Sometimes, a tech story just kind of happens. No real planning at the beginning, but by the end of the day some good ol' fashioned testing produces some interesting results. Such was the case for Super Chevy publisher Ed Zinke. He took his 383/TCI 700R4/3.08 gear-equipped Chevelle over to Westech Performance one day to have the thing dyno tuned. The long-stroke small-block has a hydraulic Comp Cam, Edelbrock RPM aluminum heads, Edelbrock Air Gap intake, and a Holley Avenger carb combination that needed a little tweaking. After setting the timing and swapping a few jets, the Chevelle was running like a top, but master dyno technician Ernie Mena of Westech said "We could get even more power by changing out the little 7-inch round air cleaner." Since Westech is an automotive testing facility, it had an assortment of K&N filters sitting on the shelf, and Ed, being a magazine guy, had a camera in the trunk. With all the components of a tech story in place, the two started an air cleaner comparison. After the Chevelle's jets were swapped and the timing reset, the car was putting 316 hp at 5,100 rpm and 341 lb-ft at 4,500 to the rear wheels.After the Chevelle's jets were swapped and the timing reset, the car was putting 316 hp at The 383 was fairly typical of what you'll find in a mild stroker build, but the air cleaner Ed was using was a small 7-inch round unit typically used for dual carb applications. While it does a great job at filtering the dirt out of the air, we found it just couldn't support the 383's need for air.The 383 was fairly typical of what you'll find in a mild stroker build, but the air cleane Step two was to dyno the car with no air cleaner whatsoever, just to get an unrestricted number.Step two was to dyno the car with no air cleaner whatsoever, just to get an unrestricted n The car laid down 328 hp at 5,200 and 362 lb-ft at 3,900. This is a nice increase in power, but it's surely not the smart way to drive your car on the street.The car laid down 328 hp at 5,200 and 362 lb-ft at 3,900. This is a nice increase in power Now we wanted to see if we could get the same numbers as the no air cleaner pull with an air cleaner installed.Now we wanted to see if we could get the same numbers as the no air cleaner pull with an a Next in line was a typical 14-inch assembly with a 4-inch-thick K&N filter, drop base and chrome top that is found on many muscle cars. This combo produced 320 hp at 5,100 and 356 lb-ft at 3,900.Next in line was a typical 14-inch assembly with a 4-inch-thick K&N filter, drop base and We have known about the K&N XStream Air Flow tops for a while now and we really wanted to see if they really make a difference. Well, besides adding more filter area they also increase power.We have known about the K&N XStream Air Flow tops for a while now and we really wanted to The XStream Air Flow Top, 4-inch thick filter, and flat base produced 327 hp at 5,200 rpm and 362 lb-ft at 4,000.The XStream Air Flow Top, 4-inch thick filter, and flat base produced 327 hp at 5,200 rpm While the 4-inch filter was only one pony off of the no air cleaner number, the assembly was too tall to fit under the hood, so a 3-inch-thick filter replaced the 4-inch version.While the 4-inch filter was only one pony off of the no air cleaner number, the assembly w This produced 328 hp at 5,200 rpm and 363 lb-ft at 3,900. Not only can the hood be closed, but this combination topped the no air filter by 1 lb-ft of torque.This produced 328 hp at 5,200 rpm and 363 lb-ft at 3,900. Not only can the hood be closed, SOURCES K&N Filters 1455 Citrus Street Riverside CA 92507 800-858-3333 www.knfilters.com Westech Performance 11098 Venture Drive Unit C Mira Loma CA 91752 951-685-4767 www.westechperformance.com By Calin Head Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
