CELL

Im sorry, but I have a specific question I couldnt find the answer to..
I Installed my K&N last night...love it...
but I was just wondering if anyone KEPT the bottom part of the fender part off. The plastic part underneath where the filter is. it seems like the intake would be able to take in more air if that wasnt their because with it on, it seems like itd be pulling air from the engine bay.
Pros and cons of this...anyone?

quiksilver24r

I dont have an intake, but I can tell you that by doing that, your just asking for trouble. The intake can breathe fine with the fender cover in place, but by removing it, your exposing it to the element that could otherwise be avoided. Plus, this is unlikely, but your increasing the risk of hydrolock. Not worth it and there wouldn't any noticable increase.

engifineer

I agree. You will be allowing more water and debris to enter the engine bay by removing it and it wont help the filter that much. I would leave it in.

quiksilver24r

One thing I had thought of and just saw a post for is to remove the fake grill below the drivers side head light. The post says its two clips and the grill pops out. That would allow more cool air in without risking too much. You may want to try that. Just make sure you have a bypass valve on the intake and make a mesh grill piece to replace the fake one if you remove it.

CELL

Yea, I popped that out and drilled some holes in the diamond patterns. Do you really think i'd need to get a bypass valve just for that? Would any bypass valve work?

quiksilver24r

You probably dont need to worry about it. I just figure that its better to spend $30 or however much it costs for a bypass valve that to deal with hydrolock. The K&N Should have come with a filter sock thats supposed to help with water and that sould work fine.

rockettc

Leaving that off is a bad idea, you'd get tons of road spray on the filter and it would contaminate quickly.

quiksilver24r

id think a tightly woven mesh grill would keep any damaging debris from affecting it. of course its always a risk, but so is a cold air intake.

CELL

Hows a cold air intake a risk? If youre talking about hydrolock, thats just a much of a risk as dying from getting a tooth pulled is a risk

raWr215

everything is a risk, life is a all about risks

get CAI if you know how the weather and road conditions are around your area

quiksilver24r

exactly. obviously, a cold air intake positions the intake lower to the ground. this exposes the intake to more water and debris than if it were in its oem location. a cold air intake isnt a big risk, but a risk none-the-less.

CELL

Oh I agree, thats my point.
Im not sure what the weather and road conditions have to do with anything. its already been established time and time again that the CAI's chance of sucking up water is very slim and well, the drycharger helps keep debris out...and road conditions...the thing was made for "off road use"

tc05

how did that work out for you? i was planning on doing the same thing drilling holes in the bumper cover, i thought i was the only one thinking about that, let me know how it worked out? and if you have any worries about getting water thru the holes

CELL

Well, I guess it worked out well. I installed it and drilled the holes all at once, so I have nothing to compare it to, so I guess its working out fine. I was a little worried the other day, when I was washing my car, that water would spray in their and get the fiter wet, but IF it wouldve happened, it would of either A) Dried by the time I was finished and ready to drive it B) Be equivalent to driving over a small puddle...by this I mean, no worries at all.
So yea, drilling the holes is fine in that i'm sure its sucking in more cool air, so i'd imagine that its making better use of the intake itself.

tc05

Thanks, plus you can always just cover up the cover with something when washing the car, liek a piece a cardboard now to get dads drill oh wait one question do you remeber what size bit you used? dont want to brake the darn thing thanx in advance

CELL

No, i dont actually. To be honest, my roomate drilled the holes with a dremel while I was finishing the intall. Just size em up, shouldnt be hard to find one that will fit in the diamond patterns

redley78

TC05- i would be interested to see if you notice any difference from before you drilled the holes in the mesh or afterwards. I have a K&N too...but havent been impressed with the gains.
i was thinking about changing it to a short ram to see if theres a difference.
someone told me short ram will give me better torque gains...which i feel i lost from the oem intake

tc05

AS soon as i get some time, im going to drill the holes and ill see if i feel a difference, i feel the gains but that maybe cause of the cooler climate here in chicago, and you live in CA, hot weather year round but getting cooler air into the filter directly might help you out, but maybe middle of this week ill do it and tell you how it feels