Here's a serious Jeep question:
>
> What's the dilly-o with the K&N FIPK? I'm skeptical. It has a filter end
> that has about the same surface area as a flat K&N filter that you might
> find in a Wrangler air box.
>
> But the actual route that the air takes down that bent tube once it's
> past the filter end is LONGER in comparison with the path it takes from
> the normal airbox to the throttle.
>
> A bottleneck is a bottleneck, no? And with any fluid system, be it gas
> or liquid, the longer the bottleneck, the more restrictive that path is.
> I'm not convinced that more air is getting shoved down that longer tube.
> I would think that a path that's half the distance is going to deliver
> the air with less turbulence and resistance.
>
> What do you guys think?
>
Depends if the flow path is smoother, straighter, and has the same cross section all the way through. A 4 foot long straight tube with consistent cross sectional area will flow more air with less turbulence than a 3 foot long tube that changes sizes and has bends in it. there are actually formulae to calculate the flow losses caused by bends or tees, or any other trait that causes air (or fluid flow) to change direction or speed. A good example is an intake port on a cylinder head. It is common to raise the ports for racing in order to have a straighter shot at the valve, and even though the port is longer, it has the same cross section and flows substantially more air.
Chris