I just installed my Frankencar Intake w/A'PEXi intake and I have nothing but great things to say about it! I've regained my low end power (because of the midpipe I'm guessing). Not to mention it sounds way better than just a pop charger and seems more powerful. So all in all I'm super duper satisfied with the product and would recommend it over any intake. The only thing I was not to happy about was that it barely fit in my car. My Apexi intake rubs against the fuse box and side of the fender wall. Is this normal? I'm going to play with it later when I clean my TB to see if I can get it not touching and rubbing anything.

 

I actually think that you lose low end power because of the mid-pipe (poor resonance tuning.)

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....5&pagenumber=1

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....5&pagenumber=1

I bet your car sounds real mean though! I used to love my midpipe.

 

Hmmm....I say I gained power compared to just the pop charger with the resonator.

 

Those technical explanations about the stock resonator sound very convincing but it feels the same on low and mid range on the highway comparing with the stock setup and the mid-pipe setup. I have not tried the high range cuz my A/T SE couldn’t make it there.

 

That will go away really fast. You'll be putting your stock intake back on like many others...

 

Butt dyno's are always off 100%, there is no way you would be able to "feel" any difference between intakes, the sound makes you think it is faster.

 

When did you get yours? I ordered mine in early July and still havent
recieved mine Congrats on the install

 

They are a bit behind cause they're waiting for the crappy APEX'i filters...

 

In which nobody has produced a dyno comparing the midpipe against the stock setup. People need to do the tests with a dyno. For people to keep saying that the midpipe makes you lose lowend power is rediculous especially when it doesn't. I'd take my midpipe off if it really made my car slower.

 

How do you know? You didn't do any dynos nor track testing


Dave

 

Dave, how did you put in the MAF into the resonator? Did you use some kind of lubricate. It seems impossible to put back into the original position.

 

Please Dave. How do you know it wasn't just your driving that produced different times? There is noone on this board that consistantly produced the same 1/4 times on every pass when keeping the same intake setup. How can you really prove the theory that the midpipe causes low end loss? Just because you do something doesn't mean that its the best or that it always works.



Personally, I'm not going back to the stock box so there's no need for me to see which is better. I already know and see the results.

 

 

welcome to the club....i got mines at ne maxima meet 2 months ago or so. i noticed the change in the beginning drastically.. now i feel like i need to change my pipes...im going to get the warpspeed y with greddy catback and eventually change headers....probably gonna start with y pipe since its cheapest. might get an apex muffler until greddy sp2. i feel like im letting in a bunch of air and not pushing it out good enough. i dont feel the lowend power how i used to. i get burned a lot in beginning of races but then i kill once the gears shift up (automatic). im expecting pipe work to help out a lot though... lungs need to breathe both ways

 

You posted the dyno's that prove that in the first link here (scroll down about half a page)

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....5&pagenumber=1

If you put these over each other it is plain as day that the midpipe intake loses low end power over the stock set up?

 

You're right.

 

Are you serious

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....5&pagenumber=1

Go to the picture of the before dyno, right click and "Copy" paste it in word, then Print.

Go to the picture of the after dyno, right click and "Copy" paste it in a new document in word, then Print.

Now put one over the other and hold it up to the light, that should help. The midpipe intake clearly loses power until 4900 rpm.

 

Street Reeper

I said you were right, not "yeah right". I kept looking at the highend band for some dumb reason. I'm losing my mind over here.

 

DOH, d@mn the secret code of the smilies, I thought you were being sarcastic

 

Now that I'm awake, are you guys trying to use the stock box with the VI to bring up the low end power?

 

The problem with the stock box is that the inlet from the snorkel is smaller than the outlet to the throttle body, so they really do not match each other. Some are using the hacked air box to feed the throttle body all it can handle (including myself.) I have since moved to the JWT/Stillen intake to decrease bends and turbulence. I have wondered if the poor low end (of the midpipe designed intake) is the result of the midpipe from poor resonance tuning. The references listed in the two links that I provided make a pretty strong case that this may be the cause, however no one is willing to share the dyno’s comparing the midpipe designed intake to the Stillen.

So up to now it is really a guess that trusts Stillen’s dyno tuned products over the hacked air box (as far as myself, others like Dave B have had great results with the hacked air box.) I think both should be about the same and no big differences between times.

 

The midpipe may very well make a little more up top (1-2hp probably), but the loss in lowend is too substanial. Loosing a lot of lowend KILLS 1/4 mile performance and you'll never make it up the difference in such a short sprint.

Right now I'm experimenting and I'm now using my HKS intake with the stock resonator. The day I installed it the car felt pretty lethargic. It's been 4 days now and everything seems to be running pretty strong. It feels pretty much like my hacked airbox except when I have to sit in traffic for a long time then it feels more boggy down low. I figured I'd let my car learn the HKS intake since I've never really ran it with my JWT ECU/MEVI combo and I'll give it a shot at the track when temps drop.


Dave

 

My driving skills are no different than they were back in May when I ran last. Rev up to 4000rpms, slip the clutch some, feed it gas, release the clutch, and go. Shift at 7100rpms. Nothing was new there other than the fact I was running on my 17s, spare/jack/tools on board, 100 degree weather, and the stock resonator. You're right about on thing, I wasn't consistent that night and I blame that on my 17s which I've never raced on at that track. I was getting 2.25-2.39 60 foots if I remember right. That was enough to shift my ET anywhere from a 14.6-14.9@94mph. Usually I'm within .15 on everyrun assuming something doesn't happen like a misshift or dramatic wheelspin. The thing that really opened my eyes was how much quicker and faster I was compared to the other slips I had running in similiar weather (August of 2002, 90 degree weather) even though I was running fully loaded. Mod wise, the only things I had added was the JWT ECU, hacked airbox, stock resonator, and Stage II SFCs (20lbs). Things I had removed since August 2002 was my hybrid HKS intake with midpipe and my Stillen B-pipe (stock now). On average, I was something like .5 and 3mph faster even though I was a lot heavier and racing in extreme heat. I don't think it's plausible to say the ECU gained me all that.

If I use it, it's the best way j/k, I just like to experiment and I've had the midpipe for a lot longer than yourself. I too thought it helped and the sound was amazing. I removed it and to my disappointment, the car ran better without it. Run what you want, that's what really matters. I just hate it when people assume something works because "they can feel it".



Dave

 

I've been waiting a month and a half for my Frankencar. Now after reading all of the data, I would like to get out of the deal. I'm going to try to deny payment to them through my credit card company. Since I've emailed and called Frankencar and gotten no replies and no product, I think this might work. Anyone had any luck with this?

 

It's all good Dave but when are we ever going to get some freedom being NA.
Oh yeah, I haven't been able to do squat this year because I have little tikes, a wife and a new home to tend to in my spare time. I have 0 time to get out and do what I need to do to the car so you're right, I haven't tested at the track or dynoed in which both was supposed to happen last October and the track got rained out. DMB never called me to dyno the intakes (stock against midpipe), therefore I would have produced them the for 97 auto.

Dano: Don't panic! The intake is still sweet and the mileage is sweet too.