I came across this kit on ebay. Has anyone tried one? Do you guys think it is an "improvement" over factory or does it have any potential dangers to the engine?

I'm not planning on buying but have always wondered if K&N air filters really make any difference.

Ebay Intake Kit Link

If you look at your current set up, the air intake is at the leading edge of the hood.

The "Performance one" sucks in the hot air under the hood, plus K&N allow too much dirt to pass through.

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

One of the longest discussed ones here. Stick to stock and get a WIX filter. Unless you plan on going bigger turbo+IC etc.

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http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

This is not going to help NA engines. On the 617.95x, that is properly tuned, you'll notice a big increase in power from 60-100 mph and better fuel mileage.

$150 is way too much. You can put one together for under $50 but you have to locate the parts. I found mine as a cast off from my brother.

K&N filters need to have a light coating of oil. Then they will protect as good or better than the stock filter. Once or twice a year I do a 10 minute cleaning and re-oiling.

K&N takes advantage of the pressurized cool air inside the engine compartment while the car is moving. The intake is many times larger, and much more efficient, than the tiny stock MB scoop.

I've used this setup on both of my 617.95x's and the difference over 60 mph is substantial.

You are about to hear much disagreement following this message. Real world testing makes all this background noise to me.

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83 300D 328k mi (623) Light Ivory - daily driver
82 300D 166k mi (881) Thisle Green - fixer upper
82 300D 282k mi (473) Champagne - parts

I suppose that you've mounted a remote thermometer there, to see this "cool air." What sort of temperature do you see there while driving? How does this compare to the temperature in the intake when using the stock system? And finally, does this translate to a difference in temperature post-turbo?
Somehow, I doubt that you have made careful measurements before and after, as I doubt that you made any of the measurements above. The car will make more noise (especially from the turbo) with one of these things. That alone fools many people into thinking that they have more power.
Right. Forget what I wrote above.

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83 300D 328k mi (623) Light Ivory - daily driver
82 300D 166k mi (881) Thisle Green - fixer upper
82 300D 282k mi (473) Champagne - parts

That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. First off its LOWER pressure in the eng compartment. It is also hotter. Lower pressure + hotter air = crappy performance at speed. Also ever drive thru a big puddle with one of these?

K&N also makes a sotck fit filter, I wonder why they would do that?

I will certainly agree that purolator filters are gonna suck in comparison. I've got one in my car and you can feel it dog down once the CFM really gets going.

Do you wash and oil your filter every week?

__________________
http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

I'll let you think about thisn for a minute. It's hard to believe anyone can be this naive.

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83 300D 328k mi (623) Light Ivory - daily driver
82 300D 166k mi (881) Thisle Green - fixer upper
82 300D 282k mi (473) Champagne - parts

Maybe you need to engage YOUR brain cells. No one has documented any performance gains with a better flowing air filter on a Benz diesel. And there is plenty of data that shows K&N passes more dirt. So until you document your claims, be prepared for ridicule.

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'83 240D with 617.952 and 2.88
'01 VW Beetle TDI
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD
'89 Toyota 4x4, needs 2L-T
'78 280Z with L28ET - 12.86@110
Oil Burner Kartel #35

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...oD/bioclip.jpg

No one documented that the world was not flat at one time.

Luddites will be Luddites.

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83 300D 328k mi (623) Light Ivory - daily driver
82 300D 166k mi (881) Thisle Green - fixer upper
82 300D 282k mi (473) Champagne - parts

You can have a low pressure area and a higher ambient temp? How is this naive? Oh wait let me guess, plasma in a vacuum is cool to the touch?

Also for the record I have already done the cone filter route. Works great until the turbo get red hot, then performance drops and runs like a dog. Great in winter, crap in 103 degree Atlanta traffic jams.

__________________
http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

banter aside.. german engineers originally had good design.
there was someone (from pacific nw, originally referenced in one of the many threads on the topic)
that did do a "real" world study and found under normal operating conditions,
the intakes passed more paticulate comparatively to marginal performance gains..
but after seeing the finns use them on their super617, cannot argue with the modification at that level.

i installed a cone filter on a short ram. I did notice a slight boost in power before the turbo kicked in. Problem was, there was nowhere for me to connect my PCV hose. Tried cheap catch cans, did not help because of the amount of oil that passes through there. There was a $150 one on ebay but it didn't seem worthwhile to me.

I bought a brand new stock filter, and threw the stock filter housing back in. I didn't really notice the decrease in power when I went back. Probably the clean filter.

There are plenty of other less controversial ways to tweak a w123.

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1985 MB 300D/T

Fell off the WVO bandwagon when people started trying to charge $2.50 a gallon for dirty vegetable oil.

that was the funniest line of the whole thread.

Let us know how that magic magnet on a fuel line gives 20% better fuel mileage, too.



Don't forget about the fifteen to twenty percent HP gain from the big "fart can" ricer muffler.



I am sure that these three mods will allow everyone to justify the oft-repeated Ebay claim that "...these cars have been known to reach the one million mile mark, no problem!"



Snake oil is snake oil. There are SOME areas where one can improve on what the boys in Stuttgart designed decades ago. This air intake is not one of them.