whats up everybody

all right, I wanna go open-element 305 TBI, but a lot of people say that dual snorkel might be better, what do u all think???


oh, and if I go open-element, can I use the same K&N filter that I currently have on the stock induct.


Thanks


SPEEDBOX

 

Dual snorkel = Cool air, cool looking, way better

Open Element = Cheap looking, crap, warm air

 

I didnt' notice any difference in my quarter mile times when I put an open element on. I think my gas mileage went down a little. Just fabricate a bigger snorkle or something. An open element would work great with a functional cowl hood or something like that.

 

My K&N on the stock air cleaner assembly does not fit any open element filters I have found. It is like 11.5 to 12 inches, where as most open elements are 10 or 14. I'm either going to get an open element or make a dual snorkel at the shop. Hope this helps some.

 

I say open air man. look at the opening on the the snorkles....they are soo small. how much "cool" air you think you really get in there? Open air looks tuff as nailz to me

 

sounds like somebody is really proud of all the $ they spent on a factory L69 air cleaner. i noticed a nice difference when i put my open element in

 

Depending on what your engine needs you might benifit more from an open element or vice versa. I think that at around 4500 and up my car needs the larger 14x3 and you can never have too much air filtration. The cold air isn't as important with a wetflow intake design, it just doesn't make all that much of a difference. Of course colder dense air is a good thing but I wouldn't let any v8 no matter how anemic the output is.
The only time I'll go to the dual snorkel is when I get enough hood clearance to run a caprice/truck lid and a larger element. I've got the dual snorkel setup but it's got that pathetic 11x2 filter and I refuse to use anything less than 14x3 on my baby .

 

Hey you see that thing on car craft were they tested like 10 different open elements on a 530 hp engine or something this article might make you think different about air filters and how you might be wasting your money when you get a big filter and you might be losing hp also. i will post it tomorrow after i steal it from my friend and scan it

 

Most, if not all, of the race cars in NASCAR use a sheet metal cold air box that surrounds the air cleaner. The cold air box is fed by an opening at the windshield -to- cowl location.

They run the cars air-fed this way for a reason: more power because the air is denser than underhood air. None of that changes in a street-driven car, and it doesn't matter whether the engine is carb'd (as in NASCAR) or fuel injected.

That said there may be cases where small-snout cold air feed(s), as in the stock LO5 air filter box on a Bcar, where the gain from using an open element would provide less airflow restriction than the power lost due to inhaling warm underhood air. In that case, the open element wins because the stock system is so restrictive.

Otherwise, if the ducting is made large enough so as not to provide flow resistance, the cold air systems are always better than an open element.

The only caveat to the above in if you ran an engine in high humidity and if the air temps were just above freezing. At part throttle, the lack of warm air and high humidity could cause ice to sublimate on the throttle blades due to the expansion of air.... and that would both restrict airflow as well as making it harder to vaporize the fuel in the manifold. The engine would run rough until it warmed up a bit. This would be one case where the open element, pulling warmed underhood air, might outperform a cold air system but not for the reasons you would think.

HTH. - Ken

 

http://firbirdgta.tripod.com/cars/id11.html

here is a link to the article

 

I'd say open element. Most people won't be impressed with a $200 dual-snorkle system because it cries "I'm an idiot and let GM rape me!" - and besides that, its still MOST restrictive. The open is an easy bolt on - it cleans up the engine compartment - and can do justice w/a good motor. Go w/a drop base 14X3 system

TP

 

I'm more interested in performance than if it cleans up the engine compartment more. Most people with close to stock motors don't need the air flow that an open element will allow. They will loose some performance because of the hot air. It's not clear at what power level more hot air will produce more power than not as much cold air.

Anybody should be able to build a dual snorkle air cleaner for less than $30 dollars. Two single snorkle air cleaners($20), universal air hose ducting($10).

I've got an open element that I put on the car for a short while. It didn't gain me any performance at all. After some more mods Maybe my engine will benefit from the open element over the single snorkel, but at stock level it doesn't.

 

I added the duel snorkle to mine because I didn't want to suck up hot air... besides I like the way it looks too. plus it is way more air over stock.

I've heard some say . go open element and put a cowl induction hood on.. So lets see 250 bucks canadian for a new duel snorkle, or 700 canadian for a new hood umm m mm m.. not a hard choice.. :sillylol:

 

That would be applicable if the dual snorkle didn't have THERMAC.