Very interesting all the opinions on air filters etc. In ALL of my Triumph
cars including the enduro cars we NEVER had an air filter of any kind. I
know, we did do a lot more rebuilds a we were a factory enterprise but I
never found that the rings or pistons were damaged from injesting junk from
the outside. My Formula 5000 car ran with just a screen over the air inlets
to keep rocks from holding the throttles open and the same with my Can-am
cars and the Indy cars also. With the Nissan Prototype we did have a very
effecient and very LARGE filter because of the turbo primairly.
Interesting, I must admit I was worried a couple times with a driver doing
the "off road" excercises but then too, just another opinion.
----- Original Message -----
From: <GuyotLeonF@aol.com>
To: FOT <fot@autox.team.net>
Cc: <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2000 2:33 PM
Subject: Air Filter choice?
> Friends, Romans & Countrymen,
>
> I have come to the conclusion, following recent discussion on the list
that
> I am be well advised to change from my present exponential type ram
> pipes/velocity stacks, to newer full radius type ram pipes...
>
> I have been wondering how well they will fit under my present K&N filters
> (50mm deep on my Vitesse, due to lack of space)...and whether I should
change
> to either ITG filters - from Coventry, (UK) or Pipercross, from
Northampton
> (UK).
>
> Anyhow, after digging around on the net for a while, I found the following
of
> interest:
>
> Daniel Levitin writes: > Well, it's time to replace my air filters on the
old
> Stromberg
> > CD150s, and I thought i'd find out what other people have
> > experienced. Do you recommend sticking with the cardboard type, or
> > going to the washable foam type? Any difference in air intake?
>
> Attached below is some recent discussion from the British-cars (SOL) list
> regarding foam air filters. Hope it helps,
> --
> T.J. Higgins | tjhiggin@ingr.com | (205) 730-7922
> Intergraph Corp. | Mapping Sciences Division | Huntsville, AL, USA
>
> Date: Sun, 18 Dec 1994 12:26:06 -0500
> From: TATERRY@aol.com
> Subject: Ram Flo Air Filters
>
> Can some one give me a reference to an outfit I believe is in Gilroy, Ca.,
> maybe south of there, that sells custom manifolds for Webers and Ram Flo
air
> filters or Ram Flo lookalikes. He appears at Brit swap meets in the Bay
Area
> from time to time....Many tnx and cheers...Terry
> ------------------------------
> Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 13:31:01 -0800 (PST)
> From: Marc Sayer <msayer@efn.org>
> Subject: Re: Ram Flo air filters
>
> Stay way far away from Ram Flo or any other foam based filters. As the
> foam ages it starts to breakdown into small abrasive particles. These
> particles get sucked down into the engine and I am sure you can see the
> problems with that. Additionaly, unlike the Pipercross or ITG type
> airfilters which flow well when new and clean, the Ram Flow filters flow
> is marginal at best and even when clean presents a restriction. Due to
> the way foam filtration works, as the filter gets dirty, air flow is
> reduced, so even a if your foam filter flows OK when clean it will
> present an ever increasing restriction as it gets dirty. It is
> also too close to the throat of the carb and creates turbulence in the
> carb. The proximity of the filter medium to the carb throat
> has another downside. The filter medium gets wetted by the fuel fog
> standing off the carb (caused by flow reversal at low RPM's and large
> throttle openings primarily). If the car backfires through the carb (this
> is not all that uncommon) the flame front will ignite the gas soaked foam
> and as the foam burns the charred remains will get sucked into the
> engine. Even if the flame goes out instantly the foam will still be
> damaged and you won't even know about it. At best the damage will reduce
> the filter's ability to flow air, causing you car to run rich. At worst
> the fire damage will cause the foam to breakdown more rapidly than normal
> which will lead to the above mentioned abrasive particles getting sucked
> into the engine. Be smart use a K&N filter. And remeber you must use air
> horns of some sort on the carb(s), a full radius shape is best. If the
> filter you are going to use won't let you use air horns you shouldn't use
> that filter. There are good horns that will work with filters as short as
> 1.75" thick.
>
> Marc Sayer
> Performance Engineering
> 1070 W. 2nd Ave.
> Eugene OR 97402
> (503) 484-0904 Fax 746-0863
> msayer@efn.org
> ------------------------------
> # Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 18:56:59 -0500
> # From: Gregory Urban <gurban1@gl.umbc.edu>
> # Subject: Re: Ram Flo air filters
>
> On Mon, 19 Dec 1994, Marc Sayer wrote:
>
> > throttle openings primarily). If the car backfires through the carb
(this
> > is not all that uncommon) the flame front will ignite the gas soaked
foam
> > and as the foam burns the charred remains will get sucked into the
> > engine. Even if the flame goes out instantly the foam will still be
> > damaged and you won't even know about it. At best the damage will reduce
> > the filter's ability to flow air, causing you car to run rich. At worst
> > the fire damage will cause the foam to breakdown more rapidly than
normal
> > which will lead to the above mentioned abrasive particles getting sucked
> > into the engine.
>
> I can vouch for this. I had a 65 Corvair Corsa Convertible with a
> dual-carb set up (Replaced the original 4 1-barrel carbs). These carbs
> had foam air filters, and the crankcase vented into one of the air
> filters. Needless to say the filter was soaked in oil. One day the car
> backfired, and the filter was engulfed in flames. To add insult to
> injury, the spare tire was located in the engine compartment, and rested
> on this carb. The flame burned though the tire, which proceeded to blow
> more air into the flames, feeding them higher and higher. All in all, a
> good show for about five minutes. When it ended, I started it up and
> drove it home (all 5 blocks).
>
> Brit content. My 71 TR-6 had been my daily driver for several years, and
> never left me stranded until one day as I rounded a corner, it just
> died. No juice at all. Odometer says...71,000.00 Coincidence? Or just
> Lucas. Neither, bad battery (and probably my fourth alternator in 2
years).
>
> Greg Urban | Always follow the fool, for the fool knows not
> urban@cs.umbc.edu | where he is going, so he follows his heart.
> gurban1@umbc.edu |
> ------------------------------
> # Date: Tue, 17 Jan 95 10:25:08 GMT
> # From: Matthew Walker <walkerm@prl.philips.co.uk>
> # Subject: Re: ITG air filters
> >
> > Date: Fri, 13 Jan 95 09:38:58 -0800
> > From: "TeriAnn Wakeman" <twakeman@apple.com>
>
> (*Yes, that is 'our' TeriAnn, and I bet she's forgotten that she ever
wrote
> this!-Léon)
>
> > Subject: Air filters
> >
> > Does anyone have any opinions with ITG air filters?
> > They are a triple layer reticulated polyesterr foam type that sits on a
semi
> > rigid fiber glass frame. The inner layer is treated with a fire
retardent &
> > is not supposed to support combustion.
> >
> > They have a filter that will fit on a TR3 with a pair of DCOEs & allow
you
> to
> > keep that air horns on.
> >
> > According to their data sheet their filters are used on the following
race
> > teams: General Motors, Mazada, Mercedes, and are recommended by
Bertilis,
> > Cosworth, Crowther, Hasselgren, Huffaker & Loyning.
> >
> > Anyone have any experience with these?
> >
> > TeriAnn Wakeman Large format photographers look at the world
> > twakeman@apple.com upside down and backwards
> >
> My engine tuner recommends ITG filters, mainly because they 'breathe'
> through the rear of the case (unlike K&Ns). This (he says) allows you to
> use longer ram pipes.
>
> Generally speaking these filters flow very well. I have the same filter on
> my Westfield that Caterham use on their JPE. This flows enough for >250hp.
>
> They flow well, but do they filter? Well, in my Vizard tuning manual, he
> recommends you hold a foam filter up to a light source and look through
it.
> If you can see lots of light, it will flow well, but will also allow
plenty
> of dirt through. I've done this with my filter and found some light gets
> through. It's only pin hole size light that you see, which I suppose isn't
> too bad. It's also recommended to buy the dust retension spray for the ITG
> filter. I haven't done so yet, but I will let you know what type it is
when
> I get some.
>
> I know Pipercross foam filters come highly recommended (Vizard recommends
> them), if you can, I would try the Vizard test on Pipercross before buying
> ITG.
>
> Comments? Cheers, Matt
> - --------------------------------------------------------------
> | Matthew Walker, Philips Research Laboratories, Redhill,
> | Surrey, RH1 5HA. G.B.
> | Email: walkerm@prl.philips.co.uk
> | Tel: +44 (01)293 815376
> | Fax: +44 (01)293 815500
>
****************************************************************************
**
> ****************
> Hmmm, ITG or Pipercross or K&N?
> I think there may be some restriction with the K&N's due to the Stainless
> Steel Front plate?
> Whereas the ITG's and Pipercross have no such plate...
>
> I am interested to learn of all/any comments/thoughts/experiences
concerning
> use of these filters with Webers sidedraught carburettors?
>
> Regards
>
> Léon F Guyot
>
> Triumph Sports Six Club
> International Liaison Secretary
> 1963 Triumph Vitesse 2-Litre Convertible
> Wimbledon, London, England.
>
|