Hey ive just found this piece on a smoothed airbox vs the oe box.
http://forums.motivemag.com/zerothread?cmd=print&id=3155920
http://forums.motivemag.com/zerothread?cmd=print&id=3155920
Smoothed oe air filter box test
- Thread starter Mr.Blonde
- Start date
Thats not exactly a good example, ideally you'd need to lose the angled sides & make it more cylindrical to possibly see an improvement in airflow, of course less restrictive filter will aid, but he hasnt really made much a change to the airbox overall has he, has the same basic shape inside, so for me its a pointless exercise.
I thought I'd already given my opinion of how I would smooth an oe box, personally I'd just stick a CDA on there as I had on my S3, cylindrical & more direct airflow overall.
Each to there own, but I'd fill the corners to loose the angles, think like a skatepark curves, how a skater can move about the smooth sides better, then think if he could move about in that smoothed out box, you can see my POV, you'd just hit a flat surface, my analogy anyway
Each to there own, but I'd fill the corners to loose the angles, think like a skatepark curves, how a skater can move about the smooth sides better, then think if he could move about in that smoothed out box, you can see my POV, you'd just hit a flat surface, my analogy anyway
Effect
Registered User
yeh but this is the mod that loads of forum members have done, I very much doubt any of them wasted time making the airbox more cylindrical.
Look I'm not knocking there enthusiasm or hardwork, as I like to mod the car & do things like this if they have a worth of course, but:
So cause number of members have done, that makes it a mod that made so much difference, if the results above are to be believed & they seem fairly accurate, then it was a complete waste of time for all of them, if you ask me & making it more cylindrical may have assisted the airflow, so wouldnt say that was anymore wasted then doing it in the 1st place mate.
As I said each to there own, but the guy proved the airbox smoothing made no difference in that incarnation anyway, so pointless exercise
As I said its only IMHO, but you have to look at CAI's that seem to improve upon the oe boxes, eg CDA's, all the rounder/more cylindrical ones do make a minimal difference, the smoothing out of the oe box has done nothing to assist or would you say the guys tests are flawed?
But lets also be sensible here, all this talk of gains of 8-10hp from the change in these units is BS anyway as I proved with the CDA, they cant make that much difference IMHO, its been argued & discussed to death, I have my opinion, as do others have there's, which is why this guys test is good because its real world data, not pure speculation based on nothing.
It all sounds good to say my airbox is smoothed out, but does it make any difference to your car at all or is it just a sig addition to look/sound cool.
I'm not being funny just stating facts overall, his facts are clear, it doesnt make any difference & he openly admitted this, I see no point in doing these mods unless there's a difference, but there car so do as they want I say, just a members opinion on the matter.
So cause number of members have done, that makes it a mod that made so much difference, if the results above are to be believed & they seem fairly accurate, then it was a complete waste of time for all of them, if you ask me & making it more cylindrical may have assisted the airflow, so wouldnt say that was anymore wasted then doing it in the 1st place mate.
As I said each to there own, but the guy proved the airbox smoothing made no difference in that incarnation anyway, so pointless exercise
As I said its only IMHO, but you have to look at CAI's that seem to improve upon the oe boxes, eg CDA's, all the rounder/more cylindrical ones do make a minimal difference, the smoothing out of the oe box has done nothing to assist or would you say the guys tests are flawed?
But lets also be sensible here, all this talk of gains of 8-10hp from the change in these units is BS anyway as I proved with the CDA, they cant make that much difference IMHO, its been argued & discussed to death, I have my opinion, as do others have there's, which is why this guys test is good because its real world data, not pure speculation based on nothing.
It all sounds good to say my airbox is smoothed out, but does it make any difference to your car at all or is it just a sig addition to look/sound cool.
I'm not being funny just stating facts overall, his facts are clear, it doesnt make any difference & he openly admitted this, I see no point in doing these mods unless there's a difference, but there car so do as they want I say, just a members opinion on the matter.
i tend to look at this from a cost versus benefit perspective.... modding the airbox by removing fins is easy.... shaping it is tedious with questionable benefit, cylindrical CAI will no doubt be good....but IMO not worth the cost unless your trying to squeeze that 1 extra bhp
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I only think this is worth doing if you rip out the oem air feed in and put a 3" ram air pipe into the box. Now this is not easy to do as there isn't enough space for a 3" pipe in the engine bay unless you have a FMIC.
Yeah thats what ive done,ive ripped out the oe air feed and now have a 3inch duct from the bottom of the bumper up to the airbox which is smoothed out.Just going to get a green cotton panel filtet next.
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Ah yes I didn't notice you had an A3 so you would have room for a 3" pipe. Its the S3's passenger intercooler that gets in the way. Steve have you got VAGCOM to log before and after?
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Like I said above I think it is worth doing if you improve the induction which you've done. Let us know if there's much difference in sound and feel. It should be a bit louder and pickup should be sharper.
Yeah ive had it done for a while now mate and yeah ithink it picks up better,specialy on motorways that kind of thing.Just got to get a green cotton filter next.Oh i have the Silicone TIP hose to so that probs add's to.
