tastemydus

I just installed the Swift Racing Intake and it sounds *&^%&% mean. I can feel the power instantly and when I take it to the track next Friday I will show you guys the difference. My car not only smokes every other car off the line but it sounds sic when I do it. I highly recommend SRT's High Flow Intake System with Race ECU . I read the article about why Lexus IS-F designed a two stage system and that I should leave it the way it was designed, but after driving my car all day long I can easily tell that with this minor modification I will beat any stock IS-F out there. There is a definite need for a True Dual Exhaust because of the high flow of the intake, but for right now until the price comes down a little the High Flow Intake System with Race ECU is ridiculously sic. I should tell you all not to get one so if I ever see you on the road you will wonder why I blow past you with an engine that sounds like it came straight from a Harley Davidson, but I am not a dic and I can tell people are buying them up like fat kids eat hamburgers so other people will eventually reveal the truth. Anyways I was so happy that I drove it all day and didn't get to take pics until night time, which is why they turned out so crappy. I will try and post some more taken during the daytime. If anyone has questions please feel to contact me. Sorry about the pics. I will fix asap. 8/25/08

Robs IS250

iTrader: (4)

hmmmm dyno!!

BigMikeISF

That looks bada$$! Was it a quick and easy install or did you have to do any soldering of any time to the wires or was it just plug and go?

LexISguy

Hey taste congrats, did you take of the negative from you battery during installation? I just got mine installed as well, and yes it's louder but not annoying and meaner. It kicks in at 3000rpm instead of 3600, and I feel the quicker bump of the line...

foup

It sure looks tempting.

Perhaps I am not well informed but, does any modification that boosts HP voids the warranty? After all, if the modifications do boost HP significantly, it is going to add stress to all other parts downstream, increase heat, and is going to have negative consequences, since pretty much all parts in a high performance car are designed close to the limit. I know there are some tolerances, which is why nothing will blow up right away of you boost HP by 10% or 20%, but how can you expect the power train is going to last at least its 6 year/70K warranty? What's the stance from Lexus on this matter?

Thanks.

tastemydus

My friend who works for Lexus installed it and he did say something about having to go buy some soldering material. I went and watched a movie so I am not exactly sure how long it took him, but he was finished with complete installation and he test drove it by the time the 80 minute movie was done. He said he wanted to make sure the engine light didn't come on, which it didn't and hasn't so far. He said it came with everything necessary to install it except the little soldering material. I looked over the instructions and they were really clear and precise. I think even I could have done it because the instructions were that clear. The mechanic gave me the stock intake back and told me that it would be simple to reinstall if need be. With adding any new part to a bad *** car I was worried it might ruin the performance but after driving it for 10 seconds my mind was free and clear of any doubt this intake definitely increased the performance. It also draws even more attention then before.

tastemydus

I have to say I agree it is significantly louder and meaner Other racers on the street were hesitating racing me after they heard me approach and then saw me fly bye. So I think it does add a meaness to the car and I think that the car needed it, because it is meant to be a bad a** machine. I was so happy with the jump off the line and the sound that I forgot to look when it kicks in. To me it was almost instantaneous. I highly recommend and noticed the biggest difference when driving in sport mode. It seemed to fly in sport mode. It sucks a little (actually a lot) for me because when the drag strip isn't open on week days and days it rains, the top speed limit on a tiny stretch of road on Guam is 45. Otherwise it is 25 or 35 mph.

Recently, all I see in my dreams are tires and more tires and even more tires, because of so much power and my poor little tires that are not poor or little at all, but expensive and difficult to get I don't really think this new Intake is meant to save your tires especially when I smoke them at every light, around every corner and basically any other time I get.

Sorry LexISguy I tend to ramble. I did see in the instructions that you disconnect the negative from the battery.

tastemydus

It all depends on the company that made the modification parts. For example I think the parts Toyota Racing development makes keeps your car under warranty. If you don't use recognized parts then yes it could very possibly void your warranty, which is why 1. you keep all of you stock parts, 2. When you install after market parts make sure they are installed in a way that if you have to you can reinstall the stock parts so the warranty isn't voided. and 3. Go to your Lexus dealer and talk with mechanics there to see if they know what parts won't void the warranty. If it is going to void it then when you or someone else installs the after market parts make sure to keep the parts, make sure the stock parts can be reinstalled, and when they install the after market parts have them bolt the parts down or to something so that it can be change back to stock condition quickly if you have to.

You are right there are some negative side effects from some after market parts, which is why there is usually something to counter the side effect. FOUP it is sort of like medications. More often then not you get prescribed a medication for some aliment and that medication has some effects that arise, which is why they usually make a medication that will counter the side effects of that medication.

The Swift Racing Intake came with a nice size Heat Shield to protect the rest of the engine from heat. If you are worried about too much heat and the stress it causes then check out www alcohol-injection com Their systems cool your engine very quickly and they keep them clean, which counters the effects of any other part or system that considerably raises the heat in your car. I plan to order one right now to enhance the performance of my engine, keep it running at low temps, and keep the engine free of carbon build up.

FOUP most of the cars now a days are severely restricted on their capabilities. That doesn't mean the engine or other parts in the car can't handle a lot more power or stress, but the companies put restrictions on the cars so they follow all the quality and safety compliances.

Basically all you are doing by adding after market parts is removing some of those restrictions and getting your car basically to do what it was meant to do. A car needs to be free to breathe. As any runner can tell you: the more oxygen he can get into his longs results in more blood getting to the heart resulting in the rest of his body, including his extremities, getting more oxygenated blood provding the means the runner needs to move faster and for longer periods. In a sense that is what you are doing by adding different parts. You are giving it the means to breathe which will lead to better performance.

Of course if you drive your car into the ground everyday then it won't last so long, but neither do athletes who push themselves to hard everyday with no breaks.

FOUP how do you know what your max limit is? If you added 10-20% strength is that going to have a negative effect on the rest of the body? It could if you only focused on one area of your body and disregarded the rest of it. It is all about finding a balance. If you bring more air into the car through an Intake then of course you are going to need a more efficient exhaust system to let the air flow out.

You should be concerned about the warranty but if you do like I said and get things bolted in or installed in a way that if you need to bring your car in for something major you can easily revert back to your stock parts which should limit your worrying about the warranty. You are on the right track though: With every after market part you install think of what that part will affect and what you can do to counter that effect if it is a serious one. Keep balance in mine and find out which parts you can install and keep your warranty valid.

People who just throw things in their car with no thought are the ones that end up having problems. I talk to at least 10 people, read up on car parts, and look at other cars with the parts I plan on buying to see if they have had any problems with the parts.

vboy418

Looks bad ***!!!

padfunder

I'm assuming you got the whole setup including the exhaust-didn't seet pics of the rear end...but I've been considering this, and I'm excited after your post and description of how bad**s it sounds. I just don't have anyone to install it for me yet. I'm what you call "NFL" (no friend left) ha ha lol

CrazyMPG

iTrader: (4)

very nice...now dyno it to see if the HP numbers are correct when compared to SRT's figures...heh

tastemydus

No I didn't get the exhaust. I wanted to very much but the price is too high. I am crossing my fingers that in the next month a couple of other companies will come out with their own exhaust which will hopefully bring the price down a little. The sound is just a large amount of air getting through the engine unobstructed which is producing the louder tougher sound. I am thinking that with a better exhaust that it will be even more meaner. I know it will add to the performance because right now a lot of air is coming in becuase of the new airflow but it is sort of being held up on the way out because of the way the exhaust system was designed. I will give it another month to see if a different company comes out with their own exhaust system and then I will compare the two or three and make my decision from there.

I am lucky to know people who can do all of the installations for me. If you don't know anyone just look for car shops that know how to install parts. This one really looked simple, but again I didn't do it I just looked at the instructions. I suggest yellow pages or google is my life saver.

Good luck

Civic Si-r

Kind of an over simplification of the "incredible human body" as an analogue to the intake.

Really, most athletes benefit from an increase in oxygen. How this is performed is nothing short of miraculous and is done AUTOMATICALLY. The 2 primary components that make up a red blood cell is Fe 2+ and hemoglobin(Hb). As you breath and take oxygen into the lungs it comes into contact with the RBC and the Hb binds the oxygen molecule (O2) and travels thru out the entire body eventually "feeding" muscle tissues and the brain. As many cyclists(me) and triathletes can tell you, when we train at high altitudes over a minimum of a week our bodies will adapt to the low oxygen environment and eventually generate more RBC's and the Hb molecule develops a GREATER affinity for oxygen uptake.

In short, more Oxygen in the human body will enable us to do more aerobic work.

Back in the day before the designer drugs, we use to do the high altitude training for several weeks and drain off the blood and right before the event infuse that back into ourselves to give us that boost. We called it DOPING.

But today the sport has become much more demanding and rigorous and many athletes cannot compete at compettion level and they depend on steroids and many of the athletes are using EPO or derivatives of it to increase their Hb count....we still call this DOPING.

Now back to the intake. SRT has been around for some years and many here on the board, including myself can tell you that their first endeavor was the IS300. There using the same tech. then as they are today, with the spliced ECU their able to "tweak" the air/fuel ratio. The cross section of the intake tube and filter is HUGE. By itself, your car would not start...at all. Engine is getting too much oxygen, the spliced ECU helps "manage" for that increase in O2, with an increase in fuel. It will be interesting to see what your NEW fuel mileage will be.....Please let us know.

Sorry for the Biology lesson, but I think we are all better for it and understand that the human body can perform and adjust to an increase in demand automatically, w/o the use of machines or electrical components

tastemydus

If you read what I wrote a little closer I actually did say the exact same thing you did but I kept it Barney style. Read what I wrote again" As any runner can tell you: the more oxygen he can get into his longs results in more blood getting to the heart resulting in the rest of his body, including his extremities, getting more oxygenated blood providing the means the runner needs to move faster and for longer periods." AND HERE IS WHAT YOU WROTE "In short, more Oxygen in the human body will enable us to do more aerobic work." Hmm I don't see any difference do you? But I really appreciate the biology lesson especially since I not only work in the medical field but I specialize as a Cardiovascular TECH. Becoming a CVT did require a basic knowledge of the human anatomy also a slight bit of physics.. Let me see if I can go on Google really quick and pull an older picture off to post or you could read the book I am in.. your choice I guess

Gunnery Sgt. Ryan P. Shane (center), platoon gunnery sergeant from Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, and another member of 1/8 pull a fatally wounded Marine to safety while under fire Nov. 9 in Fallujah, Iraq." I think the picture above was on pretty much every magazine and um yeah that was my GUNNY SGT"

"hmm.. I think this was me.. looks fairly harmless right there, but that didn't last long" If it still isn't clear then let me see about posting the book I am in!

larrysb

Makes one wonder how on earth that a bunch of brilliant engineers spent millions of dollars developing the engine, redesigning the heads, cam, variable cam timing, increasing the displacement, tuning the computer and so on, only to miss the obvious answer, a simple inexpensive bolt-on intake.

Generally, all these things do in reality is increase noise, make some coin for the vendors, generate some truly dubious dyno readouts (ie, ad-copy) showing questionable gains.

Intakes and catbacks don't generally yield significant gains in power. It's low-hanging fruit and in the quest for fuel economy, emissions and power, the factory engineers don't usually leave many cherries low in the trees.

I've been hot-rodding for decades, much of it involving my own sweat and dirty hands. Dime to donuts, a manometer will show nearly no improvement from any intake duct/filter.

If you really want your ISF to go fast, get rid of weight. There's lots and lots of dead weight on this vehicle, from the sound proofing, to the sea of plastic covers under the hood, to the substantial anti-vibration weights on the mufflers.

Could probably knock 200lbs off the car in a week-end of getting rid of stuff that doesn't absolutely have to be there. That will bring real gains. Iffin' you're really into going fast and not just slappin' cool bolt-ons on it.