Thought I'd share recent correspondence w/ Grubbs dealership. They were very helpfull with my intake/exhaust questions, more so than other dealerships. Some good info on the 3 basic intake choices and some info on exhaust choices. Some intake info I had not heard in any forums (such as HP increasing, but torque dropping w/ Stillen + Injen). Interested in your comments...
(may want to start at the bottom and work up)
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Until there is an adequate ECU upgrade I would stick with the drop in K&N filter. You are correct that Stillen has not released their Cat Back Exhaust for the G35 sedan but I just spoke with my Stillen rep and it is due to be released in around 30 days.
If I can help you further please let me know.
Sincerely,
Todd Carlson
Grubbs Infiniti
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 3:35 PM
To: Todd Carlson
Subject: RE: Exhaust and Air Intake Questions
Todd,
Thanks for your very thorough response. I plan to buy both an intake and exhaust, however according to Stillen, the dual catback for the sedan 6mt is not out yet (but will be very soon, matter of weeks). Please let me know if you have heard differently. One more question regarding the intakes. Plan to buy either the K&N drop-in, or Stillen. To clarify below, you actually noticed a drop in torque (mainly low-end) with the Stillen? Since I am looking for HP gains, but do not want to lose any low-end torque or HP, should I stick with the K&N and wait for the exhaust to increase torque/HP throughout all RPM's?
Thanks, xxxx
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Mr.---,
I will do my best to answer each of your questions as completely as I can. All of our sound files for exhausts are found at
www.infinitwholesaleparts.com under 'Accessories' and 'Exhaust'. We only list the estimated hp gains for a product when it has been stated by the manufacturer and only then will we list it in the description of the product. We do not perform additional dyno testing at our dealership to confirm or deny these claims. One important note to remember when purchasing an exhaust system for your car is that the primary enhancement first is the sound or tone of the exhaust type that you purchase. In some cases you also do pick up additional hp but in some cases you can lose torque. For the best performance available we recommend and install the Stillen Cat Back Exhaust system and it provides very good sound quality without being very aggressive and has noticeable torque gains in the low to midrange rpm ranges.
On the subject of intakes we sell and install 3 types as outlined below in the order of performance gains we have experienced.
1. K&N Air Filter - very minimal hp gains but more aggressive growl from the engine and some increased throttle response.
2. Stillen High Flow Intake - noticeable hp gains at mid range rpm with noticeable throttle response while maintaining a stock OEM look under the hood.
3. Injen Cold Air Intake - The most aggressive intake of the 3 while
providing the most noticeable hp and torque gains. On our web site you will see a posted dyno sheet from Injen showing a 9-10 hp gain at the wheel. This is also the most expensive ($319) option of the group and has a very high quality look and feel.
For our customers looking for the most performance gains possible with an exhaust and intake we recommend and install the Stillen Cat Back Exhaust with the Injen Cold Air Intake.
The following are response to the other questions you have outlined.
1. All three of the performance air filters we carry are all oil wetted and this seems to produce better airflow while being able to catch more dirt particles do to the oil on the filter.
2. For low end torque I would simply go with just the K&N since the others seem to increase the midrange but I feel you lose the lower end side for quick acceleration. I have had both the Stillen High Flow and Injen on my car and noticed this.
3. K&N filter is drop in and is very minimal in price to install (do it yourself) The Stillen High Flow Intake takes close to an hour to install ($90 per hour) and the Injen takes 2 hours to install since the right side of the front bumper needs to be unfastened to get the intake piping under the front bumper.
4. An over oiled air filter can in some cases cause damage to the Mass Air Flow sensor but when used according to directions does not cause any
damage. With any open element filter such as the Stillen and Injen you need to be sure that you do not go through a lot of free standing water since you possibly could draw water into the engine. You would have to wade through quite a bit of water to do this but it is possible with the Injen since it sits so low under the bumper. I drove my 6MT coupe all the time in the rain with my Injen and never experienced any issues.
5. At
www.infinitiwholesaleparts.com please refer to the bottom of one of our pages and read our Return Policy where we have a section on warranty issues with performance products and our policy regarding the installation
of them.
6. With all of the products listed the ECM/ECU will make the necessary
changes to accommodate the increased air flow, fuel mixture and engine
timing.
7. Shipping cost for our exhausts are as follows - Stillen Cat Back ($1269 plus $125 shipping and handling) - B&B Cat Back Exhaust ($875.00 plus $87.00 shipping and handling - 1 large box with exhaust and cat back pipe)- K&N Air Filter ($46.99 plus $5.00 shipping and handling) - Stillen High Flow Intake ($250 plus $25 shipping and handling)- Injen CAI ($299.99 plus $30 shipping and handling).
If I can be of any further assistance please let me know and you can find additional information at the manufacturer's websites listed below.
www.knfilters.com
www.stillen.com
www.injen.com
www.bbexhaust.com/index.html
Sincerely,
Todd Carlson
Grubbs Infiniti
-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 9:58 AM
To: Todd Carlson
Subject: Exhaust Sound Files, Air Intake Questions
Your email was provided by Grubbs parts as a source for the aftermarket and stock exhaust sound files. Please forward these sound files, along with prices and comments on performance and quality. Looking for performance gains, but do not want obtrusive or excessively loud noise (don't want to be bothered at normal cruising speeds).
Also, looking at air intake aftermarket kits you offer: Stillen, Injen, K&N drop-in. Can you answer the following questions for each of these options?
-Oil or air based filter element?
-Performance gains for each of the three choices (looking for low-end HP/torque improvement)?
-Labor hours to install
-Can any lead to engine damage (oil on air sensors, open design w/o
protection of filter box)?
-Can you foresee any warranty issues (engine problems with source cause being the filter system)?
-Will the engine ECM computer counter/offset any of the performance gains of increased air flow?
-Estimated shipping costs to xxx?
Thanks for your help.
Intake and Exhaust Info from Dealer...
] it'll only be ~150.00? [
!]
