So what exactly did your G35 run if it was faster than a Z? Last I remember, you never got your G35 to the strip. You always talked about going, but there was always some excuse as to why you couldn't make it. Beating guys on the street is a worthless comparison and I hope that you're not alluding to something like that.

I'm posting ETs within 0 to .3 seconds of the NA modded 350Zs at my track and all I had at the time was a Z-pipe. They all have intakes (most have CAIs), exhausts, and some with spacers/plenums. Truth of the matter is I'm just a better driver them.

 

No, the Stillen cone filter is too big to fit in the stock airbox. The Stillen airbox looks similar to stock from the top but if you saw it off the car you would see the the entire fender side is open. It is not a total enclosure like the stock airbox.

 

Well put Rick. Have you guys noted the 2k to 35k rpm torque upset the long tube CAI tend to cause on many G35s and 350Zs?

As for the latest wisdom from the Clueless ex-Maxima owner, it's another example of bad mouthin' a product he's never tested. Maybe he should change his title to Clueless G35 owner.

 

I agree Earl. And I believe everyone else agree's here with you.

 

Long tube CAI's have their place - if your modded well enough and have the bottom end to compensate for it.

Short tubes - will sacrifice 1-2HP at the top and keep the 3-4HP and the bottom and mid you'll lose with long tubes...better overall solution.

If your modded out - like cams, etc, have the bottom end, long tube is the way to go.

Rick

 

The Stillen Intake however does not loose power throughout the power band including up high. Long tubes still cause turbulence even if your modded out and will still cause a loss in power than a normal Stillen/JWT intake would.

 

Rick,

I'm curious about something and don't take this as an insult, but it's a fact that long tube or runners are used to develop low rpm power. The runners will stack columns of air which which is great for low to midrange performance, however once the rpms rise, the stacked air becomes a restriction and hampers upper performance technically choking the motor's ability to breath. Short ram style runners do the exact opposite. They cause soft low rpm performance, but they tend to come alive as the rpms as air movement increase. What you're alluding to goes against the accepted physics of runner tuning.

Great examples include:

1) The L98 350 used in the old Iroc/TA F-bodies. The runners were super long (about 20") and the car delivered hefty low rpm torque, but the motor ran out of steam at 4700rpms and went south at 5000rpms.

2) The LT1 replaced the L98 in the 1993 F-Body and 1992 C4. The LT1 had a revised intake manifold that included 40% shorter runners. Low rpm torque was cut down by about 5-10% from 1000-4000rpms, but HP was significantly higher plus the motor made peak power at 5200rpms and held on decently until 5500rpms.

3) In 1997/1998 GM unleashed the entirely new LS1 to replace the aging "350". The LS1 had an entirely new block/head configuration that netted it increased low rpm power. The LS1 intake manifold had shorter runners than the LT1 manifold, but new block/head design compensated for the low rpm torque loss associated with the higher flowing manifold. What GM delivered was a V8 with astounding low rpm power and a wallop of a topend charge. By the seat of the pants, the LS series feels doggish because of it's super flat and broad torque curve, but it just keeps pulling. On the track, the LS cars were a solid .4-.6 seconds and 3-5mph faster than their LT1 counterparts.

4) The VQ30 introduced in the 1995 Maxima had long 16" runners. The motor delivered excellent low rpm torque, but ran out of steam at 5400rpms and power dropped like an anvil after 5600rpms.

5) In 2002, a bunch of us Maxima owners caught wind of a JDM-only variable manifold used in the Maximas sold in the Middle East. We installed the manifolds. Though the runner design was the same length, a set of six butterfly valves opened up to a special resonnance chamber located on top of the manifold. The valves opened were designed to open at 5200rpms or so. When the valves opened, the chambered created a resonnance that made the long runners perform as if they were about 50% shorter. Peak power went from 5400rpms up to 6200rpms and power held strong straight to the 7000-7200rpms limiters we programmed in. Overall, these "MEVI" manifolds caused about a 10whp/10wtq loss from 2500-5000rpms, but gained 20-50whp (depending on rpm) over the stock manifold. We used JWT ECUs to restore for reduced low to midrange power and to extend the limiters from 6600rpms to 7000-7200rpms. Overall, the MEVI manifold made low/midrange induction noise quieter and the car did feel softer in the low/midrange; however if you kept your foot in it, then the motor performed. The MEVI/ECU was good for a dyno proven 50whp gain and a consistent .3 second and 3mph improvement in the 1/4 mile.

The CAI systems on the G35 would be classified as long runner designs since they tend to add 10-14" of additional air column. The Stillen/JWT setups are very similiar to stock and I'd never call them short rams because they really don't change the entry point of incoming air. Most short rams intakes will remove about 6-8" of the OEM intake tract. The only thing the Stillen/JWT setups change is that they add a bit more filter area and they remove the pressurization effect of the stock intake which improves throttle response and initial power delivery.

I've run every single intake setup under the sun on my old VQ30, which had the EXACT powerband as the FM VQ35. The truth was the CAIs did hurt 1/4 mile performance, though the low end response was immensely better. The short ram intake made the low end feel soft. A modified stock intake resulted in the best ET/MPHs everytime.

 

please explain your version of a modified stock intake..

 

I was referring to the Maxima when I made that statement. The induction point on that airbox was about 40% of the area that's available on the G35's stock airbox. The G35 has two intake points (top of the radiator and the Power Duct). The Maxima only had one which was above the radiator and the Maxima's intakes was smaller than that of just of the Power Duct. On the Maxima airbox, I simply cut out a 2"X3" section of the airbox.

On my G35, all I've done is add the Z-pipe and I cut out the lower lip of the Power Duct cover. Both of these mods were solely for noise and add no power. I've done the calculations for the stock airbox and it can move more than enough volume for the VQ35 at 6800rpms. It might not look sexy, but it gets the job done and is one of the least restrictive OEM airboxs I've seen.

 

Unless you have a MREV, then the stock air box is not good enough for the MD MREV kit. Cars with a stock air box do not gain near as much from the MD kit as ones do with a STILLEN Intake system.

 

So what's the wager when I run at the track here in about 1.5 months. Will I run quicker than the 14.32 I did with just the Z-pipe? I think so. You of all people know I'm highly critical of mods and I can honestly say the spacer works as advertized and I'm certain my timeslips will show lower 14.2s@98mph+. I might even see a 99mph trap.

 

Agreed - I'm modded to hell and still love my Stillen...

 

DaveB -

Have you actually done any tests and before and afters on these cars with the Stillen intakes, JWT's, Injen, AEM/Nismo, HKS, etc? If so, have you tested stock cars with them ALL, modded cars with them ALL with the same mods, highly modded cars with them ALL with the same mods? Have you mixed and matched mods to see what makes each intake work and not?

Have you done your own study to figure out exactly what does and does not work on these cars - in dozens of combinations?

Your example, first of all of the V8's is a waste of thread space - lets at least compare apples to apples. The note on the Maxima's is getting closer - but still closer.

Can you let me know your R&D methods that got you to your statements and results for THESE cars?

I know I've spent more than enough money and time in R&D to make more than qualified recommendations, based on these cars configurations and mod combinations.

Thanks...

Rick

 

A quick additional item:

The item that makes the Stillen unit work, is not only that the side is opened up to allow more airflow and the larger filter, but the Venturi piece that makes it all work and stand out above the rest.

Rick

 

Well, no I haven't tested ANY intake on a G35. I guess you're alluding to the notion that you yourself have done all this testing. If so, please post the before and after dyno plots because I am seriously interested and I'm sure it would answer a lot of questions for many people. Honestly testing "dozens of combination" suggests that you've must have done 100s of dynos. Surely you've got some plots.

What's so interesting about this site is that there is a strong belief that an intake will gain power on G35s, however if you go over to the 350Z sites, the opinion is don't waste your time if you're looking for any gains.

My reference to V8s is hardly a "waste of space". It was to prove a point. Long runners offer up great low/midrange and short runners offer up great upper rpm performance. It doesn't work any other way and I find it quite interesting that you seem to discredit this by saying that the longer CAI will somehow increase upper rpm power.

Runner physics
http://www.mne.psu.edu/me415/SPRING0...ke/intake.html