E30 Zone

What would the gains be (if any) from fitting a cone filter to an otherwise standard 2.0? I seem to remember earlier threads saying that after market panel filters are a better bet, or even sticking with standard. Is this correct? Ebay is constantly flooded with various filters, are any of them any good?
so many questions! Thanks in advance

Standard system or a panel filter is better becasue it's trunked to take cold air straight from the front of the car, where as cone filters just take warm air from inside the engine bay. So unless you can make up some sort of heatshield stick with the standard system or get a panel filter.

Damn, that was quick! So would i notice any gains from say, a K&N or is it money wasted?

datourer wrote:Damn, that was quick! So would i notice any gains from say, a K&N or is it money wasted?

Panel or cone??

Panel filter should help the engine breathe a little easier and is supposed to be less restricitive, but there are some people who will argue that, cone filter will be useless unless shielded from the engine bay.

Hmm, sounds like one not to bother with. Thanks for the advice

Direct fitment, a Pipercross Viper kit (Ԛ£200), carbon fibre shield, and a direct feed.

There is also the universal sized BMC filter, again in carbon fibre housing and supplied with a direct feed, Ԛ£175. There's been little talk about the BMC but I know Karan has one fitted to his car, and I'm looking at doing the same in the near future.

But if you're gonna spend that sort of cash, in my opinion it'd be better to save a bit more and go 2.5

Much more power per $

BMC is very nice, but as dave said plonk a 2.5 in there

BMC looks fookin mean in there too

There's no way i'd spend that kind of money on an air filter system!

Not sure if this applies to the BMW engines but on the Redtop engine on my car they respond very badly to cone filters.
Mine came with a cone filter and was jumping around all over the place and had bad throttle response and was full of flat spots. I threw it away and got another standard airbox and fitted that and the car ran 100 times better.
After this I'll think very carefully about putting a filter on any car again unless it comes with a proper enclosure and has been proven to increase power etc.

Better off stickin with a regularly replaced paper element (standard) they flow as well as 'performance' airfilters and yet offer much more filtration!

I'm just lookin at a mod that will allow me to use a cone filter in the standard airbox. Benefits being increased airflow with the use of the optimally placed, and sheilded, airbox. Using a spare airbox, I'm debating either a pipe that points down into the box, with the filter attached to it, or a different top to the airbox that will accept the K&N. I'll let you know how I get on.

bmw325virgin wrote:I'm just lookin at a mod that will allow me to use a cone filter in the standard airbox. Benefits being increased airflow with the use of the optimally placed, and sheilded, airbox. Using a spare airbox, I'm debating either a pipe that points down into the box, with the filter attached to it, or a different top to the airbox that will accept the K&N. I'll let you know how I get on.

I see what you're saying but find it totally pointless, just stick with the standard airbox with a panel filter, it's exactly the same thing, plus the standard airbox is fitted with trunking to take the air from the front of the car.

does no one ever think well if it lets more air in, it will let in more crap from the road bits of dust etc. This will cause some premature engine wear is my thought. Tell me if i'm wrong.

Must be an issue for manufacturers to to let more air in and keep a better than standard filtration

Simon13 wrote:does no one ever think well if it lets more air in, it will let in more crap from the road bits of dust etc. This will cause some premature engine wear is my thought. Tell me if i'm wrong.

Must be an issue for manufacturers to to let more air in and keep a better than standard filtration

I don't think an aftermarket filter is going to leave anything into the engine that is going to cause premature engine wear.
I've always stuck with standard myself though, the manufacturers didn't spend all that money for nothing!

this is what i mean so aftermarket ones used for a long period of time could have a detrimental effect?

i doubt it, but dont the paper ones clog up more??

wouldnt RR prints show if there is an immidiate benifit from one to the other

dont know about long term wear though

hello all i made up a fiberglass box that basically shilded the conefilter from the rest of the engine bay the box took me a good couple of days to knock up and was very effective it also had heat sheild as part of it next to the hottest part of the engine (to prevent it bursting in to flames....lol) i made this up for my 318is and the difference was huge well i have a nice shiny 325 which i will try to make one up for when i get back if its not too hard i might see if possable to make a few spares ..........................j

i have got a green twister fitted to mine with a ram air style pipe on the original air inlet. my car has got more power now and a gorgeous engine note through the full stainless scorpion exhaust. i have had no probs whatsoever with it. been on the car for over a year now