So I recently purchased a Takeda Short Ram Intake, and am anxiously waiting for it to arrive.

I got a great deal on it, so I didn't even really hesitate:

Subtotal $179.78

Shipping FREE

Tax $0.00

Total $179.78

Your Total Savings $31.73

I'll report back with the install comments and how it impacts the power & fuel economy versus my current K&N drop-in filter. As far as I know I'll be the first person on the boards to go stock -> K&N -> Takeda (or any other SRI). I believe everyone else just went OEM straight to SRI.





http://afepower.com/shop/details_new...as&&brandID=78

 

That's the one I've got. GREAT intake.

 

Just wanted to say thanks for the heads up on this. I picked one of these up too

 

Isn't that going to add noise? I can't imagine making this vehicle any louder

 

"if it's too loud, you're too old!!!"

 

...

 

 

Looks decent! Any idea of what diameter tubing is used?

I'm testing a 2.75" tubing diameter and as expected I had to make a torque limiter table adjustment to keep it happy as well as raise the MAF Calibration values so that the fuel delivery wasn't leaned out. Probably 2.5" vs 2.75" isn't going to make that much difference in power but you know me, I wanted it to be a good match to my Evo X Throttlebody.

The filter I'm testing right now has an integrated velocity stack from Blox Racing and it seems to be adding a few MPG during cruise compared to the stock airbox and K&N. Powerwise it's in the 5whp and under category so really hard to measure but the biggest thing I need to do is build a cold air box for it now. Currently the car feels faster at first startup but I can feel it slow down after it's parked and all the heatsoaked air is being consumed until the air duct blowing in there displaces enough.

Another thing about this setup is that it's CRAZY LOUD at full throttle, it must really be amplifying the noise from the engine since it is aimed at the driver from the factory. I'm thinking about creating a cold air box where the battery is to avoid some of the engine bay heat and get closer to the incoming air. Then I can fab up a good battery tray and use one of those lightweight Odyssey PC680 batteries that weighs 14 lbs or go with a heavier duty battery for winter duty that is similar weight to stock.

If anyone wants to get a sample of how loud it is, you can run without the filter as a test and you will know what I'm talking about.

 

Pro tip:

Don't follow the order of the directions if you have a strut tower brace installed...




Otherwise you'll be un-doing stuff to get the filter in. And yes, this means that filter cleanings/changes are going to be a royal *****.


It's in though



No comments about how dirty my engine bay is, lol.

More comments, pics, and info later. First impressions are excellent though. Noticeable improvement over the K&N drop in (MPG's will have to wait until next fill-up).

 

WOW, that engine bay is dirty'r than "MY" Jeep's. and almost as dirty as my wifes Jeep. (before we traded it for the OS)

 

What did I say about comments on how dirty it was?!




So, anyways, the review:

Packaging: 11/10 I mean it. Ample packaging material, each part was securely packed in, bubble wrap was used where necessary.

Product Quality: 9/10 I feel slightly guilty knocking off a point, but there was some minor blemishes on the chrome finish of the intake tube. I would have knocked off a few points for that, but other than that the fit & finish was excellent, and it was impressive to see that each individual part had an "inspected by:" tag. The finish issues were easy to miss, so maybe I'm just being over-critical.

Install: "Oh God"/10 First and foremost, don't hesitate to try this for yourself, it really wasn't that difficult. I ran into my first issue when trying to push the heat shield grommets down onto the mounting pegs. The Outlander Sport mounting pegs appear/seem to be slightly larger in diameter than the Lancer ones, so I popped the grommets out of the holes more than once. Second issue, as pictured above, I later had to remove the heat shield from the pegs, insert the filter, and then try to get those damn pegs back through. Third, the Outlander Sport seems to have more wiring, hoses, and tubing around the throttle body and intake tube, so getting the bottom band clamp removed, and then the new one secured, proved to be extremely difficult, even with judicious use of extensions and universal joints. On a minor note, the angle of the throttle body seems to be slightly different than on the Lancer, so it takes a little bit of patience to get the best connection between the silicone coupling and the intake tube.

First Impressions: 10/10 Even coming from an aftermarket filter, this intake made a noticeable improvement. First and foremost, the engine feels substantially smoother. When casually accelerating the incessant whining/struggling is almost completely alleviated. The engine actually has a much deeper, throatier growl to it compared to the underpowered whine. It is actually QUIETER than my K&N drop -in was. Now, the biggest improvement is by far the throttle response. This is different in two ways, decreased hesitation/lag, and decreased "jumpiness". Basically, it's that issue where the drive-by-wire hesitates for a second, and then all of a sudden revs to like 4k. The improved flow allows more air into the engine quicker, decreasing lag time, and subsequently helping to eliminate the "lurch" once it responds.

Overall, I wouldn't say that I feel any improved power, but K&N claims to increase HP almost as much as Takeda, so theoretically my gains would be too small to notice. However, the drastically improved sound and throttle response really enhanced driveability. After only two trips, of about ~20 miles each, the DIC readout is the same or MAYBE slightly above what it used to be with the K&N. Further commentary on the fuel economy with time.

Recommendation: Do it. Spend the $180 and help make your $20k automobile less of a disappointment. You'll be glad you did.

 

Just another fun project to add to my Long list of To-Do's!

You sure you're not a Takeda rep


(I would have like to see an enclosed box instead of this "open" design...)

 

I assume the box was designed to seal tight against the bottom of the hood on the Lancer, but our engine bays are substantially taller.

And I wouldn't mind being a Takeda sales rep I really was impressed with the quality, and subsequently the results.

 

Would this fit a 2013 OS?

 

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't.