exhausts and filters

[timward]

am about to invest in ESS sports exhaust (because I have broken baffles in the current exhausst and a simple replacement is 4x the cost) but wont be going for a decat pipe or a 100cell cat because I dont want an enormous increase in decibels, just a little one. At the same time, thought I'd get a promax chip.

the promax site says that in terms of power increases "best results are achieved using the chip in conjunction with a cone type filter and a free flowing exhaust". I am assuming a free flowing exhausst would include either a decat pipe or sports cat which I wont be getting. they advertise K&N panel filters, but I dont know if these are the same as or different from a cone filter.

my question is, will a K&N panel filter offer any real advantage if I'm chipping but not changing the cat?

 

[Guest]

Tim,
We are having a bit of a discussion about the ESS induction kit at the moment on the other forum http://www.porsche968uk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=17759#17759. My personal view is that the 968 intake is likely to be pretty optimal, but thats a guess rather than practical experience. Some owners have cone type set ups (replacing the whole air box) that seem to work pretty well. A lot of the guys just change the paper panel filter for a K&N panel with good results. I worry a bit about the oil from the panel eventually clogging up the MAF sensor wires, which I have read about.

I reckon you will see a nice improvement with the new exhaust and the chip - it will change the character of the car for the better! Good luck!

Dave

 

[David Hooper]

Tim,
Crikey, just read the 968uk forum about ram air! [&:]
Well just to say that confused of Donington here, me, fitted an ESS induction kit to my 968 and it did make a difference.[]
Difficult to quantify but the car felt sort of smoother at normal driving and had a much quicker pick up on the throttle when you were pushing on. Sounded nice too.[]

Although it was not that easy to fit at the bottom end behind the PU and is a hefty piece of kit. If you look at the pictures on the web site the black tubes are steel where ally would have been a lot lighter.

I had to modify or make a a bracket I seem to remember near the horn area and cut the shrouding slightly that goes on the passenger side near the radiator.

It sits right where the cold air comes in at the bottom of the PU, although not much ram air effect because the tube from the filter is at 90 degrees to the flow of air coming at the car if you see what I mean. So the air goes over the filter and carries on instead of going down the tube after the filter.

Confused? You will be!!!!!!!!!!!!![8|]

Its late! Best of luck Tim.

Cheers
DPH

 

[968er]

The chances of getting any appreciable increase in power is debatable, however by fitting the sports exhaust and K&N panel filter you will have a better exhaust note and the induction noise will be better.

When I did this it did feel a little more free reving and pickup seemed better, but do not reckon I got any power gains.

 

[timward]

ORIGINAL: David Hooper
Well just to say that confused of Donington here, me, fitted an ESS induction kit to my 968 and it did make a difference.[]
Difficult to quantify but the car felt sort of smoother at normal driving and had a much quicker pick up on the throttle when you were pushing on. Sounded nice too.[]

err....talking to a mechanical novice here. not really sure I care about power gains, keen though not to have any power losses! what do you mean by an "induction kit"? Oaktree tell me I have loose baffles in my central muffler (painful) so I am getting the complete unit, central + rear muffler, which I understand is a "CAT back' system. the CAT is separate, and can be purchased either as a byass or a sports cat. so is an induction kit the same as a CAT-back system, or is an induction kit a complete sports exhaust including the whole shebang, CAT + mufflers + pipes and all?

I just need a nice man to sort it out, tell me it works, tell me it wont cost 4 figures and maybe make it sound more growly, quicker and generally more sexy (if that is possible with the already terminally sexy 968 cab)

 

[968er]

Tim,

An induction kit has nothing to do with the exhaust, it replaces the original airbox and filter.

I had a 968 cab as well and basically to improve the exhaust note did what I said in my previous post.

 

[sawood12]

I was looking at upgrading my filter but decided to keep it standard due to the weight of people saying they splashed out on upgrading to K&N panel filters and induction kits with no benefits. The potential downsides are that any improvements in power or power delivery are temprary because the filter cloggs in a few thousand miles or so restricting the airflow to that of a standard filter, so if you do feel any benefit initially you will most likely have to clean the filter regularly to maintain it - too much effort than I can be bothered with, especially for a couple of % improvement at best. However one thing alot of people have agreed is that there is an improvement in induction sound especially with induction kits which can give a nice howling sound on hard accellaration. With induction kits you also have to worry about it sucking up air that has been warmed by the engine as this will result in a couple of % reduction in power and not the improvement you are seeking.

Unfortunately it's one of those things you will have to pay for and see what results you get. It might be that you need to fit to get the most out of your chip and exhaust, but I doubt a filter upgrade on it's own will give you much of a noticable performance improvement.

Also don't forget to tell your insurance company. Direct Line (usually the cheapest company for me) will load your premium by 10 - 15% for a K&N filter. A very hefty premium for something which will not provide you with a significant improvement in performance.

I can definately recomend the ESS exhaust. Looks great, sounds even better, not much more expensive than a standard stainless exhaust but I noticed no appreciable improvement in performance.