K & N FIPK, are they overrated....?

[THS_Cruiser03]

Hi Mopar brethren,

Can someone show me ACTUAL numbers (CFM...? or HP) showing that paying $275 for this:

K&N 57-1515-1 - K&N Fuel Injection Performance Kits - Cars - JEGS

Will out-perform (significantly by say 200 - 400 CFM or 5-10 HP) over paying $36 for this:

K&N 33-2153 - K&N High-Performance OE-Style Replacement Filters - JEGS


I'm not sure it's $240 better (specifically on PT cruiser applications). If it is then Chrysler needs some better powertrain engineers! That money might be better spent on other go fast parts. For instance I can get a Jet chip for $239 that might do a lot more for my na PT.

And I'm not talking about perceptions, I'm talking about REAL differences.

What's everyones experience with these?

Curiously,

Tom

[THS_Cruiser03]

So I'm guessing by the crickets out there (replies to this post) that there isn't much evidence to support installing the FIPK system over the K&N OE replacement filter?

*waits for any confirmations/opinions*

Interesting.

[CREWZIN]

First of all, you didn't give it enough time for responses. Not everyone hangs around their computer waiting for new questions. Only us retired folks with plenty of time on our hands are here a few times a day ...if there's nothing else going on. I try checking the site as often as possible since I'm one of the moderators but others have better things to do.

To your question. Some of the Go-Fast guys have come up numbers on the different filters but they talk about it on another forum. They have pasted on that using the drop-in K&N filter in the OEM box and doing slight modifications to the box like taking out the white donuts and using a bigger 1/4 round pipe to extract air from the inner fender will give just as much inward airflow as one of the expensive ($200-300) filter kits and it completely seals off hot air from the motor. So, save your money.

[THS_Cruiser03]

Thanks Crewzin! True the post was only up for about 24 hours, so I suppose I should have waited a bit longer. Just my experience with the forum so far (three weeks) is that it tends to be quicker than that. I ususally check 3-4 times per day while I'm at work (on the PC).

Interesting that the stock air box w/a few simple mods performs very well. I like that it can pull in cooler air from the fender. What forum do they give the detailed description of the air box mods? Do you have a link...or is it on this website and I just need to search for it?

Thanks for replying Crewzin!

Tom

[CREWZIN]

Well, one of the forums that they talked about was PT Cruiser World.com but that's off line right now for upgrades. The performance forum is PT Crew.com and about 95% of the talk on that forum is performance. They've been able to squeeze around 300hp out of the little 2.4 but also some of them have gone thru lots of $$$ and parts to do it.

You might try a search on our forum (on top of every page) and go for "air box mod" or something like that to see if we have the procedure.

[Mean Green]

I agree with CREWZIN. Get a drop in K&N.

[wasmussen]

More food for thought. I added an air raid air system to my pt.C which makes it louder if you are heavy footed. It makes the car run better though. Smoother shift and from a stop sign- for those cars that appear out of no where and you need quick power to get out of the way- it will do it for you! I dropped a K&N filter in our chevy 350 passenger van after putting in a tornado air device that says it spins the air into your intake. I noticed better shifting of my automatic trans(hardly even notice shifting) and power with only the tornado being in. It got louder with the K&N filter when speeding up fast. So far haven't gone enough miles for gas mileage check on the van or the PT. C.

I have noticed pick up with the various devices in the vehicles. Not ALL cars work better with the tornado device for some reason and I have no idea about it working in any PT. Cruiser as yet. I know some add on either K&N or air raid type devices "claim" that they twist the air for the PT. Cruiser simulating super charger type forced air at a lower scale. Who Knows?!

Good luck with the mods.

[CREWZIN]

Originally Posted by wasmussen

I know some add on either K&N or air raid type devices "claim" that they twist the air for the PT. Cruiser simulating super charger type forced air at a lower scale. Who Knows?!
Good luck with the mods.

I think you have something wrong here. It's the "Tornado" that claims to twist the air, simulating a super charger, NOT the K&N or Air Raid filter chargers.

Twisting the air in a PT does NOTHING! The long runners in the upper manifold completely destroy any twisted affect so it is absolutly useless.

Both the K&N and Air Raid both claim to let more filtered air into the throttle body thereby adding to performance. Air Raid being in it's own box shields hot engine air and draws cooler air from the fender well. K&N Filter Charger doing the same thing with shielding but not in a box. K&N drop-in filter along with a couple of mods on the stock air box has been proven to be just as good at half the cost.

[wasmussen]

I'll have to find the web-site selling the part I am talking about with the twist they say the product does. I didn't mean K&N or air raid said so but that simular type of air system replacement product made the claim. Thanks for letting me know that the tornado won't work on the PT. Cruiser though won't bother with it then on that car. Put the crane wires and champion plats. on my car today. It was a pain to do the plugs being so far down. I didn't want to strip them putting them in and was very careful about that. Only had to take off the 5 8 mm screws up front and loosen the air hose. That part of the job is pretty easy on the 07'. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MADE!

[CREWZIN]

Hopefully you read all the threads about tune-ups and used anti-seize on the threads of the plugs and Dielectric grease on the plug ends. That stuff will keep the plugs and wires from sticking to the related parts because of the heat.

You might be thinking of the Throttle Body Spacer. It's an $80+ part that puts an inch space between the Throttle Body and the upper manifold and also (supposedly) puts a spin on the air going thru it. It also is a complete waste of money like the Tornado. They might work on other cars, especially older ones with carburetors but not the PT Cruiser, or most fuel injected cars.