K&N Typhoon Intake Review - Completed

[ZyroXZ2]

I've now had the K&N Typhoon intake installed for a couple hundred miles, and not all is smooth sailing. It seems that the intake has caused ISG (Idle Stop and Go) to stop working***. While for some of you this is great, I do a lot of driving and this feature actually adds up to being beneficial for me. I have figured out the particular problem, but have not created a solution for it quite yet. I am surprised no one else has reported it, but it could very well be one of those ?mileage may vary? luck-of-the-draw situations. Moving on, though?

***UPDATE - I figured out what caused ISG to stop working and applied a fix. The good news is: I now know how to disable ISG relatively easily! It also seems K&N was aware of this because I had to use a fitting that was not listed anywhere in the installation instructions but was included in the box. I also had to get a different hose to fit said fitting, but I'll provide a separate thread on ISG disabling caused by the K&N intake for those interested in turning it off.

LOOKS:

It looks good, but a little strange. If you're like me, you're generally used to your intakes facing towards or angling towards the front of the car. Being perfectly sideways seems a little bit if a fashion no-no for an aftermarket intake, but alas you also get used to seeing it that way since it's ?different?. The piping itself has a sparkly metallic paint that is inherently a little reflective due to the metal flecks in it. The boxes themselves are actually somewhat poorly shaped and don't really ?seal? in anywhere. The fitment isn't perfect, either, so you might see that your piping doesn't quite perfectly ?center? within the couplers, creating bulges favoring one direction over another. This is pretty common for K&N intakes, though, as I've installed some before and this tends to happen with the type of coupler they use. Fortunately, I've modified the box a bit to improve its efficiency. I have wrapped the entire box in reflective insulation and extended the weather stripping upward to reduce the gap between the intake and the hood. The hood sits about 3? above the intake, though, so you'll never really seal it with the hood unless you create an accordion style of weather stripping extending well above the intake and strut tower brace. I'll be posting pics of this soon, though fair warning: it's a bit ghetto-fabulous. This sort of starts to segue into performance, so more on that later.

UPDATE - PICS GALORE ADDED! See notes above each pic for information if/when applicable.

Insulation Wrap (Bottom)

Insulation Wrap (Complete)

Metallic Fleck Intake Tubing Paint

Intakes Installed

Extended Weatherstripping - You'll notice some "indentation" on the weather stripping. This is where it meets the hood's bulge, so this DOES partially seal with the hood after all!

Filling Heatshield Gaps - I placed as much weather stripping around the area to fill in gaps where hot air definitely would flow in.

Pic of Insulation Installed - These DO make a MASSIVE different in temperatures. When the car is sitting a long time and everything heat soaks, that can't be helped. However, even in 90+ degree weather driving 50+ miles, I can open my hood and touch the inside of the heatshield and it is ambient temperature while the other side where the insulation is has massive heat waves hitting it and the insulation itself is warmer (but obviously not hot or it wouldn't be doing it's job).

Big Gaps On Bottom - These gaps CAN be filled with stuff if one so-desires, but the weird shape means coming up with something weird and jenky (jenkier?) looking...

Backside Insulation

Strut Tower Brace Weatherstrip - This looks by far the stupidest, but it does help close the gap...

Strut Tower Brace Weatherstrip - So I took my stupidest idea and did it on the other side, too...

SOUND:

HOLY TURBO NOISES BATMAN. If you wanted to sound like a 600+HP car, this is the intake for you. At just 1/3 throttle, the car begins to sound like it wants to suck in small children and cats. At half throttle, every car around you not blasting music will hear your turbos. At full throttle, the pitch changes and it turns into that high-pitched turbo hissing sound designed to snatch up said small children and cats. When you let off the gas entirely with a rapid ?oh sh?a cop? foot lift, it only serves to raise your hand to the cop as you hear an incredibly loud BOV-gasm, and since you have two of those, it's VERY loud. If you bought the Magnaflow exhaust to keep your car subtler like I did, putting on this intake completely and utterly ruins your entire plan. It also makes the car hilariously louder from the front than the back. Are you a car guy that wants everyone to know? This intake will make your wildest dreams come true. Did you just want more power but no one to know? Whoops for you.

UPDATE - Video added below for your aural pleasure!

[video=youtube_share;jVUmrfPjK1Q]https://youtu.be/jVUmrfPjK1Q[/video]

POWER:

Immediately from pulling out of the garage, light throttle response below 2K RPM is noticeably improved. Basically, non-turbo boosted engine response is a lot better. But believe it or not, it's harder to tell at WOT. The car seemed to pull about the same, but then out of nowhere on one pull, it yanked me harder than it ever has before! This could all be down to ECU adjustment and the fact that it's summer heat, but to say I immediately felt something like I did with the exhaust would be a lie. However, this was all tested right after installation, and I have only had one or two WOT runs since then in the dead heat of 90+ degree weather instead of nighttime when it's usually cooler and I've finished installation. I'll report back again when I get another chance to make the cops look at me from the front.

As for my modifications, there is a significant difference in temps behind and in front of the insulation. Sure, the turbo compresses and heats up the air, but if I'm even dropping 1 or 2 degrees F, it's a win for me. For the weather stripping, though: skip it. My box is what most would consider relatively well sealed since I went around plugging all the tinier holes, but if you want true 100% sealing, it will take you much, much more effort than it might be worth.

I'll be adding pics and videos soon. I do work two jobs, so it gets hard to just get everything I need for show and tell all the time, but I'm a man of my word: you will all get your fill of turbo noises and pics of my ghetto-fab modifications!

REVIEW:

After nearly 300 miles on the K&N Typhoon intake system, I have generally positive things to say. First, after my modifications to it, I essentially have all of the benefits of the intake with nearly none of the heat soak problems. The car remains responsive in even the hottest weather unless it sits in a parking lot for 30 minutes in which everything heat soaks anyway because there is no air flow and the heat will seep into everything.

In terms of power, it's hard to determine the gains from the good ol' butt dyno. It seems that if one wishes to get more power out of the Stinger GT, it is smarter to look first at the exhaust system and the tuning. This bodes well for the stock intake design, and I reckon many of you can simply get away with never installing an intake and barely notice the difference in power. This may partially be attributed to the filters being rather small: their surface area doesn't seem to add a whole lot. But then again you'd miss the best part...

This intake simply sounds like nothing I would have ever expected. There's no denying that you will scare Burger-King-parking-lot-burnout-donut-speed-racer Joe. He won't race you, because you toss some 4k revs and he's foolish enough to think that whooshing sound is the sound of 600HP. You will love the WOT sound because you think that there weren't any tiny animals on the road in front of you, but they're actually all trapped in your intake. You'll be scared to go half throttle, because that's when the cops look at you and think about all the possible fix-it tickets they could be writing you to make their day interesting. You will love the sound of this intake, period.

The installation itself is relatively straightforward. As mentioned above, keep an eye on that fitting because it affects your ISG (and your gas mileage), and also in a post, the driver's side intake box DOES touch some AC lines. If you insulate your box, you'll have less worry as the AC lines are ALSO insulated, so two padded things rubbing each other shouldn't cause any immediate concern. I will, of course, keep an eye on it regularly. Otherwise, everything is as expected from the instruction guide.

My final take on this is that you will need an intake eventually when/if you are seeking absolutely all the power you can get. If you pick this intake, you won't be disappointed by the sound at all whatsoever, it looks different if you're into being unique, but you may not really notice gains until other mods are making better use of it. If you're looking at your first mod, this one shouldn't be it: go for your exhaust first.

 

[ZyroXZ2]

UPDATE: I figured out what caused ISG to stop working and applied a fix. The good news is: I now know how to disable ISG relatively easily! It also seems K&N was aware of this because I had to use a fitting that was not listed anywhere in the installation instructions but was included in the box. I also had to get a different hose to fit said fitting, but I'll provide a separate thread on ISG disabling caused by the K&N intake for those interested in turning it off.

 

[KiaFan]

Excellent write-up! Looking forward to pics and vid.

 

[robz32]

Very nice. Subscribed for info on disabling ISG.

 

[ZyroXZ2]

SOUND:

UPDATE - Video added below for your aural pleasure!

[video=youtube_share;jVUmrfPjK1Q]https://youtu.be/jVUmrfPjK1Q[/video]

 

[StingerYYC]

Excellent read.

 

[VegasStinger]

SOUND:

UPDATE - Video added below for your aural pleasure!

[video=youtube_share;jVUmrfPjK1Q]https://youtu.be/jVUmrfPjK1Q[/video]

Great video.

 

[ZyroXZ2]

Great video.

I'm also working on the pics, so in the next few days everyone will have some ideas on how to "seal" and insulate their K&N Typhoon intakes should they go this route

 

[ZyroXZ2]

I'm not pulling a Stillen, but I said I'd have the pics posted in a few days, but I'll have to get them all posted tomorrow. I DID take pics, though!

I just wanted to apologize for anyone that is checking this thread to see my insulation and weatherstripping to plan out their own.

 

[ZyroXZ2]

UPDATE - PICS GALORE ADDED! See notes above each pic for information if/when applicable.

Insulation Wrap (Bottom)

Insulation Wrap (Complete)

Metallic Fleck Intake Tubing Paint

Intakes Installed

Extended Weatherstripping - You'll notice some "indentation" on the weather stripping. This is where it meets the hood's bulge, so this DOES partially seal with the hood after all!

Filling Heatshield Gaps - I placed as much weather stripping around the area to fill in gaps where hot air definitely would flow in.

Pic of Insulation Installed - These DO make a MASSIVE different in temperatures. When the car is sitting a long time and everything heat soaks, that can't be helped. However, even in 90+ degree weather driving 50+ miles, I can open my hood and touch the inside of the heatshield and it is ambient temperature while the other side where the insulation is has massive heat waves hitting it and the insulation itself is warmer (but obviously not hot or it wouldn't be doing it's job).

Big Gaps On Bottom - These gaps CAN be filled with stuff if one so-desires, but the weird shape means coming up with something weird and jenky (jenkier?) looking...

Backside Insulation

Strut Tower Brace Weatherstrip - This looks by far the stupidest, but it does help close the gap...

Strut Tower Brace Weatherstrip - So I took my stupidest idea and did it on the other side, too...

REVIEW:

After nearly 300 miles on the K&N Typhoon intake system, I have generally positive things to say. First, after my modifications to it, I essentially have all of the benefits of the intake with nearly none of the heat soak problems. The car remains responsive in even the hottest weather unless it sits in a parking lot for 30 minutes in which everything heat soaks anyway because there is no air flow and the heat will seep into everything.

In terms of power, it's hard to determine the gains from the good ol' butt dyno. It seems that if one wishes to get more power out of the Stinger GT, it is smarter to look first at the exhaust system and the tuning. This bodes well for the stock intake design, and I reckon many of you can simply get away with never installing an intake and barely notice the different in power. This may partially be attributed to the filters being rather small: their surface area doesn't seem to add a whole lot. But then again you'd miss the best part...

This intake simply sounds like nothing I would have ever expected. There's no denying that you will scare Burger-King-parking-lot-burnout-donut-speed-racer Joe. He won't race you, because you toss some 4k revs and he's foolish enough to think that whooshing sound is the sound of 600HP. You will love the WOT sound because you think that there weren't any tiny animals on the road in front of you, but they're actually all trapped in your intake. You'll be scared to go half throttle, because that's when the cops look at you and think about all the possible fix-it tickets they could be writing you to make their day interesting. You will love the sound of this intake, period.

The installation itself is relatively straightforward. As mentioned above, keep an eye on that fitting because it affects your ISG (and your gas mileage), and also in a post, the driver's side intake box DOES touch some AC lines. If you insulate your box, you'll have less worry as the AC lines are ALSO insulated, so two padded things rubbing each other shouldn't cause any immediate concern. I will, of course, keep an eye on it regularly. Otherwise, everything is as expected from the instruction guide.

My final take on this is that you will need an intake eventually when/if you are seeking absolutely all the power you can get. If you pick this intake, you won't be disappointed by the sound at all whatsoever, it looks different if you're into being unique, but you may not really notice gains until other mods are making better use of it. If you're looking at your first mod, this one shouldn't be it: go for your exhaust first.

 

[ZyroXZ2]

UPDATE:

The nylon plastic fittings that come with the K&N intake are not very durable! Granted, part of the problem in my case is that I had to buy a different hose, and since my hose doesn't come prebent (FYI: prebent hoses are that way to mitigate/absorb torsional motion during driving which serves to decrease strain on fittings from said motions), it means there would be a little more movement against the fitting.

I had noticed my MPGs kept falling gradually on the same trips I make, and I already knew from previous experience that when my ISG stopped working, it fell hard because of all the unmetered air going in through that vacuum line. So, I opened my hood, and checked what I suspected was the weak point, and yup: the nylon fitting was loose and could freely be turned by hand. The ISG didn't stop working, so it was clearly still within the threshold of necessary pressure, but clearly it was a small amount of air leaking through the fitting's threads.

I've since removed it, noticed a single thread in the middle that clearly became worn (the plastic was turning white on that thread clearly due to bending/stretching of said thread), wrapped the threads with thread seal tape, and reinstalled it. It's nice and snug and doesn't move by hand, and my MPGs have climbed back up.

TL;DR: Keep an eye on your nylon fittings. They can come loose.

 

[SPAWNHAMEL]

Thx for sharing!!

 

[VegasStinger]

Great update

 

[DigDug]

UPDATE:

The nylon plastic fittings that come with the K&N intake are not very durable! Granted, part of the problem in my case is that I had to buy a different hose, and since my hose doesn't come prebent (FYI: prebent hoses are that way to mitigate/absorb torsional motion during driving which serves to decrease strain on fittings from said motions), it means there would be a little more movement against the fitting.

I had noticed my MPGs kept falling gradually on the same trips I make, and I already knew from previous experience that when my ISG stopped working, it fell hard because of all the unmetered air going in through that vacuum line. So, I opened my hood, and checked what I suspected was the weak point, and yup: the nylon fitting was loose and could freely be turned by hand. The ISG didn't stop working, so it was clearly still within the threshold of necessary pressure, but clearly it was a small amount of air leaking through the fitting's threads.

I've since removed it, noticed a single thread in the middle that clearly became worn (the plastic was turning white on that thread clearly due to bending/stretching of said thread), wrapped the threads with thread seal tape, and reinstalled it. It's nice and snug and doesn't move by hand, and my MPGs have climbed back up.

TL;DR: Keep an eye on your nylon fittings. They can come loose.

Thanks for sharing this [MENTION=1100]ZyroXZ2[/MENTION]

 

[RBCampbell3341]

Thanks for the great writeup. You've convinced me!

 

[ZyroXZ2]

Ehhh, so I decided to trim my BOV hoses to shorten them and straighten out the bends a bit more (~1" on both hoses), but now I have a pronounced police-siren pitch wind-up sound that I think was caused by the unfortunate comedy of errors with just the right (wrong?) length of driver's side BOV hose. Now, on a cold start, it literally sounds like a low-volume police siren, and even when I drive, it is always audible. It's also kind of funny since there's basically a police siren wind up as air draws in and the RPMs go up before the turbo whooshing noises take over

TL;DR - If you trim your BOV hoses to try and straighten out the bends a bit, the right/wrong length on the driver's side ends up creating a police-siren pitched sound. I would bet I couldn't even make it happen again even if I wanted to, lol

 

[RBCampbell3341]

Just finished my install. I too had to trim the BOV hoses as they were too long and would not fit. I did not have any noise issues with the hoses. I used insulation foil to cover the boxes. It certainly looks great when you open the hood. I'm sure it will have a negligible effect but they stand out from the rest of the engine and look cool. Throttle response and power increase are noticeable. The spool-up on the turbos sounds like it's the world's biggest vacuum cleaner. I'm still getting used to the jet engine sound under acceleration. It certainly makes people turn their heads when I romp it. I did notice that the SHHHHHH....WHOOSH noise it markedly less when the car is in sport mode. It's much more pronounced in the other modes. Don't know why. It's fine, I didn't install it for the noise!

 

[ZyroXZ2]

Just finished my install. I too had to trim the BOV hoses as they were too long and would not fit. I did not have any noise issues with the hoses. I used insulation foil to cover the boxes. It certainly looks great when you open the hood. I'm sure it will have a negligible effect but they stand out from the rest of the engine and look cool. Throttle response and power increase are noticeable. The spool-up on the turbos sounds like it's the world's biggest vacuum cleaner. I'm still getting used to the jet engine sound under acceleration. It certainly makes people turn their heads when I romp it. I did notice that the SHHHHHH....WHOOSH noise it markedly less when the car is in sport mode. It's much more pronounced in the other modes. Don't know why. It's fine, I didn't install it for the noise!

... You installed it for the noise.

 

[RBCampbell3341]

I installed it and got the noise! Love it! People know there is something good under the hood!

 

[ZyroXZ2]

Well, great... I decided to open the hood in the morning and get a closer bead on that siren sound, and it's coming from the driver's side turbo. I decided to look this up and found that turbos that are failing will make a "police siren" sound.

Well FUUUUU---- let's see what the dealership is going to say. We all know an intake isn't going to damage a turbo, but the service manager (who was a cool, ACTUAL older car guy who used to work on classic cars) I liked for his old-fashioned car grit no longer works there and I have no idea what or who I'm up against. If it's some youngster, I might just be better gluing a dildo to my driver's seat.