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Intakes

Bill Bechtold wrote:
   >I know that several shop have done tests on the cone filter on the E30 M3,
>and the expected gains at certain RPMs but not at all.  To their surprise,
>it lost power in all areas.  I think at peak HP, it lost 10 full HP.  From
>what I hear this is a VERY bad modification.  This is do to the effect
>Justin was originally wary of, intake of hot air.  I suspect the sound
>makes Justin believe that there is more power when there truly isn't.  A
>dyno won't lie, and I doubt that a 325 would report gains where the M3 does
>not.  OTOH, it may sound "cool" and even look "cool" to some.  Personally,
>I would avoid this modification.
>

Man, the cone filters are getting as controversial as chips!.  Bills
comments are     
interesting.  To add to the mix, awhile ago Autothority in Fairfax, VA held
a Tech    
session, mostly about chips, but also discussed their Cone K&N setup, the
Flo-Tech. They showed VERY detailed graphs and breakdowns of their own dyno
tests, and showed where on a stock E36 M3, the torque and Hp curve fell flat
at a certain point, and they attributed it to the "restrictive airbox".
They then showed graphs for a Chipped car and a chip + Flotech car, and the
gains were progressively better for each car, with the best gains showing up
on the Flotech/Chipped car.  (They have their own Dyno on the premises).
Granted, I have no idea of the integrity of these tests, other than to say
Autothority is a well-respected camp around the Metro Area.  Maybe the tests
were conducted during very cool temps?  I do know when they Dyno test, they
have a large fan blowing lots of air directly into the front of the car
during the tests to simulate the amount of air the car would be getting if
it were actually travelling at that speed.  Someone on the digest once
mentioned that Dinan didnt do this.  

I also asked Jim his opinions about the cone setups, and he told me to wait
until he or one of his companys finishes an extensive M3 shootout test,
which would test various intakes and exhausts.  This was a few weeks ago. 

Ron
Bowie, MD
1992 318is