Carbon Fiber Watershields

[911pcars]

Hey guys. It's just an air filter housing. No need to make this into a structural member of the chassis or a tie-in to the roll cage.

Sherwood

[Steve@Rennsport]

Originally posted by dd74
And c/f isn't stiff enough?

Not by a long shot in the thin sheets I've seen available and especially in light of the dimensions on these aircleaner elements.

The foam reinforcement might be a good idea as long as its totally resistent to the fuel reversion that occurrs in any 911 with sport or race-type cams. The last thing a person needs would be to have that material slowly dissolve and contaminate the float bowls or worse.

[911pcars]

I think something like a metal screen or metal housing would be appropriate directly above the intake stacks to serve as a barrier against potential backfiring (heat). Melted honeycomb, CF or FG, plastic of any kind, can't be good for fuel mileage.

Sherwood

[cegerer]

Yeah, the potential backfire damage has crossed my mind a few times ......

The Series 900 f/g shields are tops only. You use the K&N metal base plates. I laminated large dia. alum. washers under each mounting hole to increase stiffness and enable the wingnuts to be tightened down properly. I'll have to check and see if there are signs of air infiltration.

[Series900]

Add a foam seal 1/2 wide to the underneath of the hat, to seal the element, redundant, but it works! Yes I have made C/F hats, and can make up several sets if desired.

[azasadny]

Sherwood,
Are you selling any other components from your carbs?

[Carbon Joe]

Yes I've been out of it for awhile but I still have the molds and I can still make the CF Watershields

[randywebb]

I'd like some and so would many others who posted above...

[Carbon Joe]

For all that's interested, there $150.00 a pair with shipping. Please e-mail at carbonjoe@ca.rr.com

[songhoh]

I'm in, Joe.

[A Quiet Boom]

Originally posted by Steve@Rennsport
Randy:

......And thats my point.

By the time you add a pair of 1/4" thick aluminum plates to securely clamp the K&N's, you've saved nothing. These things need rigidity.

If cosmetics are a factor and someone wants something less generic or something custom to look at, then its a whole 'nuther purpose,...

This is exactly where I'm at with the CNC aluminum ones. Pretty I can do but lightweight and still stiff enough to seal isn't going to happen. IMO this is a perfect application for steel, unless you're looking for cosmetics.

[911pcars]

Originally posted by azasadny
Are you selling any other components from your carbs?

Here's a list of parts for sale I just put together. Weber parts are included.

http://members.rennlist.com/911pcars/ForSale-pcarparts.htm

Sherwood

[Facey]

i'll be ordering a set of those carb covers very soon.

[analogmike]

Note : the standard shaped watershields rob way too much horsepower. You need to open up the airflow more. They don't look like they would but I dyno tested them and never use them for racing any more.

I took thick sheet aluminum and cut out my own tops. I can fit the watershields over them for transporting in an open trailer in the rain. I also installed a brake line in one with tiny squirt holes for cold starting.

[Facey]

well, i have the stock style covers right now... and i have way more power then i can handle... i really just need/want to clean up the engine bay so that it looks nice.... right now mis-matched colours, dented carb cover...dirty plug lines, cracked engine shroud... and this is on what should be a beaultiful low mileage carbed twin plugged engine.

[Steve@Rennsport]

Mike is right on,...

Watershields, although practical for most street use, are restrictive and do cost power and its both measurable & noticeable. Even the jetting is different between open air cleaners and the watershield versions.

Its just another compromise people make for practicality vs max performance so one makes choices.

I would say that if one decides to use an open aircleaner like Mike's or the similar ITG foam ones, one must learn to "bag" the aircleaners before washing the car and when parked outside if it rains. This keeps water out of the float chambers (a maddening experience) and prevents the engine from getting hydrolocked; something our 914/6 brethern know about.

K&N used to make a very tall version of these aircleaner elements that was a real tight fit, but really worked well. I no longer see them on their website so perhaps these have been discontinued.

[pieterk]

Interesting that the watershields rob power. So a solution like Mike's might actually impart two performance advantages, no? A little less weight, and a freer breathing engine.

That seems like a superb idea; the thick aluminum plates that can have the stock shields fitted over them when off the track.

Obvious question: what would it take to convince you Mike to make some more of those aluminum covers for sale?

[Steve@Rennsport]

No question about it,..........Watershields are very good at what they were designed & intended to do but they do cost power and we've seen that on the dyno. Precise differences vary with displacement and engine configurations.

LOL,......I'm not sure that the small weight differences are meaningful,...

I'm going to see about having some billet aluminum plates made for Weber & PMO applications and those can be used for MFI applications by drilling the blanks to fit either mag or plastic stacks.

[analogmike]

Originally posted by Steve@Rennsport

K&N used to make a very tall version of these aircleaner elements that was a real tight fit, but really worked well. I no longer see them on their website so perhaps these have been discontinued.

Someone told me to just buy a round air filter of the same "diameter" as our oval ones, in that taller version, and it could be bent to fit. Taller K & Ns would really help, as even with the plates I have on mine, the K & N is a little too restrictive and loses power. Taller K & Ns (just up to the grille) and lightweight watershields might be the perfect all around setup...

I guess I would need extensions for the thumbscrews for the taller filter too. These taller filters, extensions, and lightweight watershields would be a great product is someone could put a kit together.

[joetiii]

Anyone come up with a place that sells the tall K&Ns?