Ordered a Superformance Cobra, trying to make some decisions.

[Detroit Bill]

It will be months before I have the car but I am trying to make some decisions.

I am going with an FE engine. Not sure if I want to do the Turkey pan or not.
Is an 8-1/4 x 2" air filter enough for a 482? It does not seem like it would be enough. Can you use a 3 or 4" tall element and fit it under the hood?

I am going with a Performer RPM intake.

I am sure I will have other questions.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Detroit Bill

Not sure if I want to do the Turkey pan or not.
Is an 8-1/4 x 2" air filter enough for a 482? It does not seem like it would be enough. Can you use a 3 or 4" tall element and fit it under the hood?

Here's a lengthy thread dealing with that:
OK Chas, See If You Can Tell What's New...

and a pic of the K&N Xtreme that lets it breathe just fine....

[RodKnock]

And you'll notice there's a link to Mickmate & Bernica's dropped base setup too.

Personally, I find it to be nonsense. The standard turkey pan and air cleaner setup work fine for running around town and trips in the area. The Xtreme air cleaner lid looks terrible to me and a bit like a solution trying to find a problem. But that's just me.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

The Xtreme air cleaner lid looks terrible to me and a bit like a solution trying to find a problem. But that's just me.

Sorry brother!
I'm with Patrick on this one.
The k&n Xtreme looks the goods.
In fact I liked it so much I use two.

Ps. There's never enough air!
That's why supercharges and turbos were invented.

[Detroit Bill]

I am not in love with that K & N cover and you were right that was a lengthy thread. I am not obsessed with things being totally correct but that cover looks out of place. I appreciate the other decisions I see you made under the hood but I am not digging that one. I don't have the car so knowing the clearance is impossible but that does not mean I won't explore it.

RodKnock That is an awful small air cleaner for 482 CI. I am the king of over thinking things so anything is possible. I also have 3 months to obsess about a half a dozen things so humor me.

[RodKnock]

I'm happy to take the minority position.

I think it looks horrible and there's NO actual chassis dyno data to support any HP/tq gains with it in a FE Cobra replica.

Never enough air? Puh-leeze. I'm sure those that have them feel "seat of the pants" gains.

And I'm betting those with them also find that by buying that belly reducing machine on TV, your belly fat will disappear in ONLY 8 days.

Get it, don't get it. I'd consider the Bernica/Mickmate dropped base unit, but for me the cost/benefit ratio is too high.

[Detroit Bill]

I am not looking at any of this from a HP gain perspective. I have no air cleaner.
I need to decide on one. I am certainly going to try and find the largest filter area/CFM I can find that I think looks good. Why wouldn't I?

I have been looking for one of those belly fat machines and honestly who wouldn't mind adding an inch or two? If you have a line on the latter please share.

[kevins2]

Bill,

No shortage of opinions here, but since you asked...
I was where you are now a couple years ago and came to the conclusion that, from a performance point of view, the turkey pan forces you to use a smaller air filter (a negative) but might allow the engine to breathe cooler air (a positive), so somewhat of a trade-off (not counting the xtreme filter, which you say you don't like). I say "might" because there is some evidence that air is actually flowing out of your hood scoop when driving so questionable that it is actually breathing cooler air - there's a thread on the forum about that. Not all replicas are alike so that's not a blanket statement. I decided to go with a 14" air filter (2" tall - good as it gets due to hood clearance on my car). Started with the paper element but now have a K&N type filter. Photos in my album if you're interested in the look. I started with a two-piece drop base housing that allowed me to raise the housing as much as possible and still have some hood clearance and then had the two pieces spot welded together and sealed.

Good luck with all the decisions!

Kevin

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Never enough air? Puh-leeze. I'm sure those that have them feel "seat of the pants" gains.

OK, all kidding aside, that little Xtreme air cleaner did make a noticeable improvement (not unbelievably dramatic, but noticeable) with low speed driving. I can't really tell you if it resulted in any HP gains under WOT. But I will tell you that I had to recalibrate the secondaries because the lessening of the air restriction resulted in lower venturi vacuum, so the secondaries wouldn't open at all until I did that. Of course, there's a lengthy thread on here about that. It's a simple bolt on cleaner -- if you want to show the other chrome jobby, it only takes a second to switch them.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Detroit Bill

I am not looking at any of this from a HP gain perspective. I have no air cleaner.
I need to decide on one. I am certainly going to try and find the largest filter area/CFM I can find that I think looks good. Why wouldn't I?

I have been looking for one of those belly fat machines and honestly who wouldn't mind adding an inch or two? If you have a line on the latter please share.

I prefer the original-like setup. The Bernica/Mickmate setup keeps the original-like appearance but with a dropped base to fit a larger element. That works for me, but what I do and where I go, I'd never notice the difference using the Bernica/Mickmate setup and it's pricey. I can afford it, but see no need for it.

As for belly-reducing machines, I'd invest my coin into a fitness magazine that is geared towards personal trainers, not the general public, and follow their suggestions.

While it's an over-simplification than I write below, ultimately, it boils down to an equation:

Calories Ingested (Eating) - Calories Burned (Exercise) = Weight Loss/Gain

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

OK, all kidding aside, that little Xtreme air cleaner did make a noticeable improvement (not unbelievably dramatic, but noticeable) with low speed driving. I can't really tell you if it resulted in any HP gains under WOT. But I will tell you that I had to recalibrate the secondaries because the lessening of the air restriction resulted in lower venturi vacuum, so the secondaries wouldn't open at all until I did that. Of course, there's a lengthy thread on here about that. It's a simple bolt on cleaner -- if you want to show the other chrome jobby, it only takes a second to switch them.

All kidding aside too, but call me a cynic. We don't know 100% for sure why your secondaries had to be recalibrated. Maybe it's climate change, different fuel, or maybe they were on the cusp of needing a recalibration for other reasons that you weren't aware of at the time of the recalibration. Honestly, run your Cobra on a local track at the same day/time, with both setups and report back.

And let's assume there is a difference, how much of a difference and should you really care if your makes 495 or 500 HP? Personally, I don't think it will noticable, unless dropping ET's for bracket racing is your goal.

Whatever floats one's boat. It doesn't float mine and I just want to drive it when I get the chance. I don't want to be changing air cleaner lids, when I show it, along with all the other changes necessary to make my car operate 0.001 better, but hate to look at when they're installed.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

All kidding aside too, but call me a cynic. We don't know 100% for sure why your secondaries had to be recalibrated. Maybe it's climate change, or maybe they were on the cusp of needing a recalibration for other reasons...

No, I have a zip tie on the shaft that shows how far they open, they've always behaved exactly the same, but with the new less restrictive filter, the speed of the air fuel mixture is less because the volume is more, so I just had to go to a lighter spring. No question about it -- I'm absolutely positive on it. But, that doesn't mean it's making any more total power. I agree with that.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

No, I have a zip tie on the shaft that shows how far they open, they've always behaved exactly the same, but with the new less restrictive filter, the speed of the air fuel mixture is less because the volume is more, so I just had to go to a lighter spring. No question about it -- I'm absolutely positive on it. But, that doesn't mean it's making any more total power. I agree with that.

Did your fuel change? Has there been any atmospheric changes?

[frdfver]

Although I don't have an FE, here is a shot of my oval air cleaner and real live turkey pan. Not to original looking I believe I get plenty of air flow.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...m/NAF351_1.JPG

Paul

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Did your fuel change? Has there been any atmospheric changes?

No, same tank, same atmosphere, same everything. I'm absolutely positive. I know you probably don't want to do this, but you might try driving your Cobra with the air cleaner completely off, just to see if it runs any better (not racing, just regular casual driving). You could also just put a small temporary screen over the top of your carb if you didn't want to run it completely open.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

No, same tank, same atmosphere, same everything. I'm absolutely positive. I know you probably don't want to do this, but you might try driving your Cobra with the air cleaner completely off, just to see if it runs any better (not racing, just regular casual driving). You could also just put a small temporary screen over the top of your carb if you didn't want to run it completely open.

No air cleaner lid and that horrible looking K&N air cleaner are different.

Not "buying it." Sorry. But Detroit Bill may.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

No air cleaner lid and that horrible looking K&N air cleaner are different.

Yes, they are. But if you found your car ran a good bit better when you pulled your air cleaner off, then you might want to explore less restrictive alternatives. Or, just go back to your same old cleaner. But you'll never know until you try.

[Racer_X]

Paul,
Which air cleaner is that? I like it !

Curtis

Originally Posted by frdfver

Although I don't have an FE, here is a shot of my oval air cleaner and real live turkey pan. Not to original looking I believe I get plenty of air flow.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...m/NAF351_1.JPG

Paul

[Racer_X]

Paul,
Which air cleaner is that? I like it !

Curtis

Originally Posted by frdfver

Although I don't have an FE, here is a shot of my oval air cleaner and real live turkey pan. Not to original looking I believe I get plenty of air flow.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...m/NAF351_1.JPG

Paul

[frdfver]

Curtis,
I got that off Ebay. 12"x 8" for 59.00 shipping included. I believe Summit and Jegs sells them also but for more money...

Paul