another thing im not liking here is the way it mounts, to the engine and then to the chassis, i don't want to know what will happen over time with this intake with all the engine movement and stuff.

 

They are actually aluminum (or aluminized steel cant quite remember), and mine are that way. I've noticed this different before. My VIN is 18xxx (speaking from memory). Received end of August 2006 off the truck, direct from Portland (arrived at port on the 15th of August).

Just a comment on the intake fitment. It seems to me that what you are looking at is a QC issue at the welding machine, not an R&D issue. If those two pieces are not positioned correctly when welded, this will make live painful, as you've discovered. I'm betting the prototypes were carefully hand welded. The production units may not have adequate position jig control to meet the exact fit required.

 

manxman

I will cut 1/2" when I get a chance to, for now I put back my stock air box with my K&N drop in and see what K&N does about this.

BTW does your heatshield sit close to the radiator cap or notice any vibration while reversing?

 

The heat shield does sit too close to the radiator cap but I don't notice any vibration by feel or by ear when driving. Again, if the radius of the two elbows were reduced, it would bring the filter and heat shield backward, closer to the battery and away from the radiator cap. The design geometry of the intake tube is faulty, not the welding or assembly of the part. I will remove my system in a few days and put a bend in the front of the heat shield to make clearance for the radiator cap.

K & N has already lost sales from the information on this thread. I hope that they make a concerted effort to fix this mistake, for their own reputation if nothing else.
Dave

 

I see... Well I'll bring my tube to work and cut off 1/2" were it connects to the throttle body. Also I'd check your hood for clearance and that the same thing doesnt happen to you that happened to me

 

Hey, 805-
The mounting features of this system are OK. Once they remove the dimensional mistakes, the system will be worth buying (but maybe not worth the premium price compared to their competitors). This system uses the very same threaded bolt holes that originally held the stock air box in place. The chassis mount bolt hole uses a stud with a rubber "doughnut" pad, and the SRI heat shield rests on the padded stud. There is enough flexibility to accomodate normal engine movement without breaking anything. Don't get the idea that I am defending this thing though. I just want to give full and accurate info.
Dave

 

My BOM AT Sport was built in late July or early August, purchased in Monterey, CA, on 9/14/06. The difference in the materials or plating of these tubes don't affect the installation or performance of this intake, but changes in tube or hose diameters can make installation impossible without a trip to the parts store. For this price, no one should have to counteract factory mistakes.

 

VERY GOOD INFO! will keep an eye out when I do my intake! thanks bro!

 

Thanks for your pm advising me that the Business Mgr. at K & N is using another Fit to improve their SRI system. Please either post or pm a name at K & N for me so that I can speak with the right person.

My intent in starting this thread in the first place was NOT just to cause harm to K & N by stopping their sales of this system. It was mainly to save other Fitfreaks from a lot of frustration and overspending. K&N has been around for a long time and has made a LOT of first rate products. But if you never make mistakes, you are not human. K&N's R&D, Fabrication, and Marketing departments are made up of humans. I think that it is only fair that I address K & N directly with my criticisms and suggestions.

I will not embarrass you with my direct contact. Some of us enthusiasts are OLD dudes with entire careers in science and industry. I was trained as an auto mechanic in a GM funded school in 1966-67, raced my '65 Sunbeam Tiger at Riverside and Ontario (CA) in 1970, became an engineer and have been a consultant for Ford, GM and Chrysler in Detroit. My costomers have included G.E., Pratt & Whitney & Rolls Royce turbine engine plants, Lawrence Livermore Labs Plutonium Lab, and more applications than this group has patience for or interest in.

Compare this ever-growing thread with Chikubi's older thread on the development of the Last Station Power Box. THAT manufacturer, located 1/2 a world away, merely heard an Internet rumor about Chikubi's fitment problems with the new (to USDM) intake system, and contacted HIM with a fix within mere DAYS.

My thread has been running for quite a while now, and with YOU as their insider in this group, there has been not a word about a fix from K & N until your private message.

I am willing to spend just as much time and effort to spread the word about K & N's willingness to fix mistakes and provide good customer service as I did to warn people away from a greatly flawed product.

Thanks in advance for your help and information.

Dave

 

Thanks! New developments are underway (see post above). This system may yet become worthwhile.

 

Fellow Freaks--

4dr4life! pm'd me with the K & N personnel involved in the R&D for his Typhoon kit. Instead of trying to reach the Business Manager by phone (who will delegate the solution to this product's problems to someone else anyway), I decided to use the old-fashioned method of "writing a detailed letter" and snail-mailing it to him. I offered my personal ideas in a non-threatening way. If they are not too pissed off at me for warning you guys away, maybe they will grant my request in the letter for a replacement system once a workable design is available. I will post any new developments as they occur.

Dave

 

Good thought on the welding, but no. Keep in mind that the bends are on two planes, both horizontal and vertical. While ducking around the front of the battery, the intake tube also has to bend downward for hood clearance of the heat shield box upper edges.

The intake tube is just plain too long, and the filter/heat shield should wind up closer to the battery to allow room to R&R the radiator cap if/when necessary. With the present placement, you have to use a hose just to add coolant to the overflow tank, and you cannot completely remove the overflow tank cap to do this. All you can do is unscrew it and prop the cap to the side to poke your filler hose into the tank for filling.

 

Dear Manxman, 4dr4life, and all members of the Fit Freak forum,

Thank you all for sharing your different experiences with the K&N Typhoon intake for the Honda Fit (part number 69-1016TS). Your comments have prompted us to investigate the situation, because we as a company are committed to ensuring all K&N customers have a positive experience with our product.

We are currently in the process of correcting a manufacturing process, which has resulted in the intake tube being manufactured from the incorrect length of tubing. Additionally, the instruction sheet will be revised to clarify the installation process, to note that complete removal of the battery is not necessary, but that the battery hold-down must be loosened, and the battery slid out of the way, to make installation easier.

I am available to assist with any questions you may have about the fitment of your K&N intake system. Please feel fee to email any questions about your Typhoon to steveg@knfilters.com.

Thanks for your cooperation. I will keep you informed as this issue gets resolved.

Steve Gibson
Customer Support Development Specialist
K&N Engineering, Inc

 

Mr. Gibson,

Thank you for your response to this thread and the problems with this product. With 4dr4life!'s help, I have sent a detailed letter to your Mr. Yim via Priority Mail concerning these matters. With good personal experience with your company's products in the past, and with 4dr4life!'s introduction of this product on this forum, I sent you my money in good faith expecting a good product, and this overlong thread is the result.

I ask you in this public forum, will my defective Typhoon system be replaced with a properly designed system?

Thank you again for addressing this issue.

Dave

 

Manxman,

The resolution to this fitment issue is still being researched. However, K&N can guarantee that owners of this Typhoon will not be left with a non-functional intake system. We will work with each Typhoon owner directly and send out any needed pieces to make the intake work as it was intended to.

Steve Gibson
Customer Support Development Specialist
K&N Engineering, Inc.

 

Again, thank you, Mr. Gibson. My modifications have made my intake system usable, just not correct. As promised, I will use this forum to advise other memebers of your resolution of the situation.

Dave

 

Glad I had the Injen Cai that was two piece as it fit SR or CAI with no problems, you would think K&N would have a top notch product

 

Any follow ups yet?

 

NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL A REAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT SYSTEM IN PLACE.... ALWAYS ADDRESS THE CONCERNS IN THE FACE AND NOT AVOID AND RUN AWAY. GREAT TO KNOW WE HAVE SUCH SERVICES FOR OUR UPGRADES!

 

4dr-

I assume that your question is addressed to me. Nothing yet. Steve Gibson was very careful to say that only the parts that were mis-made would be replaced. To me, that means ALL parts except the filter and the throttle body rubber sleeve and clamps.

My letter with suggested corrections was delivered to K & N's Business Manager last Saturday (1/20). I will post any further developments as soon as they occur. I want to be clear here that my desire is for K & N's Fit system to be worth serious consideration by all Fitfreaks. This system has the right BASIC ideas- put the filter as close as possible to the incoming cold air, avoid all sharp right angle bends in the air flow, surround the filter with a shield to keep radiator heat and incoming rain water out of the intake. OK so far. Now just make it fit properly and easy to service the filter after installation.

Dave