K&N installed! With pics!

[hmrlvr]

flyingbadger, is there a cover for the K&N aircharger you installed? I saw a Volant on another thread with a cover. Apparently the cover will force the system to pull cool air from outside the vehicle instead of warm air from under the hood. I know you have a K&N but will the cooler air increase the HP more than the warmer air? Anyone have any feedback please let me know. I'm ready to order one of them and am trying to decide. Thanks

[RubHer Yellow Ducky]

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Hummer Expert
Join Date: Aug 2005
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flyingbadger, is there a cover for the K&N aircharger you installed? I saw a Volant on another thread with a cover. Apparently the cover will force the system to pull cool air from outside the vehicle instead of warm air from under the hood. I know you have a K&N but will the cooler air increase the HP more than the warmer air? Anyone have any feedback please let me know. I'm ready to order one of them and am trying to decide. Thanks

PLEASE answer a question for me (this is to all who converted air intake systems)
The factory system that comes with the H-3 already draws cool air from the right fender area, NOT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. In what way, how, explain, is the effect of the other systems besides leaving your wallet $150 to $350 dollars thinner? I'm not interested in the sound that it makes but do you get a HP gain? If you do , HOW?

RYD

[H3.007]

Hey Ducky,

There isn't a cover for the K&N that I am aware of. I think the principle is that it allows more air flow as opposed to the more restrictive factory setup. I am not sur ehow the Volant system works but it appears to feed from the factory air inlet. if this is the case, the Volant is still a restircted airflow - but I could be wrong as I have the K&N.

I did have some concern about the amount of hot air that could get into the filter over the K&N shield wall. However, it only make sense that when the vehicle is moving, the majority of the hot air will be pushed backward, away from the filter and out of the engine compartment through void venting and the such. However, I did take the precaution of buying pipe insulation (used in home plumbing applications- about $4 for a large package) and I lined the entire shield with it. The insulation is presplit and I used strips of black duck tape for further insurance against the insulation coming loose and landing on something hot or getting caught in a pully. I also figure that this will further dampen the resonance and any vibrations that may occurr.

Also, I can not tell you the specific horsepower increase but damn does it get to 80 MPH a lot quicker than it did. Mid range response is also quicker and it certainly has more power in the high end. The only downer is, again, the resonance noise when you hit the upper end. I am workign on some ideas to reduce that without ending up back to square one so I will post the results if my idea(s) are succesful. It also appears that my GPM has increased but I won't know until I hit the half-tank mark.

Hope this helps!
Chris

[ChevyHighPerformance]

Originally Posted by H3.007

Hey Ducky,

There isn't a cover for the K&N that I am aware of. I think the principle is that it allows more air flow as opposed to the more restrictive factory setup. I am not sur ehow the Volant system works but it appears to feed from the factory air inlet. if this is the case, the Volant is still a restircted airflow - but I could be wrong as I have the K&N.

I did have some concern about the amount of hot air that could get into the filter over the K&N shield wall. However, it only make sense that when the vehicle is moving, the majority of the hot air will be pushed backward, away from the filter and out of the engine compartment through void venting and the such. However, I did take the precaution of buying pipe insulation (used in home plumbing applications- about $4 for a large package) and I lined the entire shield with it. The insulation is presplit and I used strips of black duck tape for further insurance against the insulation coming loose and landing on something hot or getting caught in a pully. I also figure that this will further dampen the resonance and any vibrations that may occurr.

Also, I can not tell you the specific horsepower increase but damn does it get to 80 MPH a lot quicker than it did. Mid range response is also quicker and it certainly has more power in the high end. The only downer is, again, the resonance noise when you hit the upper end. I am workign on some ideas to reduce that without ending up back to square one so I will post the results if my idea(s) are succesful. It also appears that my GPM has increased but I won't know until I hit the half-tank mark.

Hope this helps!
Chris

WhiteH3 posted some dyno sheets a while ago for his K&N. I think his was one of the first and was tested by K&N. From memory, his increase was about 18ish HP in 3rd gear at the wheels. The only mod was an exhaust (Magnaflow perhaps).

[RubHer Yellow Ducky]

WhiteH3 posted some dyno sheets a while ago for his K&N. I think his was one of the first and was tested by K&N. From memory, his increase was about 18ish HP in 3rd gear at the wheels. The only mod was an exhaust (Magnaflow perhaps).

THE ONLY MOD WAS A PERFORMANCE EXHAUST...

AH! that only mod is a BIG mod.
as i read over this posts you all are assuming the aftermarket (k&n, others) increase HP by possibly vortexing the air, and / or cooling the air, YES???

As I read the lit on the k&n and others they take about the cooler air they are allowing into the system, unlike the factory system. Again the H-3 uses cooler air so please inform me again what i am missing...
THANKS

RYD

[Wisha Haddan H3]

Ducky. You’re right about the H3. It already pulls in cool air from the outside. But the K&N and Volant intake systems don’t provide a swirling effect and don’t actively cool the air. They only provide these benefits.

1. The oiled cotton filter element is less restrictive than the OEM dry paper element. The element is also shaped as a 360 degree conical filter for smoother and more uniform airflow into the intake tube (square intake filters can create eddies).

2. The intake tubes are optimized for maximum airflow. They are mandrel bent to maintain uniform tube diameter. This helps prevent unintended pressure waves that could impede airflow. Also, based on extensive testing, the diameter and length of the intake tube is designed to optimize air velocity and pressure waves.

3. The filter elements are enclosed to separate them from engine heat. The stock airbox already does this, but many aftermarket systems omit the enclosure to save money.

4. The filters are washable and reusable (when properly re-oiled)

Stay away from cheap shiny systems with open elements. They can actually rob you of power.

[Wisha Haddan H3]

There are also disadvantages to using an oiled cotton filter element.

1. They don't filter as well as a dry paper element until they collect a little dirt ... even then, they allow more fine particles into your engine than paper.
2. They must be cleaned gently before reuse, or you can damage the filter material.
3. When re-oiling the filter, adding too little oil compromises filtration. Adding too much oil can damage your MAF sensor.
4. They're noisier than the stock system.

Although it's a fact that wet filters allow greater airflow, there's some debate about how much air a non-turbo, non-s/c engine needs, as well as the location in the powerband where the advantage occurs compared to where the power is needed.

Here's a technical report comparing wet and dry air filters http://home.usadatanet.net/~jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm

Here's a link to a high-flow dry filter system that I'm researching. Supposedly it has all the advantages of the oiled filter and fewer of the disadvantages. http://trucks.aempower.com/