Cone or Pannel Filter

[Pyros]

This has probably been asked before but which is better a properly fitted cone filter in an ally heat shield so its protected from engine heat or a performance panel filter in the original air box?

[reggid]

IMO go the panel filter, its a slight improvement over the stock paper one and quite cheap.

[wrcarter]

From any air tests i have seen the stock setup is the best

[stevotheevo]

if your gonna change it, just the panel filter will be best.

[Brianmoooore]

There are no appreciable gains to be had by messing with the air filter on any E30 with a standard engine, and the OE filter actually filters the air.

[garyn]

Ah but a nice induction roar is always better .

[Pyros]

agghhhhhhhh don't know what to do i was looking at an induction kit on the zone shop but now i don't know what to do

[StuBeeDoo]

My Touring had a K&N cone on when I bought it. IIRC, it only stayed on for about a week - it was crap from both power and induction roar points-of-view. It's had a standard panel ever since and that's the way it will stay, even when I get my project engine built.

[Brianmoooore]

Ah but a nice induction roar is always better .

Personally, I can't see the attraction of induction noise at all! M20 exhaust at 4500RPM in a tunnel with the sunroof open is a different thing altogether!!

[fuzzy]

i have a feeling of deja vu brian. im saying nothing this time though

[78dude]

For a standard engine, use the original filter you can buy from GSF for a very little money. If you are hardcore Cossiboy as fuzzy, an open cone filter is the best!

[stonesie]

I remember aaages ago somone did some flow tests and found that the standard setup was the best for airflow and torque, cone filters if your running FI, otherwise stick with what BMW spent obseen amounts of money developing.


Quick comparison

Everyone has a dig at the M20B20 but in it's day 129bhp was good, the 2.0 golf of the time called itself a GTI with 112bhp

[reggid]

My testing showed around 2.5% gains across all rpm on a modded M20 using a K&N panel versus new paper OEM one and it still should transalte into an extra pony or two from stock on any M20.
IMO the only reason for not using the K&N panel is if you don't trust the filtering abilities and in that regard all that matters is if it filters the nasties not whether it wins a filteration test and i don't see them being bad in that department given they are still around after 40 odd years and still sell millions of them and have millions that swear by it. It might be like the myth that the oil destroys MAFS and paper outflows K&N.