Cone Filter Comparisons

Ihtisham Rauf

Ihtisham Rauf

So I’ve been on the lookout for some performance cone filters and came across this website which I thought people may find useful as I have seen quite a few ‘which cone filter is best’ etc type of threads.

www.fastcar.co.uk

Performance Car Air Filter Test

Join us for our performance car air filter test, as we test six aftermarket cone filters to see which flows the best!
www.fastcar.co.uk www.fastcar.co.uk
 
Very interesting reading. Can't say that I'm surprised by the results, especially the cleaning efficiency of the various media types. Sadly what is not addressed is the importance of inlet air temperature, which is governed by where the filters pick up the inlet air......I'll stick with my compromise solution, 'performance' panel filter, fed with a much better flowing duct, delivering cold air.....(I can also do without the annoying noise from a cone filter when cruising on the motorway, even though it can be very pleasing when driving 'enthusiastically':ROFLMAO:)
 
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nissan boy said:
I'm running a Jerez(JR) panel filter from a Saab 9000 chopped in a primera airbox , explains the difference it when when fitted , tho probs not so much now as it's got nitro car filter oil on it and I think like 12 to 15 k on it

Sent from my moto g(6) using Micra Sports Club mobile app
Click to expand...
Very important to clean a cotton performance panel filter regularly (I do it about every 5-7K miles) and re-lubricate sparingly with the correct filter oil ( I have a small aerosol of genuine Citroen filter oil that I've been using for the last 10 years on three different cars), leaving it to dry on the filter for at least 15 minutes before refitting....I found on my first Saab, with a JR panel filter, that over lubing the filter threw up MAF contamination problems which caused hesitancy at certain parts of the rev range when accelerating hard. That car did about 70K miles on the JR filter, which still cleaned up like new. My current Saab has a K&N panel filter which has been on it for about 40K miles now and the K12 has had the K&N panel filter on it now for about 20K miles....
 
Yeah it’s just so annoying to see people putting a cone filter directly on throttle bodies on various cars and so they end up making a hot air intake!
John_D said:
Very important to clean a cotton performance panel filter regularly (I do it about every 5-7K miles) and re-lubricate sparingly with the correct filter oil ( I have a small aerosol of genuine Citroen filter oil that I've been using for the last 10 years on three different cars), leaving it to dry on the filter for at least 15 minutes before refitting....I found on my first Saab, with a JR panel filter, that over lubing the filter threw up MAF contamination problems which caused hesitancy at certain parts of the rev range when accelerating hard. That car did about 70K miles on the JR filter, which still cleaned up like new. My current Saab has a K&N panel filter which has been on it for about 40K miles now and the K12 has had the K&N panel filter on it now for about 20K miles....
Click to expand...

That’s interesting.

I bought a K and N for my K11 3 years ago and the engine light came on within a week with the MAF error code - had to change the throttle body (didn’t know back then that just the sensor could be replaced!)
 
Ihtisham Rauf said:
Yeah it’s just so annoying to see people putting a cone filter directly on throttle bodies on various cars and so they end up making a hot air intake!


That’s interesting.

I bought a K and N for my K11 3 years ago and the engine light came on within a week with the MAF error code - had to change the throttle body (didn’t know back then that just the sensor could be replaced!)
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Doesn't need to be replaced, just cleaned. The MAF sensor uses a precision heated wire that changes resistance when air flows over it due to temperature changes, more air , more cooling, more resistance change. If the wire gets contaminated with oil mist it changes the airflow to temp change characteristics. The wire is VERY delicate and must not be touched but I found that blasting it with an aerosol carb cleaner removed the contamination and it was good to go again.....
 
Ihtisham Rauf said:
Yeah it’s just so annoying to see people putting a cone filter directly on throttle bodies on various cars and so they end up making a hot air intake!
Click to expand...
Or itbs stuck at the back of an engine bay, I guess just like with the itbs they are hoping that the lack of restriction makes up for the fact they are drawing in hot air. The problem with then designing an airbox and cold air intake for your itbs is you are reducing the "straight shot" into the cylinder by adding to the inlet path, you should retain some of the throttle response of itbs though.
Old school mini tuners used to duct cold air intakes to around the filter area which may be a solution.
 
John_D said:
Doesn't need to be replaced, just cleaned. The MAF sensor uses a precision heated wire that changes resistance when air flows over it due to temperature changes, more air , more cooling, more resistance change. If the wire gets contaminated with oil mist it changes the airflow to temp change characteristics. The wire is VERY delicate and must not be touched but I found that blasting it with an aerosol carb cleaner removed the contamination and it was good to go again.....
Click to expand...

Yeah I wish I had that knowledge back then.

I just went to a cheap mechanic back then and he took advantage of the fact my car knowledge was poor back then and he insisted that the whole throttle body needed changing!
 
fuzzy-hair-man said:
Or itbs stuck at the back of an engine bay, I guess just like with the itbs they are hoping that the lack of restriction makes up for the fact they are drawing in hot air. The problem with then designing an airbox and cold air intake for your itbs is you are reducing the "straight shot" into the cylinder by adding to the inlet path, you should retain some of the throttle response of itbs though.
Old school mini tuners used to duct cold air intakes to around the filter area which may be a solution.
Click to expand...

Ah right. Im currently working on an ITB setup. My thought was to make a custom airbox to go over the throttle bodies and then route a big ram air pipe to the front of the grille with a Powertec cone filter on the end in a sort of 'group a airbox' style like what matt sells (the powertec performed best on the link I sent lol). Hopefully this should be good enough, but yeah leaving exposed throttle bodies doesnt seem like a good idea just sucking in hot dirty air in the engine bay.
 
Ihtisham Rauf said:
Ah right. Im currently working on an ITB setup. My thought was to make a custom airbox to go over the throttle bodies and then route a big ram air pipe to the front of the grille with a Powertec cone filter on the end in a sort of 'group a airbox' style like what matt sells (the powertec performed best on the link I sent lol). Hopefully this should be good enough, but yeah leaving exposed throttle bodies doesnt seem like a good idea just sucking in hot dirty air in the engine bay.
Click to expand...
ITB's really need to be connected to a suitably large plenum chamber, fed with large quantities of cold air to be efficient........
 
John_D said:
ITB's really need to be connected to a suitably large plenum chamber, fed with large quantities of cold air to be efficient........
Click to expand...

Yes the plan is to make the chamber as big as possible while still allowing the bonnet to shut ?

Any idea what sort of inlet pipe size is recommended or you can’t say?
(My plan was a 3inch intake pipe)
 
I recommend Green Storm or equivalent. http://www.greencottonfilters.com.au/storm.html You will have a hard time locating one and prices start at eighty I believe. It is not about the cone filter but the housing around it. Keep in mind that the total tube length must comply with orginal length or be half as long or twice as long as any other length will shift the powerband in some way. This is for all custom airfilter solutions.

If you find another brand with a cone or design your own the cone is what does the trick, this is a setup you want to consider. Keep in mind that this airfilter can have a spiraled filter which makes it more expensive then a generic round one. But I think it is just the cone that makes the difference. Of course you would have to find out how big the cone must be related to airfilter area.

It would be even nicer if you build a cold air intake. For the Green tastes, Storm is just one of them. Their filter sizes are being related to maximum HP from your engine.
 
Ihtisham Rauf said:
Ah right. Im currently working on an ITB setup. My thought was to make a custom airbox to go over the throttle bodies and then route a big ram air pipe to the front of the grille with a Powertec cone filter on the end in a sort of 'group a airbox' style like what matt sells (the powertec performed best on the link I sent lol). Hopefully this should be good enough, but yeah leaving exposed throttle bodies doesnt seem like a good idea just sucking in hot dirty air in the engine bay.
Click to expand...
What about a scoop on the top of the bonnet to draw cold air into an air filter behind the engine? You could create a box under the bonnet (and sealing to the underside of the bonnet) around the filter to keep hot engine bay air out and it would retain the short intake path of the itbs.
 
fuzzy-hair-man said:
What about a scoop on the top of the bonnet to draw cold air into an air filter behind the engine? You could create a box under the bonnet (and sealing to the underside of the bonnet) around the filter to keep hot engine bay air out and it would retain the short intake path of the itbs.
Click to expand...

Wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially the short intake path, but I’m just not keen on a bonnet scoop lol!
 

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