I have already tried searching and no luck. I am trying to figure out how to mount a KNN cone filter instead of a stock replacement one, or do you guys recommend leaving that alone. I have done custom brackets for my 2nd Gen but dont know how to do it on the 1st Gen, Does anyone have pics of theirs installed and what size filter did you use?
Any help is appreciated

 

Just get the appropriate adapter for the end of the AFM. Auto Zone sells them. Also the 2nd gen AFM adapters will work also. It's easy enough to fabricate a bracket that will run from the AFM to the area near the shock tower.

As far as the size goes, measure the OD of the AFM and then just determine how long of a filter will fit and the overall diameter of the filter.

 

Waste of time and money, the GSL SE air box functions as a cold air intake already, just get a drop in K&N panel filter.

 

I had no idea Autozone sells those adapters, I will measure mines today just to make sure what size it is and also what kind of filter I can use. Thanks for the info. Can you feel the difference when doing this?

 

+111eleventy

 

seriously, the stock one works alot better?

 

Stock one is already a cold intake, and with a K&N gets more than adequate flow for the 13B DEI engine. Removing the airbox and putting a cone on, now you're taking in warm dirty air instead, eliminating any benefit and opening yourself up to potential problems.

Now if you box the cone in, shielding it from heat, dirt, etc. you may have something.

 

I second that. If you still have your funnel from the air box that goes in front of your radiator then thats gonna be colder then any cone that stays in the engine compartment. I have the drop in...less hassle, better results.

 

Thank you, I was about to ask myself since I am picking up my '84 tommorrow or tuesday. Can't wait!!

 

I have to disagree with "just throwing the cone filter on does nothing" argument. Sure, it's not as effective as doing a true cold air intake, but let me share my experience:

I picked up a project GSLSE, pretty much stock. The previous owner had been good with routine maintenance, so the (paper) air filter was in like-new condition. I got a generic cone filter/adapter kit for a 2nd get (I only got it for the adapter, I knew the filter was crap) and threw it on there. The plan was to put a K&N on soon, but I didn't quite get around to it. It did nothing, really. Not that I was expecting much.

A bit later, I ordered an RB cat replacement pipe, and threw it on. The car felt a little better, but I was wondering if I had wasted my $130 getting it, since it didn't really do all that much. I left it on anyway, I had paid for the POS, I was going to use it. Besides, it was the only shiny part of my car.

Then after a few months, I was browsing some thread on here and it reminded me that I still had that shitty Bomz (lol) filter on the car. Well, I thought I would try a little something. I took the K&N cone filter off of the 91 RX7 I had and threw it on the SE, and took it for a ride. HOLY ****. Car was much, much more powerful. I would then research the correct filter for the se (the FC one was a little too big) and stuck it on, and all is well.

Now, the filter itself didn't suddenly give me a lot of power, but the combination of easier breathing in and out did give it a good boost in power. I have had the cats back on for inspection purposes, and the power went back down to where it originally was when I got it, so it was the combination of the filter + exhaust that did the trick.

Of course, if I ever got around to building the true CAI, it would likely work much, much better. Also, I've never tried using a K&N panel filter with the stock airbox, so I don't know if the gains would be the same or not.

*Cliffs Notes*
Cone filter good, but only with exhaust. CAI better. K&N Panel unknown.

 

+ another on the K&N replacement. im running the stock air filter setup on my streetported SE and love it.... nice and quiet plus it really lets me hear that awesome racing beat exhaust system!

 

...and there it is. Though you qualified your statements, you also said you disagree with an exposed cone filter not being a good idea then compared a crappy paper filter in the stock cold air box, with cats, to an exposed K&N filter with unrestricted exhaust.

Drop a proper K&N replacement in the stock box, with your unrestricted exhaust, for an apples-to-apples cone v. cold air box comparison.

 

Manntis: Yeah, I know, that's the one combination I'm missing for a definitive answer to the question. Not going to pay $45 for a panel filter to find the answer, though.

I do have a K&N panel filter on the Miata though, and it does the job well, although I replaced where the airbox gets its are from. It gets it from under the windshield instead of right next to the headers.

 

out of curiosity, what is the correct cone filter/way to put it on?

 

Take notice of where the stock box actually draws its air from....................Yup, the engine bay, right behind the battery. They had a good idea with the cooling tube running across the front of the radiator, but I think they should have provided a better intake point. In my humble opinion & somewhat minimal experience screwing around, I mean "experimenting" with the intake on my GSL-SE, I found a slight improvement going with a replacement K&N filter in the stock box. I've been using K&N products for years so I thought that would be the easiest and least expensive way to improve the intake. There was a noticeable difference, but I still wanted to improve the inlet point. So, I removed the stock box, got an AFM adapter, some intake pipe and a cone filter, then piped it out in front of the radiator. It was fairly easy & inexpensive. Now there isn't a question as to whether or not its getting cool air. I saw an immediate increase in performance and the engine runs cooler. The biggest boost in performance was when I added the RB exhaust. Now it has somewhere to fart-out all that extra air its sucking in. I posted this info some time back, but if anyone is interested, PM me your e-mail address and I'll be happy to send you the "How-To" file. Its a bit chunky because of the pics.

 

It's in front of the radiator...away fromt the engine heat and transferred radiator heat..outside the engine bay. You just piped your air from a lower point than the stock tube.

 

The RB exhaust is one of the nicest things you can do for your SE.

BTW, send me your how-to... I might archive it at rotorhead.ca if the pics & text are well presented

 

Actually my cone filter sits out in front of the radiator and draws in air as it comes through the grill. Please correct me if I'm wrong here, but the stock intake draws air in from behind the battery on the left side within the engine compartment, then through the tube in front of the radiator to the right side, where it then re-enters the engine compartment, then through the filter box, to the AFM, then to the plenum. It may cool the air some, but its source is still from within the engine bay. My preference is , the cooler the source, the better.

 

How is this true? The intake from the air box goes to a tube that goes in front of the rad and comes out next to the battery. How is that cold air???

 

My tube stops right in the center of the radiator. I have never seen a SE that a tube goes in front of the rad then RE-enters? behind the batt???? Nope. No holes on the battery side my rotary friend. I can take pics if you like.

 

Stock, it did go over to the battery side. But most are missing that extension tube and draw air from in front of the rad, just under the header panel.

 

There was a transition, some do extend the air intake all the way over to the battery, some stop half way in front of the rad.

 

Both '85s I've owned have had the battery panel opening, though the snorkel was removed long ago.

 

news to me..Ive never seen a hole on the batt side of an SE

 

Its next to the battery in front of the radiator support.

Heres my K&N cone filter