Is the K+N COld AIr Kit for the CObra Really Worth It? ONe Q MMFF didnt consider

Miklowcic · Apr 22, 2004

For anyone that didnt read the article yet in the most recent Muscle Mustang Fast Ford Issue. THey dyno tested K+Ns Cold Air kit for the 03-04 Cobra. The kit claimed 30hp and it just about got it.

I was thinking about getting the kit, but then I thought about my dyno numbers. I had the silencer removed and a drop in K+N filter and my car dynoed 389 at the rear wheels Thats the same result as the magazine has from the much more expensive K+N COld Air Kit. They achieved 389 at the rear with the kit.

The kit looks cool, but im sure the filter will get dirty more quickly than mine does inside the stock air box and again I got the same results..so i guess i wont waste the money.....

So before spending the money, consider that the same numbers can be achieved from a drop in K+N air filter with no silencer. Why bother buying the cold air kit?

Saleen4971 · Apr 22, 2004

from what i've heard, the 03-04 cobra stock dyno has a big range. it might be that your cobra came with a higher rating form teh factory than the one they tested. or you coudl be right, but the FIPK is $$$....well, more $$$ than i want to spend on an intake. for my car its almsot 250$!!!!!

Morpheusgpr · Apr 22, 2004

I am looking for a good intake on my 2001. Once my CC plates go in this weekend I will know for sure if my strut bar can stay or go to let them fit. After that I am planning to order the densencharger 85mm Pro-M maf and they said it will fit like the maf forward or something but not all the way to the TB? They claim the vast majority of power is gained from the portion that will fit on my car and only 2hp more from the rest off the results they got so its better it get the lower half anyways.

RedSquad7 · Apr 22, 2004

Morpheusgpr said:
I am looking for a good intake on my 2001. Once my CC plates go in this weekend I will know for sure if my strut bar can stay or go to let them fit. After that I am planning to order the densencharger 85mm Pro-M maf and they said it will fit like the maf forward or something but not all the way to the TB? They claim the vast majority of power is gained from the portion that will fit on my car and only 2hp more from the rest off the results they got so its better it get the lower half anyways.

I have a DenseCharger on my '03, i'm satisfied so far. The part you are talking about is the intake hose/tube from the MAF to the Throttle Body. When i spoke with Demolet, who makes these- He explained that the replacement hose/tube doesnt yield significant gains for all applications.

DanScan · Apr 23, 2004

I have dense-charger on my 01. It worked great for 160 bucks. Reved up faster and alittle bit of seat of the pants feel when downshifting. Oh the nice sucking sound when stabbing the throttle is cool too. Also compared to metal ones the DenseCharger is noticably cooler after running it. Then i got slammed by an SUV. But it was fun.

99SVTAddict · Apr 23, 2004

That test was done at Alternative Auto where I live....Lidio has done all the work on my car. You have to keep in mind....they did a true before and after test. Like someone else here already said....you may have been making more power than others from the start. No way to tell without a before and after.

Now, if you guys think $250 or $300 for 25-30RWHP is too expensive I don't know what to tell you. That's $10 per horse power basically....and that's to the GROUND. Sounds like a complete steal to me.

admdavs · Apr 23, 2004

99SVTAddict has it right- I literally just got off the K & N website and I am pretty convinced the FIPK is the way to go- sure it is a little more expensive than just a drop-in, but $10 per HP is well worth it in my book. Besides- if the money is too much- as it is not chump-change for me, save for a month or two and go with the higher end part- the wait is well worth the reward

Miklowcic · Apr 23, 2004

info

i guess as someone stated above...it could be that my car just put out more power from the start...but i tend to believe that thats not the case.

There's not much difference between pulling out your silencer and installing a drop in K+N VS the cold air kit with just gets rid of your air box and i think has a bigger filter...

AGain my point was that my car dynoed at 389HP at the rear wheels with just a K+N Drop in air filter and the silencer removed. I also hear more whine.... I never dynoed it without the K+N drop in and removed silencer so I cant know for sure.. Still I believe...well it's my guess.... that the expensive kit adds the same power as a drop in filter $50 and no silencer. This has to be true...unless my car just came with more power than others which is possible but i dont think so..

If you want to save money...dyno your car completely stock and then add a drop in K+N and pull out the silencer.. I bet you get the same result as you will with the expensive Kit reviewed in MMFF.....

99SVTAddict · Apr 23, 2004

Not argueing with you, but pointing out facts here.

You are "guessing". You can't argue this point as you have an "after" dyno number. Yes you put down 389RWHP (no one argues this), but you have no direct proof of what you were putting down before. It could have been 375RWHP, therefore you have a gain of 14RWHP.

If this were to be a valid argument, you would have to go get 2 new dyno pulls...1 with the stock intake in place, and the second with the silensor removed with the drop in K&N.

I have no doubt at all that you picked up HP with what you did...but I won't believe that you got as much as you would have with the full kit. Without proof, we will never know.

Final point....a dyno number is just a calculated guess. The same car with the same mods will/can get different numbers from 1 day to the next. Especially on a blown car. I got 492RWHP from my car when finished....then 2 months later on a cooler day it put down 514RWHP....all SAE corrected. That's why a back to back comparision is better proof.

Snake03 · Apr 23, 2004

Miklowcic said:
i guess as someone stated above...it could be that my car just put out more power from the start...but i tend to believe that thats not the case.

There's not much difference between pulling out your silencer and installing a drop in K+N VS the cold air kit with just gets rid of your air box and i think has a bigger filter...

A bigger filter has more surface area and will flow more air, assuming that the filters are made of the same material. The filter that comes with the FIPK is way bigger than the stock filter, and also significantly bigger than the K&N that will fit in the stock airbox. And....the stock airbox itself is going to cause some loss of flow. I have a hard time beliving that the air flow from removing the silencer and using a drop in filter is equal to the flow from the FIPK.

Now, as far as the dyno horsepower goes.......all the numbers tell you is that on that particular car, on that particular dyno, on that particular day resulted in a 30HP increase. Based on what I've seen over the past year most stock Cobras are going to pull somewhere between 365 and 385 rwhp, with an average of about 375. It's entirely possible that your specific car could indeed be 15-20 rwhp more than the magazine tester. There is always going to be variation on results based on the car, the dyno, testing conditions and the operator.

Bottom line: I don't think you have enough information to draw the conclusion that you have.

FYI: All I have on my car is a Magnaflow catback and the K&N FIPK. On three pulls I averaged 405 rwhp. (Don't have a baseline before the mods). Based on the manufacturers claims, their before and after pulls, and a probable starting point of ~375, that 405 seems about right, and maybe a tad low.

Uncle Meat · Apr 23, 2004

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... it's all due to the Magical Velocity Donut!

I've run stock with snorkle removed, with a drop-in, with the 1st gen DC, with the 2nd gen DC, and now the K&N Air Charger. The K&N FIPK for the 03/04 Cobra is THE BEST CAI out there for the price in my opinion. I paid $160 for mine and that included shipping.

In case you're wondering... the K&N Air Charger is basically the same as the K&N FIPK, exceptions are the Air Charger had a solid aluminum velocity donut where the FIPK has a plastic one. Additionally, the FIPK has been C.A.R.B. certified and the Air Chharger is not.

U.M.

MystiChrome Coupe · Apr 23, 2004

Uncle Meat said:
I've said it before, and I'll say it again... it's all due to the Magical Velocity Donut!

I've run stock with snorkle removed, with a drop-in, with the 1st gen DC, with the 2nd gen DC, and now the K&N Air Charger. The K&N FIPK for the 03/04 Cobra is THE BEST CAI out there for the price in my opinion. I paid $160 for mine and that included shipping.

In case you're wondering... the K&N Air Charger is basically the same as the K&N FIPK, exceptions are the Air Charger had a solid aluminum velocity donut where the FIPK has a plastic one. Additionally, the FIPK has been C.A.R.B. certified and the Air Chharger is not.

U.M.

What, no Homer pic?

I got the plastic one. I haven't installed it yet, gonna get a base dyno, then put my FR500 on then the K&N.

I researched which CAI I was going to use for over a week, ended up going with the K&N. If I didn't mind the in the fender type I would've got the JLT one.

Uncle Meat · Apr 24, 2004

MystiChrome Coupe said:
What, no Homer pic?

I got the plastic one. I haven't installed it yet, gonna get a base dyno, then put my FR500 on then the K&N.

I researched which CAI I was going to use for over a week, ended up going with the K&N. If I didn't mind the in the fender type I would've got the JLT one.

Can I ask why you chose the FR500 exhaust? Not too many people running that system on the 03/04's.

U.M.

MystiChrome Coupe · Apr 24, 2004

Uncle Meat said:
Can I ask why you chose the FR500 exhaust? Not too many people running that system on the 03/04's.

U.M.

Sure, I had it on my '01 Cobra & when I traded it in I kept it along with a magnaflow catted X pipe. I couldn't see letting them go with the car when they will bolt right on to the '04. I don't want a real loud setup, that's why I went with the FR500 on the '01 in the first place. I have noticed hardly anyone has this catback on thier 03/04's.

Uncle Meat · Apr 24, 2004

MystiChrome Coupe said:
Sure, I had it on my '01 Cobra & when I traded it in I kept it along with a magnaflow catted X pipe. I couldn't see letting them go with the car when they will bolt right on to the '04. I don't want a real loud setup, that's why I went with the FR500 on the '01 in the first place. I have noticed hardly anyone has this catback on thier 03/04's.

Oh, okay. You were recycling your exhaust from the '01, how very earth friendly of you! Cheaper than buying a new system too! Wish I would have done that with my GT...

U.M.

Snake03 · Apr 24, 2004

Uncle Meat said:
Oh, okay. You were recycling your exhaust from the '01, how very earth friendly of you! Cheaper than buying a new system too! Wish I would have done that with my GT...

U.M.

When I got the '04 last month I did the same thing. Took both cars to the local muffler shop, replaced the stock exhaust on the '03, put the Magnaflow CB on the '04, and put the stock '04 CB up in the attic.

wjfawb0 · Apr 24, 2004

I like the bigger filter and donut like Uncle Meat said. I am satisfied with mine.

schteve · Apr 26, 2004

Will A CAi trip the check engine light without having to buy a Chip or flash the stock one? One guy said it might trip it cuz the computer thinks it is running too lean..Tnks

tfritz · Apr 26, 2004

I'm still running with the stock filter; never touched it. I've never been convinced of any significant gain from an after market CAI on the N/A '01 Cobra. But I've always had my eye on the K&N FIPK.

wjfawb0 · Apr 26, 2004

schteve said:
Will A CAi trip the check engine light without having to buy a Chip or flash the stock one? One guy said it might trip it cuz the computer thinks it is running too lean..Tnks

I am not going to say it won't, but I and several of my friends and internet acquaintances have installed one without a tune and got no light. I ran mine for about 3,500 miles with just the K&N aircharger before getting pullied and tuned. It is always good to get a dyno pull with air/fuel ratio anytime you start to mod, though. Your car could be the one out of a 100 that has a lean condition up top on the stock tune.

-Jason

Is the K+N COld AIr Kit for the CObra Really Worth It? ONe Q MMFF didnt consider

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