All right guys, i know i know, the HKS filters are probably the worst filters but let say that i learned it a little too late and since they cost so much, i didn’t want to throw them in the garbage so i will use them until i go single. All i have left is to do a box around them so that i only get air from the headlight cover, not the warm air of the engine. The production of the box or heat shield is on its way. If i would have known sooner, i would have get Apexi filter but...

 

Here you can see where i relocated my fan relays with a custom bracket.

I just wanted to share in case people would like to do the same thing, i know it is not fun to pay 250$ just for two aluminium pipes, mine cost 60$ and around 40$ in silicone couplers plus the price of the filters of course. That is why i decided to do it myself

 

oh and i will get the pipes polished this winter to get rid of the weld and the sanded part around it.

 

hey, that looks real nice. Did you do the custom bending? What kinda material are the pipes made of?

 

they are aluminium pipes that i bought already bent. In fact, it is a civic intake which i used, there was some bend already made so i took the ones i needed and welded them together so that it fits how i wanted.

i also had to do a custom bracket to fit the first turbo, you know, the plastic thing on the front where the curvy rubber pipes usually plug? (the front turbo)

 

Don't worry about what people say about the HKS filters because all most of them do is say things about them based on some test throwing rocks at it. Sure, even I'll admit that the sponge isn't the greatest idea and eventually a piece of sand could weave it's way through, but I think the HKS filters have an overly artificial bum rap in this country because too many people surf the internet for their car knowledge instead of living in the world themselves. Not to say this is the reason for my choice in HKS, but HKS is really the only broadscale tuning company covering many platforms that actually develops and produces its own parts. If something were really so wrong with the filter relative to the rest of the marketplace, then HKS would've done something about it. More often than not, it's the unmistakable HKS filter that you see on the big garage cars in Japan (if you see a filter at all).

 

heck, most japanese guys run without a filter. Looks really good :thumbsup:

 

I was thinking of switching to the HKS RS but that's a future mod down the road. Anyhow, the problem with the foam isn't lack of filtering ability, it's that they dry out. Yes, you can keep on top of it and replace them but with the extreme heat of the turbo rotary how often is that?

Anyhow, HKS now sells metal mesh filters. Yes, the same as Blitz. So my idea was to use the HKS RS and replace the filters with the metal ones. This will be extremely expensive for an intake but I like the idea.

 

Hey Puma, nice headlight cover....maybe I should've kept it hehe JK

 

hehe not bad heh? it is not even painted yet. can you recognize the silicon couplers too?

thanks for the help ted

 

Wow, that cover looks painted in the pics. BTW, excellent job on that intake ! Talk to you soon.

 

why im choosing apexi.


http://www.gtrowner.com/induction.html

 

Make sure you read at the bottom:

"It is questionable how accurate the original source of data is, as HKS are proven to sell more induction kits than any one of the others featured in the test, and yet there induction kit rates as the worst kit in the test. This suggests that either HKS rely upon their brand name to sell their 'poorly' manufactured air filters, or that the original Japanese test was nothing more than a PR stunt to promote the lesser known equipment. HKS and Blitz continue to be the best selling induction kits in the UK, and are used by Middlehursts, Hiteq and Abbey Motorsport as their first choice when the induction kit modification is carried out."

They didn't get their own data....

 

Wow, your custom kit looks better than mine...but mine isn't aluminum either. Just steel.

Now I'm runnin NO air filters...About to go single!

 

after 6 months of having the filters.. the inside of the pipes are still clean and free of dust. filters are dirty and not disentegrating.

dyno'ed my car with and without the filters. 0-2hp gain without the filters.

never dynoe'd the car with the stock airbox.

unless you can duplicate that vacum test yourself. go with whatever floats your boat.

 

Hey, the pix look good, but I would suggest that you get cold air from more than just your headlight cover duct. Look at the cross-sectional area of that little headlight duct, compared to the cross-sectional area of the two turbo intake pipes you want to feed. If you have room, I suggest also taking air from the area on the left side of the radiator (where Pettit, M2, and others design their airbox intakes to take in air).

 

I have the RE Amemiya Foam Filter and I get the same crap from people telling me that the filter doesn't filter, but my filter is always clean on the inside.
I also built a custom air box for and I am in the process of building another one from aluminum. As with all open element filters, the radiator blows directly on the filter.
My air box pulls from the side of the radiator as well. I'll post a pic as soon as I find one.

 

Mahjik, i never read the conclusion thanks for bringing it to my attention, but im still going with APEXi.

 

No problem. It's just that most people never read the bottom and just look at the rest of the page. I wish someone would do a REAL test.

Oh well, the Blitz was my first choice but it was on backorder. My next choice was the Apexi, it too was on backorder. So, I ened up with the HKS. I haven't had any problems. I change the filters when I change the oil.

 

hmm i like the idea, anyone has a pic of the place he is talking close to the radiator, i ain't sure i understand, sorry, i have never seen an m2 or pettit intake.

thanks a lot

puma

 

i made mine with k&n cone filters and crush bent exhaust pipes..they dont look as pretty as yours, but they get the job done..i need to make a heat sheild thou...cuz i'm sure its sucking in hot air

 

here is a pic of my home made intake.

http://www.keezer.ca/P1010231.jpg


here is a side shot

http://www.keezer.ca/P1010232.JPG

 

HKS always gets a bad wrap. I think the filters look good. Your headlight cover looks good too(looks painted to me).

 

im just about to undertake the same DIY mod. I went to the auto shop today, measured up some tubes and will set off about my business hopefully tomorrw.

I have a Question for you however. I have purchased small filters to block up the air pump and the other pipe next to the UIM, however i'm not sure what to do with the other 2 pipes, the pipes with the bleed valves.

In other setup, i have seen the bleed valve pipes (1 per turbo) put back into the intake pipes. Is there any other way to go about this? Can i put a filter on those or will it upset the tuning/make it backfire?

Litte lost here..