Air Intake Replacement in 01 996 C2

Folks, I see threads that each have threads on the different products but no single one comparing these 3 options or any other Best of breed. I am contemplating going with one of the following three options: K&N 63-7000 ( http://www.knfilters.com/news/news.aspx?ID=318 ) $321.04 OR Fabspeed 996 Cold Air Kit ( http://www.fabspeed.com/996_GT3.html ) $225 + $120 for the BMC F1 996 Airfilter. OR Evo Carrera V-Flow Air Intake ( http://www.evoms.com/ ) Price: $595.00 USD Prices are not that different to make a big difference to me but I am interested in thoughts on what is the best choice? ANy help appreciated, Miller

+1 I'm curious as to everyones experience also! Especially any sound improvement as shown on the Fabspeed video...very nice!

A waste of money (IMHO).

Well, I took apart my airbox today, and I have to agree with Loren. I can't see how there is any way to get much cooler air or better flow that would make much difference, at least on the 2002 airbox for a stock NA engine. The K&N especially makes no sense, and I can't see how the Fabspeed works. At 38k, my MAF appeared spotless, and my TB was not bad at all..but I cleaned it out any way, and surprisingly it DID smooth out the idle a bit as noticed by less shaking in my unoccupied passenger seat.

It's a sound only thing and was worth it for me. The fabspeed video is a bit overdone but close to the results. Only noticeable at WOT 4500 rpm and > Bought mine used for $100 or so. The key is the intake muffler removal. Orange cap is probably all that is really needed to get that same intake sound. I would try that first (see orange cap thread)

I've tried all three of the choices you have listed and would say that the Evo is your best bet. The Fabspeed is sorta like the orange cap mod....the K&N is pretty good, but there are folks on this board who have had their MAFs go bad because of the oil on the filter (ie some say the filter is too close to the MAF). The EVO sounds as good as the K&N, and doesn't have the same problems on this board with the MAFs.

I like my VFlow paired up with my IPD Plenum. The sound with stock exhaust is a lot better, more power and quicker throttle response. I would do it again on a 996 or 997

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+1 To back up this reasoning, I had the same factory air filter from 55k - 102k miles (Not sure the original owner ever changed it). Car still got 26-27 MPG overall many of times. If you look on the backside (incoming) of the filter, you will notice only 1/3 of the filter is being utilized (the element being dirty only on the pass side). The factory ducting and filter is overkill for a 300-320 hp engine. Using aftermarket only decreases engine life IMO.

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I am with Cory on this as well, and when it comes to hp he seems to know his **** as good as anyone on this board. The factory filter is what I run and allows more air into the engine than the engine can handle. I do not believe in any noticeable performance gains from this either. With the Fabspeed I run it does sounds much better at WOT (upper band) and gives me only the FEEL of increased responce/power. That silicone addition on my P-car is as fake as silicone breasts, but it's a keeper

I have no idea why some people think that a Porsche engineer cannot properly design an air filter that does not restrict the air flow to the Engine. For the sound it is fine to go for an after market CAI, but for Horse Power?! John

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Let's look at the flip side of that coin. Why do some people think that every part that Porsche puts in these cars is the absolute engineering pinnacle that can't be improved upon? I have never seen an OEM motor (from any manufacturer) that can't be coaxed into delivering more power than it was delivered with. The 996 motors are no exception IMHO. Porsche may not have left a lot of hp on the table, but it is there and some on this board (and others) have shown dyno proven gains with this and other mods. There have also been numerous problems reported (blown MAFs, CEL's, etc.) on some cars. To the OP I would say, the search function is your friend

I purchased my K&N intake from AutoAnything for $262.95, which included free shipping. I then purchased a 5" AEM dry filter for ~$35 after having the K&N olied filter trip CEL codes for the MAF multiple times. Cleaned the MAF, reset the code and installed the AEM and have not had a problem since. I am familiar with the Fabspeed and Schnell CAI "enlarged tube", sent my Schnell back to Vertex after receiving it. It adds a bit more sound (yippie), but not near as "effective" as either the EVO or the K&N CAI...IMHO. ***-dyno noticed a bit more throtle response, which seemed to work well with my Cargraphic headers and exhaust. Recently ran across a used EVO intake in Panorama for $250, but it was sold before the mag went to print.

What is the AEM Filter being discussed as bought? WHen I go to the AEM website I find no Porsche option in there selection for Car Make... I went ahead and bought the K&N option and would like to do the Dry Filter if I could find it? Thanks, Miller

Flat air filter from K&N and BMC will get you almost 100% of the way there whilst leaving your with street creds.

AEM part numbers 21-207DK = 5" short neck 5" element 21-2079DK = 5" shortneck 9" element linkage flat panel AEM dry filters link

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Do you mind posting which EXACT AEM filter your using with the set up?

Anyone have experience with FVD's intake? I already picked up mine, to work with my GT3 decklid... just curious before it gets bolted on.

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Wow, thanks for the compliment LS.......

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Miller, The AEM I used is 21-204DK 3.5" x 5". It fit like a glove onto the K&N Intake, which has a 3.5" diameter opening. Sorry for the late reply!!!

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Use the AEM 21-204DK 3.5"x5" filter. Purchased it on eBay for $35.

I want to thank everyone for their input and helping me to decide. I went with the K&N 63-7000 and the AEM Dryflow filter. Plan to have installed next week. Curious on the thought that Porsche has engineered everything as good as it can get. This thought is silly. Why does Mercedes have AMG and Ford use Shelby and Roush for Mustangs.... There is obviously aftermarket mods that can make a vehicle better. It�s all a cost to engineering and production that drives where they cut corners and things can be bettered. Anyway, will let you know how it turns out after install. Miller

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Ray Let's take a closer look at the original side: Have you ever inspected an air filter? If you see the dirt forming, after as many as 20, 000 Km there is slightly less than 1/3 of the filter dirty (close to the intake) and the rest is clean like new! Most likely you only use 1/ 3 of what your OEM Porsche air intake can provide. What I mean to point out is that you can red line the engine, and still there is plenty of air coming through, not "choking" like some think. Second point is, if you drive in the rain or dustier conditions, why would you want an open air intake, letting much more dirt into the engine? Not to mention what the filter oil does to the MAF and several other components. You are right about Porsche Engineering not always shinning at its best, but this one is relatively simple; it is not that you are gonna run into so much negative pressure, that an after market CAI is necessary. I didn't say Porsche Engineers are always the "absolute engineering pinnacle" (as you stated), only that some people think that they cannot design an air intake that will provide enough air. Again, for extra sound OK, but horse power probably close to 0%. John

I think the discussion of Porsche engineering misses the point pretty badly. Yes, a car company worries about costs, Porsche not the least. But they also have to account for a bunch of other stuff, including in the case of CAIs whether noise regulations are met. It's the same as the 'chipping' discussion... it's not that Porsche is stupid, it's that they have different objectives than aftermarket parts suppliers do. Up to you to decide if yours are the same or not. I know the party's over, but FWIW I have the EVO. It doesn't give me any meaningful power gains other than maybe near the peak, but I'm not going to buy dyno time to prove it. I love the sound of it, which adds a lot to spirited driving sessions. And I do oil tests to show that nothing nasty is getting into the motor. (It isn't, though cylinder wear is certainly not one of this motor's weak spots by a long shot).

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Your analogy of viewing a filter (and looking for dirt) is flawed in my opinion. You can't judge the flow characteristics of an intake system by looking at the fiter to see if it is dirty. (I used to work for a water filtration company. You can't judge the flow of any filter just by looking at it). Furthermore, intake design plays a role here as well as media (it should be viewed as a system IMO). The concept behind the aftermarket filters is to offer more flow (less restriction) and higher volume. Just looking at the EVO it would seem to provide both characteristics. It you do a search on this and other boards you will find that some have seen small dyno proven gains with this and other flow devices (like the RSS plenum). An additional benefit is that people do seem to rave about the sound. The downside of course is potential MAF/CEL problems as well as questions regarding the aftermarket filters ability to filter to the same particulate level as stock. On the positive side, I have had an EVO intake on my Boxster for almost 7 years and I have never had a problem (Different system obviously but the concept is the similar). Furthermore there are dozens of guys on this and other boards that run the 996 EVO intake with no apparent problems. I will probably add the EVO system to my car shortly. I'll let you know if I have any problems.

My mechanic also said that the oil in the K&N can ruin your MAF. I mentioned cleaning it and not re-oiling...

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I wouldn't do that. The oil is critical to the way it filters. What you need to worry about is not the oil but over-oiling, which is a common mistake with these things. A new mass airflow sensor is not the end of the world, BTW. Though they can, they aren't really designed to last the life of the car, and their accuracy declines over time anyway as they inevitably become contaminated regardless of what kind of filter you use.

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+1 to the first part. The oil is the media to catch the dirt. To the second, I never heard of a Toyota or Honda MAF failing (not saying they wont), I think it is a German car thing.

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I've heard that, too. The only one I've replaced was on my Rover, and the engine management system is all Bosch... Still, just because they don't fail doesn't mean they don't deteriorate. My only point was that they aren't necessarily a forever part in any case.

There has been a lot of debate on this board and others over the issue of the oiled filters affect on the MAF. As has been the experience of many others, I too tripped a CEL code indicating my MAF was bad shortly after installing my K&N intake. I'd clean the MAF, reset the code, then a 100 miles or so later it would trip again. This went on for 3 or 4 times. I finally decided to reinstall the OEM intake. After doing some additional research, and after speaking with several tuners at both local shops and at Champion Motorsports, with Cargraphic, etc.. they explained that they had great results with the AEM Dryfilter systems. I reinstalled the K&N intake with a AEM dry filter and have not had a problem since. It complements the Cargraphic headers & exhaust I have nicely. Interesting dilemma regarding the debated results of adding headers, CAI, IPD Plenum, ECU flash, is that these cars are not and will never be perfect off the assembly line and as others have pointed out, Porsche engineers them to meet certain regulatory and profitability requirements, among other things. Porsche, like any other automotive manufacturer strives for continuous improvement of the products in both function and form and they have to deal with supplier parts and quality issues as well. As a testament to this, Porsche themselves was able to squeeze 12bhp from the new 987 over the 986 (20 bhp for the S model) simply due to tweaking the intake and exhaust. P-cars can be modified to obtain subtle, yet incremental gains in performance. Hell, there is an entire industry devoted to aftermarket performance...which is not all smoke and mirrors. Is it considered a waste of money??... that depends on what value it brings to the buyer. Renting "No Country For Old Men" or having to spend $1,000 to take a family of 4 to a Red Wings playoff game... now that's a waste of money! IMHO

I have the evo air box with the Plenum. I did these mods at different times and could notice a large increase with the Plenum and a increase with the air box. No doubt it had more grunt but that was by my butt dyno! I do like the sound of the air box at WOT, that thing howls. A open air box derestricts the air going in, so you will notice a difference. Mike

The best of all worlds! And while you are throwing your money away, send me $200 and I will give you a Carbon Offset Credit too! These "cold" air intakes are as old as the hills and just as worthless.

You're going to make a lot of friends here by mocking everyone who bought a CAI with a stupid, baseless remark like that. If you've got an intelligent counterpoint to offer, maybe even some real evidence to go with it, I'd be all ears. Otherwise, let's bear in mind that your particular interest in these cars involves them sitting inert on a lawn hoping for a ribbon. People who love to drive them might have another perspective, and I'd say they're entitled to it.

My goodness, it looks like someone have a hot air intake inserted somewhere it should not be! The point of my statements is that for as long as there have been mods to cars, there have been these cold air intake systems, and their value has remained constant. Other than letting the intake air sound louder (usually by doing away with the air intake muffler or Helmholtz resonator), they have no value at all. But yet year after year, a new generation of suckers (sic) line up to debate and defend the merits these devices. And those that have plunked down their cash to get one bend over backwards to justify their purchase. And by the way, While I do enjoy sitting on a lawn knowing that I will get a ribbon, I am quite also certain that I can also show you the rear of my car lap after lap at any track or venue of your choosing.

You don't know very much about cars, obviously, so I forgive your impertinence. Here's a short seminar to keep you from embarrassing yourself further: Some intakes are of no value on some cars. Some intakes are of some value on some cars. A few intakes are of no value on any cars. And a few intakes are of immense value on a few cars. Follow that? Here's the thing: Airflow - volume and velocity - is not the only criterion on which an engineer designs an intake, any more than one criterion determines the design of anything in the world. He/she has to deal with the cost of making it, the imputed cost of installing it on an assembly line, space in the engine bay, noise, emissions, access to the motor for service, durability of the parts involved, on and on. Sometimes, on some cars, an owner really can get more performance by giving up one or more of the compromises the engineer chose or had to make. CAIs endure because they work on some cars. They just do, and you making a blanket, monothematic statement to the contrary is silly. I'm also quite certain you can show me the rear of your car lap after lap. In my rear view mirror. It's called trailing throttle oversteer. They probably don't teach you that at Armor-All school...

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My goodness, a blustry Canadian, what's that all aboot? I hope the RCMPP* don't catch you. I want to thank you for whole-hardly agreeing with me on this topic. It is true that a simpleton can use the relative impossibility of absolutes as a valid argument, but when it comes to a discussion of Air Intakes tubes, this is one of the few cases where absolutes are valid . And yes your points have merit, but their relevancy to this discussion is debatable. In the case of Cold Air Tubes, the general claim that they increase the performance of a car are completely baseless, despite countless claims to the contrary over the ages. But all is not wasted, they do provide value in aesthetics (they can look cool, and give the owner something to brag about), and aural. ("listen how loud my car is now when I punch it, it must have more power!") One last thing, Don't feel bad about your professed lack of track skill. Take solice that as you spin around on the track, your rearview mirror will guarantee that you will get to see me no matter which way you are pointing. *Royal Canadian Mounted Politeness Patrol Thanks and goodnight.

Wow, this one has it all. Bigotry (why is it certain people around here go straight for my nationality when they're losing an argument?). Opaque logic. Poor spelling. An absolute lack of corroborating evidence, or even rationale. And mean-spirited mocking that smacks of nothing so much as abject insecurity. Well, I reckon you've got us all convinced. Mine's going on ebay. I feel such a fool... Your track-star chest thumping, however, is just desperate and embarrassing to watch. Next you'll tell me your dad can beat mine up mine... Silly boy.

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So you've tested each of the various models on a variety of model years and have data disproving any HP gains? If you don't have any data, why would you throw out an "absolute" statement like that? Given the level of many drivers on this board, this is also a pretty bold statement. (I've always found that there's always someone faster out there, but you are obviously a top pro). Why not thow out something equally silly (and off topic) like my dad is bigger than your dad? Here's a web site for you. You may be able to find some people of like minds here... http://www.alaska.net/~clund/e_djubl...rthsociety.htm

Better yet, If both Ray and Bruce's moms will let them out, why don't we meet up at Thunderhill or Laguna or Infineon so i can kick both of your asses. and bring your cold air intakes, as you will need them.

OE, You have a beautiful car and I have always respected your opinions. I still remember you showing proper jacking point on the engine block in one of your threads from a while ago. In fact, your wealth of knowledge gave me peace in buying a 996. I understand that your post was just in fun but people here are taking it more seriously than your original intent. I would hate to lose you as a productive and knowledgable contributor from the "old school" days on this forum. Peace.

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I love the trash talk!

My days in the WWF sometimes get the best of me!

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That is because you are on your first triple cappuccino and I am coming down on mine.

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More BS huh?? Looks like you trained at the Ghetto Racer school of Rennlist posting. If you want to "kick my ***" (your words) head on over to Blackhawk (why would I drive out to you for your childish internet challenge?). If you have any skill you should have no problem passing a Boxster. If not you won't be the first 996 I've passed..... Back on topic, let me know when you come up with some data to support your assertions about intakes. As previously stated I have not tested any myself, but a simple search turns up plenty of evidence both ways. Or.....you could just change the subject again. Toward that end I've got a few ideas for your next stupid challenge. Maybe we could have a hot dog eating contest or see who could hold their breath the longest......

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Dude bro, you spying on me? I usually pick up a double short cuban cappuccino for the mornings. A cuban or cubano shot is when they actually add a packet of raw sugar into the pull of espresso itself making it sweeter. Very few cafes do this in America cuz they say it fuqs up their machines, but my local cafe does it which is great. Seriously man if you're into coffee check out www.stumptowncoffee.com . One of the best in all my travels. And they're in the Pacific NW, baby! As for all the air filter, super engineer conjecture BS --> .

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I am a fan of cuban style coffee also. Usually brown sugar for me. Air filter perference is purly personal. Hey we talked about key chains for days right? Wonder what's next?

Screw the CAI... I think I want an AI like this instead of a K&N or an EVO..... Would I get more HP out of it??????????? Think my 996 couold be rigged this way? Miller

Oh yea the car nerd key chains to remind themselves that they drive a nice sports car everytime they're away from the car. yea i'll pass this time but you go do what you do dog

I got a cool penguin key chain from South Africa now. It just comes and goes like everything else man.

now that's cool.

Taste is highly subjective. A young kid might think wearing his pants hanging down and showing his underwear while wearing his PD shirt is taste . To me taste is simple classic designs be it Prada, Hugo Boss or whatever .

Or I could go for an CAI like one of these: Miller

This is an interesting photo because it looks like the air intake is insulated with Kapton film (the gold stuff on the tube). This material is widely used in spacecraft to insulate against high temperatures. I wonder if I wrap my 996's airbox with this stuff, how many HP I would gain? .

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None, but try wrapping your head to keep the "voices" out. Better still if you wrap the stock filter with that stuff you can keep it clean. Are you still looking for the data??....