K & N Filters

i think the most important thing to remember about all of these bolt on mods is that what you hear from an ad. is what the company wants you to hear. The number on the box for these things always repreasents the best case scenario they could find. Yes if you put a freer flowing air system on a high revving vehichle that can use the extra air, you may see their advertised gains, but it is just as posssible to see no gains, negative effect, or no change at all. You also have to remember there is a reason that your jeep didnt come stock with certain things. Every part of your vehicle had some very smart people examine the best way to build it, sometimes they are restricted by cost, government regulations, or other factors, but 99% of the time, when they examined the FACTS, they choose the best way to build it.

just one example of an actual test:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/blog/automotive/1860582.html

You can not go on "some guy did modification X and loves it" or even "I did modification X and noticed a difference" most of the time.

You can take someones Jeep and have them pay you to add a few "goodies" to it and then let them test drive it. I will bet my Jeep that at least half of them would swear that it felt better after it, even if you didn't do ANYTHING to it!

A few of you are missing the points being made by myself, Turtle, and a few others.

Yes a lot of the bolt on mods CAN make your Jeep make more power.

The point we are trying to make is application specific. Your Jeep.

Yes your motorcycle, or your import/muscle car will see benefits from mods that your Jeep will not, from the SAME products.

Do you understand HOW an engine makes power, where a particular engine makes power, and the difference between HP and torque?Do you understand how different engine technology effects how and where that engine will make power? Do you understand that power must be made differently for one application than it should be for another?

Some of us DO understand. We are trying to steer you in the proper direction for your Jeep application.

There are a lot of factors that determine what modifications applied to a specific component will give what outcome in that application.

Some of these factors are: bore, stroke, combustion chamber shape and size, deck height, piston top shape, valve size and placment, cam lift and duration, induction type, volumetric efficiency, flow path, fuel type, ignition type and output, timing, port size shape and location, compression ratio, air density, air fuel ratio, air and fuel temperature, ambient temperature, ...

The list goes on and on.

What works for one application will NOT always work for another.

Do I expect to see 3 HP per CI from my 4.0L? Never! It CAN be done... hell it can be vastly exceeded! But the cost involved is excessive. I do however expect to get about 3 HP per CI out of a VW aircooled engine I am building.

It is all in what is built and how.

Yes you can stuff more air into your Jeep engine, but it will NOT be properly processed without other modifications.

Yes, you can do other modifications and have that extra air processed, and make more power.

But the power will be shifted to higher RPM's.

The science of how an engine makes power is a bit more complex than you would think.

If your dead set on bolt on HP making goodies, go for it. Yes you will see some "improvements". But all those "improvements" cost something, other than $. Do your homework and find out the real world effect of the modification you are making for your application.

Just remember, advertised #'s are application specific, if true at all. Every application is different. And do yourself a favor... research before you buy.

So now I'm interested...for a snorkel to really do its job, other things need to be sealed as well, like the alternator apparently...how would one do that, and what else would need to be "protected" to give a little Jeep some piece of mind when crossing deep streams?

DrJ

I saw those "seals" last night, not much more than a dust cover really. Keith mentioned the double o-ring sealed "caps" in the q-tec catalog for $129, but that'd be low on my list.

This all comes from me following you guys through streams, three or four of you go with your 35-37" tires and just look back for me to follow. That's all fine, but I'm in a TJ with 31's so I thought I'd ask what simple steps would help me get through with less worry about water-related damage or failure. A snorkel is a realatively easy add-on, and I used to think worthwhile. I might still add one someday, so I tohught I'd ask what else could be done.

...I'd never heard that about a clutch in water...THANKS!!!

This is ALL good stuff to know...keep it coming!!!

DrJ

DOH!!! For $75 I might've jumped. Guess you really need 2 sets though, huh?

DrJ