lex400sc

MadMax, So it is. What happened to the backing on yur heat shield? Looks like you removed it. How much did the whole Weapon R package run you? I was thinking about getting that setup.

Your signature says you have 2 1/4-inch pipes with MagnaFlow mufflers. I was going to to a 2 1/2-inch straight pipe with one pair of MagnaFlows/Borla (except neither company has responded to my emails). Which MagnaFlow mufflers do you have? I'm pretty sure any of these will work: http://www.magnaflow.com/03mirrorstreet.htm ...on our cars. How does your SC sound? I drove a day without the rear mufflers and the exhaust sounded meaner than my neighbor's FlowMaster Mustang GT, though a little unrefined.

MadMaxSC400

no, the backing is still there - it's all one piece, it's just been well polished.
You don't know the meaning of loud till those rear resonators come off The car is LOUD AS HELL with my setup. The Magnaflows are resonators, and the exhaust is still loud till I put the muffler silencers in. Those help a lot and don't hurt power output much. I'm not sure how much I actually paid for the thing, because I ended up dropping $1800 to WR for the ECU, tuning, intake, filter, cold air box and the mufflers as a package deal. You can email him at leonow@weapon-r.com. It's pretty much the same idea, just done with my influence, so the thing actually isolates the foam filter in there from the engine air very well.
The Bullitt Mustang has the cold air high flow intake thing DOWN. If you look under the hood, you'll see the intake going straight into the front of the car with a big bulge- direct inlet cold air intake with a cone filter already in there. Ford actually did something right!

Ryan

Hey I really appreciate making this new run available to us. I am not that familiar with the ram air setup on this car. For me, and others without the cone filter installed, there is a slightly different set of questions - I would appreciate any help.

1) How much does the cone filter, MAF adaptor, etc cost - i.e. the total cost of an OEM installation doing it the right way.

2) I've heard debates over dyno testing results as to whether the cone filter (with or without the shield) really improves performance - any closure on this debate (posted dyno scores)?

Thanks,
Ryan

MadMaxSC400

I don't know whether a cold air intake by itself helps or hurts. With computer tuning, you gain a sizeable amount of power, but I am only experienced in that field with an intake and exhaust already on the car. One thing I've noticed is that my car hardly ever gets above the second mark on the engine temperature gauge. With a true cold-air intake, I think operating temperature drops in the engine (the needle used to sit in the middle) and with a well sealed box intake noise is also reduced to a very low level.

lex400sc

K&N RU-3580 cone filter = approx. $32
MAF adaptor = $28
4 long 10mm hexnut screws, washers, and nuts = approx. $2.50

Cone filter + heat shield definitely makes a difference compared to the suffocating oe airbox. Just put one in and try it yourself. It's a totally reverseable process. You'll be able to feel the difference right away. Try driving around with the stock air box a couple months, get accustomed to it, then put in a high-flow intake afterwards. You'll feel a dramatic gain at that point. Intake is cheap and easy, and should be the first thing on the todo list of the SC. It is the car's biggest bottleneck.

methodmf

i want one i want one i want one i want one i want one

Ryan

Hey thanks for the info. I thought it would be more expensive. Can someone please help me understand what exactly the "Rod Millen Intake System" is all about here:

http://www.lexussc400.com/cgi-bin/st...ct=lexusintake

www.lexussc400.com has the filter for $50, MAF for $65, and the Rod...System for $235

What am I paying the other $120 for on the system?

I think the new intake + shield is a great idea and I want an OEM look to it, but still trying to figure out what it costs to do it right.

Thanks,
Ryan

lex400sc

I don't know for sure what the RMM intake system comes with, but from that picture, I can tell you there isn't $235 worth of equipment included. It looks like a shortened MAF plate and a standard concial filter that is no better than a K&N. $235 can set you up with the MAF adaptor, an excellent air filter, sealed heatshield, AND ram-air ducting. With the HKS MAF, you're paying $37 extra for the three letters "H, K, and S" cast into the top. There's no such thing as a 'performance' aluminum cylinder, they are all the same. The $28 MAF apadtor from importtoys.com is just as good. The $50 filter looks like an API dry paper filter as opposed to K&N's wet cotton filter for $15 less. The K&N is freer-flowing than a paper filter, it's cleanable and washable, has finer filtering capabilities, and comes with a mileage warranty on it. If you want that $50 API filter, Import Toys sells the EXACT same thing for $19. You can also buy it, or look at it at any Kragen Auto Parts center (Kragen has it for $24 or so). Peter can make you an OEM looking heatshield (textured powder black surface) to hide everything under for $60 I believe??? I can sell you my extra MAF adaptor with the API filter for cheap too. I only put about 5 miles on the API filter just to test it out. (I accidentally bought two setups from Import Toys).



The API filter is also a little bit louder than the K&N. It's top plate has a recessed filter cone that gives a larger surface area and sucks in air rather than deflect it.

MadMaxSC400

[soapbox]
The RMM Intake is a piece of crap. The only thing from it (yes I bought it, sigh..) that I still have is my MAF adaptor. Noise gain, yes. Power gain, no.
[/soapbox]
Intakes on our cars are marginally helpful until you have computer manipulation (like my ECU upgrade, or an Apex'i SAFC) to take advantage of it. The car needs to run leaner, they run them rich to be as safe as possible, and as a result much power is lost. A bigger intake IS an advantage at that point.

slowtan

933005spd

If you are making these for sale. Please add my name to the list. Email me and you can let me know how much.

Stephen Lowtan
Slowtan@earthlink.net

Aznteazer

I bough the MAF adapter and the filter from import toys and I don't hear any noise difference. My exhausts are pretty loud and maybe I'm missing the sound, but I think I know how to distinguish the two sounds. Am I missing anything??

808state

those nice shinny/polished metal cold air boxes might be better with some type of heat protection considering the conductivity of bare metal. then again, you won't have that ricer/bling * bling/ look at me/ non stock appeal.

possible remedies to bare metal:

1) duplicolor hi temp engine paint w/ ceramic. i also found that if you bake your metal piece in the oven (according to the directions), the finish comes out better and it is also suggested that you bake to cure it. flat black matches the interior (well at least mine) the best for that stock look.

2) aluminumized heat barrier from jc whitney. comes in sheets with an adhesive backing. although there is no brand in the catalog or the website, it came to my surprise as thermotec (i think that's the name). the same name brand that puts out header wrap, wire wraps, etc.

3) powder coating is nice and supposedly the most durable finish. though not sure of the heat reflecting and dissapating qualities of it.

might as well add a little more function to that form of a cold air box. though, it might not be all too significant. all of these suggestions actually came from that do it yourself cold intake from that one miata website.

lex400sc

I just riveted foam insulation pads onto the insides of my heatshield. The main purpose of the heatshield is to prevent the suction of that stagnant air that lurkers around the exhaust manifold and engine block. It's not really geared as much towards keep the air within it cold. The air inside is sucked in in a matter of a few seconds so a hot shield wouldn't affect it too much. The foam stuff I used sells for about $10 at a camping/outdoor store for a 4' by 8' piece---plenty. I use it to increase rigidity of the box and to give the walls enough thickness to use rivets.

MadMaxSC400

I've found that the air moves so fast from the outside to the intake and into the engine that insulation doesn't do as much good as directing the flow of air. That's why a box that blocks all sources of air except that front one is preferable to one that's insulated but not well sealed.

As a result, simple fabricating aluminum of good quality and durability is more than adequate.

Something interesting to note:When I was dyno'ing my car with just the intake and exhaust, we took the lid off the intake box. The result? We lost 3 HP.

933005spd

I agree with madmax which is why the final run of my heatshields will be with a closed back. I will place an order on monday, have the aluminum shields within 3 weeks, powder coated ones about a week after that. Sooo, these will be around April 1 (happy april fools)

This will be my last run for the clublex group though since I'm selling the lex.