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  #31  
Old 11-01-2003, 10:52 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Evansville, Indiana
Posts: 8,150
There are other considerations beyond just stuffing air down the intake, after all!

Racing applications aren't usually be best compromise for street use -- I've got a twenty somthing buddy with a naked K&N on his Honda -- I certainly hope it's well protected from splash, otherwise he's likely to suck a slug of water down too. Not very healthy for the engine. Most racing systems don't have to deal with water or snow -- only the LeMans type racing is done reguardless of weather, and I'll bet they have "restrictive" air filter housings of some sort to keep water out!

Part of what the "restrictive" air filter housing does is keep water out....

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!
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  #32  
Old 11-02-2003, 12:16 AM
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I've said it before, more air, more dust/dirt, more engine wear. K &N filters are a real........... Save your money.
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  #33  
Old 11-02-2003, 11:24 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Montreal, Quebec
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A lot of pseudo-experts are under the impression that whatever is used on race cars must be good on street cars.
Most Benz already have a very efficient air intake system and unless you constantly operate the engine in the upper RPM range (over 5,000RPM), any change to the air intake system will always be either for cosmetic reasons or to give the impression of added power through more noise.
K&N has put together a very effective marketing campaign and has convinced a lot of people of their superiority. However, I still have to read one single serious professional opinion/test proving a K&N adds any benefit a well designed basic air induction system for street application.
Claims of perceptible added power and increase MPG of 2-3MPG following the addition of a K&N filter are nothing more than street rumors and fairy tales.
jackd
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  #34  
Old 11-02-2003, 11:50 AM
Benzmeister's Avatar
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Chicopee, Ma
Posts: 138
Water and K&N

I also owned a 98 Z3 4 Cylinder, I went to Dinan for there performance upgrades, there CAI replaces the stock airbox and tubes up to the MAS. There cone filter runs down behind the fog lights but has a water proof cover that is washable to cover the filter. I also had a bored out throttle body and a stage 3 CPU download, this car could keep its own with the small 6 cylinder Z3's. The guy who bought the car from me hasn't had any problems with the CAI and uses the car as a daily driver. :p
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1999 C280 54K miles
1979 450 SLC 144K miles
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  #35  
Old 11-02-2003, 08:19 PM
Black129
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This will be my last post on the subject. The K&n Filter it self as an add-on may not add 2-3 mpg but the CAI will. Just to clear up the street rumors I have a solid test that will clear this up. I have made about 20 round trips to and from Chicago to a town outside of Des Moines(IA) and the oneway trip was 308 miles. We would stop in Iowa City(GO HAWKS!!!) 225 miles in on the trip to fill up on gas becasue the Fuel light would come on or would was about ready to . I did this trip about 9 times(Spring, summer, fall, winter, windy, rainy conditions). I added the K&N FIPK kit and now for some strange reason I was able to get all the way(308) miles before the fuel light would come on. Now this being true how did this happen? Did the car some how just get better gas milage when this was the only real factor that changed and that is the CAI.

Plus I used to have to fill up once a week going to and from work (same route for 3 years) and now I fill up every week and a half. To me these are hard facts..... well it really doesn't matter there is no way you can tell me that the CAI does not work, when I have STREET prove results.

To Iowa
1) speeds 70-80 mph
2) gas: 87 octane (only number I have ever put in the car)
3)traffic moderate to heavy in chicago and ligh once you clear the Chicagoland area.
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  #36  
Old 11-02-2003, 08:28 PM
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Black129. I would never run less than 91 in any gas powered mercedes. If you want your car to be quick try the Nitrous kit by Bergwerks, current application is the 500E, which is the same engine you have.

The factory box location with K&N filters is far better than a cone filter in the engine compartment. K&Ns help maybe a little, but they catch a lot more particles and they are farily easy to clean.

One of my friends had a cone filter behind the front bumper like how 2phast did it on his old C36, and she hydrolocked her motor, if that was a benz motor that would be $$$$.

Hot air intakes are a different story.
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Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.
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  #37  
Old 11-02-2003, 08:48 PM
Black129
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Omegabenz. The car that I am talking about is a 90 Nissan eXterra. My SL500 doesn't see less that 91. I am not necessarly talking about the CAI or less restrictive air intake on a benz. I am using the knowledge that I have gained installing these on cars to back up the benefit of have CAI or less restrictive intakes. As for a person who hydrolocks an engine because the driving in the rain ... i have a feeling that they were in water deep enough to get the snorkle submerged in the water. In that case that is the risk you take by putting a kit like this on. If you look at the K&n FIPK kits you will see what they do to minimise the hydrolock situation.

As a whole most automobile manufactures produce very poor fuel/hp engines. I am NOT SAYING MERCEDES falls into this group but this is again a general statement. As anyone who is a drag racer or car tunner can tell you how to get cheep and easy horsepower. By cheep and easy horsepower I am talking bolt-ons and not internal items. I get this cheep HP by 1) more air, 2)better spark, 3) less restrictive exhaust.

Another thing that I usually do to my friends cars who ask for better mpg or horsepower(cheep that is) is to also increase there ignition systems. Take a Jeep grand cherokee. There iginition systems has about 16,000 volt coil. Now when I had my Jeep I would get 14/16 mpg when it was stock. The first thing i did was add an ACCEL 45,000 volt coil with an MSD 5 ignition module, running through 9mm wires and added a K&N FIPK air intake. By adding these few modification I could get 18/22 depending on how I would drive. The car personality totally changed and had a ton more power. Just to prove that I was not nuts i got my friend who had the same jeep 5.2 Grand cherokee and when out to the country road outside of Joliet and did a few 1/4 mile passes. I beat him by about 5-6 jeep lengths on every pass and I don't think that reaction time was that big of an advantage. Enought of my rants......... Got to go change the plugs on the SL500.
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  #38  
Old 11-02-2003, 08:53 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,473
Dont use a locking extention trying to take the plugs out, that was once a mistake of mine, It was so hard to get it out of a back hole. Also I put a dab of antisieze just on the last couple threads going into the head, not too much otherwise they might back out. Sometimes they are very difficult to get out. Don't use platinum plugs, they dont work very well with that engine.

I think the 500SL with 2 K&Ns in the airbox would be fine. Because those two hoses already bring in cold air from infront of the radiator. I think that benz's already have cold air intake.

Best luck,
__________________
Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.
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  #39  
Old 11-04-2003, 04:29 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NJ
Posts: 362
Some time back in another thread about CAI, there was one particular member, not having any personal experience with CAI, debated with me relentlessly and even made some childlish remarks about my CAI. My point is, from my personal experience, CAI not only increased hp, usually around 10hp, it definitely improved the mileage I don't know why some people like to argue about something they have no experience with it. I, for one, would not commend on something, particularly car performance parts, unless I have had personal experience with it. Humility augments learning experience
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2003 E500 BlackOpal/Charcoal

2004 Infiniti G35X
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  #40  
Old 11-14-2003, 09:32 AM
ThrillBilly
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hey mike, keep chasing the dream, if all else fails:

craftsman supercharger (yep, its a leafblower)
Attached Thumbnails
Cold air intake question.-leafblower.jpg  
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  #41  
Old 11-14-2003, 10:14 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: secret
Posts: 3,044
Quote:
Originally posted by ThrillBilly
hey mike, keep chasing the dream, if all else fails:

craftsman supercharger (yep, its a leafblower)
I tried the LBS (leaf blower supercharger). It only creates airspeed to 125 MPH, so after that speed is reached it really doesn't help. Besides, it takes a half mile of extension cords, which is a real pain!!
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  #42  
Old 11-14-2003, 12:05 PM
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Posts: 613
I agree that the OE Mercedes intake is hard to beat and the lack of room (W201/W124) really prevents any type of aftermarket cold air intake.

On my Corvette, I replaced the stock air intake system with a cold air intake. I have before/after dyno runs which show a net rwhp increase of 17 hp. The CAI's do work but they need to be executed correctly.

A open element filter in the engine bay will ingest hotter air and result in a loss of torque/power. I built a quasi-cold air intake using a heat shielded air filter placed in close proximity to the grill opening (to minimize ingesting hot air). I used a Radio Shack temp monitor to get a reading of the inside of the stock air intake system and the inside of the air intake I fabricated. The net result was that the air intake I made had air temps 8-10 degrees higher than the stock air intake system.
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  #43  
Old 11-14-2003, 12:16 PM
Black129
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2phast- I also fabricated a heat sheild for some of the CIA i have installed. One thing that I did in the Xterra that I installed a CIA(which had a heat shield) was to remove the iintake silencer from the fender. The air silencer was mounted in the driver's side fender and had a connection to the stock airbox. From here I connected a tube to the spot where the old air silencer mounted and ran the hose behind the bumper. From here I fabricated a scoop(mocked it off a wide shopvac vacume attachment) and attached it so it was scooping air from behind the bumper. I then took a leaf blower and from about 3 feet from the bumper and let her rip. you could feel the air comming throught the tube in the engine compartment. The nice thing about this is that it helps provide cooler air and elimates the chances of hydorlocking the engine if the new scoop ever is submerged in water.
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  #44  
Old 12-13-2003, 05:22 AM
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Posts: 3,473
No more ghetto rigged cold air intake

Attn: 2phast

Scoop
107.042
MB Part number
000 094 3011
for 107 280SL

Bellow
MB part number
110 094 07 91
Mann 39 000 40 988

So basically this is how it works, you take off your air cleaner on your 190E or 300E with the M103, M102 engine, and then you put the scoop on, which is an MB part, and then the bellow you put that on, then you can hook up your k&n cone filter without that stupid dryer / ricey piping. So you have all OE stuff.

So whoever does this first, post pictures! I went through the trouble to look through the junk yards with my friend until we could find the parts...so there you go.
__________________
Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.
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  #45  
Old 12-13-2003, 05:32 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Charlotte, NCizzle
Posts: 238
here is the intake setup on my 400e

http://500ecstasy.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=295

http://500ecstasy.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=265

major performance difference, but not until i removed foglights

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1993 400e
Charlotte
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