29 replies to this topic

[freshairmini]

thats fair enough.

But the thread did say "best air filter for HIF44 carb" not best looking

[thebullet]

Well ok, yes you maybe right, but it is my personal opinion...


... and he did say he couldn't afford £90

[Tahiti Joe]

As already said, when replacing the air filter the car will then ideally need rolling road tuning or taken to an experienced engine builders too have the mixture adjusted and usually the needle changed as well. So factor this in when deciding whether too change filter, at least another £50 on top, but chances are it will be one of the best investments in getting your mini properly set up!

Just as a quick guide, a K&N element is around £30, a K&N cone around £50 and the MED/ITG kits are around £90.

Edited by Tahiti Joe, 20 February 2012 - 04:56 PM.

[Gunnsie]

As already said, when replacing the air filter the car will then ideally need rolling road tuning or taken to an experienced engine builders too have the mixture adjusted and usually the needle changed as well. So factor this in when deciding whether too change filter, at least another £50 on top, but chances are it will be one of the best investments in getting your mini properly set up!

Just as a quick guide, a K&N element is around £30, a K&N cone around £50 and the MED/ITG kits are around £90.

Cheers for the little guide... luckily I don't live too far from ML Motorsport, so could just pop down there and get them to set it up perfectly.

Cheers!!

Chris

[Spherix]

.. I thought there would have been a little bit more of an increase in BHP than that.....

That 4bhp figure is - as far as I know - 4 bhp over the K&N cone, not over the regular filter. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Tahiti Joe]

You say your not too far from ML Motorsport, there probably my local Mini place, where abouts are you based buddy?
But Andy and co. do a very good job, have always done any carburettor set up on mine when needed, they are all very, very knowledgeable guys!

[freshairmini]

see here: http://bit.ly/y1xDqz

.. I thought there would have been a little bit more of an increase in BHP than that.....

That 4bhp figure is - as far as I know - 4 bhp over the K&N cone, not over the regular filter. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Yes you are correct, but when you think about its a rather useless fact, without knowing the 'cone filter' actual engine output, but still when it comes to air flow and filtering the ITG coupled with the stub-stack (very important) is the best. But still very expensive.

Edited by freshairmini, 21 February 2012 - 03:18 PM.

[Gunnsie]

You say your not too far from ML Motorsport, there probably my local Mini place, where abouts are you based buddy?
But Andy and co. do a very good job, have always done any carburettor set up on mine when needed, they are all very, very knowledgeable guys!

I'm in Rainham, next to Gillingham, so probably about 8 miles from ML.

I've heard only good things about them, so I must get round to paying them a visit.

Cheers!

Chris

[Gunnsie]

.. I thought there would have been a little bit more of an increase in BHP than that.....

That 4bhp figure is - as far as I know - 4 bhp over the K&N cone, not over the regular filter. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Ahh, gotcha!!

Cheers!

Chris

[AVV IT]

If under bonnet aesthetics and noise are what you are after, then there would be some point to fitting a high flow cone, or pancake filter on its own. Otherwise there is actually little point in upgrading an air filter in isolation, as it will not achieve any noticeable increase in power. It may however increase your insurance premium, as most insurers will view it as a performance modification, even though there is no real increase in performance when fitting it in isolation.

If you want to increase performance, then you need to first make sure that your standard components are in tip top condition and then consider fitting a well developed stage 1 kit that incorporates an upgraded filter as suggested previously.

The "Stages of Tuning for the A series" article on the TMF front page explains this in more detail. http://www.theminifo...ies-mini-engine

Edited by AVV IT, 23 February 2012 - 12:31 PM.

[Gunnsie]

Yeah I know it would bump the insurance up, but it wouldn't be much as I'm 32 now.

I have had a look at the Stage 1 kit, but was just wondering if the performance difference would be that much for the money or not.

Cheers for all your help guys!

Chris

[AVV IT]

I have had a look at the Stage 1 kit, but was just wondering if the performance difference would be that much for the money or not.

Yes a stage 1 kit is generally worth the investment, unless you are a young driver who is going to get stung for the associated insurance premium hike. You are probably unlikely to get the 20% power increase that the manufacturers claim though, most report a BHP increase of nearer around 10%. Nevertheless the performance increase is certainly noticeable though and a stage 1 kit is generally regarded as the best value for money investment you can make, in terms of "power per pound".

The other issue is what model you currently have, if you're running a HIF44 on a 1275, then presumably you have one of the late cooper models, but according to your profile you have a Sprite which therefore would have been equipped with the HIF38 as standard and not the HIF44??

Edited by AVV IT, 23 February 2012 - 02:29 PM.

[Gunnsie]

Hmmmm, now I'm all confused. It may well be a 38 in that case.

Is there any visual way of finding out whether it is a 38 or 44?? I'm guessing it's just a case of measuring the inlet or something??

Sorry for all the silly questions, but it's my first Mini and I'm just learning about the engine etc.

Cheers!

Chris

[AVV IT]

Is there any visual way of finding out whether it is a 38 or 44??

Not that I'm aware of. As far as I know it's just a case of the throat being 44mm wide on the HIF44, as opposed to it being 38mm on the HIF38 and I would imagine that it's going to be a bit difficult to detect a difference of 6mm visually. What made you think that it might be a fitted with a HIF44 in the first place though? The 90's Carb Sprite models and their derivatives (the Rio, Tahiti & Italian Job etc.) were all fitted with HIF38's as standard, they were even referred to as the "HIF38 models". So you really should have a HIF38 under there, unless a previous owner has swapped it for a HIF44 that is, which is pretty unlikely in an otherwise standard car.

You could always try taking the dash pot off though and having a look at what needle is actually in your carb, as the type of needle fitted should give you a bit of a clue. Each needle should have a three letter identification code stamped into the top of the shaft somewhere and the standard HIF38 needle should be different, to the standard one for a HIF44. From memory a standard HIF38 needle should be an "AEM" whereas a HIF44 one will probably be a "BFL" I think.

Edited by AVV IT, 23 February 2012 - 11:14 PM.

[Gunnsie]

I don't know what made me think it really..... probably when I was adjusting the fast idle on Sunday I looked in my Haynes Manual and the pic in the Fig had HIF44 written underneath it I think. If I get chance over the weekend I'll see if I can measure the throat.

I've never had a Mini before, so I didn't know any of the differences between the carbs etc until I came on here.... Also I didn't know what carb came on what model as standard.

Thanks for all the info you've given me... helping me learn even more about the Minis now. :)

Cheers!

Chris