ITG replacement panel filter

[Olas]

Hi Guys,

Car is a 1982 VW Scirocco - ever since I bought the car I've only used Mahle filters, (oil, fuel and air) but the last time I changed my air filter I decided to put an ITG replacement panel in the factory airbox. After 5000 miles on this filter I pulled it out to look at the clean side of the air filter housing and it looked perfect! Did the 'white tissue test' and it came out just as white as it went in...so I have no doubts re the filtration efficiency however I have read a couple of reports of people who fitted an ITG, and upon inspection they noted that their filters had started to 'crumble' and 'disintegrate'. Is this application specific? Or filtration medium specific? my filter looks like its holding up just fine, but I'm slightly concerned that theres a chance of sucking chunks of foam through the venturis, down the manifold and into the cylinders.. am I worrying too much?

 

[Olas]

bump

Nobody seen or heard of an ITG failing? I might just keep it until the next OCI if nobody tells me any horror stories..

 

[Garak]

Not really familiar with that brand, but here we do see varying quality across a brand line. On some applications, some brand is great, sometimes not so great, or totally different design (Bosch for European applications versus Bosch for others as in my Audi versus the G). You're lucky you can get at the air filter on that thing. On the Audi 200 Turbo I had, that was a chore and a half. There was never any concern about changing the air filter too often, since you had to be nuts to attempt the job. I could change the valve cover gasket, do plugs and wires, replace the thermostat, and reseal the power steering pump all together in less time than an air filter change.

 

[Olas]

The Audi 200 was a longitudinal 5cyl turbo, right? It must have been a real chore if you could do all those other jobs in less time than it takes to change the filter!

This is not my engine bay, but its the same setup - just 4 spring clips to get the housing open and the element out..
http://sciroccoregisterforum.co.uk/faq/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sclalaeng.jpg

ITG have quite a good reputation, they're used in F1, 24hr Daytona, WRC, BTCC etc. It may have just been internet rumour but I saw a couple of different sources state their filters had disintegrated and left only the sealing gasket behind, with all of the foam disappeared out the exhaust!
this is their website http://www.itgairfilters.com/

 

[dailydriver]

I do not know about the ITGs, but when are you going to bolt an Oettinger 16V head onto that Vdub lump and get it up to double your current power??

 

[Olas]

I'd love an Oettinger head, that would make me very happy! If I could source one I already would have done, but after a few years of fruitless searching I decided to keep my current unit until it dies of natural causes.
Debating wether I want to build a high revving 2.1 ABF or just throw in a standard/rebuilt 20vt..the next couple of hundred thousand miles should give me enough time to decide

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Olas
The Audi 200 was a longitudinal 5cyl turbo, right? It must have been a real chore if you could do all those other jobs in less time than it takes to change the filter!

I wouldn't worry about the ITG then. Given the type of filter it is, who knows what other people have put them through, and then blame the filter.

The Audi had the spring clips, but that was the easy part, at least if you had a very long, thin screwdriver. The passenger headlight had to come out plus a bunch of air intake and turbo plumbing had to be removed. Even then, the air filter box wouldn't open all the way and you'd have to tear the old filter to get it out and pretty much cram the new one in, albeit carefully. To actually open the airbox properly would require raising the engine on the passenger side a few inches. The service manual even said to leave it to the dealer. It was, give or take, a two hour job.