Can you point me to a site and/or store where I can purchase just the K&N filter. All the sites and stores only sell it as part a "kit", ie. with the heat shield you warn against.
i thought k&n had a metal heat shield. you can always try ebay or your local auto parts store. i know theres usually a couple on ebay for example.... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/K-N-...A-RU-3580_W0QQitemZ150240469483QQcmdZViewItem i might be wrong about the k&n intake but for some reason it looks more like coated metal to me in the pictures. you could always call the place you are planning to order it from and ask them what material it is. the ones i had problems with were the racing dynamics ones. but if the k&n one is plastic that looks like some really thing plastic and probably wouldnt work very well, thats why i think it looks metal.
what year do you have cus i think like 04 coupes and maybe sedans and above 04 have a 3.5" diameter for the MAF, you can always take off your airbox and measure the diameter of the hole that attaches to the MAF or the MAF itself if you are above an 04 and unsure. otherwise they are all 3" coupe sedan and convertible if under the year 04
I have a 2005. Looks like I will need 3.5"...right? I also found the below website that just sells the replacement filter. I figure I should call to see if it comes with any other parts, fasteners, etc. It's not a K&N but looks good... In a few weeks I gonna get the heat shield off ebay, buy the filter, and hopefully be able to install it myself. Then I wanna get the shark injector. http://www.car-stuff.com/store/?N=9716 4294966997 1580 11920 9157
huh? The intake of the M54 did not change through the years of the e46. Here's my Dinan CAI with upsized TB. not sure of its diameter though.
Now this is freakin funny! "Commiefornia" was the source of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. And I wouldn't start with an intake. I'd start with a book on performance engine tuning. Save the money from speculative parts purchase and spend it on some track time with a coach or a car control clinic. It surprising what skilled hands can do with less power... Usually more than unskilled hands can do with more.... Just a couple of thoughts.... Matt
To be fair... I "earned my wings" the hard way.. Got a car, bolted crap on, wasn't happy... Got another car... Had someone else who know what they were doing build it up, was happy but didn't have anything to tinker with (And not much money when it was all said and done).... Got another car.... And some books... Learned about the whole system... Developed a goal... And worked towards it.... I don't know if anyone actually does it the right way... Learns about the system... Developes a goal... And works twards it... or if all the "old hands" learned by doing it wrong a couple of times... But the two or three best lessons in modding cars are.... 1) Tighten the "nut behind the wheel" This mod has more bang for the buck than any other. 2) Understand they WHOLE system. Power generation, drivetrain, chassis and suspension. While expertise is a lifetime effort, competence is just a few books away. 3) Work twards a goal. If one just does a little something here, a little something there, one usually won't get full benefit of anything because cars, especially today, are massivly integrated, synergistic systems. Also, one will waste a lot of money because lots of parts won't work together well if done in a hodge podge manner or at cross purposes. Matt
weird i thought i had read that 04's and above were bigger MAF maybe it was euro models. i wish they still made that dinan cold air intake you have 200964. i tried to find one on the internet recently but couldn't find one anywhere. i polished my driving skills a long time ago, thats why i am now doing the performance upgrades. i have worked around cars enough in my life to do the stuff myself and be happy with the outcomes. which i am. but it is definitely true that if you are a novice you should always try to enhance your driving skills first but if thats under the belt, then do what you want to with your car, especially if it makes you happy. I have also been entering my car in bimmer fest the past few years and making it as personalized as possible is my MO for making my car stand out in the sea of bimmers. unfortunately i wont be entering this year because the other week a drunken neighbor backed into my car while it was parked on the street and dented one of the quarter panels. i am currently waiting for an insurance check. cant enter a car with a broken hip!! but yes doc i definitely agree with you on that tip. if anyone remembers the news article from florida where those 5 teenagers drove off the end of a private airstrip in one of the kid's dad's m5. that just goes to show what unskilled hands can do with more.....crash and kill all in the car. (an extreme example)
ppimpinella- you should check out the new dinan intake. it integrates into the stock airbox and i hear very good things about. it also matches the engine bay very nicely. i've been considering buying one of those myself, or the john conforti intake which is a bit more expensive than the dinan. both work very well with the shark injector though, a buddy of mine that tunes bmw's said either are a great match. he uses the old dinan cold air like pictured above with a shark injector on his 330ci thats if youre willing to spend around $300.
Airflow mods on normally aspirated cars are not rocket science. But I will add that you can screw things up for air-fuel with the more sophisticated BMWs of today. That my friend is why Dinan has three (!) different stages of software based on the hardware you are implementing. That says it all. Dinan does the 'planning' for you. Airflow mods are particularly synergistic with forced induction engines, and thus need to be well thought out. If you put on bigger piping cat-back, it will do a lot more for you if you also do intercooler and intake piping upgrades up front. Thus, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I learned this with a turbo car (DSM) some years ago. The rush of power is a great feeling, but that added pressure can strain standard components. Which automatically enrolls you in the new-part-of-the-month club!
Now I dont know if I should install any bolt on updates. Money is an issue with me as I just bought a home, the bimmer, and about to start a family. That said, will I have a problem if I update my computer with the conforti Shark and then use a Denan intake for my E46? Do I have to do them consecutively? Do I need to use Dinan software with the Dinan intake? Sorry for all the questions. But I also just looked at the Conforti intake....looks good, but expensive. The Dinan intake looks like the easiest to install as I can keep my stock box and just replace the lid. Any further input will be much appreciated. As a new BMW owner, and new member to this board, I can say that I'm already becoming an ethusiast. This is also a great resource for new owners like myself. However, I have alot to learn and plan on going to the book store to get up to speed.
Give Dinan a call. Their techs are most helpful and can advise you whether you choose Conforti or Dinan. fyi, I went to stage 3 with the add ons I chose, so it does not have to be sequential.
If this is really true.. then save the pennies for what's really important: your future. Your car, in fact most cars, are very capable right out of the box. Wait till your tires are shot, and go for some really grippy rubber (you'd have to replace tires anyway). Doing stuff to cars is fun and can give some real satisfaction. But what will you get from your intake? A few HP? A bit of a sound difference? The Shark Injector will give you a bit more (nice thing is it's reversable.... Just push the button again!) You will get tons more performance upgrade from a day on the track with coaches sitting next to you than you will ever get from the Shark. You will never, ever look at a turn the same way as you did before your first track day. That I guarantee! Check the local chapter schedule and see when there is an event to go to. While the appeal of easy bolt on surely is seductive, it's the expensive way to gain performance. Pretty much every experienced driver will tell you that seat time and coaching is the fastest, most cost effective way to get more performance. (Oddly enough, usually the next is suspension and brakes... But power is just so easy to go for...) I know where you're coming from. I have a house that needs a lot of work, and both a 1 year old and a three year old, both wonderful little girls. Let's just say that my parts consumption has dropped precipitously, unless something brakes.... Keep what's important in perspective. Matt
Dr Obnxs - I appreciate your comments and am trying to keep perspective. But I'm just excited about the new ride. I'm more concerned with responsiveness than an actual increase in horsepower. However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want the added growl and hp. I can afford a few hundred dollars in mods right now, but do not want to do anything crazy which may do more detriment to my car. As such, and based on the valuable input from this board, the shark and intake appear to be the safest and easiest to do myself. Since I can't do both right now, it looks like I should start with the shark and then add either the denan intake or conforti intake for my E46. Does that sound like a good plan?
Honestly... I think the money would be better spent on a day at the track with some coaching. Really, that will translate into better driving in every car you ever get into, a better ability to really get what performance is there to be had, and will change how you see any turn that you ever encounter. As a bonus, you'll be a safer driver as well. That said, if you have a mod itch that just has to be scratched, go for the shark. While it's not a custom tune, it will do a bunch of good things to your ECU that you will enjoy whenever you drive your car. Matt
i tend to agree with dr o, go with the shark first its easy and makes a myriad of performance minded changes to your car. i went with that first and it makes the car perform a lot better, and then i later got the intake. i am at the moment saving for the cat back so i can have all around better airflow through and out my engine. happy moding!!
So I was looking into buying this heatshield. I was just curious it says in the listing that no other equipment is needed besides a conical air filter. Yet in one of his pictures you see a K&N air pipe coming out the back of the heat shield. Did you purchase a CAI system and just replace the heat shield or can it be done without a CAI kit?
nope just bought a heat shield and a 3" Conical K&N filter. You can buy a CAI and switch out the heat shield but you don't really need anything else besides the shield and filter. Or if you don't mind spending around $360 or so you can buy an AFE which is all aluminum and even has an aluminum top to the shield. that is also basically just a shield and a cone. heres a good place to get it at, along with a lot of other great stuff at pretty good prices ( I think its the cheapest I found AFE's at). http://www.modbargains.com/product.aspx?pf_id=afe_BMW_E46_CS
