Mr. EB. I've found that generally you get what you pay for. Also the DIY filter is using a K&N filter. See my previous post regarding K&N filters.

 

And "generally" thats true. You get what you pay for.

But if he is paranoid about filtering effectiveness, then better he stick with his paper filter and stock airbox than go with any aftermarket intake system out there.

Then he can use the saved money to help "pay for" more effective performance modifications, (gears, torque converters, cams) than humongous, oversized air filter elements, be they Blackwings, K&Ns, or Halltechs

Thats why I suggested that he stick with his paper filter as opposed to going to an oversized filter element like the Blackwing. Either that or go with a Vararam.

Just my .02

Thats what the man said he wanted. And the Blackwing does not fit the bill.

 

I wonder why most of the high performance engine builders and tuners use the Blackwing as their standard filter? Maybe they know something you prefer not to.

 

We don't know what, if any financial arrangements exist between the sellers of Blackwings and these "high performance engine builders and tuners" you refer to.

 

These people sell HIGH PERFORMANCE. You really think they would 'cut a deal' and install something that would decrease the power of their engines? Better get some sleep EB. I know normally you could do better than that.

 

well,MR Korreck.i don't have a clue how the temps get to where they are.ever since i installed the big mouth and the cowl induction hood,that's where the temps go!i will not put a 160 stat in my car,and have not changed the one that is in there,which i assume is stock,because i haven't changed it! my stock box is cut to accommodate the cowl hood opening,which is where the outside air comes from.Also,i guess some of it comes from the big mouth,too! i could be wrong there,but what the hell,i'm no mechanic!

 

I guess Jessum is at a loss for words.

 

Just trying to figure out how a thermostat that doesn't begin to open until 195 degrees permits you to achieve a 187 cruising temp.

Also can't figure how this big mouth gets air to your filter when the flow is blocked by your shroud. The post concerns air filters so I assumed you were stating the big mouth was related to the topic.

You mention a cowl induction hood. Does that intake ambient air and then direct it to your filter? Or does it allow the engine air a route to exit the engine compartment?

Sorry I'm so confused but I'm sure you can help me out here.

 

I never said that the Blackwing would "decrease" the performance of their engines.

But I did say that we know not what, if any, financial arrangements exist between those of whom you speak.

The best automotive interior for our cars is not made by Fisher (or whomever sells GM their interior pieces). It is probably made by Carvaggio. But GM does not have a sweetheart deal with them, so that is not what came in your car when you bought it.

If Carvaggio could land the GM account by lowering their prices for their interiors to below what GM was obtaining the Vette's interior for now, and could supply enough of their interiors to Bowling Green, we would all have Carvaggio interiors in our cars off the showroom floor. But of course no such deal exist. And your interior is ......well, what it is.

The best performing tires for our cars are not Goodyear EMT runflats, but that is what is on our cars.

You really think GM would 'cut a deal' and install something that would decrease the performance of the C5, indeed not even make non runflat Eagle F1 Supercars available as an option on a non Z06 C5????

They agreed to buy all the runflats Goodyear could make, and at a price that they were both satisfied with...... and they are on your car as a result.

If I can get Blackwings at a deal.... then thats what I will sell to you.

 

KORRECK-cowl hood directs air right into my airbox.it is a functioning cowl hood.i didn't know that my temps can't go down into the 180's if i have a stock t-stat in there!!like i said,i'm not a mechanic.how do i find out if it's an aftermarket t-stat?and my temp's did get into the 180's.they may not stay there long,but they get there!typically,since the install's,190-194 when cruising on the hi-way or moving.temp goes up to 220's when i'm stopped in traffic.Anyway,back to this guy's thread!

 

Jesse, what I'm suggesting is that somethings wrong. Either your thermostat or temp gage. I would pull the thermostat and test it. Place in a pan of water, monitor the water temp and bring to a boil. See what temp it begins to open. I think you have a problem but we don't know what it is.

I don't see how a cowl induction hood gets air to the filter. Please explain. Thanks.

 

there is an opening under the hood that picks up air off the windshield and send it to the other opening that is directly over my airbox,hence the cut stock airbox to accomodate the hole in the bottom of the hood.the opening fit's right into the airbox,in other words.i'll have to look into the t-stat thing.i don't overheat at all,even when it's 90 out!maybe the prior owner switched t-stat's ??

 

You said:

"If you simply want a large, oversized air filter element, and are not so concerned about performance, then the Blackwing or the Halltech are good choices"

You said it. You imply that their engines are capable of more power with a different filter. C'mon now. You really believe that?

My interior is great and so is yours. I don't care who makes it. These cars are meant to be driven. That's why GM produces these cars with the best interior possible for daily driving.

 

I got ya on the hood. Thanks. I would verify that engine temp if I were you. If your gage is wrong you could be running a lot hotter than you think. There's a good writeup by Evil Twin on how to change thermostats.

 

I think we have to distinguish between "filter elements" and "intake systems".

The Blackwing is a "filter element". And an oversized one at that. But nontheless, nothing more than a filter. Just like a Fram Air Hog, or a K&N, or a Green Filter. It is a "filter". Not an intake system. As such, it offers little in the way of actual performance increase over the stock airlid and the stock paper "filter" on the track (if so, then show me documented, non anecdotal results.)

The Vararam and the Vortex are performance "intake systems." The design of these "systems" is such that they harvest/ obtain and direct ambient air, when the car is stationary and as it moves, through a vent or system of ducts, and transfer it to and through the filter element to make it available to the engine.

They do this as opposed to merely "filtering" heated under hood air, which is what you see with both the Blackwing and the stock air box and paper filter.

Carving a hole into the radiator shroud below the car's "filter" indeed makes an ambient air "system" albeit a crude and inefficient one because the "filter" is still taking in hot underhood air from it's top, or dorsal surface in addition to the ambient air (and potentially water) it obtains from the hole in the radiator shroud.

But the point is, the Blackwing is merely a large filter. Not an intake system.

To conclude, I have tried most of them. The swiss cheese mod, the Zip Tie mod, each with the paper filter and with the K&N filter, the Z06 air lid and K&N filter, the Blackwing, and finally the Vararam.

The Vararam is still on my car.

 

So Korreck,according to that test chart you linked me to,the k/n is like the worst filter out there??i should just go back to my stock filter!

 

You are correct about the Vararam. By no stretch of the imagination could it be called a filter. K&N is not much better.

An intake is mounted to the engine. We are discussing filters or breathers.

Engine builders:

http://www.lingenfelter.com/pack_cor_c5_350zo6.htm

http://www.dynotech-eng.com/ls1_ls6_350.htm

 

Vararam is worse. K&N is a close second.

 

so,it's back to the stock filter!

 

Source?


Some of it is semantics. Some misnomers. Some just poor attention to correct verbiage. For example we say "cat back" to describe the aftermarket exhaust systems out there. We say "download" to the PCM as opposed to "upload." We say go "up" to 3.73 gears from 3.42s.

But to attempt to keep this straight, the Blackwing is nothing more than a "filter element."

The original poster said:

I think we all know what he meant.