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Does the cone-shaped, forward-facing HD Screaming Eagle air intake and filter offer any performance advantage over a round or oval-shaped intake and filter? Or is it more of a fashion/personal preference kind of thing?
You mean the K&N intake re-branded by SE? It might, there is some resonance going on in tuned intake which can help with cylinder fill rate at higher RPM. Whether the intake in question is designed this way or not - I do not know. Getting cooler air is definitely a plus.
It is more of a fashion thing....according to Jamie at fuelmoto, there is no change in tune using the round or V-stack (with filter). Both of the ACs had K&N air filter.
I must admit that I prefer a round or oval shape. But I'm pretty old school about most things. The forward cone shape would have to offer significant advantages for me even to consider it.
Does the cone-shaped, forward-facing HD Screaming Eagle air intake and filter offer any performance advantage over a round or oval-shaped intake and filter? Or is it more of a fashion/personal preference kind of thing?
Thanks!
Alan
We just did some Dyno runs on this about a month ago.
On a mostly stock Sportster, with the 636v, which is a patented version of the forward facing A/C, it will produce 1-2 lb-ft more torque than the 587. Horsepower is the same.
However, when you go to the Twin Cam, or a built Sporty engine, which both eat more air, the difference becomes a bit more significant. 3-5 more lb-ft torque and 2-3 more horsepower.
When you get into a built Twin Cam, it can be as much as an extra 10 lb-ft of torque and 6-7 horsepower. Not an insignificant amount at all, which is why we patented the shape of it.
We'll have more charts soon, but below is a comparison between the stock A/C and 636V A/C, along with a Power Vision and some TTI's.
Also, here's a chart showing the difference between 3 other forward facing A/C's and the Outlaw 636v A/C. You can read why the shape of the 636v intake Does make a difference at this LINK.
Edited to add: Even among the round style A/C's, the shape of the inside of the air cleaner, the part where the air is After it passes thru the filter element, that shape can have a affect, positive or negative on torque and horsepower. We've tested some of the more popular round style A/C and seen up to a 5% variance in power. How the air flows is very important.
Thanks, DK Custom, for that detailed reply. (And my apologies for this tardy response. Life got very busy a couple of days ago, and catching up is taking longer than I'd expected.)
It's always good to have that kind of data, especially in the form of charts. You've given me much to think about.
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Air Intake Shape
