I think its just the question in particular that you asked. Its been asked before and lots of folks who've been down this path multiple times.

Its generally understood around here that stock air box = better than those attach on cone ones as they just end up sucking under-the-hood air which is normally warmer than the outside air.

Its your car and you are free to modify it to your hearts content and I support modifications. Most of my cars are modified to a degree or another.

Charlie's right though life does eventually get in the way of playing with cars. So do things while you have the time!

My only advice is that you change/clean that filter often and that you avoid K&N filters for the diesel's sake. I understand that they allow more air in but they sacrifice filtration to do so.

Good decissions are the one`s you make later after you have learned from all your bad decissions that looked like good one`s at the time.

we have all made them and done them, and if we had listened to our parents or other people that have gone before us, in a lot of ways it could have save us some frustrations in life.

Do I listen, heck no, I have to try things also that some one told me would do such and such a would do so and so. some day I`ll wise up too, better hurry up pretty quick, 69 is getting close. :eek:

Enjoy your car, and have fun with it iam not criticizing you, don`t take it that way.

One thing you can do with the K&N style filters is buy some batting. they sell it at the yardage stores by the yard. make a cover over the filter and then spray it with the K&N oil. it would be a prefilter, then change it and wash or make a new one. hot glue the edges together and it would be like a sock.


Charlie

I do like the looks of the engine bay with the non-OE filter. Seeing the turbo is pleasing.

I get that. And I definitely know one day the car will be low on my priorities. Well, lower. I already do quite a lot. And there will only be more to do as time goes on. haha

Yeah, I avoid K&N Filters like the plauge. Although, this one may not be too far off. I will probably look into a paper cone filter like vstech recommended.

I gotcha now. Sorry for how I reacted. I do hope you get to have your fun with your car as much as possible, other circumstances allowing. haha

Interesting idea on the K&N filter sock, I definitely might look into that. Thanks!
Same here. I just think it looks nice. Cleans up the engine bay, makes a lot of things much more accesible, and just looks cool over all. I do suppose it's not for everyone, but then again, neither is the stock assembly.

I feel like the "warm" air difference is so negligible that as long as you use a good filter, a DIY intake is better in every way.

I'm still deciding how I'm gonna collect that nasty, oily blowby. I don't like the idea of it going right back into my intake elbow and making a mess of the elbow and the turbo impellor like the stock setup.

Also, what did everyone do with the drain tube back down to the pan?

I suppose you could always take advantage of the tube since its there. Just route your blow by down it.

does not compute. turbo_whine=pure_sex

If the temp differential was actually negligible, MB and every other manufacturer wouldn't have made every effort to draw their intake air from outside the engine compartment. MB even made their own specially vented fenders for most 124 diesel engines exactly for this purpose.

As for a catch can, I soldered in a nipple onto the turbo oil drain in order to re-route the captured oil back into the pan. I used a good old fashioned 240D catch can. Try this for a sleek alternative

I was reading about diverting some of the blow by oil into a cannister and then read that the the stock air box has kind of a turbo separator that spins the oil out and puts it back into the crankcase. Sounded like a good idea.

and they put the air filter assembly right smack dab on top of the turbo which can get so hot that it glows red & white, but oh, that's not heating the intake air. *rolleyes*

If your 617 turbo is glowing red (or white), you have a problem.

I'm hardly a fan of the federal air cleaner assembly for a variety of reasons, but if you're going to make a modification to any given system, I advocate a "do no harm" approach as a first order of business. At least the MB system attempts to draw cool air into the intake stream. Those expensive ebay hot air systems just remove the cool air stream altogether and promote the intake of heat for the sake of style--> function follows form. The Cal-spec intake systems do an excellent job of setting the air cleaner aside and gathering cool air...too bad the cleaner element is so bloody expensive.

might need a bigger turbo.

fixed.

... editing words into someone's quoted text is against the rules... I'll FIX your fix...

can you explain how a bigger turbo would lower egt's ?

I'm no turbo expert, but I thought more power made heat...

unless you mean that a turbo spooling differently or fueling differently would lower egt's

I know that overfueling will cause more heat, so adding extra air to existing fuel could lower temps...
explain your reasoning please, thanks!