I have done a forum search and can't really find what I'm looking for, so here goes.

I am going to purchase a high flow panel filter and would firstly like to ask if anybody knows of the model that will produce the loudest noise?

Secondly, to complement the panel filter I want to modify the air box, referred to I believe in a number of ways (see the thread title).

From what I gather, I need to cut some fins off from inside the box - has anybody got any pictures of this, or could anyone put down a step by step guide?

Thanks very much in anticipation - I just want to achieve the best power gains regarding air flow mods, and at the same time get the most noise - I think the above is the way to go?

Luke.

Octy vRS Mk1.

I dont there has been conclusive proof that doing this gives any gains. Again the panel filter isnt a bad idea.

I dont there has been conclusive proof that doing this gives any gains. Again the panel filter isnt a bad idea.

I'm sure that doing this along with a good air feed to the standard airbox was claimed to be just as good, if not better than most expensive CAI's. I'm sure it was someone on here who had done a few tests with the airbox, they were running big power (300bhp+) I'm sure, with a standard airbox.

If you open up the airbox you will see the fins that people refer to, you just need to carefullly score them along their base and they should snap off. I'm not sure if it's clean or dirty side that needs doing, I'm guessing doing all of it will give best results!

I smoothed the inside of my airbox (top and bottom. Took me a couple of hours of cutting, snapping and sanding smooth.

Then I removed it and fitted a Carbonio CAI.

I'd expect that all panel filters will be about the same with regards to noise. It makes a small difference but not much.

If you want the full boy-racer vroom-tchsh, you need a CAI. The performance difference is negligible but the noise difference isn't

Does the car feel like it performs any better/different between the setups? Other than making more noise and tricking you into thinking it's faster!

I don't think it's much different to be honest, aprt from the noise and the funky looks.

A new TIP certainly makes a difference. and I'm looking at getting a de-cat downpipe later this year.

A cat is not (yet) a legal requirement here and there are no emissions tests. (NZ - green country? pah)

a magazine did some tests on a civic type-r with intakes. 'induction kits' actually proved to be worse than the standard airbox!

someone spent alot of time developing the standard airbox to be good. putting a performance filter in it makes it better. but stuffing a bit of drain pipe there instead of the proper box seems a bit silly.

about the fins... are they not there for a reason?

Strengthening I assume

the fins may be there for more than Strengthening, i work on HGV's, and i know that the fins in there air boxs are to help create induction swirl, basically helping to force the drawn in ait into the filter, allowing the filter to breath better, not sure if this is the case on the VRS box, but i would think they were put there for one reason or another.

Well, I cant be bothered fiddling with mine as Ive no proof it actually works.

removed my box for a good cleaning the other day - didn't bother with the fins tbh....

Bas

I am tempted to do this, but again don't really want the hassle unless it's going to make a bit of difference...

I heard they were there to decrease induction noise as well as opposed to strengthening the box? I mean would those fins REALLY strengthen it?!

I was under the impression that they were there to reduce induction noise by disturbing the flow. Obviously if they also go across the corners in the box it might offer some sort of strengthening.

In my old Integra Type R, everyone pretty much agreed that the best filter was the Spoon Drop-In that slotted into the standrard box.

I won't bother with an induction kit tbh, I was going to get a Carbonio, but that was just the tart in me wanting some carbon fibre!

Thanks for all the replies.

I presume CAI is Cold Air Induction? Forgive my knowledge, or lack of.

Ok, so for performance (or slight gain) it seems like panel filter straight into the air box is the best way to go.

But, has anyone tried both panel filters, and a full induction kit/cone filter on the vRS and knows for sure which is going to be loudest? Bringing the boy racer out of the car!

i tried a panel pipercross panel filter on my mk4 golf 1.6, and then a full ram-air induction kit, the panel filter did make a fair difference in the car picking up the revs, the inuduction kit was better at high revs and was alot louder, that was with the stock exhaust aswell lol, pannel is better if you want to increase performance slightly and keep your car subtle, induction is more for sound.

Thanks for all the replies.

I presume CAI is Cold Air Induction? Forgive my knowledge, or lack of.

Ok, so for performance (or slight gain) it seems like panel filter straight into the air box is the best way to go.

But, has anyone tried both panel filters, and a full induction kit/cone filter on the vRS and knows for sure which is going to be loudest? Bringing the boy racer out of the car!

Yep, agreed.

I had a Green panel filter, then a Carbonio CAI. The panel filter made things slightly noisier and the CAI is significantly louder!

With the CAI you can hear the turbo spooling up much more clearly, then when you lift off, the tschh sound is quite loud

If you want boy-racer, get a Carbonio.

a magazine did some tests on a civic type-r with intakes. 'induction kits' actually proved to be worse than the standard airbox!

The EP3 Civic is a particularly fussy bugger, the airbox sits at the back-top of the engine bay, so an open filter replacing it just doesn't work - it was cynical marketing on most manufacturers behalf to just alter their pipework leaving the filter in the same place. As you say, most of them reduce power by sucking in hot air, where the standard box - strangled as it is - pulls it in from above the radiator.

Replacements like the ludicrously expensive Gruppe M, or the budget BMC CDA (which I had, and nearly ruined my engine on by driving through a deep puddle while pulling air from behind the passenger side wheel) did have provable benefits in, if not in peak power, low-end torque and overall under-the-line power improvements.

So as examples go, the Civic Type-R isn't the best representation.