Alternative GTV6 air intake

[shane wescott]

Hi Brains Trust

One of my work colleagues in the UK took me for a ride in his BMW. His normally sedate sounding beast had an awesome note courtesy of a new air intake system.

So the questions is, what sort of alternative air intake systems (if any) have people tried. Which are good and which did nothing.

Most of the ones I have seen are designed to hook onto a round pipe, which the GTV6 has behind the air meter for the FI. What would you do with the air meter then.

Any ideas welcome. Just after maybe a better breathing engine, and maybe even and awesomer (if thats a word) sounding car.

Catch ya

Shane

[alfagtv152]

Hi Shane,
On my 90 and 75 I made a simple mod to the air box intake,which I believe made a difference,to make sure it got all the cold still air it wanted.This simply involves taking the little trumpet out of the air box intake and enlarge the hole enough to fitt a 75mm or 50(,I dont remember at the moment)PVC plumbing bend which goes down through a hloe you make in the inner gaurd into the space between the inner gaurd liner and the front of the car.Cut the little trumpet short enough to put it in the end of the bend inside the air box and you have a custom cold air intake which works.

[Sheldon McIntosh]

which works.

Really?  You have dyno results?

I believe the stock AFM is quite restrictive, and you won't get any serious breathing out of the engine until you change that, no matter what you do in front of it.  I remember reading somewhere about fitting a BMW AFM from the 3.5 engine which was "relatively" easy, but can't remember where I saw that.

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Sorry alfagtv152, I just realised that might have sounded sarcastic, and it wasn't meant to.

I'm actually really interested to know.  Last year I fitted a pipe to my air intake, and have routed it straight to the grill (yes, I had to cut out some metal!).  I was expecting an extra 20bhp at least (that's sarcasm for anyone that didn't pick it), but at Phillip Island I only went half a second faster (which I'm sure had nothing to do with better tyres and more experience).

I'll be dynoing my car this year, will be interested to see if it's changed from two years ago.

Assuming the engine hasn't worn out any after two years of having the absolute crap revved out of it.  Nah, she'll be right.  Haven't even had to change the oil, haven't done 10,000km yet.  Track miles, they love it.

[alfagtv152]

Hi Sheldon,
No I didnt take any scientific measurements but the MPG improved a little and I feel quite sure that it improved performance,when you are very familliar with your car you can usually detect changes in performance by how quickly it accelerates over a given distance and the places you normally drive it.The Key to my mod versus yours is that mine makes the air flair out into the air box via the bell mouth and it is drawing what should be still cool air from the inner gaurd over a short distance.Yours involves a longer intake tract and the air wont be still in the grill area.I would not be able to Judge the results of what you did because I havent tried it but it may work just as well.It would be interesting to measure any difference on a dyno but it costs money every time,I have notched up over 120 dyno pulls on my GTV in the last 10 years.I agree lap times tell you a lot but the 90 and 75 were only road cars.
Cheers
Andrew

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Yours sounds intriguing, I might investigate that.  The other thing is that I'm using 'corrugated' flexible pipe, which may or may not disturb the airflow a little, depending on who you believe.  I'm sure it can't be less air getting in than standard anyway.