OK this is basically everything that happened to my 1997 integra GSR.
What I did: I cleaned my cone air filter with the k & n air intake cleaning kit. Followed everything to a dime, and made sure everything was dry before I reinstalled it back into the car.
Afterward: The engine was fine. Although the cone did pop out since I think i did not screw it in tightly enough.
Now: The car lags on acceleration. I gas the car and it does not move for like 2 seconds and when it does has a really slow acceleration. Then while the car is moving i gas the car, the same thing happens(sometimes). The RPM would increase but the car speed does not.

So I am wonder what could be the problem. After reading a bit i suspect that something flew into the air intake manifold(cone popped out for like little while). Any other ideas to why?

 

sounds more to me like a bad clutch than an air filter issue

 

i looked a bit closer at my rpm meter, and it seems that the idle is lower then usual? does this mean i only have to adjust my idle rpm

 

The RPM's rising and the speed staying the same sounds like a slipping clutch. Any check engine lights or anything?

 

welll for a while the check engine light was on but i kinda ignored the light. Then the light one day suddenly disappeared. BTW when i rev going at 50 @5th gear, my rpm goes up for like 2 seconds then my speed goes up. so im like baffled since my friends say it could be the idle control, but clutch sounds like a viable problem too

 

With the idle dropping and you having just cleaned the filter, it sounds like it's clogged.

I would like to believe that you would notice a slipping clutch at like 5~6 grand before you notice it in fifth gear at 50 mph (around 2.5 grand right?). I mean don't get me wrong, the torque these things produce under 3 grand could just pull a clutch apart (joke).

Try going fast and downshifting, if your RPM's go wild then yea it's your clutch (the faster the better, say 50mph 3rd to 2nd) if it holds then it couldn't be you clutch.

Also there is no CEL related to the clutch, so that light being on indicates probably something in emissions (like a f'd up sensor, which might cause surging)

 

When i am going 50mph on 5th gear, the rpm is @ 2.5k, but sometimes it surges up to 3k. And on freeways i sometimes go like 50mph on like 3rd gear and clutch holds up fine. How would i go to check if my filter is clogged? its a cone filter the k&n one that sells at autozone. I cleaned it using the kit.

 

so did you try downshifting to try to eliminate the clutch as a possibility?

As for the filter: Do you have a flow bench or some way of measuring air flow? if not put the paper filter back on. if the problem goes away, then there you go.
Also did you oil the filter?

 

ill test my clutch out tomorrow, since there will be less cars on the street. and as for the oil for the filter yes i completely oiled and dried out the filter. BTW will the drop in idle rpm have an effect on whats happening right now. some people say its does, but i am getting more people opinions

 

it all depends on what caused the drop in idle.

 

ok i just tested out the car. engine idle is around 440 rmp. I accelerated from 3rd gear all the way to 50 mph and down shifted, and the rpm meter jumped up(all the way to 5k), which is normal right?

 

i guess i will be cleaning the throttle body
and re adjusting my idle speed thanksxD man