TDI Intake
From Fozzee.net
History
I've been a big fan of K&N air filters for some time. It started back with my '93 Cavalier (with the then-new 3.1L V6)... On the Z24 models, they used cowel induction (that is, sucked air through a tunnel in the hood, from the windshield side)... It sorta "sucked". I replaced the whole mess (from the throttle body forward) with a piece of mandrel bent aluminum and a K&N Cone filter. It worked great. Definitely added some HP on the Seat Dyno. Plus, it sounded awesome, especially in the cold.
When I bought my Olds 88 a few years later, I was able to scavenge a K&N Plate filter from Nick H's since-totaled Bonneville. I kept the stock airbox setup just because it was easy. The main reason for this replacement was the cost associated with buying filters. The moral of this story? Free reusable filter trumps buying single use filters at any price :)
The TDI part
Once I got bored with my nice, new, Stock Jetta, one of the first things that came to mind was replacing the intake and air filter. Not only is this basic maintenance, I thought, but also a good source of a few HP. So I started researching, finding the following:
- Over-oiled K&Ns (and similar) kill MAF sensors (expensive!)
- At 1.9L, the TDI is small enough that the intake restriction is minimal.
- It's turbo'd... If the filter were that restrictive, it'd be sucked right through :)
- The stock air box (Specifically the snow screen and snorkel) are pretty darn restrictive... OE fit plates are out.
So my determination is this:
Keep the intake clean, check the screen once in a while, and stick with the stock setup. To that end, I disassembled what was there and cleaned it thoroughly. I've never SEEN so many dead grasshoppers.
