what would be the advantages/disadvantages of just slapping a filter on for an intake and using no pipe at all?

 

right onto the throttle body? or right onto the end of the stock tubing, replacing the place of the stock airbox?


advantages and disadvantages for each scenario compared to stock configuration:

directly onto throttle body
-advantages: less air restriction, inexpensive
-disadvantages: hotter air coming in, looks stupid

In this situation, the disadvantage outweighs the advantage. The large upwards difference in temperature will cancel out any gains you would get from having less restriction, and you will actually probably lose power. You would be better off keeping stock intake if this is the method you were referring to.


Filter on end of stock intake plastic tube, taking place of stock airbox
-advantages: less restriction
-disadvantages: smaller than optimum diameter pipe that would come with a name brand complete intake, still looks stupid

This will increase airflow over stock and you might gain like 1HP. Intake temperature will be relatively close to what stock would take in, if not exactly the same. This would be better than stock, but nowhere near as good as having 2.5" intake pipe.

This being said, it is important to remember that bigger is not always better and with intake piping you only want to go up to as big as your throttle body is. Also remember that bigger is not always better with throttle bodies. Too big of a throttle body can hurt torque, and you don't want to go much over 60-65mm or so because you are decreasing air velocity.



All of these assume that you are talking about using a nice name brand filter such as AEM, K&N, Injen, WeaponR, Apex-i, etc. and not generic or cheap brand filters such as many found on ebay.
Generic and cheap filters are restrictive and don't filter well. You'd be better off stock than with one of those junkers.



Bottom line:
A good name brand intake cone filter runs around $50. You can buy an AEM short ram intake in red, polished, or blue for $100 shipped (total price after shipping) on eBay. You would be better off just spending $50 extra and buying that because it comes with a perfectly sized diameter pipe and a good filter.

Remember that eBay no-name intakes usually have piping that is too big and is restrictive because it has to use a reducer coupler where it attaches to the throttle body. Also, they come with filters that suck.

 

thanks, man. that was a lot more info than i was expecting(in a good way. not trying to sound like a smart ***). definitely answered my question.