My most excellent airbox mod...
10-25-2015, 12:38 PM
#1
My most excellent airbox mod...
Hello S2K fans,
In June of this year (2015) I spotted a 2001 S2000 at a dealership. I didn't know anything about S2K's but I ended up buying a nearly perfect car with only 19K miles on it. About a month later I had the opportunity to drive another S2000 which had a K&N FIPK intake installed on it. I instantly fell in love with the induction sound of that car. As much as I loved the sound of the FIPK I hesitated to buy one because of the high price (IMHO) and because I'm not a big fan of oiled filters.
I read everything I could find about S2000 intakes and airbox mods and I came the the following conclusions:
1) Honda did a heck of a good job with the intake of the S2000
2) Aftermarket intakes don't offer serious power gains by themselves.
3) Modifying the stock airbox also doesn't offer any serious power increases.
4) Some options would add so much noise that I would quickly tire of it.
I spent some time driving with the airbox lid off despite the potential power loss from heat. I just felt that the intake sound was too coarse and too loud without the lid. It was neat for about 10 minutes, then it started to get annoying.
Taking all this into account I admitted to myself that my goal was not to increase power, but to get some (but not too much) of the intoxicating induction sound that the stock airbox was hiding from me.
My decision was to make 4 holes, 1 1/4 inches in diameter as shown:
I am very pleased with the results. During normal around town driving, and highway cruising, there is absolutely no indication of any difference from stock. At engine speeds before VTEC punching the accelerator to the floor will yield a slight growl that I think the casual passenger would not notice. Once VTEC occurs there is a definite growl that anyone would notice as more than stock, but I don't think that it could ever be considered offensive.
If I had to try and assign an arbitrary reference of this compared to taking the airbox lid off I would say that this mod produces 10% of the sound that removing the airbox lid produces.
Of course I think this could be tuned for more and less sound with smaller and larger holes, but for my taste it's perfect as is.
In June of this year (2015) I spotted a 2001 S2000 at a dealership. I didn't know anything about S2K's but I ended up buying a nearly perfect car with only 19K miles on it. About a month later I had the opportunity to drive another S2000 which had a K&N FIPK intake installed on it. I instantly fell in love with the induction sound of that car. As much as I loved the sound of the FIPK I hesitated to buy one because of the high price (IMHO) and because I'm not a big fan of oiled filters.
I read everything I could find about S2000 intakes and airbox mods and I came the the following conclusions:
1) Honda did a heck of a good job with the intake of the S2000
2) Aftermarket intakes don't offer serious power gains by themselves.
3) Modifying the stock airbox also doesn't offer any serious power increases.
4) Some options would add so much noise that I would quickly tire of it.
I spent some time driving with the airbox lid off despite the potential power loss from heat. I just felt that the intake sound was too coarse and too loud without the lid. It was neat for about 10 minutes, then it started to get annoying.
Taking all this into account I admitted to myself that my goal was not to increase power, but to get some (but not too much) of the intoxicating induction sound that the stock airbox was hiding from me.
My decision was to make 4 holes, 1 1/4 inches in diameter as shown:
I am very pleased with the results. During normal around town driving, and highway cruising, there is absolutely no indication of any difference from stock. At engine speeds before VTEC punching the accelerator to the floor will yield a slight growl that I think the casual passenger would not notice. Once VTEC occurs there is a definite growl that anyone would notice as more than stock, but I don't think that it could ever be considered offensive.
If I had to try and assign an arbitrary reference of this compared to taking the airbox lid off I would say that this mod produces 10% of the sound that removing the airbox lid produces.
Of course I think this could be tuned for more and less sound with smaller and larger holes, but for my taste it's perfect as is.
10-25-2015, 01:34 PM
#2
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If the sound of an intake annoys you, you must be gassing it stoplight to stop light. You really only hear the intake at moderate to WOT.
Oh and congrats on your new car and welcome to S2KI.
Oh and congrats on your new car and welcome to S2KI.
10-25-2015, 06:18 PM
#4
I am on the very same path. I also recenrly experimented with airbox lid off, and although it was awesome at first, also found it too much after a bit. Car is my 3 season DD.
I found that with top up, it was even more...excessive. I wanted more sound than stock, but less than airbox lid off.
I also wanted to get colder air to the airbox. There is an old Car & Driver article about a Mugen modded S, article quoted Mugen saying S tends to pull timing with high intake temps, and to maintain power need cold air going to intake.
I also wanted to stay mostly stock, and not though out a perfectly good, and well designed airbox. Engineers had to meet strict noise restrictions. So keeping their excellent design, but deleting some of their nouse abatement, is the same parh I went down.
My mod was similar, but after much research, followed in others footsteps. I cut a 3" hole in side of airbox, and routed a 3" hose from existing fender opening. I also removed the snorkle from airbox lid, and cut down the divider inside box to about 1" high.
This has been documented by others before me.
The result is just the right amount of soind for me, with the possible added benefit of a bit colder air getting to box. I do plan some additional cold air mods future.
I imagine my 3" hole is adding a little bit more sound compared to OP of this thread (2 1.5" holes are about half the surface area of a single 3" hole, but my duct hose probably muffles some of the sound).
I expect OP could add some shopvac hose to his mods, and accomplish something similar (I think shopvac hose might match holes he cut).
He could run one hose to existing fender opening, other hose to opening next to radiator, which is also a very good cold air source, despite proximity to hot rad.
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
I found that with top up, it was even more...excessive. I wanted more sound than stock, but less than airbox lid off.
I also wanted to get colder air to the airbox. There is an old Car & Driver article about a Mugen modded S, article quoted Mugen saying S tends to pull timing with high intake temps, and to maintain power need cold air going to intake.
I also wanted to stay mostly stock, and not though out a perfectly good, and well designed airbox. Engineers had to meet strict noise restrictions. So keeping their excellent design, but deleting some of their nouse abatement, is the same parh I went down.
My mod was similar, but after much research, followed in others footsteps. I cut a 3" hole in side of airbox, and routed a 3" hose from existing fender opening. I also removed the snorkle from airbox lid, and cut down the divider inside box to about 1" high.
This has been documented by others before me.
The result is just the right amount of soind for me, with the possible added benefit of a bit colder air getting to box. I do plan some additional cold air mods future.
I imagine my 3" hole is adding a little bit more sound compared to OP of this thread (2 1.5" holes are about half the surface area of a single 3" hole, but my duct hose probably muffles some of the sound).
I expect OP could add some shopvac hose to his mods, and accomplish something similar (I think shopvac hose might match holes he cut).
He could run one hose to existing fender opening, other hose to opening next to radiator, which is also a very good cold air source, despite proximity to hot rad.
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
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