8 replies to this topic

[RonH]

Hi all,

I am at last in a position to be asking for advice on the best air filter to be running on my single Dellorto 40 carbed 1330 engine?

[Finally got an MOT last Tuesday - BIG thanks MOT Supercentre at Andover!!!; 4 wheel alignment on Wed and rolling road tuning on Friday - BIG thanks to Tom Airey in Alresford for the tune]

 

So, I currently have a Ramflo air filter with a nearly dead sponge element. I have been advised against the K&N but am considering the Ramair twinsock or the Piper Cross PX600. Also, the Dellorto has no trumpets on, a deficiency I would also like to cure, so... anyone any advice on the best sized trumpets? (this will also have a bearing on the depth of air filter I need.

 

many thanks

 

Ron (with huge silly grin on face everytime I start my mini!!!!! )

 

"Anyone who says it's better to arrive than to travel hopefully hasn't driven a Mini"

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[tom1]

I have the same carb but I am behind you, as engine still in bits . Why no to K&N ? That was the way I was going to go. I will watch this thread with interest

[Deejayry]

The Delorto bolt pattern is the same as that of a webber carb, so any air filter that suita a webber will do.However the webber ram pipes and elorto ram pipes have a different fitting and are not compatible.

 

I originally used a pair of sock filters over the standard delorto ram pipes, but these days i use the MED Dual Venturi ram system whuch included an ATG filter housing, it does however require a larger bulkhead box than the usual pre fabricated units.

[The Principal]

how much space do you have as that could be the limiting factor?

[the beasts]

I have been running a k AND N and have never had any problems.

[RonH]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

To answer the various questions:

1) K&N - I had the engine rolling road tuned by Tom Airey, a mini specialist of yore, who strongly advised against the K&N, favoring the Piper Cross, as it gave better air flow to the trumpets (which I don't have!)

2) I built my own box, which has 2" space on either side of the current filter housing and goes all the way to the dash supports in the interior, so loads of room.

 

I can fit up to 150mm of air box and still have the recommended 19mm of free air before the back of the box. This gives me lots of options for the air trumpets, but I could do with advice on the best length for a fast road car where mid range torque is used most?

 

Cheers

 

Ron

[The Principal]

I asked that question of Neil Slark not so long ago, his advice was the short stack produces power up the rev range, to be honest for a road car your kind of splitting hairs and as most people dont drive round town at 7000+rpm will it make a huge difference?

 

K&N, Piper Cross et al are all great products but little difference on the road so down to personal choice, size of your budget and the space available.

[RonH]

I asked that question of Neil Slark not so long ago, his advice was the short stack produces power up the rev range, to be honest for a road car your kind of splitting hairs and as most people dont drive round town at 7000+rpm will it make a huge difference?

 

K&N, Piper Cross et al are all great products but little difference on the road so down to personal choice, size of your budget and the space available.

 

Thanks TP, I guess my real need is for whatever I choose not to require another tune, and not to require yet anothher mortgage to fit. I always get nervous when someone gives me a vehement opinion on a mainstream product (ie 'do not use a K&N') as, if it was bad I'm sure there would be complaints visible. Answers so far suggest this is not the case so I'm now happy that I can just go with the budget.

 

many thanks everyone.

 

Ron

[Deejayry]

The only thing i can see in the design of the K&N filters is that there is a solid top plate, so all air must come in from the sides, if you have ram pipes fitted inside the air filter which may fall close to the top plate if they are on the longer side, you risk creating a restriction, with a Pipercross filter the filter medium continues over the top, so air can enter from any angle, thus reducing any restriction around the ram pipe,

 

So with a K&N type filter you need to be sure there is sufficient room between the end of the ram pipe and the top plate. Provided that you choose the right ram pipe and filter depth combination then the K&N should be fine,

 

In the next month or so i will be taking my mini down to Neil Slark, where we plan to test a few combinations of ram pipes, air filters and exhaust manifolds on my mini, running a MED 1380, with  Kent 286SP cam, MED big valve race head( don't remember specs off hand), 11:1 CR, DHLA48, PoleStar programmable distributor-less ignition. I will let you know the results.