Speed Freaks USA: aFe Intake feeler thread
 

Is anyone running the aFe intake on their IS-F? What are your thoughts? We are considering a possible group buy on aFe intakes on Club Lexus so please post up if this is something you are interested in so we can start to gauge interest.

For those who just want to skip to the highlights:
-16hp max gain over the stock airbox/filter
-15lb-ft max gain over the stock airbox/filter
-20% increase in airflow over the stock airbox/filter
-Slight increase in fuel mileage (when not exploring the additional power :D)
-Improved aesthetics

Here is a brief product description:
The Takeda Retain Intake by aFe is the only sealed intake system on the market! In recent testing, this intake produced 16 hp and 15 lbs. x ft. of torque and outflows the factory intake by 20%. This intake is constructed out of lightweight aluminum tubing for maximum airflow and is available in either a wrinkle-black or polished aluminum finish to crate a truly aesthetically pleasing appearance. This intake also uses a large 360 degree high flow Pro 5R air filter for maximum flow, filtration and convenience. The welded on Mass Air Flow Sensor pad with inserts makes for a clean installation. Along with the one-piece black powdercoated filter housing, this system is truly engineered to be the best performing and easiest to install intake on the market. In fact this intake won a Global Media Award at the 2010 SEMA Show!

This Takeda intake system includes a black powder-coated housing that utilizes a portion of the stock air box to make a totally sealed housing that keeps out power-robbing engine heat. Takeda intakes come complete with all tubing, filters, couplers and hardware for easy installation.

Quick and Easy Installation:
Complete installation in 30 minutes or less.
5-1/2” Tall Conical Filter:
This intake utilizes a huge, 5-1/2" tall conical Pro 5R performance air filter for maximum flow. This 5-layer progressive, oiled cotton gauze air filter provides maximum flow for increased horsepower and torque.

Wrinkle Black
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...49335d9099.jpg

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...f2740e193a.jpg


Polished
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...38f26e7687.jpg


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...53e6acebd9.jpg

-Matt M.

I had this, an injen, stock, joe-z.
I'd pick joe-z any day, or any intake elbow replacement.
Open element filter is only good for sound on the ISF.

I have been looking for a little more sound and I dig the Takeda design. Just concerned with heat soak.

Thank you for the feedback. I am curious to hear more about what you liked or disliked about each one. Also this isn't an open filter design- It uses the lid from the factory air box housing to keep heat out as much as possible :thumbup:

You bring up a good point with the heat soak. I don't think there is a need to be worried about it since the filter is almost entirely isolated. We are planning to do some testing and gather some real technical data and get some answers before moving forward though :)

-Matt M.

I would be interested in the group buy depending on price. Been looking at HPS, JoeZ, Takeda, and Injen. Def sticking to something with an airbox as our engine gets super hot under the hood.

I think I remember seeing a thread, where someone posted dyno results of a power loss.

Have the improvements been verified by dyno runs?

Glad to hear! Hopefully we can make something happen for you.

Im looking into this. I read through one thread where he gained ~15whp on a few pulls then lost it on the last two. He was having issues with the ECU and/or dyno though so I do not consider this accurate info.

I pulled the info directly from aFe but I understand thats not necessarily saying much. We will be looking in to how they got these numbers and will hopefully be able to verify some gains for ourselves. I have also been researching a little to see if anyone has done dyno runs but so far the only thing I've come across was inconclusive data.

-Matt M.

Not sure we gain a whole lot with intake without ecu tuning but the roar is addicting. Just hope fitment is spot on, especially where the maf has to screw in.

Those were my thoughts exactly, at first. But I suspect that although the box felt tight, there was air entry. The car felt sluggish after "spirited driving" sessions. With stock or Joe-Z, I never had that feel. Also, the car operated at a higher temperature with the Takeda (oil would consistently hit 240...5 bars).
I didn't do temperature logging or anything of that nature, I'm just giving a testimonial by practice.
That is why I still consider it an open-element intake.
Now if it were possible to tune for added air, then I would be all over the Injen or Takeda.

I was the first member on this forum to actually use the Takeda Intake system. It replaced a JoeZ intake. Here's the thread with my posts from 5½ years ago.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...-takeda-3.html

My first Post is #43 on the above link with more after.

I still have that intake today (except I've had the tube ceramic coated black).

It's still my favorite or all ISF Intake systems. As most of you know I have PPE headers, PPE Dual mode exhaust with HiFlow cats and of course the Takeda Intake. I've dynoed at 393WHP. I'm sure with the cats I'd be a bit over 400. A friend with the K&N open intake, PPE headers and JoeZ exhaust with no cats dynoed at 400WHP. I've posted the graphs on this forum before. Though I dynoed at 7 WHP less at peak, I was putting out more power at RPMs below 5K.

I've been in conversation with the folks at SpeedFreaks and hope to do some more meaningful testing on my setup vs stock. We'll keep you posted.

Lou

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...ml#post5412583

But even after this thread, I still use a Takeda intake. The noise is intoxicating, so long as you have a stock exhaust.

It's been discussed dozens of times with varying results. I have an K & N with a Borla full catback. I love the sound combo. Even if I lose a couple of HP I don't mind

Well, I have read everything on the topic (on this forum) and I still don't have a warm fuzzy that the matter is settled. I even went so far as to locate and buy a stock airbox with a drop-in to go back to stock. I saw the MotoIQ article where they said the K&N made additional horsepower but then the forum members said that the dyno was done in 3rd gear and not 6th and that the ECU eventually normalizes after time to get rid of those gains. Naturally, I wanted to get rid of my K&N so that I could maximize the hp and consistency of the IS F.

Well, two days ago, I read another MotoIQ article regarding the JoeZ-PTS exhaust. In the article, they mention the initial skepticism about the K&N and retested in 6th gear after having the intake on for 500+ miles and they repeated the same gain of 20+ hp. They explained the methodology they used to stabilize the cars temps which made sense to me knowing that the IS F will put timing in a heartbeat for any excessive intake or system temp. I have no reason to doubt their results. (http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticl...s-Exhaust.aspx )

I now feel like I wasted some loot on the stock airbox because there is no solution that pulls outside air into the intake. The cone filters are pulling the same under hood air at WOT as the stock intake with the secondary open. Every intake I have seen has a radiant barrier to minimize engine, exhaust, and radiator radiant energy but ALL intakes pull air from under the hood unless you took a headlight out or fabbed a snorkel to the wheel well.

As I stated before, given the variability in what has been measured and how it has been measured this proposed solution is no worse or better than anything else already out (or stock for that matter). Given that heat transfer occurs only in three ways (convective, conductive, and radiant), I can't see a huge difference in the stock or aftermarket solutions. There is little if any conductive transfer, they all have a radiant shield, and the rest is convective heat transfer.

The only REAL difference I can see as of now is that the two stage stock intake system will offer more torque and aftermarket cone filters will flow higher volumes of air with less resistance at high rpm for more hp. This is no different than just about every other NA car out there. Low rpm torque or top end rush (hp).

As of now I will keep reading and thinking as to the best course forward, but based on what I have seen so far, there may be a stock airbox for sale in the near future. I want to flow more air and I can't see how the stock box will flow more than a cone filter.

The beauty of the Takeda, IMO, and the reason I went with it 5 years ago, it that it is the only aftermarket unit that retains the the stock two stage intake flapper valve that pulls air in from the fender area when the vacuum valve opens under load.

Lou