees less ambient yielded IATs around 110 to 115. The engine feels a lot more responsive, even with the AC on. Don't know how gas mileage is affected, but I would imagine it will help.

I'm going to make a how to here in a bit. Overall, great mod!! Want to do more and drop those temps some more.

I don't mean to sound critical, and understand you inherited someone else's problem, but the K&N is the worst possible intake you can put on our car.

Considering I got cruising temps down to less than 20 above ambient, I'd say that's pretty good. With a bit more work I bet I can bring it down another 5, which is probably pretty close to the AEM. I haven't seen anybody log temps from the AEM, but I would say with as hot as the Rensis gets, and where everything is positioned, this is a pretty good mod.

Like I said, I'm working with what I have. If I can get temps down to AEM levels, that's fine for me. It sounds good, and feels much better than it did. I'm not going to spend $300 on another intake that will give me a tiny bit of power. I'd rather invest in handling stuff.

I'm FI and run a modified AEM CAI that exits the engine bay and takes ambient air from inside the bumper with an AEM filter and sock.

My IAT with any type of forward movement is always a couple degrees (like 2-4) above ambient. At a long stand still (have idled for 20 min+) he highest i've ever seen my IAT is 140F.

You've got to get that filter outside of the engine bay. Even the stock air box relies on cold air through a nice long tube that is routed through the bumper.

Completely appreciate the progress you've made (hopefully you read my acknowledgement) and it looks very professional.

It's definitely a prototype for now, to just get temps dropped down. If things can be within 5 of ambient that would be ideal obviously. I have more to do that will be fairly inexpensive to me...

Either way, I'm pretty happy with the mod so far, and I like the top end the K&N gives.

Again, just so we're clear, the only thing the K&N gives you is noise ;)

Dyno's have given it a few up very very top... I know my name on here says not that long, but I have been here since, oh, 2005 or so. So yes, I know K&N intakes don't do much for power under 8,500. But, it's what I have, and it's what I'm working with. LIKE I SAID, it is what it is. I'd say for what it is, 20* is pretty good. So just drop it. We all know what the K&N is. If I had my choice, I would have an AEM. But I have a K&N, so it's what I'm going with.

The bottom line is that your IAT's are still way too high. I live in south Texas so I know about high IAT's and with my modified AEM, I am never more than 5-6 degrees F above ambient temps at cruise even on days like today when it's still 95F after dark.

You can see my modified AEM here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9krpmrx8/7331950050/
As for the K&N itself it's just a poor design overall (proven time and time again) and you would be much happier with a stock setup. Just talk to some people who used to own the K&N and went with and AEM or Revi and you will see. Trust me.

When you are crusing yes, but in stop/go traffic, extended idle, and/or low speed operation the tube style intake heat soaks badly as he described

He would be better served to put a K&N filter in the factory air box or my personal recommendation is the Racing Beat air box and duct over any tube intake for street cars

Yeah, I might have to look into the AEM. It was the intake I wanted to get before I bought the car, but it's hard to justify the cost... But yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll be picking one up soon! Haha

Heat soak on mine in stop and go is noticeable but my piping inside the engine is wrapped in DEI cool tape so it doesn't get too bad. Even with my car idling in the driveway in 100F weather I don't see intake temps more that 120F or so and once you get moving temps drop almost immediately. I too agree that the Revi/W duct is the best intake setup out there. Cornholio135 switched from the K&N to the Revi and was pretty impressed by the difference because the K&N had degraded the way it ran in general and the way it idled.

I'll have to look this up.

yup, ordered a DEI 15' roll for the AEM intake i ordered.

You mean the AEM you practically stole! That was a great deal, man.

<3.

Would it be possible to form a seal using some kind of tubing between the typhoon cone filter and the hole where the intake tube/VFAD is?

That's kind of what I was going for, but I didn't really measure anything. I'm sure if you put a lot of time and measured everything it wouldn't be too hard.