My car is always garaged at home and at work, when not driven.
Somehow, leaves got into my stock intake.
I opened the airbox for the first time and found not only the leaves, but the stick filters front was dark and dirty after only 4 months and 3,000 miles.
Theres no way I will wait to change this filter every 15k or 30k.
I am going to either replace the stock filter ($8.95) every 3 months/3K or buy a Blitz($40), as I dont like the filters which require oiling (fouls the MAF eventually).
Problem with blitz filter is the $40 everytime it needs to be changed versus $8.95...and regardless of which filter I get, it will be this dirty everytime.
So....the hunt continues to find an "oil less" after market intake and filter...

 

Get a popcharger so you wont have to worry about the leaves anymore.

 

I've found plenty of leaves... one time I found a cigarette butt

The manual recomends changing the filter every 30k, I would go every 15k. Personally, I think every 3 months is an excessive waste of your money.

 

Replace it with a vortech supercharger. That will be equal to 561.79 air filters.

 

I've found a block of styrofoam that was just small enough to fit through the intake opening once. Also, lots of leaves and paper trash... Since that discovery, I developed the habit of cleaning out the air box every time I wash my car. I usually find at least one leaf.

I use the Amsoil oiled foam filter. The oil is very sticky and doesn't seem to come off of the foam very easily. I do agree that there is a risk of MAF fouling though.

--
Jeff

 

my stock filter ripped with about 7k miles on it...either i'm driving so fast the filter bent under the intense suction of my engine (haha) or it's just a piece of crap (probably that)...

replaced with K&N

 

I dont like the pop charger simply because there are too many posts about stalling.
Even though I downshift, the mere "spectre" of this happening on my daily drive on the freeway is not something I want to risk simply for a cool whistle sound that drowns out my cool exhaust tones from within the car.
Although, the days of leaves and other crap fouling my stock box would be over with a Popcharger...doesnt the Pop Charger require oiling?

 

HOLY FREAKIN CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I still like the supercharger idea ...
not buying it guys?

 

With gas prices going thru the roof, I cant justify an SC, unless my Z was not my daily drive.
I just drive too far to work round trip (60 miles) to justify the lower gas mileage.
Maybe when its paid off and no longer my daily drive, several years from now.
By then, alot more stuff will be out and my daily drive wont be at the mercy of the "lone" shop that does installs here.
If they hose my engine, and I dont have transportation I am screwed with my job.

 

I think you should check into the mileage with a SC as well. I still get , if not better than when I was NA ..
It does a more effecient job of air fuel

 

The actual probability of you actually stalling from the popcharger is probably less than a drunk driver crossing into your lane and hitting you head on. You shouldn't let that keep you from buying the best intake available for the Z.

The popcharger does require oiling, yes. But it comes pre-oiled, and you should only have to oil it about every 7-10k miles when you clean it.

 

Well, I do feel guilty having a $1200 Stillen exhaust and a stock intake...
What has got me freaked about the JWT Pop Charger is that the oil will eventually foul the MAF.
Thus, I am determined to avoid any filters that require oiling.
And like I said, there are "many" posters with MT's that have had stalling problems.
I dont even want that to occur even once in 15K miles...the freeway I drive on is from a "MadMax" movie, the crazy idiots will ram you, even if you go 10mph above the speed limit.
I cant imagine stallling on the freeway here.....just not worth it.

 

The only other intake that will provide any performance gain would be the Injen intake. It has basically the same filter, but sits lower in the compartment like a cold air intake. Grab an Injen if you are that concerned with stalling, and don't mind on spending a little more cash.

 

Found this on the K&N site:
MAF sensors can become contaminated for a variety of reasons, unrelated to a K&N air filter (such as backfiring, blowby, leaking airbox or leaking intake duct...
Leaking intake duct and leaking airbox?
Thats a contradictory statement, as the K&N Typhoon air box isnt sealed....only the stock duct and box are sealed.

 

They are all sealed from debris if installed correctly. That's what the air filter is for.

 

Well, here is what I came up with...if anyone can tell me which intake system fits this criteria, I would be gratefull:
1) No metal tubing (heat), prefer carbon fiber
2) No oil
3) Inexpensive filter replacement (no oil)
4) Sealed airbox prefered
5) Documented perf gain
6) No chance of water ingestion, freeway downpours, and I drive thru water sometimes as it floods here.

Thanks..

 

Id just sell the car and buy a hovercraft

 

I believe you are out of luck

stick with stock filters then

 

You are right about the hovercraft, back in Feb, I was driving down a residential street in a downpour, when the street flooded very quickly.
I am not sure how high the water was, but I believe it was high enough from me "plowing thru it" and creating a wake in front of my car that airflow to the engine was temporarily blocked, but no water ingested as the car wanted to stall, but I just hit the gas and plowed out of it.
I can count on that kind of crap 4x a year, which is why I am concerned about water ingestion above what a normal driver would encounter.
"pdjafari", I noticed your using a "Z-Tube"....
I looked that part up and it sounds like a "partial" solution to my problems, and is better than stock.