Intake from ebay

Like tchuck said, the filter probably isn't great. But let's be honest, a filter is a filter. I've run a lot of filters on different cars from expensive HKS stuff to K&N to AEM to cheap ebay ones. And I don't think there is any difference. None of my cars blew up, and none of them picked up any hp on the dyno with a more expensive filter. And other than having to bend your own bracket, there arent' any tricks to the installation.

The reason it's so cheap is that it's basically a universal setup. These things will fit almost anything, not just G35's and 350's, but a bunch of other cars too. They give you various plastic fittings for vacuum lines and so on (nothing is made specifically for the car). So they go off of volume. It's just a filter on an aluminum tube, it's not expensive to make. Make enough of them and it's very cheap. There's no reason a Stillen should be $200 except for the fact that Stillen marks everything up a ton.

But there's no reason you would want the eBay intake either. It makes no power over the OEM setup; it's ugly because it wasn't designed for the car; and you're cheaping out on the filter (even though this isn't a big deal). The only reason you should buy this is because you think that chrome pipe and cone filter are cool.

Marhey said:
Hey guys, is there any reason why I wouldn't want this? For only $45 there has to be some reason why its not good. Lol. Remember, I'm not very mechanically inclined. :wink:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2003...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item1c112eab7f
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Its a filter on a pipe. For $45, why not? If you don't like the filter, you can always get a better one later down the road.
 
you will definitely throw the filter away, as for the pipe, after you run into fitment issues and get pissed off, go bend it more, make a bugle out of it and blow it in defeat.
 
StuLax18 said:
Scrolled down to the bottom of the page and found this under similar threads

///1238
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Wow, that's an interesting thread. I read the filter comparison link in that thread too. It seems like the Apexi is the best. So I went to the Apexi website and I assume the one for the 350z works for my FX, right? $119 PN 508-N020.

Its a filter on a pipe. For $45, why not? If you don't like the filter, you can always get a better one later down the road.
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Or why not get it, and just get another filter for it? Like the K&N for $25. http://www.jegs.com/i/K&N/599/RU-2520/10002/-1?CT=999
$70 doesn't seem too bad for a pipe and a better filter.

Also, do I have to completely junk the OEM filter box when installing a pipe and a filter? I think I saw a thread with someone who only took the back part of the box off so the popcharger was still operational.

I can always grab a mechanic buddy help me with the fit if I run into trouble.

Another question... (I'm going to see how many I can get into one post. Haha.) Shadow, you said that there's no benefit to getting an aftermarket pipe and filter. That being said, if I got a K&N then there's a cost savings over time of not having to replace the standard filter. So, what are your thoughts (or anyone else's) on simply replacing the standard filter with the K&N drop in filter?

Thanks again!
 
shadow191 said:
Like tchuck said, the filter probably isn't great. But let's be honest, a filter is a filter. I've run a lot of filters on different cars from expensive HKS stuff to K&N to AEM to cheap ebay ones. And I don't think there is any difference. None of my cars blew up, and none of them picked up any hp on the dyno with a more expensive filter...
...
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There are differences. Filters vary in build quality, air flow potential, and filtering capability. The HP gains (albeit small) from installing better filters have been proven time and time again. Also, the K&N is a 1,000,000 mile cleanable filter, so it is much less expensive in the long run.

shadow191 said:
...

...There's no reason a Stillen should be $200 except for the fact that Stillen marks everything up a ton.

...
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I've had a lot of contact with Stillen lately regarding their intake systems. According to them, the vast majority of the cost of their intake kit for the 1st gen FX is the custom milled aluminum velocity stack that is included. A part that is not included in the ebay kits. The velocity stack is such a big portion of the cost, they won't even sell it separately.

Marhey said:
...

Or why not get it, and just get another filter for it? Like the K&N for $25. http://www.jegs.com/i/K&N/599/RU-2520/10002/-1?CT=999
$70 doesn't seem too bad for a pipe and a better filter.

Also, do I have to completely junk the OEM filter box when installing a pipe and a filter? I think I saw a thread with someone who only took the back part of the box off so the popcharger was still operational.

I can always grab a mechanic buddy help me with the fit if I run into trouble.

Another question... (I'm going to see how many I can get into one post. Haha.) Shadow, you said that there's no benefit to getting an aftermarket pipe and filter. That being said, if I got a K&N then there's a cost savings over time of not having to replace the standard filter. So, what are your thoughts (or anyone else's) on simply replacing the standard filter with the K&N drop in filter?

Thanks again!
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That K&N you posted is way too small. You want the biggest filter you can fit into the space you have. Calculate the surface area of your OEM filter (which BTW is not even close to sufficient for a 3.5L motor @ 7Krpms) and multiply it by 1.5. That's the size you need in a K&N cone filter. K&N has a chart on their website that lists all their cone filters with specs.

Don't junk your OEM box. You can either sell it or keep it for re-installation when/if you ever sell the FX.

Shadow191 is wrong. There are very proven benefits to both the K&N drop in filter and many other aftermarket intake systems. Do some research before you buy anything. This site is a gold mine in that respect. In particular, the "Title Search" bar is very helpful. Asking questions is good too... Just don't rush into anything you might regret later. Lots of members here (myself included) have purchased and installed the K&N drop-in, only to upgrade to a cold air intake or pop charger system later.
 
On the FX I don't think that there's any benefit to getting the typical filter on a stick aftermarket intake. I'm pretty sure that the only dyno anyone's done on an aftermarket intake was the Injen and that lost power. I just put an HKS drop in filter because I had access to one, but there are no power gains. K&N makes great filters, just don't expect any power gains on the FX, but the reusability is nice. I think if you ask around, you'll find that the K&N drop in is a popular option around here.

tchuck, I apologize if my post was generalizing that no intakes make power. But for your typical pipe and conical intake, the gains are minimal if there at all. I know manufacturers all claim xx hp and so on; but dynos are easily manipulated. I just don't see a lot of independent dynos which show that intakes make any appreciable power. 1-2 hp on a VQ35 isn't power, it's dyno noise.

I've had some previous experience messing around with different intakes and filters on my cars, both with and without turbos. I've run different filters, different sized piping, different air intake locations, etc. The only thing that made a difference (and this is the obvious one) is filter location (don't draw from the engine bay). People always think that since an aftermarket intake has less restrictions and a bigger pipe, it must be better. I think most people will find that on most modern cars, the intakes are already pretty efficient.

Marhey said:
Wow, that's an interesting thread. I read the filter comparison link in that thread too. It seems like the Apexi is the best. So I went to the Apexi website and I assume the one for the 350z works for my FX, right? $119 PN 508-N020.

Or why not get it, and just get another filter for it? Like the K&N for $25. http://www.jegs.com/i/K&N/599/RU-2520/10002/-1?CT=999
$70 doesn't seem too bad for a pipe and a better filter.

Also, do I have to completely junk the OEM filter box when installing a pipe and a filter? I think I saw a thread with someone who only took the back part of the box off so the popcharger was still operational.

I can always grab a mechanic buddy help me with the fit if I run into trouble.

Another question... (I'm going to see how many I can get into one post. Haha.) Shadow, you said that there's no benefit to getting an aftermarket pipe and filter. That being said, if I got a K&N then there's a cost savings over time of not having to replace the standard filter. So, what are your thoughts (or anyone else's) on simply replacing the standard filter with the K&N drop in filter?

Thanks again!
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Pop charger is usually in reference to the JWT intake which runs a cone filter w/ velocity stack (for whatever reason JWT calls their intake pop-chargers). But people use the term generically sometimes as well so often Stillen intakes are referred to as popchargers.

Marhey said:
Maybe I have the incorrect term, I thought "pop charger" is the factory "scoop" that is mounted on top of the factory box. Am I incorrect?

Thanks.
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Great intake kit.

I use one just like the original poster put up, and it works great. I opted for the kit with a K&N filter though, and it was $65 shipped.

It doesn't matter what intake you use. What it really comes down to is that you're getting a larger-diameter freer-flowing tube, and a better filter.
 
Marhey said:
Sounds like there are definitely some mixed opinions on this topic.
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Mixed opinions, yes. There are mixed opinions on pretty much every topic in the world. What you have to do is research this topic and decide for yourself what is truth and what is merely opinion.

I have spent a great many hours researching this topic lately on many forums other than this. Here are a few important things I've found (and haven't found)

1. There is a legend involving a certain intake kit made by Injen for the FX that claims "lost power". I can tell you with a very high level of certainty that no actual dyno results exist for this intake with the exception of the ones performed by Injen, which clearly shows gained power in the upper rpm range. When it came out in '07, a few people tried it and raved about the positive results. Then one guy performed one fairly haphazard "pocket dyno" comparison that was anything but precise, objective or scientific, made a bunch of claims on the forum, and everyone jumped on the "down with Injen" bandwagon. I challenge anyone who believes this myth to find a dyno comparison. I've challenged people before and spent many hours myself looking...yet still have never seen one EDIT: with the exception of the one performed by Injen...

2. Pipe length and diameter are very important in an intake system for several reasons. One of which is the MAF sensor, which is calibrated for the OEM tube in which it is installed from the factory. Any difference in the tube diameter will negatively impact the function of the sensor, which in turn will negatively impact the performance of your engine. Pipe diameter also impacts airspeed, which affects temperature and flow characteristics. Pipe length (aside from changing the filter location in the engine bay) is a whole different animal. You probably shouldn't worry about that at this point. Suffice it to say it is important, and unless you are redesigning the whole intake tract, you should stick to the OEM tube length.

3. Not all filters are created equal. Just because someone may have used a POS filter that didn't detonate their engine doesn't mean they are all the same. K&N and Apexi both make great filters that aren't going to break the bank.


No one is disputing the fact that the ebay intake you posted has a bad filter, and will require modifications to fit properly. My advice is to keep looking.
 
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I forgot to mention filter flow ratings. That's another way in which filters vary. A 3.5L motor @7K rpms consumes a little over 432CFM, so you would want to use that as a minimum for sizing your filter. I realize that the stock FX rev limiter doesn't allow 7K rpms but the filter flow ratings are measured in perfect world scenarios wherein the filters are perfectly clean and perfectly oiled (if applicable). In the real world, the filter is going to spend most of it's time at least a little dirty so the actual unimpeded flow will diminish slightly. The general idea is that, all things being equal, the filter should never be restrictive on air flow.
 
I think maybe I should clarify my point better. You are 100% correct in all of your points that pipe diameter, length, filter type, etc. all have an effect on intake design. I've taken enough fluid design classes and heat transfer to see the science behind intake design. I've also read a bunch of tests on various filters with different filtering media when they're trying to determine the best one; and yes, there is of course a best one.

I've just come to the conclusion based on my own experience that in the real world on a street car all of this matters very little. There are so many different variables in play that optimizing something by say 10% just won't make any measurable distance. I've had friends custom build intakes and try resonance tuning; it didn't really work because depending on the car, there's not enough room. I've seen a lot of guys run slower 1/4 mi. times with aftermarket intakes than stock. I've personally built different intakes in my cars with different parameters and seen no real difference. I've run filters, no filter, velocity stack, etc. I know none of this is scientific in that I'm sure there was a measurable difference in flow and so on. But on the dyno and at the track, there were no measurable differences which to me is what matters. If it doesn't produce any more power and the car isn't any faster, then it doesn't work.

Also if I were to believe every article or claim out there, my head would spin. I've seen an article showing the HKS foam filter to be the worst in terms of filtration. I've seen articles showing that K&N filters cause MAF failures due to the oil. I've also seen claims that the AEM type dry flow filters don't work well. And it goes on and on. But all of these filters are also used with great success by a lot of people.

My basic point is that in theory, all of this design stuff works. In reality, it's very hard to prove definitively. Sure Injen's own dyno's all show gains, but do a quick google search and you'll find plenty of people who dyno'd otherwise on many different cars. The same holds true for just about any other filter on a stick type intake drawing air from inside the engine bay. Which to me means that the power difference is negligible. If it truly made power, the results would be more repeatable. But when one person makes 7hp, another loses 5, one makes 4, another loses 6, etc., that's just not real.

If you like the way an intake looks and sounds, by all means get it. I run a UTR Z-tube myself along with an HKS drop in filter. I liked the way it sounds and the way it looks, that's all. I didn't go in expecting any power gains and I don't notice any. I'm probably just cynical about this stuff because I've gone down this road before trying out tons of new things that "in theory" should work, but have been nothing but a waste of time and money.

tchuck said:
Mixed opinions, yes. There are mixed opinions on pretty much every topic in the world. What you have to do is research this topic and decide for yourself what is truth and what is merely opinion.

I have spent a great many hours researching this topic lately on many forums other than this. Here are a few important things I've found (and haven't found)

1. There is a legend involving a certain intake kit made by Injen for the FX that claims "lost power". I can tell you with a very high level of certainty that no actual dyno results exist for this intake with the exception of the ones performed by Injen, which clearly shows gained power in the upper rpm range. When it came out in '07, a few people tried it and raved about the positive results. Then one guy performed one fairly haphazard "pocket dyno" comparison that was anything but precise, objective or scientific, made a bunch of claims on the forum, and everyone jumped on the "down with Injen" bandwagon. I challenge anyone who believes this myth to find a dyno comparison. I've challenged people before and spent many hours myself looking...yet still have never seen one.

2. Pipe length and diameter are very important in an intake system for several reasons. One of which is the MAF sensor, which is calibrated for the OEM tube in which it is installed from the factory. Any difference in the tube diameter will negatively impact the function of the sensor, which in turn will negatively impact the performance of your engine. Pipe diameter also impacts airspeed, which affects temperature and flow characteristics. Pipe length (aside from changing the filter location in the engine bay) is a whole different animal. You probably shouldn't worry about that at this point. Suffice it to say it is important, and unless you are redesigning the whole intake tract, you should stick to the OEM tube length.

3. Not all filters are created equal. Just because someone may have used a POS filter that didn't detonate their engine doesn't mean they are all the same. K&N and Apexi both make great filters that aren't going to break the bank.


No one is disputing the fact that the ebay intake you posted has a bad filter, and will require modifications to fit properly. My advice is to keep looking.
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