Okay, I am an engineer, and there is a piece you are missing in that equation. The equation is Q=AV. Q is not constant here.

Q is volume, in this case air
A is area of cross section of the pipe
V is velocity of the incoming air

What we want to maximize here is the Q, or the volume of air the car receives. Cold air is denser than warm air as well, all dealing with volume of air or "Q".

You are making the incorrect assumption that Q (volume) remains constant, and that if you reduce the area of the tube you increase the velocity of the air coming in. Incorrect assumption. What you will do is simply decrease the Q. There is no pressure forcing air velocity up, so therefore, if you reduce A (area), your Q goes down.

In other words, in our cars' case, V is closer to being a constant, and reducing A reduces Q, so we lose air and power. Take it to an extreme, and have your car breath through a drinking straw. Do you think it will run well? Also, air is not an incompressible liquid.

I hope this makes sense. Not meaning any disrespect in any way with my reply. I think we'll get some mechanical or hydro engineering guys chipping in here.

I think what IGottaWoody was meaning was that a smooth interior pipe would have less turbulence and wall surface drag than a wooly tube. Maybe passing more air that way. The one thing of which I am not sure is just how much surface area of a tube our car needs for its total breathing potential. I am also not sure how to get a flex tube that allows movement of the engine but is still smooth inside. I don't think the GM engineers put that wooly tube on there because it was cheaper.

God Bless, Marc

 

I think it was used as a sound deadener...much the same way they used to use the necked down snorkle air cleaners on the older cars...( that were so much easier to work on.)
Another forum member says he gained a few mpg's by removing this worm...tube size, well..at least the same size as the inlet to the airbox, bigger would be better,,straight and short better yet..

 

Marc- I stand corrected Sir....thanks for the clairification.

I know this principal does apply to carb venturies that do draw air & fuel in..

But I guess not for snorkel tubes..

On that note, I'm thinking that a formed smooth tube with only a short portion made flexable, may be the ticket..

 

Just another THANKS to Black Rose. I am sure I could have figured this one out on my own...but glancing at this thread yesterday before installing my new air filter made it a walk in the park, and it felt "familiar" as I did it, even though it was the first time.

Internet message board HOW TO articles are fantastic.

 

wow now i dont want to replace my air filter, i picked up one today , then was confused where the hell it was.

 

Please, oh, please, add me to the list of anyone wanting to kill the person who designed the whole cover system for the air filter. It's pitchfork and torch time!

Okay... so I got the K&N airfilter (I really don't have the $$$ to spend on a cold air intake system so... either that or I'm a masochist after reading this forum... whatever..) anyway. It seemed like a very straight forward and maybe, a little bit of a PITA. Erm... it was VERY much a PITA.

I am not sure if it's like this with everyone or anyone but, my airfilter cover isn't easy to take out AT ALL. It's attached to the engine block on the side with a curved bracket and two 2" screws and then bolted, to the back of the engine block, with a two arm bracket system that is close to impossible to reach from anywhere without scratching the crap out of your arms.

So... what should be a 10-15 min job, turned into a 45 minute job. And I look like I lost a fight with an alley cat. But, it's in,I drove, I conquered. I hate the engineer and might need some mental therapy after that...plus, the prospect of ever having to tune up the engine. *shivers*

So, does anyone else have the nut/bolt/bracket attachment? I can get pictures at some point as well.

Thanks!
Jackie

 

Radiorox, The big plastic filter actually snaps onto that bracket you are describing. The bracket stays attached to the engine. There are three grommets that hold it to the brackets bolted to the engine. Once you disconnect the MAF area tubing from the front, you just yank upwards on the plastic box and it should pop loose. You turn it over with the wooly worm still connected, and unscrew the bottom to get to the filter. The way you did it DOES sound painful! Eeek. God Bless, Marc

 

By the way, what you want is one of these puppies......those four top bolts release the lid allowing access to the filter (which can be washed). It's the GM Performance Parts intake system number 19159214. The installation is much easier than what you just went through to change just the filter. Better power, cool tone, easy filter maintenance, looks cool too. No oil to foul the MAF sensor either. God Bless, Marc

 

all the wingnuts went to Washington

 

I am sorry about the number mix-up on the GMPP HHR Air Induction Kit folks. The actual part number should be 19159206. The instruction manual number is 19159214. I hope this helps, and my apologies again. God Bless, Marc