Intake & Exhaust Questions and info regarding various aftermatket exhaust systems for the G35 (Headers,Y-Pipes, and Cat-Back Systems)

Z-Tube and Cold Air Intake advice needed

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
  #1  
Old 03-15-2013, 06:21 PM
Starkiller's Avatar
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SF Peninsula, California
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Z-Tube and Cold Air Intake advice needed

So, my OEM air cleaner needs to be replaced, and I figure it's the perfect excuse to spend the money and upgrade to a Z-Tube. The concern I'm having is that I just spent the past hour or more reading reviews making claims that neither the Z-Tube or Cold Air Intake yield any (significant) horsepower gains. www.conceptZperformance.com has an inexpensive JWT Pop Charger with Stillen Z-Tube combo with the claim of a 12hp gain. I'm hoping for improved throttle body response and a bit more aggressive performance. I understand a 5/16 plenum spacer is also a wise investment. Before I spend the money, I want some feedback or advice from people who've upgraded their intake systems.

Thanks.

 

Last edited by Starkiller; 03-15-2013 at 06:24 PM. Reason: Forgot something.
  #2  
Old 03-15-2013, 07:20 PM
Soopa G's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 314
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
the plenum spacer is money better well spent...get a ztube and a drop in KN filter...if you want a CAI I have a brand new short ram Fujita ill sell for $125 shipped...its never been taken out of the box

Originally Posted by Starkiller
So, my OEM air cleaner needs to be replaced, and I figure it's the perfect excuse to spend the money and upgrade to a Z-Tube. The concern I'm having is that I just spent the past hour or more reading reviews making claims that neither the Z-Tube or Cold Air Intake yield any (significant) horsepower gains. www.conceptZperformance.com has an inexpensive JWT Pop Charger with Stillen Z-Tube combo with the claim of a 12hp gain. I'm hoping for improved throttle body response and a bit more aggressive performance. I understand a 5/16 plenum spacer is also a wise investment. Before I spend the money, I want some feedback or advice from people who've upgraded their intake systems.

Thanks.

 
The following users liked this post:
rip a dip (04-23-2013)
  #3  
Old 03-15-2013, 08:28 PM
Monsterkx2fiddy's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Intake isn't going to help much. Really it's more of a sound thing. There hp numbers are lies.
Only time an intake will do anything is on real old cars that weren't designed well and don't get enough air through stock system. All newer cars have suffecient intake for there motor
 
The following users liked this post:
rip a dip (04-23-2013)
  #4  
Old 03-15-2013, 08:35 PM
Xet's Avatar
Xet
Xet is offline
Registered User
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: sj
Posts: 4,197
Received 171 Likes on 143 Posts
Read around, intake is for sound and bling. Switching to anything but stock has most often been showen to just cause you to lose power. Save your money for other mods unless you are looking for one of the first two mentioned things.
 
  #5  
Old 03-15-2013, 10:40 PM
Kerry Garrison's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: SoCal
Posts: 438
Received 43 Likes on 35 Posts
There are plenty of dyno tests that should improvements in horsepower. HOWEVER, when you read them carefully you will see that the gain is only for specific power ranges (as are most performance mods). A Z-tube/filter upgrade combo will yield a SMALL gain in the mid-range power so you will not get better throttle response nor top-end. The only place you will actually SEE a difference is on a dyno and the only place you will FEEL a difference is in your butt as the engine will have s more aggressive sound/rumble.
 
  #6  
Old 03-15-2013, 11:20 PM
Xet's Avatar
Xet
Xet is offline
Registered User
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: sj
Posts: 4,197
Received 171 Likes on 143 Posts
Originally Posted by Kerry Garrison
There are plenty of dyno tests that should improvements in horsepower. HOWEVER, when you read them carefully you will see that the gain is only for specific power ranges (as are most performance mods). A Z-tube/filter upgrade combo will yield a SMALL gain in the mid-range power so you will not get better throttle response nor top-end. The only place you will actually SEE a difference is on a dyno and the only place you will FEEL a difference is in your butt as the engine will have s more aggressive sound/rumble.
You wanna cite your sources??

https://g35driver.com/forums/intake-...s-results.html
http://xbcustoms.com/Rob/intakedyno.htm

Pretty much every intake loses you both max and average hp. Sure you can nitpick through the individual dynos and say maybe at one rpm an intake may gain a few hp, but overall avg and max is still a loss. Intakes have been and always will be worthless performance wise to our cars.
 

Last edited by Xet; 03-15-2013 at 11:24 PM.
  #7  
Old 03-15-2013, 11:24 PM
Kerry Garrison's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: SoCal
Posts: 438
Received 43 Likes on 35 Posts
Those sources say the same thing, very narrow gains in specific areas. You have to look at the dyno tests very carefully to see through the BS
 
  #8  
Old 03-15-2013, 11:26 PM
Xet's Avatar
Xet
Xet is offline
Registered User
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: sj
Posts: 4,197
Received 171 Likes on 143 Posts
Originally Posted by Kerry Garrison
Those sources say the same thing, very narrow gains in specific areas. You have to look at the dyno tests very carefully to see through the BS
What are you trying to say? Intakes for our car are widely known to MAYBE give narrow gains in some spots but lose in many other spots. Not to mention how almost every aftermarket intake suffers much more from heat soak which as situation all of our cars will face.

Are you trying to say intakes actually give anything near significant gains?? If so, I don't know where in the world you got that idea from...
 
  #9  
Old 03-16-2013, 12:01 AM
gary c's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Valencia, Ca
Posts: 19,433
Received 1,132 Likes on 1,002 Posts
Ever feel like you've answered this question before? Intakes by themselves don't add much whp....fact! However, once you've completed your breather mods which include spacer/exhaust/hfcs the z-tube and intake like Stillens contributes to whp when getting a tune! FYI: Stillen's Z-Tube/CAI is the only intake that won't cause you to lose whp when it's hot!
Gary
 
The following users liked this post:
Kerry Garrison (03-16-2013)
  #10  
Old 03-16-2013, 12:34 PM
laxdude362's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Love my Stillen Z tube and CAI. Box is sealed off and reusable cone filter with venturi ring.
 
The following users liked this post:
06G35Coupe94 (03-16-2013)
  #11  
Old 03-16-2013, 01:00 PM
Blue Dream's Avatar
I drove ttrank's car solo

iTrader: (50)
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: By the sea, Tx
Posts: 18,301
Received 1,486 Likes on 1,221 Posts
G35 sedan w/ too much money in mods
Brakes

Originally Posted by gary c
FYI: Stillen's Z-Tube/CAI is the only intake that won't cause you to lose whp when it's hot!
Gary
Ahhhh grasshopper not quite true. The R2C seals against the hood and leaves just the front open to draw cooler air in from the bumper. Troof.............

Seriously though I dumped a pop charger after having it on for 3 weeks in the brutal Texas summer and replaced it with an R2C and the difference was night and day.
 
  #12  
Old 03-16-2013, 01:09 PM
OBsessed's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: NC
Posts: 1,666
Received 232 Likes on 183 Posts
Is the R2C intake pipe plastic or metal? I thought it was metal and figured there'd be heatsoak but if plastic, yeah that would be nice
 
  #13  
Old 03-16-2013, 01:24 PM
herrschaft's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (18)
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Coast
Posts: 7,738
Received 770 Likes on 604 Posts
A snail is the best intake.
 
The following users liked this post:
06G35Coupe94 (03-16-2013)
  #14  
Old 03-16-2013, 09:21 PM
jookyshank's Avatar
I haz hugz to givez

iTrader: (13)
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Denver, Co
Posts: 6,488
Received 286 Likes on 263 Posts
itb ftw lol
 
  #15  
Old 03-16-2013, 09:27 PM
Blue Dream's Avatar
I drove ttrank's car solo

iTrader: (50)
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: By the sea, Tx
Posts: 18,301
Received 1,486 Likes on 1,221 Posts
G35 sedan w/ too much money in mods
Originally Posted by Leksikon
Is the R2C intake pipe plastic or metal? I thought it was metal and figured there'd be heatsoak but if plastic, yeah that would be nice
It's plastic.



Posted from G35driver.com App for Android
 
The following users liked this post:
OBsessed (04-06-2013)


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.

Quick Reply: Z-Tube and Cold Air Intake advice needed



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:38 PM.