help whats better AEM INTAKE OR STOCK AIR FILTER?

[SubieSti05]

What's better AEM cold air intake short ram or stock air filter? And will I need a tune after I install the air filter?

[SD_GR]

Better at what? Filtering? I've seen zero data on the AEM. However the data on the stock air box are excellent. I'd go with that.

(That end of the motor is not where to look for power, if that's what you meant, and in any case filtration is far more important than power anyway).

[Rambo]

I'll just leave this here:

Intake Information for n00bs

[Mikie13]

Assuming you have an 05 STI...depends. AEM intakes haven't had the same good rep for older generations, that they do for the newer ones.

You won't see really any benefits from it because the stock airbox flows adequately enough for most applications. Most people replace intakes simply for the noise. You hear the turbo spool and by-pass valve more.

[EJ257]

What mods do you have?

I'll just leave this here:

Intake Information for n00bs

The problem is, people take that information wrong. While it can work to 400hp power levels (that's referencing bhp, mind you), at that point, it's a pretty big restriction. It wouldn't surprise me if it's holding you back 20whp.

[EndlessSea]

most of the ppl on this forum who have been around subaru's for a long time are die hard stock intake havers. and thats fine, more power to them(no pun intended), but i fully disagree with the stock intake is best mentality. unless your wrx has a td04 strapped to its uppipe. but even then id still buy an intake, mostly because i love the up and down whistle and spool sound of a turbo. and an open element intake will let you hear it all.

now all the airboxers will jump in and say oh the factory box has been proven to 400hp. and that may be true. but on the other side of the coin that doesnt mean an intake will get you +0 hp. you will gain more hp with an intake+tune than with just a tune.

AEM claims something like +20 whp. i dont quite believe it. but in this article they tested a K&N intake with no tune and reportedly gained 17whp and 20wtq. so i guess anything is possible

Five Steps to Making More Power in Your Subaru WRX – Feature – Car and Driver

also the AEM your looking at is supported by cobb. so its probably one of the safest bets as far as intakes go. if cobb supports it on their OTS maps then it must be a quality product.

[rage-wrx]

also the AEM your looking at is supported by cobb.

Exactly. Which is why they designed a tune for the intake.

and aem is one of the few companies that have it in writing that you can use their intake with the stock tune.

Where did you see this?

[SD_GR]

Find me an intake that is better than stock, I'm genuinely interested.

Which intake is proven to function Bette than stock?

Function, that is, at the only crucial role of the intake: to filter air.

If an intake is better at protecting the motor from dirt than the authentic part, I'm interested. Otherwise they're all just imitations. Si and wear metals will tell the tale.

[EndlessSea]

Exactly. Which is why they designed a tune for the intake.



Where did you see this?

Edited and removed as i could not locate the article to which i saw the information. i could have read/remembered it wrong also and been giving false info. sorry!

Find me an intake that is better than stock, I'm genuinely interested.

Which intake is proven to function Bette than stock?

Function, that is, at the only crucial role of the intake: to filter air.

If an intake is better at protecting the motor from dirt than the authentic part, I'm interested. Otherwise they're all just imitations. Si and wear metals will tell the tale.

i was wondering when you airboxers would be showing up in this thread! lol just playing
i was assuming the OP was asking about better for hp not better for filtering. you are correct, stock box is probably the best air scrubber in the business. assuming you dont change the parameters with an aftermarket high flow filter that is..... its a fact of physics. if it allowing in more air. the holes in the filtering material must be bigger, so in turn it must also allow in more contaminates

[MainFrame]

if it allowing in more air. the holes in the filtering material must be bigger, so in turn it must also allow in more contaminates

I don't know about that.. what about a filter that has considerably more surface area? Couldn't it then be less restrictive AND have the same size or even smaller holes in the filter media?

[SD_GR]

I suppose so but I've never seem any UOAs with a "high performance" filter drop dirt and wear lower than the Subaru box and filter. I think the Subaru unit is very good and the price is right. YMMV but I'm skeptical.

[Zman13]

This is a hard subject! I would say on older cars and design a CAI always did help more air flow and filter better. BUT now a days the new cars come with some really good air boxes that have great flow and good filtration! I was even watching an episode of Jay Leno's garage and he asked the the cheif engineer of FORD when they where talking about the new Boss Mustang about how good are stock air filters now a days? Jay asked "whats up with these Cold AIR intakes?'' Are they really better then stock?'' The Engineer said they use to be but not any more! Most car manufactures have really good systems now a days he said! He said you cold still use them for show but as far as peformance STOCK is best! If the stock Air box in the WRX is good for 400hp that is good enough for me! Even if i MOD my car down the road i dont see myself going over 400hp! Yes the sound of the Turbo spooling would be cool but not at the risk of my engine! I want the best for my car! I know some performance drop in filters claim they have better flow and filtration then stock but i would like to see there study on that and then i might consider one of those like the AEM drop in.. But thats about it! That all being said i am going to look into this more and a CIA is not deff out of the picture!

[11blackSTi]

So are companies completely lying on their websites? That's what one would conclude based on what I have read on the forums regarding intakes!

PERRIN Performance — — Cold Air Intake

[Zman13]

So are companies completely lying on their websites? That's what one would conclude based on what I have read on the forums regarding intakes!

PERRIN Performance — — Cold Air Intake

Well not really sure if they are or not cause i wasnt there when they did the dyno run! But when a chief engineer says that most stock intakes are as good as it gets in the year 2013 i tend to want to believe him! And on top of that its proven that the stock WRX airbox is good up to 400hp heck that all i need! Even if i MOD my car i doubt i will reach 400hp with the mild MOD's that i might go with. Also if Companies truly are getting that much HP gain with there Air filter did they do a tune also?? Because im pretty sure you cant just throw a Cold air intake on a 2.5 turbo Boxer engine with out making it run super lean. And if they did use a Tune or tune the car also with that air filter in the test then i would say it was more the tune. But if they didnt tune the car even if they did get an extra HP gain im guessing the car is running super lean and eventually run into problems. I would like to also see the AF ratio during tests of all these aftermarket air filters. A lean engine is a very bad thing... But like i said if my stock box is capable of 400hp thats all i need! JMO...

[Mikie13]

So are companies completely lying on their websites? That's what one would conclude based on what I have read on the forums regarding intakes!

PERRIN Performance — — Cold Air Intake

It's not lying...it's bending the truth, which is also known as Marketing.

A result that may get posted won't be true for all cars...they use the extreme gain to sound best that was obtained most likely in the best of climates/situations with the best of correction factors. So they aren't lying about it, but the results aren't typical at all.