C4 Tech/Performance L98 Corvette and LT1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine

Some interesting air filter data....C4, C5, C6

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Old Dec 29, 2006 | 07:43 PM
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Default Some interesting air filter data....C4, C5, C6

I am trying to come up with some kind of cold air intake system for my car and was looking for possible filters to use on the K&N site......

I was shocked to discover that the C4 has the largest air filter of all!!!!


C4 uses K&N 33-3035 which is 17.563"x 10.625" or 186.6 square inches
http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...x?Prod=33-2035

C5, including Z06, uses K&N 33-2111 which is 16.063"x8" or 128.5 square inches
http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...x?Prod=33-2111

C6, LS2 only uses two K&N 33-2305 which are 9.375"x7.063" for a total of 132.4 square inches
http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...x?Prod=33-2305

These are overall dimension, not filter surface area, but that doesn't change the story....

So based on air filter surface area, our C4's have a better air intake system than either C5 or C6........K&N doesn't offer a filter for the LS7.

Go figure......why is this??? Maybe this is part of the reason for the lack of effective C4 aftermarket offerings?


Last edited by LT4BUD; Dec 29, 2006 at 07:46 PM.
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Old Dec 29, 2006 | 08:07 PM
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Huh??
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Old Dec 29, 2006 | 08:10 PM
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Originally Posted by jimg's'93
Huh??
Go look at mid americas intake for the 90s model. It puts a grill on your license plate frame and runs piping under the air filter...

Last edited by B!@cK 86 V3tt3; Dec 29, 2006 at 10:17 PM.
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Old Dec 29, 2006 | 09:39 PM
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My point isn't so much what I should do......it is my amazement what GM has done.....

Going from 300hp LT1 & 330hp LT4 to 405 hp Z06 & 400 hp LS2 I would have expected the air filters to have either stayed the same or gotten larger ....

Instead GM has reduced them from 186 to about 130 or about 30%!!!
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Old Dec 29, 2006 | 09:49 PM
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I haven't had the pleasure of messing up...I mean messing with a C5 or a C6, but I'd guess that the Techies found they could provide the same air volume with a smaller surface area, freeing up precious space?
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Old Dec 29, 2006 | 10:18 PM
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Originally Posted by LT4BUD
My point isn't so much what I should do......it is my amazement what GM has done.....

Going from 300hp LT1 & 330hp LT4 to 405 hp Z06 & 400 hp LS2 I would have expected the air filters to have either stayed the same or gotten larger ....

Instead GM has reduced them from 186 to about 130 or about 30%!!!
Newer technology....
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Old Dec 30, 2006 | 01:27 AM
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I missed the part where you measured the depth of the pleats and number of pleats per inch.
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Old Dec 30, 2006 | 03:16 AM
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Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
I missed the part where you measured the depth of the pleats and number of pleats per inch.

This would be some very good information to have. You can never have too much protection down to the minutest micron of plausible filtration.
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Old Dec 30, 2006 | 03:21 AM
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Originally Posted by hippy
This would be some very good information to have. You can never have too much protection down to the minutest micron of plausible filtration.

My point is that you have to multiply the filter dimensions by the pleat count and pleat depth to figure out the ACTUAL area, otherwise the comparison is useless.

RICE ON!!!
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Old Dec 30, 2006 | 03:32 AM
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Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
My point is that you have to multiply the filter dimensions by the pleat count and pleat depth to figure out the ACTUAL area, otherwise the comparison is useless.

RICE ON!!!

My point is you can, not you personally, over analyze anything to the point of it not meaning crap. Pull whatever filter you have on your car when you dyno and see how much you gain. My guess it will be somewhere around ZERO.
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Old Dec 30, 2006 | 08:05 AM
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Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
I missed the part where you measured the depth of the pleats and number of pleats per inch.
Did you look at the links I provided for each filter????

K&N doesn't give all the detailed information you need to do a really accurate comparison.......BUT all the K&N filters are basically the same flat panel design, so I think it is pretty reasonable to use the overall dimensions as a relative basis of comparison......

I think my conclusion that the C5 & C6 filters are approximately 30% smaller than the C4 filter is pretty reasonable.

OK let's play some math games, this also means the C4 filter is almost 50% larger than the C5/C6 filters!!!!!

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Old Dec 30, 2006 | 08:14 AM
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Originally Posted by jimg's'93
..........I'd guess that the Techies found they could provide the same air volume with a smaller surface area, freeing up precious space?
If so the Techies were probably wrong regarding same volume of air......I don't follow C5 section closely, but I think there is general agreement that the aftermarket C5 air intake system provide significant and measureable performance gains.

In comparison there is general agreement that the aftermarket C4 systems provide minimal performance gains at best.

Another bit of information that doesn't seem to be readily available is the size and detail information on aftermarket systems. I know the filter area on the SLP triple snorkle is virtually identical to the stock system, because I have it and measured it carefully.....and I didn't see any measureable performance gains with the SLP system..

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Old Dec 30, 2006 | 10:47 AM
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Originally Posted by LT4BUD
If so the Techies were probably wrong regarding same volume of air......I don't follow C5 section closely, but I think there is general agreement that the aftermarket C5 air intake system provide significant and measureable performance gains.

In comparison there is general agreement that the aftermarket C4 systems provide minimal performance gains at best.
Bud, having spent time in both sections, I agree with your assesment . . that there is general concensus and some objective data to show that the aftermarket kits do help C5s and not the C4s as much . . . at least on the dyno.
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Old Dec 30, 2006 | 11:52 AM
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[QUOTE=LT4BUD;

In comparison there is general agreement that the aftermarket C4 systems provide minimal performance gains at best.

[/QUOTE]

If you have the stock airbox even with the lid cut the main issue is getting enough air because the filter is too close to the base preventing airflow. In a stock to semi-stock configuration, it doesn't seem to make much difference but in a pretty heavily modded car, it makes a huge difference.

With a car making in the high 400 rwhp range I got tired of the POS breathless airbox always cracking, replacing the air passage and standing on my head to change out the filter so I went back to the stock system with a K+N filter and lost 20 hp on the dyno. Took another filter, cut out the guts and put the K+N back on top.........lost hp came back.

I've posted this trick before and amazed as to why more people don't pick up the real reason there not getting the most out of the stock airbox.
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Old Dec 30, 2006 | 07:51 PM
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That's a good piece of information. I always wondered if the thin stock housing (and all the ribbing in the tube sections) was causing a pinch.
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Old Dec 31, 2006 | 02:20 AM
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that ruffled air pipe from the throttel body to the air cleaner assembly makes me cringe everytime i look at it, i wish there was a solid piece you could buy that replaced that thing, if there is could someone post the web adress for it, thanks
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Old Dec 31, 2006 | 03:38 AM
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Originally Posted by hippy
My point is you can, not you personally, over analyze anything to the point of it not meaning crap. Pull whatever filter you have on your car when you dyno and see how much you gain. My guess it will be somewhere around ZERO.
Stop it, you're making baby Jesus cry.
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Old Dec 31, 2006 | 03:49 AM
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Originally Posted by LT4BUD
So based on air filter surface area, our C4's have a better air intake system than either C5 or C6........
Actually it indicates the opposite.

The C5/C6 are sucking more air through a smaller area.

Doing more with less is one definition of "better."
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Old Dec 31, 2006 | 09:48 AM
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Originally Posted by serge
that ruffled air pipe from the throttel body to the air cleaner assembly makes me cringe everytime i look at it, i wish there was a solid piece you could buy that replaced that thing, if there is could someone post the web adress for it, thanks

Both Ecklers and MA sell a smooth tube but do not buy it. I did and after a few months the rubber split on the underside throwing a MAF code. Since the split was on the bottom I didn't see it until I went to remove the MAF to buy a new one. It doesn't stand up to the heat.
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Old Dec 31, 2006 | 09:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Vis Croceus
Doing more with less is one definition of "better."
Tell that to my ex.......... (sorry for the short hijack but I couldn't resist)
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