AFE CAI vs STETT CAI

[Boosted_N54]

http://www.shop.stettperformance.com...8&categoryId=5


VS

http://afepower.com/shop/details_new...BA%&brandID=53


what do you guys think?

[1speedbike]

Stett hands down.

I have the AFE. A lot of people say that the only thing open intakes do is suck in the extra hot air from the engine bay, increasing intake air temperatures. This is partly true, but the extremely unrestricted nature of the open dual cone intake greatly reduces the workload that the turbos have to do in order to suck the air in, so it balances out. At very high boost levels, the effect of the reduced workload outweighs the negative effect of the hot air, so you get an overall gain. The AFE is particularly great because it has a heat shield which mitigates the effect of the hot air, and the stock plenum directs air directly into the heat shield enclosure as well.

However, the Stett is a different beast. If you noticed, it doesn't take any air from the engine bay. It scoops up extra air from the lower right bumper opening. This has the same effect of decreasing the workload of the turbos, but there is no opposing factor of the hot air since you're getting outside air instead of air from under the hood. Without the effect of the hot air, the stett is going to have a greater impact on performance, but you probably won't get as nice of a sound as an open cone set-up.

[Si-M240i]

Agree with the above.....but you can't fit the Strett if you have the BMW Performance pack on your car as the additional radiator blocks the path for the Strett.

There is a new "Closed" AFE intake available..do a search

[Boosted_N54]

Originally Posted by Si-135i

Agree with the above.....but you can't fit the Strett if you have the BMW Performance pack on your car as the additional radiator blocks the path for the Strett.

There is a new "Closed" AFE intake available..do a search

Im looking in just getting the bmw perfomance front bumper so that will still fit . But i dont know if i should get the strett or afe closed box air intake

[STETT Performance]

Ours is a true cold air intake, hand-fabricated here in house. Plus we can offer discounts to forum members!

PM us for more info!

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by Si-135i

Agree with the above.....but you can't fit the Strett if you have the BMW Performance pack on your car as the additional radiator blocks the path for the Strett.

There is a new "Closed" AFE intake available..do a search

Here you go!

[1013mm]

whats up with the new afe one? is it supposedly better??

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by jzhang

whats up with the new afe one? is it supposedly better??

It's a sealed system that provides maximum cold air and keep the hot air out.

[1013mm]

Originally Posted by HP Autowerks

It's a sealed system that provides maximum cold air and keep the hot air out.

then isnt it the same as the stock one but with a cone style insert? I just cant see the difference.

[Boosted_N54]

how would the CLOSED afe box do against the stett cold air intake

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by jzhang

then isnt it the same as the stock one but with a cone style insert? I just cant see the difference.

Open your oem air box and have a look, more than half of the filter is sitting against bottom of the air box with minimum exposure to the air, volume is greatly reduced at those surfaces. In addition, the cone filter has a much larger filtering surface than the oem panel filter.

Harold

[marwol]

Has anybody a pic of the Stett CAI on a 135i with the BMW Performance bumper?

[Ducatist]

Originally Posted by HP Autowerks

Open your oem air box and have a look, more than half of the filter is sitting against bottom of the air box with minimum exposure to the air, volume is greatly reduced at those surfaces. In addition, the cone filter has a much larger filtering surface than the oem panel filter.

Harold

it's confusing me a bit.

so you mean, previous afe CAI is better than OEM, and the new afe CAI

is better than previous afe CAI??

even it looks like previous ver. one has more larger filtering surface than the newer one??

[1speedbike]

Originally Posted by Ducatist

it's confusing me a bit.

so you mean, previous afe CAI is better than OEM, and the new afe CAI

is better than previous afe CAI??

even it looks like previous ver. one has more larger filtering surface than the newer one??

Either of the AFE units is better than stock when you're running higher than stock boost. The closed one has the added benefit of keeping the heat down on the air that's entering the turbos. The open one still has a heat shield and is very unrestricted, but the closed one has better heat shielding.

At stock boost levels, the open intake would probably be roughly equal to the stock. You lose some performance and response in the lower RPM and boost ranges, because the engine is sucking in less air overall and the negative effects of the heat are more pronounced. However, at higher RPM and boost, you need much more air to enter the engine, so in this case the open nature of the AFE is very beneficial and outweighs the bad effects of the heat.

At stock boost levels and lower RPM, a closed intake would make more sense because you won't get "heat soak" which is the lack of initial power and response you get due to the extra-hot air. However, once the turbos start spooling and sucking in lots of air, the heat isn't the biggest factor, it's all about how fast you can get more air into the engine.

I think Harold @ HP Autowerks was saying that compared to the stock airbox that came with the car, the closed AFE intake has more surface area. JZ was wondering why go with the AFE if it's a closed box with a cone filter, versus the stock BMW itnake which is also a closed box of a different design, with a flat panel filter. The cone filter provides a larger, 3-dimensional surface to filter and suck in the air, while the stock BMW filter is a 2-dimensional flat panel, which rests very close to the walls of the airbox which greatly restricts the air coming in.

[Ducatist]

Originally Posted by 1speedbike

Either of the AFE units is better than stock when you're running higher than stock boost. The closed one has the added benefit of keeping the heat down on the air that's entering the turbos. The open one still has a heat shield and is very unrestricted, but the closed one has better heat shielding.

At stock boost levels, the open intake would probably be roughly equal to the stock. You lose some performance and response in the lower RPM and boost ranges, because the engine is sucking in less air overall and the negative effects of the heat are more pronounced. However, at higher RPM and boost, you need much more air to enter the engine, so in this case the open nature of the AFE is very beneficial and outweighs the bad effects of the heat.

At stock boost levels and lower RPM, a closed intake would make more sense because you won't get "heat soak" which is the lack of initial power and response you get due to the extra-hot air. However, once the turbos start spooling and sucking in lots of air, the heat isn't the biggest factor, it's all about how fast you can get more air into the engine.

I think Harold @ HP Autowerks was saying that compared to the stock airbox that came with the car, the closed AFE intake has more surface area. JZ was wondering why go with the AFE if it's a closed box with a cone filter, versus the stock BMW itnake which is also a closed box of a different design, with a flat panel filter. The cone filter provides a larger, 3-dimensional surface to filter and suck in the air, while the stock BMW filter is a 2-dimensional flat panel, which rests very close to the walls of the airbox which greatly restricts the air coming in.

oh.. I get it. thanks 1speedbike

[1speedbike]

Originally Posted by Ducatist

oh.. I get it. thanks 1speedbike

no problem man! sorry for the extra-long rambling

[ILoveChess100]

Couple of questions, which I hope I am not repeating something thats already been answered elsewhere in these forums...

1. Does a different from stock air intake/filter void warranty? (cold, open, drop in?)
2. Just to confirm, the Stett wouldn't fit on an N55 135i with M-sport pkg with the ppk stage 1, correct?
3. How realistic are some of the marketed hp gain #s for the aFe (16-17hp)?
http://www.**********s.com/aFe-335i-...90-E92-E93.htm


I guess what I am getting at with all these questions is that if I already decided that spending $800 on the ppk for 20hp gain and keeping warranty intact, then spending another $400 on an aFe for improvement at or better than 10hp that hopefully doesn't void warranty prb makes sense as well :-)

Thanks!

[ken1137]

Any actual dyno results from 1-owners? The Stett looks pretty interesting.

[Turbolader]

I know it wasn't asked, but do a search for Mr. 5 intake. It is basically a DIY that mimics the Dinan setup. Cold air like the Stett, but having dual air filters (Panel + cylinder) so you can get more total airflow.

If you don't like the idea of the DIY, either of the two are good options. I like the new AFE closed box design.

Dinan (For comparison):
http://www.dinancars.com/shop/D760-0...ke.aspx#page=1

Original Mr. 5 version:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...3538&highlight

updated Mr. 5 version:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...9293&highlight

VBox Testing results:
http://n54tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6657

Specifics to the 135i:
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=592605

[STETT Performance]

Originally Posted by ILoveChess100

2. Just to confirm, the Stett wouldn't fit on an N55 135i with M-sport pkg with the ppk stage 1, correct?

Our current CAI will not fit the N55's due to their different turbo design. We are in the process of creating a true CAI for the N55 motors. Stay tuned to our website and our Facebook page!

[ModBargains IV]

Originally Posted by ILoveChess100

Couple of questions, which I hope I am not repeating something thats already been answered elsewhere in these forums...

1. Does a different from stock air intake/filter void warranty? (cold, open, drop in?)
2. Just to confirm, the Stett wouldn't fit on an N55 135i with M-sport pkg with the ppk stage 1, correct?
3. How realistic are some of the marketed hp gain #s for the aFe (16-17hp)?
http://www.**********s.com/aFe-335i-...90-E92-E93.htm


I guess what I am getting at with all these questions is that if I already decided that spending $800 on the ppk for 20hp gain and keeping warranty intact, then spending another $400 on an aFe for improvement at or better than 10hp that hopefully doesn't void warranty prb makes sense as well :-)

Thanks!

I've personally had the aFe system on my BMW 335i for about 2 years and I loved it. It definitely increases the airflow to the turbos and comes with a nice heatshield to help block heat coming from the engine.

A lot people stress on getting a cold air intake for the N54/N55s, however, any intake system will do because we have the intercooler to cool the air before it enters the engine. On a NA engine, now that's a different story.

Also, I've been to the dealership many times with the aFe Intake installed and did not get hassled for it. Then again, it depends how anal your service advisor is.

Just my .02

-Frank

[Bash335i]

When i installed my STETT cai I had to remove a small strut brace that was blocking the pipe's path
That is the pipe that goes from the silicon coupler up down to the fender where the filter is located
Any body had this problem? or I just did not install it properly