In the past I posted about a Mina exhaust system and air filter box I installed on my 2000 XK8. Mina just came out with a aluminum intake duct to replace the OEM plastic piece that came with our cars. This one is 3" in diameter with no sharp bends to impede air flow. And it looks incredible! I also fashioned a sheet metal baffle over the air box in an attempt to isolate it even further from the hot air in the engine compartment (crude, but effective). On the highway, intake air temp is a few degrees above ambient.


Here are some pictures. The white bar connecting the shock towers seems to minimize cowl shake and possibly improves handling. Very satisfied overall with both the aesthetic of the new intake tube and its effect on performance. The car seems to have a better throttle response at all rpms, and the intake and exhaust sounds combine to make lovely music together.

 

Looks great Max!! Thanks for pushing me over the edge. Brenda won't be happy if I order one today, but maybe I can ask Santa to put one under the tree on Christmas........You seem to know how to keep me in trouble.........Be cool.....Mike

 

Nice

 

What was it with the stock intake?

 

I never did a real analysis of intake air temperature with the stock air box and filter (by the way, I have a new K & N filter if someone wants it). With just the "open" Mina air box, the intake temperature ran 5-10 degrees above ambient (but that was a month or so ago when the outside temperature was much warmer than it is now).


As far as my perception of better throttle response, and perhaps a bit more power at all rpms, that's a seat-of-the-pants assessment. Who knows what effect on objectivity the enhanced exhaust and intake sounds have? Bottom line, I'm pretty happy with the overall improvement, so that's probably all that really matters.


Knowing his abilities as a craftsman, I'm sure that when Santa brings Mike (mrplow58) his new intake tube, the overall installation will look far more refined than mine does.

 

You'd find that it's pretty much identical to what you have now. For reference, to get a 1% power increase, intake temps must drop 11*F. The open system you had previously was admitting underhood air- with the corresponding power loss from higher temps.

The stock system is also very efficient with respect to airflow. Jag didn't leave much on the table.

Your gains are from an esthetic and 'sound' perspective, but that's about it.

 

The OEM pipe varies in its inside diameter between 3" and 2-1/4 over it's length and has sharper bends which increases friction. Also, the accordion pleats are going to cause turbulence in the incoming air stream. The Mina pipe has a 3" ID throughout its length, and is smooth with gentler bends. The benefits are likely minimal, but I'm sure they're there.

 

I have always gone with looks, and sounds in most my endeavors. Performance is a learned behavior, that I always enjoyed teaching........are we still talking about cars???.....Mike

 

Dear God, I hope so! The scientific explanation notwithstanding, if the car subjectively feels a little more responsive, that's good enough for me.

 

Spoken like someone who hasn't done any testing or have actual experience. That assumption is plain wrong. The stock system is inefficient and restrictive. I don't know what gains are to be had on the NA engine, but on the SC cars (which uses the same exact intake) there is a proven 30hp gain from an improved intake system.

That is a surprisingly big gain for a modern engine. So much for "Jag not leaving much on the table."

 

Hey Max,

Did you install the air box upside down? why is it enclosed? the Mina air box is an open air box...Something I missed?

 

Could you point me to some documented tests demonstrating this please?

I think Jag engineering would like to learn how to get 30HP simply by changing a tube.

Tests I've seen (albeit on S-types) were in the order of 2HP.

 

You are a big JOKE.

 

25 rwhp:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...results-74595/

I didn't do a stock baseline dyno on my car by I made 323 rwhp on a dynojet with exhaust and intake mods. Stock cars usually average under 300 rwhp.

However I tested my intake at the drag strip doing before and after runs. It dropped my 1/4 mile time by .4 second.

 

I think the Jag engineers already knew how. Look at the picture of the intake tube on the XK180 concept; which was rated at 450hp. It's an improvement over the stock tube and looks similar to what modders do today.

XK180

The engineers have to design components the cheapest way that meet criteria, not to the best performance or quality.

 

Its not about keeping costs down in the case of the intake. Its all about the noise. With a jaguar that means none at all. It means having a blower and not even being able to hear it. No intake roar on an N/A engine as well. They spend a lot of time and research to do that. That means a lot of $$$$$. Typical jaguar buyer wants to hear zero! That being said the sound reduction is at a cost of performance. Granted on a SC car the gains will be greater(for various reasons) but on a NA car there are likely gains to be had as well. Where you may or may not run into a real issue is if the ACT sensor reads a number which causes the car to reduce timing to protect itself...Not sure how the jaguars operate but that would make a noticeable difference. I've had this argument before. Hot air isn't good however either is restriction. The Mina kit worked great on my XKR. I then added a solid larger tube..Worked better. At idle you'll likely suck in hotter air but once your going you should be good. I've done hundreds of logs on my other supercharged car. Anyway to me..Yah its worth t just for the sound alone lol

 

First you said 30, above you said 25.

He actually got 11 including maybe 1 or 2 from the cone filter. As always, the devil is in the details:

"**test 4** 3in mandrel bent system with cone filter set in behind headlights and 1st run showed a 11rwhp and 18rwtq 1st run (exact same temps even a lil hotter being the outside temp had risen by 8 degrees) 2nd run was nearly identical but 10rwhp and 18rwtq over base and you could hear the blower whine "

That was on a supercharged car. On a non supercharged like the OPs? Maybe 3 or 4.

 

I said 30hp and 25rwhp. It's the same thing.

25 rearwhp IS 30hp at the crank which is what I meant.

Why the hell would you focus on the sub-optimal 11rwhp system when the optimal intake made 25rwhp? Yes the 3" is what the OP has but the whole point of my discussion was to counter your assumption that stock is efficient and Jag engineers didn't leave much on the table. The 3" is still inefficient and leaving a lot on the table then, isn't it? I didn't mention anything specifically about the OP's intake. The 3" intake like the OP's Mina is an improvement over stock, but not as good as the 3.5"....at least on a SC car.

Again, my experience is with the the intake on the SC cars, where the engineers left a whole lot on the table. Since the NA intake is the same, there is gain to be had there although not as great as on the SC.

How much exactly will have to be tested as I don't think I've seen any tests from the NA guys.

 

Cause the OP has a NA car and used a 3" pipe, not a supercharged engine and a 3.5" pipe like in the test.

 

Not to add to the bickering but short of a ram air intake on most any car (non SC car that is) these under the hood set ups that the OP did do little I think. I have done this to a few cars in through the years and found little diff in driving. Just my .02