Just wondering what the different "tuner" airfilters have been capable of flowing in terms of "whp"? When does a filter become "restrictive"?

Here is my current filter just wondering at what whp it needs to be exchanged for a larger one or another alternative?

 

Any filter on a turbo is restrictive. More pleats, longer runner, open end, funneled flow, etc, all may help, but in the end, filter is restrictive. The more HP you make, the worse the filter becomes. You will see several people on here using a wire mesh only in front of the compressor.

 

ive seen wire mesh lose more than a good large filter.

 

Yeah me and my friend had this discussion last night and he said he remembered seeing a dyno comparison between a filter and wire mesh on a boosted car and the filter netted greater hp...

 

^ same here

 

x 2

 

X3

 

I would worry more about the intake pipe than the filter itself, as long as you get a good filter not a cheap POS. try not to have too many bends in the intake pipe and make sure it is the same or larger diameter than your compressor inlet housing. I just have a 4" straight aluminum pipe coming off my turbo and a good 4" opening AEM filter.