Some reflections on intakes. LR Focus

[melbzetec]

I've made a number of changes to intakes in recent weeks and thought I'd post some observations.

Some years back I swapped from stock airbox with a BMC panel filter, to a Pipercross Viper.

Dynoed before and after, it showed the Pipercross generated 6+% increase in power and torque right across the rev range. Seat of the pants dyno also said WOW! This was prior to the substantial modifications I have since made (cylinder head, header, cams etc etc)

12 months or so back, I played around with the Pipercross, removing the cold air intake tube, and attaching the bellmouth directly to the filter, in a short ram configuration.

Again, a back to back dyno showed that the short ram produced a slightly higher peak power figure, but a significant reduction in low to mid range torque. The seat of the pants (or Butt) dyno also found that the thing makes a lot of noise, but is lethargic when accelerating. I now only use this configuration for car shows, as it has extra bling factor(!), but for everday driving is not satisfactory, both because of noise and heat soak

Yesterday I installed a genuine ST170 system...inlet, snorkel, bottom box, with a BMC panel filter.
It certainly is an improvement for low end torque compared with the open mouth short ram Pipercross setup I put in for Small Ford Sunday (and much quieter), but, (albeit in the absence of a dyno), it still doesn't have the response I get with the full Pipercross with cold air intake. Again, it seems to lack the mid range torque the Pipercross produces

I had been thinking I might stick to the ST170 setup for that neat factory look, but am now convinced that the Pipercross with cai is the best performing combination I've had, and the most fun to drive.

Today I received a new Pipercross Viper I purchased from the UK (due to a battery acid leak which ate through the foam filter of my existing one. AAARGHH!)

The only issue is to solve the issue of a neat routing of the cold air intake tube to the stock inlet. I have never found a satisfactory neat solution (it involves cutting away parts of the battery box which substantially weakens the box) but have some new ideas involving aluminium reinforcement that may address that problem.

However, I'm now convinced that the Pipercross with cai setup I've used for a couple of years now gives the most fun, and it is the system I will stick with.

A long blurb probably only of interest to a few LR owners, but thought it was worthwhile to note down for posterity so that future LR owners can potentially reference it.