I have a 2006 350z w/ manual transmission. Last weekend I removed my JWT Popcharger and reinstalled the stock airbox but with a K&N filter instead of the OEM paper filter element. I am not going to say "wow it's like night and day!" but I want to offer some of my observations after installing the stock airbox w/ K&N:

- The car seems to take off a bit more willingly from a stop.
- No more whistling sound at 3.5k+ RPM
- When the car is under heavy load (usually around 5k+ RPM) no more wide open growl...the engine noise is still loud but more subdued.
- Idle settles down more quickly after starting up the car
- Gas mileage gauge reads about 1 mpg higher than with the JWT installed in similar weather. Driving habits have not really changed to support the increase in efficiency.

If I think of any more differences I will post. My overall impression so far is that I am happy with this ~$50 modification. Now I need to decide whether or not to sell the JWT intake.

EDIT - One more observation, the exhaust note sounds a bit deeper. I'm not sure why but the tone was just a little higher pitch with the popcharger installed.

 

I am amazed that folks are able to really "feel" much difference at all between a stock intake and aftermarket one much less between a K&N drop in and a cone filter, but hey if you felt it then you did.

 

its mostly in the head.

 

 

I love my JWT and I'm keeping it.

I gotta throw my other filter on though, the current one is durrrty!

 

+1

After all the Pop-Charger controversy I ended up getting one anyway.... When I took the Z out for a spin on the 405 and 105 fwys the "wooooot" sold me. I could feel a difference from the Pop and my Nismo exhaust combined. Now once the ECU completely understands what's going on (100-200 miles from now) I'm sure it'll only get better...

Seriously, if they were that bad, I am sure that the pop would not still be a hot selling item.

Think of this; The Pop-Charger is affordable, which means that there are many, many more under the hoods of Z owners... Of course you'll have accounts of "bad products" or "unsatisfied customers" due to the sheer number of them out there... It's all about ratios everyone...

Enjoy whatever decision you make with any mod you purchase/install...

 

You should have went with the K&N drop in from the get go.... live and learn.

So it doesn't make noise, doesn't get heat soaked, and doesn't give the engine bay bling.... boohoo

 

I'm happy with the JWT Charger. I'm not looking for 20 hp from an air filter. It's more for personal liking. I had a K&N High Flow drop in before this so it's only got a few hundred miles on it. I felt really no difference.

 

I still have a K&N drop in; bought one the same day I picked up my car... Of course you didn't know that...

I'm surprised that JWT's stock doesn't plummet, or the company just shuts down based upon this site alone. Why is it that the only conical shaped open-element air filter that has such bad press on the Z board is the Pop-Charger?????

 

Mods are great. You'll have some people that love them and you'll have some people that will dislike them.

I have both an 06 airbox w/a KN drop in and a JWT Pop. I have no data to support which one is better than the other, all I know is that my senses (mostly hearing...lol) enjoy the JWT better.

In the end, YOU have to be happy with what you have.

 

I totally agree. I practice this as well... Who am I to say what a person should do with their car, their money or anything else? Eh, some members here feel they are holier than thou and are more knowledgeable than even some of the Nissan engineers. It's starting to get as bad as your average fan-boy video-game forum...

The only "heat soak" I notice, is the amount of hot-air floating around this forum... Some members are just soaking it up too...

Oh well...

 

i hear what both yall are saying and i agree. I have some input, i have jwt and stock. I ran the jwt for about 4 months and took it off now that its in the 100's. I was averaging about 25.6 miles to gallon ont he way to my school which is 95% highway. I put my stocker back on to see if i got less heat soak etc, and it doesnt seem like it runs any better. Also 3 days in a row no other driving then to school and back ive averaged 22.8 mpg. Coincidence im not sure but 3 miles to gallon is enough that this weekend im gonna switch back to the pop and see what happens.

 

I started this thread and ran (unintentionally), but I just wanted to defend myself on one little point. I cannot feel a significant difference between the JWT and '06 stock with K&N, but the engine seemed to respond a little better when I engage the clutch in 1st gear to take off from a stand still. I'm not offended, but I'm not sure that the placebo comments are really applicable. It would be a different story if I came in here with something like "OMFG teh K&N drop-in roxors teh big one !!!1!1!!! JWT heat soak FTMFL !!!!! 11!!!1 I gained 72 HP and 4 thousand lb-ft of torque!"

In my opinion, whether it is the case or not, it does not seem 100% inconceivable that two very different intake filter configurations would result in differing throttle responses, which is possibly the difference that I felt. Who knows. In all of this I forgot to set up a controlled scientific experiment and instead posted some quick observations as objectively as possible.

 

OP...thanks for the observations.

 

only in teh rsx can you gain that much

 

Must be nice...22 miles a gallon

 

On my older 03 i'm ganna put the stock box back and see what happens. I do remember the JWT making it breath and rev a lot better over 5k. Guess i'll see what happens, i do here the popchanger helps the non rev-ups more than the rev-up cars.

 

Lol!

 

I've been getting anywhere from 22 to 28 mpg. I'll make you a deal. I'll trade you my 25 mpg in town average engine set up for your engine setup. And that's not all. I'll even pay for the swap. Guess what. If you call now, I'll even fill up your tank after the swap is made. Deal?????

 

You can increase mpg with METH injection. That's assuming you don't up the boost and the fuel to compensate for the added safety margin.

I think you've got the best of both worlds with that turbo - you can drive (if you have willpower) well out of boost and I bet get great highway mileage.