Honestly just read some of my posts, I go out of my way to help random people with there cars all the time, I'm just looking out.

I have been to SB facility personally here in Southern California, read up on there site, watch some of there videos tuning intakes. Filter quality ect.

Most people don't know this but SB makes a lot of filters for a lot of companies out there that get rebranded.

Especially on a turbocharged car, you want the best filter cleaning the air going into your motor, a motor that cost nearly 15k from BMW in a box.






Impressed with the quality of this CAI I recently installed.

[Wheezy C]

Just my 2 cents... Before we bash companies and their products because it may not be a factory fit application for our cars, know that the items carried at Autozone are the same that are carried at Summit Racing or Jegs which are world renowned distributors. Spectre performance parts including filters are used on their 1.2 million dollar Ferrari F40 and their world record setting 330mph streamliner.

The desire to modify and enhance vehicles by ambitious owners has brought us some of the greatest vehicles in history. Does it sometimes come at a risk? Yes of course but in the end it is your car and your dream. Have fun and work smart.

[Thedouceman]

Originally Posted by Ridehard335

I decided to make my own as well. I ordered the filters direct from S & B in blue with chrome. I bought the aluminum pipe from Home Depot and polished them with the bench grinder/wire wheel. All said and done it cost me $65.

What schedule aluminum pipe did you use for this? Was it thick or did you find something with smaller side walls?

Also for anyone who has done this mod using PVC, did you use anything besides a worm clamp when connecting the reducer coupling to PVC, because to me it seems like a worm clamp will do nothing on hard PVC like that.

[BurnmstrJ]

Just to throw some thoughts out there for a fellow Air Force member:

1. When you try to help someone and tell them they are over their head you should understand what you are talking about as well.

2. The n54 engine has 181.8 cubic inches. To calculate how big your intake would need to be to feed this engine you would use the following formula -

A = CID * RPM/20839

A = effective filtering area
CID = cubic inch displacement
RPM = revolutions per minute at maximum power

If you do this correctly, the N54 needs 50.599 square inches of filter to effectively feed the engine.

Now, if the Spectre cone is a 3 inch cone that is 6.7 inches tall you can figure out the square inches by doing length * width. This comes out to be 26.8 per filter. Effectively providing 53.6 sq inches of filter to the engine. This seems like more than is needed doesn't it? Blow the engine? I think not.

Spectre has also sent a car down the salt flats doing 415 MPH with their parts. I dont think they would do that without quality parts.

Sir, your engine will be fine with the filters you have supplied.

[biz77]

Originally Posted by BurnmstrJ

Just to throw some thoughts out there for a fellow Air Force member:

1. When you try to help someone and tell them they are over their head you should understand what you are talking about as well.

2. The n54 engine has 181.8 cubic inches. To calculate how big your intake would need to be to feed this engine you would use the following formula -

A = CID * RPM/20839

A = effective filtering area
CID = cubic inch displacement
RPM = revolutions per minute at maximum power

If you do this correctly, the N54 needs 50.599 square inches of filter to effectively feed the engine.

Now, if the Spectre cone is a 3 inch cone that is 6.7 inches tall you can figure out the square inches by doing length * width. This comes out to be 26.8 per filter. Effectively providing 53.6 sq inches of filter to the engine. This seems like more than is needed doesn't it? Blow the engine? I think not.

Spectre has also sent a car down the salt flats doing 415 MPH with their parts. I dont think they would do that without quality parts.

Sir, your engine will be fine with the filters you have supplied.

Your formula is incorrect. The N54 utilizes forced induction. The correct formula is:

(Lbs. Boost/14.7) + 1 * CID * RPM/20,839 = filter size in inches squared.

[Chris_506]

i tried this but couldnt find the pcv pipe, anyone has part numbers for further reference?

[BurnmstrJ]

Originally Posted by biz77

Your formula is incorrect. The N54 utilizes forced induction. The correct formula is:

(Lbs. Boost/14.7) + 1 * CID * RPM/20,839 = filter size in inches squared.

After pluggin in the correct formula we still come with 51.197 inches needed. The filters are still good for a stock application.


This is assuming that you are running stock boost. Which according to his profile, he is not.

Thank you for the correction! Much appreciated.

[e90'D10]

Curious for everyone to reply too, why hasn't anyone used K & N filters? Are there any issues with these filters or are you guys showing the cheapest costing mod?

[1NS0MN1A]

Anyone have issues with the PVC?

[JayCee335i]

Went to BMS and the total was $111 with the shipping.So I did to spectre($55 each/pep boys ) air filters and 2 PVC couplings($4 each home cheapo),total $63 so I save myself $48
I'm just concern in the summer time with hot air going in the engine.

[JayCee335i]

Originally Posted by e92'D09

Curious for everyone to reply too, why hasn't anyone used K & N filters? Are there any issues with these filters or are you guys showing the cheapest costing mod?

K&N is the way to go but spectre is a cheaper way.I wanted to do the test with Spectre since it was less expensive,eventually I will replace with K&N filters when the time is do.

[BeastMode335i]

Hate to bring back old threads but just have a question that maybe someone can help me out with.. What do BMS filters do with heat, that Spectre filters don't do? A few people mentioned heat as an issue, but wouldn't heat affect BMS filters the same as Spectre filters? Just wondering, thanks!

[shadow191]

Nothing, pretty much any filter would survive the heat of an engine bay. People may be referring to the hot air being sucked in by the DCI's, but again, that's the case with any DCI in our application.

Originally Posted by BeastMode335i

Hate to bring back old threads but just have a question that maybe someone can help me out with.. What do BMS filters do with heat, that Spectre filters don't do? A few people mentioned heat as an issue, but wouldn't heat affect BMS filters the same as Spectre filters? Just wondering, thanks!

[BeastMode335i]

Originally Posted by shadow191

Nothing, pretty much any filter would survive the heat of an engine bay. People may be referring to the hot air being sucked in by the DCI's, but again, that's the case with any DCI in our application.

That's what I figured but I just wanted to make sure.. I found a $25 gift card to Autozone and I was going to do this, but people are making it sound like Spectre filters cannot handle heat like BMS so I was a bit hesitant..

Thanks!

[slackoff]

I just did mine today. I found a similar method to the OPs post, but rather than using PVC reducers, I used a 2x2 donut, which is also rubber and is ridged, so to ensure no slipping of the pipe or filter.

I did purchase the slightly smaller spectre filters which were only $19.99 a piece, and my piping and donuts from home depot only cost $6.49. Out the door I spent less than $50 on this setup.... and honestly, best dollar for dollar mod I could probably ever do.

Same amazing sound, and the slightly smaller filter size leaves room for other shit.





incase anyone is interested, here are the 2 parts i purchased for my setup.

air filters - http://www.autozone.com/intake-syste...er/415837_0_0/

pvc rubber donuts - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Fernco-2-...-205/100372278

buy a 2'x2" pvc pipe, cut a 2" cut and a 4" cut, and put them into the donuts, then the donut into the filter. The clamp will be nice and secure and due to the smaller exit size on the filter its a perfect sealed fitment. just purchase 2 clamps as well for the filters and use the existing ones from your stock pipes to the pvc on the other ends.

[slackoff]

can delete message - condensed to one

[Zero_Cool]

The e92 335i that I just purchased this month, had this budget mod installed. When I tried to adjust the cones since they looked smashed into each other, the base of the one cone cracked pretty bad. And the other pvc pipe broke completely off. I don't know how many miles they were installed for, but I bought the bms dci pretty much at that time. I can take pics of the areas that failed if anyone is interested. I would recommend those who are interested in this mod to avoid the pvc and use some piping similar to the length included in the dci, so avoid the cones putting strain on each other.

[bp05]

Just thought I'd share my project.

I will be doing the spectre intake cones.

However I found this reducer at Home Depot.

I'll let you know how it works out in a few.

[tommyb13662]

Wow the guys bashing DIY filter installs on here is silly... look up the guys teardown of his highly modified engine after 60k miles running NO AIR FILTERS! Then tell me how these DIY are dangerous.

[Jacebror]

Old thread, but very interesting. I've been debating pulling the trigger on the BMS dci versus the VRSF dci.

The debate of using pvc versus aluminum pipes is good in regards to heat. I would definitely use ABS like some people have been using on here. ABS has a higher heat rating then PVC. But CPVC is even higher. Personally 2" copper would be better, cooler and look cooler.