Air filter

[MrSony]

Best flowing "normal" air filter engine masters tested was a 14x3 flat base K&N air cleaner. Only killed 6.5hp on a 750 horse 496bbc. Oddly, they tapped up the sides and used a filtered lid and it only killed 3hp. They estimated it wouldn't start to be a detriment to airflow until 650hp. Every filter they tested after that added hp, most of them were velocity stacks.

 

[Ribbedroof]

What I found interesting was that the darling of the musclecar crowd, the 14x3 drop base, was a poor performer compared to the flat base. For decades we were told this was the "best" air cleaner, although the intake of heated underhood air never really made sense to me

 

[FluoFerret]

I had one of these. I still regret it to this day: the foam came apart over time and since it was already well saturated with all kind of dirt, the chunks got sucked into the engine. I got some engine damage. no major engine-killer, but I had to replace a few valves...

My advice is NO, DO NOT Invest in something better, without foam

 

[fleming442]

Why do you want smaller? They kill power. My advice is that you rethink everything else that makes it "too big" currently (raise the hood height, lower the carb pad, etc...).