Air Filter Upgrade

[kav8144]

Hi thinking of upgrading the stock air filter on my 2005 Boxster s. was thinking going for a K&N E2295.

http://www.design911.co.uk/fu/prod249/KandN-Air-Filter-Porsche-Boxster-987-Cayman/

Has anyone fitted this

IS it a good option does it go straight in without any errors on the ECU

OR is there any better options out there.

The cost of this seems pretty good well under £50. what sort of performance gain is there and is it worth it

Don't know if this topic already here but would appreciate any help and info

cheers

[JFP in PA]

As much as others may protest, these filters are a waste of money. No real gain in power or torque, poorer filtration, a decided chance of oiling your MAF; all at a price substantially higher than the stock unit, which is a fine unit to begin with.

Edited March 10, 2012 by JFP in PA

[kav8144]

really poorer filtration i would not of guess that.

I'm a life long fan of Porsche but quite new to the owners scene having just purchased my 1st this boxster 987 2005 in silver.Do you know of any cost effective mods i can do or any useful i need to know which i maybe able to do to improve this car

[logray]

How are you looking to improve it? I'm guessing more power?

[kav8144]

well if i can but theres plenty there already isnt there

[logray]

It is a slippery uphill slope. I've been there done that with trying to get more out of an NA car. You'll spend thousands upon thousands of dollars for just a few HP and while you might get flashy parts or more sound, not a whole lot in the power dept (mabye 10-20 HP). In fact, a lot of times these parts cause problems and also change the torque curve to different areas in the RPM range.

If you REALLY want more noticable power, the only REAL way to do it is to add more displacemnet (rebore) or forced induction (turbo/supercharge). The latter is not recommended, and both options are very expensive.

[kav8144]

yeah does sound expensive. i prob save the dosh and just keep the car on the road

[JFP in PA]

really poorer filtration i would not of guess that.

K&N has long been a proponent of using much larger filtration media pore sizes for supposed improved air flow, but coated with oil to try and get back some of the filtration properties. Only problems are that on the dyno, you gain next to nothing, but are allowing a lot of dirt and other debris by and into the engine. When the filter is cleaned by washing, and then recoated with oil, it is difficult to determine the correct amount of oil to use, and often ends up having the excess oil carried on the airstream into the MAF where it can coat the film and cause no end of issues. Not a recipe for either performance or longevity............ Stay with the stock filter.

[berty987]

For power increases on a 3.2 987 there are some cost effective options which give real gains. First up is to replace the 68mm throttle body and split intake plenum with the larger 76mm unit from the later 3.4 boxster/ cayman engine , used parts will set you back around 200 plus a set of silicone reducers to make it fit, for another 50 odd pounds. Adds around 8-10 hp. Next step would be to have an ecu remap for around another 400 pounds and will give about 10 hp. After that you are into exhausts and manifolds which are pricey , starting at 600 for manifolds or rear systems on a budget going upwards to 4000 for a complete system from someone like milltek. Expect another 5-8 hp peak from these mods. Forget air filters they are not required on the 987 as its already well over specced.

[phillipj]

I am neither a proponent or hater of the oiled filters. I have tried the BMC on my Turbo and the stock filter back to back.. Absolutely no difference in power.

But this is what puzzles me... Every tuner I have spoken to recommends the BMC in conjunction with other mods on a Turbo car... These are not stupid people or people trying to sell me an air filter.

So why is this? I know the filter makes no more power than the stock filter.... Yet everyone is unaminous in saying it does?

Any comments?

By the way... I have never had an issue on any of my cars (BMW or Porsche) with an oiled filter...

Edited April 19, 2012 by phillipj

[JFP in PA]

I am yet to see any definitive dyno data from a reputable source that shows any after market filter consistently makes meaningfully more HP or torque. Most of what you find is regurgitated marketing hype from one or more manufacturers, which is a lot like the whopping gains some exhaust system and header manufacturer's claim.

[logray]

Well one thing for certain is usually the aftermarket filters make more noise, which people tend to like.

[JFP in PA]

Well one thing for certain is usually the aftermarket filters make more noise, which people tend to like.

And they are usually some strange color hue, which is weird because they typically cannot be seen..........

[wvicary]

I'm more worried about what they don't filter out and let into an engine. I never recommend anything but OEM paper type filters.

[phillipj]

Interesting on the turbo the sound is exactly the same as a stock filter. I did notice a sound difference on my 996 though... Guess it just depends on how anal you are about these things. If you change your oil every 4 or 5k I 5hink you'll be fine with an oiled filter.

My tech (who is amazing) at my dealer HATES HATES HATES anything that is not factory. He even tried to tell me that my stock exhaust flows better than my Tech Art. Yeah right.. Also that my ECU flash isn't worth the money... Yeah right... (The car was transformed after the exhaust and the flash.)

I love the guy but he's a religious Porsche tech... I guess my point is he HATES oiled filters.....

Will that be paper of plastic? :cheers:

[Jim DeSantis]

Have run K&N for the past 25+ years and have noticed better acceleration in almost ever vehicle.

 

Have read through a lot of threads and have included an independent test with a dyno link to prove you can get +/- 3bhp increase. My thought is if spending $50-$100 on a 3Bhp increase is well worth it for performance. Yes, when you re-oil the filter you need to do it carefully. I have a Honda CRV with 260k+ miles and have never had any sensors or engine issues and installed the K&N brand new. I have run K&N over 100k miles on many other (Acura TL, Honda S2000, etc) vehicles with the same result and now have a 2014 Boxster S and noticed a definite increase in acceleration and love the new sound.

 

Truthfully can't say I have noticed any gas mileage increase, but enjoy the difference in slight performance. Some cars were noticeable, and others very subtle. 

Needed to balance the comments here and time will tell.. for me.. even if i replace the K&N in 10k miles and don't clean/re-oil them it is worth the money. If you drive a High Performance car and can't afford to spend the money on the filters.. that is your decision. 

 

High-Performance Air Filters Actually Work - K&N High-Flow Engine Air Filter Tested (roadandtrack.com)  

[JFP in PA]

Welcome to RennTech 

Anyone that has spent any time running back to back dyno test of various hardware on a single vehicle would tell you the +/-3 HP run to run should be considered experimental error more than proof of anything, as well as rarely reproducible; and that dyno results on totally different brands of vehicles are not comparable.  But it is your car and your money, and if you are happy with your choice of air filters, enjoy.