[dynomite]

Hey everyone,
One of the first performance mods I thought of doing to my Civic was a free flow air filter. I had seen the K&N Typhoon of course – but the price didn’t seem justified.


Essentially, I wanted something more affordable without compromising on the looks (i.e. the under-bonnet aesthetics) and performance.


Then I chanced upon G-EP (Genome – Electron Performance) filters listed in our own classifieds. It’s a combination of a Genome air filter and custom piping by the Pune-based Electron Performance guys (Sharat and Hemank - I think Hemank’s on our forums as well – StunkFreak).


Anyhow, a quick call and they were quick to recommend the dual cone (or the dual sided cone) for the Civic. It costs Rs 5,000 (excluding shipping and you have to get it installed yourself). The pricing would vary according to car of course - best to contact them and ask - Check out the photos.



Unlike the standard free flow filters, this has an outer and a smaller, inner cone. This would increase the total surface area.







It’s a standard oil-based filter – should technically last the life of the vehicle with proper care and maintenance. There’s also a separately available cleaning oil – which you need to use when it gets too dirty.

This image shows the location of the standard air filter box on the Civic





It’s actually easy enough to install yourself if you have the right tools and a tinkerer’s attitude. This is a closeup of the stock air filter box. The red highlights show the mounting points – the orange arrow shows the direction of airflow. The blue arrow is the Civic’s MAF (air flow) sensor which needs to be removed and reinstalled. The yellow arrow shows the final direction of movement of air into the engine block.



This is the custom piping – as you can see, it’s really a very short pipe which allows for the shortest possible route (with only one bend) from the air filter to the engine. There’s a slot for the MAF sensor. This piping is only for the Civic automatic – the manual one has slightly different mounting points. While the filter remains the same (universal, up to a certain engine size) – the piping is customised for each car.




Installation photos coming up – will also do a quick video of the engine running (pre and post installation). Let me know if you guys have any questions.


Cheers.

[2000rpm]

Eagerly awaiting the pre and post installation engine note. What price was the KnN available for?

[9thsphinx]

The design (specially the cone and the color, although mine has a cover for the cone) is almost exactly like the Cosworth Air Filter I have on my Honda Jazz.

I got it installed by professionals but apparently is not that tough and is a DIY job.

Good luck.

[dynomite]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Eagerly awaiting the pre and post installation engine note. What price was the KnN available for?

Hey - have taken the video and photos of the installation - they are HD videos from my DSLR, will take a while to upload so please bear with me.

I had the option of buying a K&N Typhoon from ebay US - was costing about Rs15k including shipping but who know what customs duty it will attract so gave up that idea. Locally, its availble for about Rs 18k I think. (excluding fitting).

Originally Posted by 9thsphinx

The design (specially the cone and the color, although mine has a cover for the cone) is almost exactly like the Cosworth Air Filter I have on my Honda Jazz.

I got it installed by professionals but apparently is not that tough and is a DIY job.

Good luck.

Thanks -- I managed to install it myself quite easily. Took about an hour. The Electron Performance guys were kind enough to send a PDF installation guide specific to the Honda Civic. I think they have installation guides of various cars -- contact Sharat at +91 9763695722 if you want to find out details specific to your car. I'll be putting up photos and videos here soon.

Your's looks like a cold air intake -- the G-EP guys have these too. In fact their cold air intake systems look almost exactly like the Cosworth one you have. Check it out here: http://classifieds.team-bhp.com/buy-...nda-Civic.html

Mine is a short ram dual cone type -- if you look closely, the piping in your case is still quite long -- because it has to draw in air from outside the engine compartment. I chose the short ram because I wanted more sound.

[stuntfreak]

Originally Posted by dynomite

Hey - have taken the video and photos of the installation - they are HD videos from my DSLR, will take a while to upload so please bear with me.

I had the option of buying a K&N Typhoon from ebay US - was costing about Rs15k including shipping but who know what customs duty it will attract so gave up that idea. Locally, its availble for about Rs 18k I think. (excluding fitting).



Thanks -- I managed to install it myself quite easily. Took about an hour. The Electron Performance guys were kind enough to send a PDF installation guide specific to the Honda Civic. I think they have installation guides of various cars -- contact Sharat at +91 9763695722 if you want to find out details specific to your car. I'll be putting up photos and videos here soon.

Your's looks like a cold air intake -- the G-EP guys have these too. In fact their cold air intake systems look almost exactly like the Cosworth one you have. Check it out here: http://classifieds.team-bhp.com/buy-...nda-Civic.html

Mine is a short ram dual cone type -- if you look closely, the piping in your case is still quite long -- because it has to draw in air from outside the engine compartment. I chose the short ram because I wanted more sound.

So you're the one my manager's (Sharat) speaking about (The review man) Thanks buddy. hope you enjoy the Intake system. If you need anything, just let Sharat know directly.

I'm sure you will enjoy the performance.

[dynomite]

OK - the filter is installed, hence the update.

Here are the steps to the installation. To do it yourself, you need:

1 - screwdrivers (a full set)
2 - Allen keys
3 - a set of spanners
4 - pliers (regular + needle nose)


Here's a shot of the stock air filter on the Civic (with the top box removed). My car has only done 35,000 kms since 2006, so the one you see is only the second filter on there.



This is a close-up of the MAF sensor - only two screws hold it in place.


Just slides out of the stock box


This is how the MAF sensor gets re-installed into the custom piping made by G-EP. The open side of the sensor faces forward.


Another shot from the top - the black stuff you see is a silicon seal so that there is no air gap between the sensor and the piping.


Here's how it looks with the filter box completely removed from the engine bay. In the case of the Civic, there are two bolts that hold it in place. As you can see, a pretty large area has been vacated in the engine bay. Just to the left of the red battery terminal cap, you will see a length of piping that feeds air from the front tyre well - I have left that place. It is securely anchored and can continue to feed in air towards the general area of the new filter.



Here's the box outside the car. The rubber hose you see on the right is the section that was removed. It's no longer needed.


Finally, here's the filter installed on the car. The custom piping is held in place with new bolts (provided) and the existing hose clip (circlular clip) forms a tight seal. The existing breather hose also fits right into the custom piping.


A close up of the filter. The filter element itself attaches to the custom piping with another hose clip (provided)


So - here's my initial feedback, soon as the filter was installed.

This was morning time, so it was a completely cold start. The engine sputtered and didn't start up on first crank (it never does that). I think it took a few seconds for it to adjust to the higher volume of air. Second try, it started up fine. Not much change in engine idle sound and there are no errors or warning lights.

Rev the car in place, and you get a more 'raspy' sound above 2500rpm. This is because the bonnet is open. Rev her above 4500rpm though and you can distinctly hear a roar and a new 'air suction' noise. Sweet!

First spin: it may be psychological to some extent, but the car instantly feels 'lighter' - as if I have to press the accelerator pedal less to achieve the same speed. Driving around normally, keeping it below 3000rpm, there is no sound. Not much of a perceptible performance improvement either - apart from the 'lightness'.

But put her in 'manual' mode and start revving past the 4500 or 5000rpm mark - that's where you can really feel and hear the difference. I think the price spent was well worth it.

I'll be putting up some videos soon.

[stuntfreak]

Thanks for the review.

PS: The throttle being light is normal. Its a great feel. Its not psychological. Basically you reduce the resistance, and thus increase throttle response.

Take care. Drive Safe.

[nareshov]

Originally Posted by dynomite

Let me know if you guys have any questions.

Congrats on the setup!

1. Do you have to be cautious of water getting in as compared to the stock filter?
2. Would this setup affect warranty? (If it's easy to swap back the stock setup maybe it's okay?)
3. How does the filtration (accumulation of dust and other goo in the system) compare with the stock setup? (Does lesser air resistance always imply poorer filtration? Or perhaps the filtration is comparable to stock but the larger surface area is helping here?)

Thanks in advance.

[stuntfreak]

Originally Posted by nareshov

Congrats on the setup!

1. Do you have to be cautious of water getting in as compared to the stock filter?
2. Would this setup affect warranty? (If it's easy to swap back the stock setup maybe it's okay?)
3. How does the filtration (accumulation of dust and other goo in the system) compare with the stock setup? (Does lesser air resistance always imply poorer filtration? Or perhaps the filtration is comparable to stock but the larger surface area is helping here?)

Thanks in advance.

Hello Sir,
I am happy to answer the above questions.
1. Only during a pressure wash you have to put a cover like the plastic we provide during sale or just a plastic bag on top of the Filter. During regular Driving conditions, there is no chance of water entering in the Intake (When the hood is closed). Unless your vehicle has met with an accident and repaired incorrectly.

2. This setup can be swapped within just 10 minutes at any point of time. Depending on different showrooms, they will either accept the setup or blame you for warranty issues.
But Technically, we do not tamper any wiring harness, mounting points, hoses, etc. Basically being a plug and play system, no original part / component or system is damaged. Thus warranty should not get void.

3. Filtration is Top notch. Please check the attached two images, showing the filter of a customer's civic being opened after running 10,000 for a service. I think the images should solve your problem.

Take care, Hemank.

Image 1: Intake System picture after installation
Image 2: Under the hood after 10,000 kms running
Image 3: Filter opened to clean. Intake Pipe absolutely clean.

Conclusion: Excellent Filtration

[dynomite]

Originally Posted by nareshov

Congrats on the setup!

[*]Do you have to be cautious of water getting in as compared to the stock filter?[*]Would this setup affect warranty? (If it's easy to swap back the stock setup maybe it's okay?)[*]How does the filtration (accumulation of dust and other goo in the system) compare with the stock setup? (Does lesser air resistance always imply poorer filtration? Or perhaps the filtration is comparable to stock but the larger surface area is helping here?)


Thanks in advance.

Maybe I can add some detail to what Stuntfreak already wrote

1 - entry of water. Yes, absolutely. This has to be protected against. So if the engine bay is going to be washed, you need to double bag the filter and hold it in place with a zip tie or rubber bands.

2 - yes, warranty is usually void because this comes under the category of engine modification. However, it is completely reversible. If you ever need to avail of warranty, I would just swap out the filter with the stock air box and no one will be the wiser. I was not concerned with warranty anyway since my car is a 2006 model.

3 - filtration effectiveness - I had the same question before buying. And I was shown the same photo that Stuntfreak has already posted. In any case, oil filters offer good filtration. This was never a problem with me as I have never driven in very dusty conditions. If you do notice that a lot of dust accumulates, you can service the filter. The G-EP guys can provide a service kit consisting of cleaning solution and filter oil. You have to be careful not to over-oil the filter, that's all.

The reason the performance filter allows a greater volume of air to enter the engine in a faster manner is three fold:
A - much larger surface area
B - minimum distance from filter to engine, minimum bends and a direct path for air to travel
C - the oil based filter itself is more porous as compared to the stock filter, while retaining proper dust filtration.

[Ace F355]

Nice Review Dynomite!

I think the only thing differentiating this filter and the Typhoon is the size and the heat shield that you get with the K&N. Seems like a good VFM if it really adds to the performance of the car.

@ Stuntfreak: Since you guys are based in Pune, I would suggest you to have a Dyno test results ready for your products. Will definitely lure more customers if they know how much of a performance bump to expect! Alas, we don't have a dyno facility up North.

With current condition of rupee, I have no doubt on Typhoon becoming a bit overpriced. I remember I got mine from around INR 8800 or so from the US.

[stuntfreak]

Originally Posted by Ace F355

Nice Review Dynomite!

I think the only thing differentiating this filter and the Typhoon is the size and the heat shield that you get with the K&N. Seems like a good VFM if it really adds to the performance of the car.

@ Stuntfreak: Since you guys are based in Pune, I would suggest you to have a Dyno test results ready for your products. Will definitely lure more customers if they know how much of a performance bump to expect! Alas, we don't have a dyno facility up North.

With current condition of rupee, I have no doubt on Typhoon becoming a bit overpriced. I remember I got mine from around INR 8800 or so from the US.

Sir, G-EP products are definately Value for Money. We do intend to work on dyno testing very soon.

Thanks a lot.

Stunt freak.

Originally Posted by dynomite

The G-EP guys can provide cleaning kit...

We do have cleaning kits for sale. And sir, thanks for the detailed reply. Very much. Take care. Drive safe.

[dynomite]

Originally Posted by Ace F355

Nice Review Dynomite!

I think the only thing differentiating this filter and the Typhoon is the size and the heat shield that you get with the K&N. Seems like a good VFM if it really adds to the performance of the car.

With current condition of rupee, I have no doubt on Typhoon becoming a bit overpriced. I remember I got mine from around INR 8800 or so from the US.

Thanks Ace - though there is a slight difference between the K&N 69 Series Typhoon and this - this one is a dual cone (there is an outer and an inner cone). I've seen the K&N - the G-EP filter is also a bit larger in diameter (speaking only for the Civic of course).

If I remember correctly, the Typhoon is about Rs 18k (price from Indian K&N dealer). Your price was a steal!

Originally Posted by stuntfreak

Sir, G-EP products are definately Value for Money. We do intend to work on dyno testing very soon.

Thanks a lot.

Stunt freak.

We do have cleaning kits for sale. And sir, thanks for the detailed reply. Very much. Take care. Drive safe.

I think everyone here needs to know how to instantly add responsiveness to their engine - even if it's several years old. It's a really easy D-I-Y.

And here are some videos, before and after of the engine note. (The videos are uploaded in 720p HD resolution, so if you like, you can increase the default resolution if you want to view in a larger window)

This is a cold start in the morning, just before installing the filter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKoRKWuUEx0

This is the post installation video. The engine hesitated the first time I cranked it. But it started up fine a couple of seconds later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8X7y9tBg6w

[itsashishsharma]

Moderator note: Back to back post, please EDIT the original post, if posting again immediately.

Originally Posted by dynomite

Hey everyone,
It’s a combination of a Genome air filter and custom piping by the Pune-based Electron Performance guys (Sharat and Hemank - I think Hemank’s on our forums as well – StunkFreak).


Anyhow, a quick call and they were quick to recommend the dual cone (or the dual sided cone) for the Civic. It costs Rs 5,000 (excluding shipping and you have to get it installed yourself).

I have contacted Electron Performance via email (info@electronperformance.com), person name Mr. Tanvir, and I have talked with him on phone also. One thing, he was very quick in answering my questions, that too, very patiently. For my swift, I am quoted Rs 6000 for the kit and shipping charges of around Rs 500 (Pune to Bangalore), this amount, I need to deposit in their bank acc and then they will ship the product via courier. If this is how they work, and if this is how you got your filter, it is OK to me too. Problem is that I am told that company's current acc is having some issue, so either I should wait to get it resolved or I could deposit the amount in Mr. Tanvir's personal bank acc so as to initiate shipping earlier.

As of now, I have asked him to let me know when company's current acc is ready, and that I would wait till then. I am obviously not doubting or anything, but I am not in any hurry, so can wait.

Moderator note: Post edited, fixing Quote. Please Preview before Submitting post.

Originally Posted by stuntfreak

Hello Sir,
I am happy to answer the above questions.

Hi Hemank, I am interested in a similar product for my Swift 1.2k non VVT (Jan 2011 model).
I have been in touch with Mr Tanvir, as I mentioned in my last post. Could you or somebody from EP contact me for this? Tanvir mentioned that company's current acc was not ok to be used, If things are ok to go now, I am willing to buy this product ASAP.

Please let me know @ its.ashishsharma@gmail.com or call me at 9632340044.

Thanks.

[itsashishsharma]

My Air intake is on its way from pune to Bangalore. Its for my Swift 1.2 k, non-VVT.
Cost: Rs 6k for the intake system including piping and performance filter and Rs 400 for shipping. If you want to get it for your ride, contact Mr. Tanvir Khatri @ 8605166922.
I will keep updating as I get it and install it.