Cobb or AVO

[coldradio1]

So I can't stand not being able to hear turbo noises on my car and I'm thinking an intake is my best bet. My VW turbo got me spoiled I guess when it comes to turbo noises. LOL. Plus, since I just rolled over 60k, I need a new air filter anyways. I'm pretty much committed to getting either a Cobb intake or an AVO. From what I've read, neither require tuning and don't typically cause CEL's. I'm also wanting to do an intake box on it so these are the best bets for that as well. So, I do have a few questions to those who have these.

 

1) I see that the AVO has a oil-free washable filter. Have they always been this way or is this just a feature that was added recently?

2) Is the Cobb an oil-free washable filter?

3) Has anybody had any issues with CELs or lean conditions running these. I would imagine that the intake box would help this out a bit by causing a little more "OEM-like" condition for the intake.

4) If any body has had both intakes, could you compare your experiences with them?

 

Also, I'm gonna be all stock aside from a set of perrin cans. And, as I said before, I am doing this for sound mainly. If you could spare the waste of money/no performance gain talk. I honestly don't care about that and I already know it.

[coldradio1]

No feedback?

[m sprank]

I hesitate to comment.

 

Someone recently said everything I say sounds like a sales pitch. I was waiting for others to chime in.

[rtbrjason]

I added some details in another thread and don't want to type it all again or go find it.. If you're on a stock tune you can probably get away with an intake as the stock tune is really rich in the wot regions.

 

If you have a tune of any kind, the fuel is most likely already leaned out and the addition of an intake without tuning for it could destroy your engine.

 

My opinion is you need a tune even if you don't get an intake.

 

As for which intake; I've tried and scaled several and the Cobb with Airbox is my favorite.

[KurtP]

The cobb intake works really really well as long as you dont need more maf than stock. My cobb airbox kept my MAF intake temps withing 5deg of ambient during my stage 2 tune. It works good because you get air from the snorkus and the the fender well. you can put it on without a tune, also, but obviously more gains to be had with tune....

 

If you plan on going larger maf and a fmic, go with a KS tech CAI. also awesome intakes.

[KurtP]

I hesitate to comment.

 

Someone recently said everything I say sounds like a sales pitch. I was waiting for others to chime in.

 

It comes with vendor status. Some of the hating is just hating.

[m sprank]

Thanks Kurt. I still try give honest advice regardless of sales.

[GT_Red]

I have a cheapo intake filter stuck on the end of the MAF tube (previous owner)...so if you want to get rid of your stock air box pls PM me.

 

It's not giving me any CEL or problems that I can tell but I want to put back the stock air box since its good for up to how much HP.

[spec.B Dream]

I have the KSTech 73mm and can hear the turbo quite nicely (actually somewhat annoying when I'm driving my manager around and the radio is off). Sorry, I can't comment on Cobb or AVO.

[MDKSDMF]

i recommend the Cobb. ive run the cobb since that was my first mod. i ran untuned for a couple thousand miles and then protuned for the intake and x02 cbe @ the time. i went with the cobb for one simple reason. the rubber tubing material does not heat up the way an aluminum does (like the AVO or SPT) thus reducing intake air temps, errr rather NOT increasing them with a hot chrome blingy pipe. The cobb is an oiled filter so i bought a spare so im always oiled, cleaned and ready to rip when the filter dries and dirties. i havent ran the "box" for it and my tuner says everything is kosher so im not investing in one. maybe my temps are lower than average cause i use a turbo blanket and not a POS cobb heatshield. i will admit tho if u plan on upgrading ur intercooler and or turbo ur gonna probably wanna invest in the kstech 73 or 80 something milimeter intake. im bad with numbers but u get the idea thats my 2 cents

[GT_Red]

You don't have to worry about tuning your car just for an intake or an exhaust. Its a good idea because you can maximize the HP gains, but it won't harm your car at all without it.

 

I personally like the COBB oval tips.

[spec.B Dream]

You don't have to worry about tuning your car just for an intake or an exhaust. Its a good idea because you can maximize the HP gains, but it won't harm your car at all without it.

 

I personally like the COBB oval tips.

 

Sorry, that is not true. You may be fine with a catback an no tune, but an aftermarket downpipe (especially catless) can lead to overboost and an untuned intake will mess with the air/fuel ratio unless you properly scale the MAF. You may have been good back in your Honda days, but these turbo Subarus are finicky little beasts.

[SBT]

You don't have to worry about tuning your car just for an intake or an exhaust. Its a good idea because you can maximize the HP gains, but it won't harm your car at all without it.

 

Completely disagree with the statement about an intake too. It's been proven over and over that many intakes cause turbulence in the laminar air flow and which causes the ECU to substantially lean the A/F mixture, which WILL harm the car. So it's better than a good idea to tune an intake, IMHO, it's a requirement. Besides, it's also substantiated that the stock airbox is capable of 350-400 HP so not sure why you'd even bother to change out the intake unless you're going with a FMIC. If you're just exchanging a stock panel filter with an aftermarket performance panel filter, you don't have to do anything - other than keep it clean.

[tangcla]

... Besides, it's also substantiated that the stock airbox is capable of 350-400 HP ...

So the stock airbox poses no restrictions at all, throughout the rev range?

[SBT]

Not that the tuners are seeing as an impediment. You may want to:

1. Replace the corrugated MAF flex joint pipe with an AVO or COBB one to smooth out the air flow and transition from the box to the inlet pipe so it's more laminar, and
   
2. Replace the turbo inlet pipe with an AVO or COBB one to keep the stock pipe from collapsing under heavy boost (inlet side suction). This seems to happen more as the stock pipe ages and loses rigidity
   

[tangcla]

So despite it may not affect the ability to gain more power, but what about where the power falls in the power band? Would it affect high rpm at the expense of low-end, or vice versa?

[SBT]

You can tune almost any intake and the stock setup seems to have the least amount of trouble (Subaru engineers know what they're doing) flowing the right amount of air for a given load and throttle input. AFAIK, the stock setup doesn't have any "fall-flat" areas along the power curve. Some of our esteemed colleagues can certainly chime in here on their modification upgrades v-a-v the stock box and what, if anything< they needed to tune in/out.

[tangcla]

hmm. To lose the suction noise or not, lol.

[SBT]

The suction noise is a pain. Making me rethink the whole FMIC plans, as I don't see any way around doing that without replacing the stock airbox "quietness."

 

What are you running now and are you tuned for that setup?.

[tangcla]

A'PEXi Power Intake, no airbox, and tuned for it.

[SBT]

lots of suction noise.

[tangcla]

Yup. Love hate relationship...

 

Is it safe to put the stock airbox and filter back in without retune?

[SBT]

Dyno (ECU-Tech, CAP) or eTune? I'd retune it, but that's just me.

[tangcla]

OpenECU flash tune done on the dyno.

[tangcla]

Also - seems I've lost the resonator. If it was between the stock airbox minus resonator, and an aftermarket intake kit - which would be better?