My 914 is missing the air filter housing above the elbow that bends up. Any reason I need the original style housing or can I just get the K&N that will clamp around the tube that is still there???

My answer is highly uncivilized and will receive the Poo-Poo award...BUT:

Go to FLAPS and find the K&N filter you want/like and measure the flexable rubber boot on the bottom where it goes to the intake...

Measure the top of your throttle body (I don't remember)...

Go to (here comes the bad part) HOME DEPOT/LOWES/Whatever and in the Black Plastic pipe section you will find an elbow of 180 or 90 or 45 or straight coupling that will closly match up...Also, a little further down the aisle, you will find a Rubber Boot (with clamps) used for connecting two pipes...

The rubber boot will easily stretch over the top of the throttle body and the end of the elbow...The K&N will stretch over the other end of the elbow...Clamp and tighten in place...(I painted my elbow with a rattle can of black wrinkle paint and I think it looks great)

Position so as to clear the rain tray and there you go...

If your motor needs fresh air venting for things like the AAR valve, breather box etc...then you can drill a hole in the elbow and insert a hose barb (also available at the Depot)...

All for about $10.00 US (plus cost of K&N)...OR there are a couple of vendors which sell this exact set-up for about $150.00...One in metal and one in plastic...Yea But, it's powder coated...

I love my set-up and I am sure it's worth 25 HP...OK, 10...Ok, probably none but it looks better that that huge can like device and sounds great...

Maybe I'll post this in the Concours section ???

2-OH!

I'm not a fan of the K&N filters from what I've read about them. I vote, get a stock system in place.

So is there any real functional reason I need the factory air cleaner housing? K&N seems so much easier. What negative have you heard about K&N??

You asked for it:

They have FAR less filter area.

The pores in the media are FAR larger, and they depend on the oil that coats them to catch the dirt particles.

The particles that get through are bigger, because the pores are larger.

You have to properly service the filters (clean, dry, and re-oil) regularly to maintain what effectiveness there is.

Failure to do so means the pores in the reduced filter area clog up and the air flow is reduced immensely.

A few years back we measured the filter area of both the stock 2.0 filter and the K&N, and found the difference in square inches of filter media was something like 5x (maybe more, I forget) in favor of the stock filter. Just the area alone will give you more air flow, and reduced losses due to filter clogging.

If you're willing to spend the 15-30 minutes every 5000 miles to do the service right, you still have to deal with the loss of filter area and the larger pores. Both lead to increased engine wear. You pick. BTW, the oil bath air cleaner found on the earlier 1.7 engines is even better than the paper filter.

The Cap'n

very interesting cap'n.... Id be interested to see what the flow meter says now... maybe I'll do more research before buying anything. Thanks alot!

I've talked with Bruce Anderson about the use of k&N filters. From what he says, I'm loosing quite a lot of horse power because of the filters alone. I don't see how, but I guess he knows. I still have them on my car, but they're only for looks. I just like the cleaner appearance.

K&N do have a good selection of generic "round thing that fits on a tube" filters...

Are there any recommendations for alternatives that don't have the servicing issues?

Fiid.