i dont know how valid this statement was but i have heard that if you get the wrong intake / exhaust setup you can actually lose horsepower. this being said whether it is true or not what would be the best intake for my magnaflow exhaust that i just bought.
p.s i dont know how you would lose horsepower by opening things up but i could be wrong.

 

I would think that if you openid up the exhaust to much you would decrease exhaust velocity therefore causing a loss of tq and thus horsepower.

 

not a bad point.
so me having the magnaflow catback, what would be the bets intake for me to purchase?

 

I think you'll find that most (most, not all) exhaust companies have done a bit of research and have made something that will generally give you more power. I think that point will only really apply if you were making your own exhaust, and you made it something ridiculous like 4inches in diameter right from the manifold, then you would loose exhaust velocity. But for the most part, any aftermarket exhaust mated to an aftermarket intake, should give you a bit more power.

 

Intake and exhaust mods alter the torque and horsepower curves. The results of every potential combination is unpredictable. That is why 350Z owners, after completing intake and exhaust mods, get a ECU tune.

 

get the ECU tuned or you won't get any hp/tq..

 

After putting on new intake/exhaust systems you may not notice substantial HP / Tq gains. However you may notice improved throttle response, which will also enhance your driving experience.

 

Exhausts and intakes aren't that restrictive on the Z yet.. At most you can gain 15hp from both. The best bang/buck would be test pipes and an intake manifold. 400 dollars from that can net you 20-25hp depending on your stock tune, and up to 40rwhp if you can get ur self a tune. Everything after that is cherry.
The best difference I noticed was from test pipes..

 

the stock intake/exhaust these days on most cars are really well designed to maximise the power. the days for cheap power are pretty much over(especially for na cars)

there still is some compromise made due to noise/smog/cost issues.

so as long you get an exhaust from a reputable company nismo/greddy/hks etc. the power gains are going to be pretty comparable.

just don't get a 3" exhaust for an NA car

 

Get a JWT popcharger and your exhaust combo will be fine.

 

thats what i think i am going to go with. thanx for all the responses

 

Old thread I know, but just doing some of my own research and came acorss this thread. I'm gonna try and answer your original question for you.

Let's use different straws for this example.

Think of your "stock" setup as one of those dinky little red and white coffee stir sticks. Try and blow as much air through that straw as you can. Pretty restrictive huh?

Well, think of an "optimum" set up as upgrading to your standard drive-thru straw that you get in a soda. Much easier to blow air though right?

Now, it would be easy to assume that the more air you can push through the straw the better. Right? Wrong. With no straw, push out all the air in your lungs....sounds like that 80 year old guy next to you in line at the DMV - Weak. You want a certian ammount of back presssure in the system otherwise you'll start to lose power/torque.


Lame I know, but that's the best way I can describe it.


-J

 

I dyno higher with just an exhaust than a lot of other people with bolt ons. I took out my intake because it sucked hot air and pinged.

 

yes, pretty much how i was gunna explain it when i read the post too, lol.
small dia. straw= good velocity/ strong signal
large dia. straw @ same breathing capacity= bad velocity and loss of signal strength
now, the larger will gain it's strength if your motor is intaking and expelling larger amounts of air. signal strength will still be less at lower rpms, but as velocity raises, a ram effect can be created and the velocity and strength will equalize again. but as said above, the intake and exhaust ports are optimized pretty good from a high volume manufacturing stand point (nissan) on most of the newer cars for a stock motor.
but yes, more power is to be had with the right combo..

 

What kind of intake?

 

Injen short ram. What a waste of money, but I got it for free.

 

You are absolutely wrong. Backpressure is not a prerequisite for anything. Exhaust velocity is what you need to hold on to torque at the low end. The 'you need backpressure' myth has been debunked long ago. Search and you shall be enlightened, and stop spreading misinformation.

 

^ +1...

And a side note, I'm in the low end for about half a second while in 1st gear. After that point it's 4k plus from there on out, obviously at WOT, lol...

I guess I would be more worried if my car redlined at 4k...

Zquicksilver

 

it is more about throttle responce. if you are at a lower rpm, you want the car to go if you hit it. the trick is having the good throttle responce, and carrying the power up higher too.

 

Ok cool guy