Re: BMW Air Flow Meter - Open Filter Replacement

["Paul Misencik" <paul@domain.elided>]

FIRST:
> Awww, save yourself some money do what I did. I put a K&N open cone
> air filter on my existing AFM on my Milano.

THEN:
> Fwiw, I believe that one of the benefits of the 325 AFM is a larger
> diameter throttle body, something which the K&N cone filter doesn't
> provide.

This make a lot of sense to me.  I've never done any back-to-back testing
with a Milano, but in my experience with other cars, the airbox itself has
almost never been a serious restriction to the intake airflow.  Generally
speaking, fitting a cone shaped K&N on an existing air flow meter will only
make the intake louder.

Sometimes, they can also make a few hp on a dyno at very high-RPM.
Generally right around maximum revs.  But such an improvement is very hard
to discern on the street.  Also, as mentioned, the cone filter is typically
drawing engine-heated underhood air under almost all normal driving
conditions, so the power and response can actually go DOWN with such a kit.

I helped design the original AutoThority "Power Stack" intake, which was one
of the first of this kind of modifcation.  We made them and sold them for
BMW 325, 330, 528, Porsche 944, 944 Turbo, VW Golf, etc.  They all sounded
cool (especially the 944 Turbo which would make that really rapid "whoop
whoop whoop" sound when the wastegate would open), but in reality, none of
them did much of anything in terms of actual power improvements.
Internally, we all started referring to the product not as "The Power
Stack", but rather "The Big Suck"...  Everyone except the company owner, of
course, who was more interested in selling products than selling good
products.

Nonetheless, people use to buy them like crazy, and they'd call back and
tell us how fast their car was with the Big Suck installed.  That sound
apparently made everyone THINK the car was faster...

Paul Misencik
P. Roman Media
Huntersville, NC  28078
email: paul@domain.elided
www.paoloroman.com
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