He's videos are informative. If you don't like to be educated and want a yes or no answer go elsewhere but some of us here like an explanation of how things work and what they actually do.
I can only go by the results of my experience installing CAI's and then testing the results. Installing a tuneless CAI, especially an open one is useless and allows heat and likely will slow the car down. On my 2006 Mustang GT way back in 2006 there was a huge test between what was then the big CAI companies, the key is they all required a tune due to flowing more air over the sensor. Demolet (Tuneable Induction) won the shootout and I decided on buying his. The car went 13.7 bone stock, with the Demolet CAI and a tune the car went 13.3, that's not snakeoil, that's actual repeatable results, I then went supercharger. Fast forward to my 2018 Mustang GT I knew I wanted a closed box CAI that required tuning so I went with the Steeda Pro Flow with 121mm maf because Steeda has seen repeatable results and because air inlet temps are close to ambient unlike open CAI's. With an E85 tune (the main source of the increase) the car will pick up near half a second or more making it worth the cost. eBay CAI's and a crap ton of other offer absolutely nothing more than looks and sadly too many do no research and buy based on looks and no knowledge of the car they are trying to make faster.
Excellent video! You hit all of the important points including: - Different filter material (usually cotton gauze) vs. paper. Cotton gauze allows more air flow and perceived performance, but also allows more dirt to get through. - Most modern cars already have cold air intakes (follow the airbox snorkel). - Open hood dyno is not the same as being on the road with a closed hood. I'd like to add: - Most of these aftermarket cold air intakes are not cold air intakes at all but are instead short ram air intakes with crappy heat/splash shields. If you see the air filter in the engine bay, you have a short ram air intake. If it is sucking hot engine bay air, you are losing performance. - Most cotton gauze air filters require cleaning and oiling. Your car may be down for several hours as you clean and air dry the air filter unless you have a spare. On top of that, be careful not to over oil it, or it will get oil on the air flow sensor and will affect performance and could damage the sensor. It's best to keep it OEM. Use paper air filters, clean the airbox out with a shop vac and spray cleaner if necessary, and enjoy your car!
That’s pretty good stuff. Lot of good information for people to think about who don’t normally do this type of stuff on a day to day basis like this guy, and it’s directly related to the performance of your engine post installation. The best thing he said my opinion is the information about the mass airflow sensor. Very very very very true indeed that the information read by that mass airflow sensor is extremely important when it comes to the proper and efficient operation of your engine. Make no mistake the temperature speed and volume at which air passes past that mass flow air sensor is critical to the operation and efficiency of that engine. Even if you tune your engine after installation of the CAI system, it still may not be within the parameters set by the OEM due to the Basic design parameters of the engine itself. To get down to the nitty-gritty of these issues one would have to speak directly with the engineers Of the CAI system and Ford and see what information they would actually be willing to share with you. All that being said, is it really worth it with respect to cost and benefit? Probably not. That’s why I just installed a higher flow filter in my stock intake system, which is my recommendation. I will say this, before you install one of the systems in your vehicle you better do your homework or your engine they suffer the consequences.
I have a ram air intake on my focus it came with the car when i bought it. One day it was raining pretty hard i hit a Puddle and sucked a small amount of water into the emgine luckily it didn't blow just bogged for a few seconds. I wanted to put one on my charger but after that no way. But i love the way it changes the sound of your engine
It never fails to amaze me at how many people will drop a grand on supporting mods like a CIA and fancy cat back exhaust and then do nothing to the engine. Or bother getting better tires, tuning the car/getting an after market ecu, dropping some weight or lowering the gear ratios. Or worse yet, do an intake and exhaust then stuff a couple subs, aftermarket speakers, 4 amps and an extra battery in the car lol. I always tell people, if you want to really do something to your car that makes a difference get good tires, make it lighter and if you can change the gear ratio. Those are things that will actually effect your 0-60 and quarter mile times. And it make it more fun to drive. I used to have a 72 skylark back in the 80's. When I got it it had a stock 350 buick with a 2 barrel carb and 2:55 gears I think? I dropped a 455 in it. Changed the cam, aftermarket intake manifold, holley carb, headers all the nifty stuff. And on a buick that shit ain't cheap! It was faster for sure but nothing amazing. I put a 4:10 posi and a shift kit in it and HOLY crap! That felt like adding a racing engine with a blower or something.
Reminds me of the old days. You almost doubled your torque to the rear wheels with that gear swap. But if you weren't running an OD trans, your top speed was about 110mph at 6,000rpm's(and Buicks don't like to rev, long stroke, small bore). I was in the same boat and 10mpgs. I went as far as cutting out safety beams in the doors(50 lbs, in a Camaro and removing the real front bumper under the plastic, 60 lbs. Not stuff I would do now.
@@mkedan6741 Ya, I had a 79 camaro that had 410's in it as well, with a mild 350. It would run 12's but it topped out at 130 mph in the quarter mile. And got like 7 mile to the gallon. Wasn't any fun to drive on the highway either, loud and hot. And you are right about the buick, I ended up putting 3 something gears in it because it wasn't very usable for normal driving.
I realized this is an older video. The 2019 Hellcat is picking up 10 HP at the crank. Maybe 8.5 at the rear wheels. Attributed to a revamped CAI. Testing for this is performed on an engine dyno in a sterile testing environment. Thanks for the detailed information. It would be difficult to dispute your findings. $400.00 or more is better spent elsewhere.
What an informative video. I have fitted a K&N 57i Performance Air Intake system to my Ford streetKA 2003 car. The K&N sound is just too loud as in pure noise. It gets better once the engine has warmed up. My philosophy here is to regularly replace the standard engine air filter, taking into account the different quality of manufacture of available engine air filters. Upgrade your engine spark plugs from copper electrodes to something like iridiumn platinum types. Ensure that you ignition leads are of quality and clean. Ensure that you have the correct type pressures. Lighten your load by carrying less fuel in your tank or even consider in some cases go on a diet!!!
This is super helpful. Very thorough explanation and the overview of the pros and cons. I was thinking about getting a CAI for my car, but I doubt I will now. Thanks.
Years ago i ran out of gas in my 2001 dodge ram 1500 quadcab and was a few miles from nearest gas station, i took a chance and put some paint thinner in the tank as i was a painter. It actually got me there and now 12 years later i am still driving that truck. the only problem ive had is to this day as you accelerate it makes a slight clinging sound from the cat converters but other that that starts every time. i have over 150,000 miles on it and its a 318 or 5.2l.
CSiev17 I've known so many people with five twos and five nines that have well over 350 to 400 thousand miles on them. One of them, if I remember correctly, at last check was close to something like 520 something thousand miles and the only things that have been replaced on it where the water pump and the alternator and routine maintenance, spark plugs oil changes and stuff like that. Granted, all of those miles were racked up on the highway running from Dallas to East Texas and back but still...
B Mason absolutly! I am in South Texas. My truck has "low miles" with 228 thousand. Racked up on the highway but now she stays more on town. I still trust her enough to jump in and drive clear accross the country... I would say with most engines, do your P.Ms and general maintenance and they wont let ya down.
Mark P. Leclerc I honesly dont think I could ever sell the Truck..its only let my down once and that was that Fuel pump. I cant place a value on it...its priceless...well to me lol.....
Years ago, I ran out of paint thinner when painting my house and was a few miles from the paint store. I took a chance and put some gasoline in the can as I was a gas station attendant. It actually got the job done and now 12 years later, I am still living in that house. The only problem i've had is to this day, whenever I light my grill, the house goes up in flames. I always put the fire.
Thanks for the video. You're someone who actually breaks things down and explains how they work in a way that the average person can understand. I had thoughts about a CAI, but upon inspecting the OEM setup of the 5.7 Challenger air intake, it looked and seemed quite optimal in my opinion. A higher flowing drop in filter would definitely be better than the factory equipped one, but the big hose and cone filter for 300$ simply can't be justified. It's a nice visual mod though. I do like the style, but not the price.
Dang Kojak, you just crushed my intake dreams. I used to put cold air intakes on all my rides but now I will rethink my next purchase. Thanks for trying to cure my insomnia. 😸
@@bmasontv Hey, great video! I had a question for you. I'm LS swapping a Cadillac Coupe that never came equipped with a CAI, what would you recommend in my situation? The vehicle will not be used for racing, just overall reliability and reasonable fuel economy.
CAI's are gimmicks. As Jeeps go, one mod that actually works is the Thor cowl air intake. And the other is a side hood vent where the air box hole is, seen on the concept Jeep Nacho. It comes with an inside snap on cover to keep rain and snow out.
I can concur! I had an 07wrx, the only thing that the cobb intake with a cold air box did was allow the tuner to run more boost safer which gave a negligible amount of power (I think it was like 4-5hp on a blouch 20g). So even in that application, it wasn't worth it given the intake was around $150 and then $400 for the tune = learned the hard way. Now just rolling a 370z with drop in k/n's, which make zero difference but I figure it's one less thing the dealership can touch when I have the vehicle in for service.
I respect that. I run K&N cleaners. What I don't like about them is increased MAF failure from the oil contamination. I lightly oil my K&N air filters. Sometimes, from K&N they come soaked - when I didn't know better I hurt my car that way. Check out my intake series. I sneak in some comments about paper versus K&N during part 2.
Great explaining. I actually added a cold intake to my 2016 dodge dart sxt. I fabercated a box , insulated the inside and strapped inside space right front tire . cuttout fog light hole. Took out air box and bubble. The port where air comes in from under bumber and the cutt out fog light feed right into insulated box. Funny he mentioned that in video. Fucking amazing and YES i can feel differance in throttle response...thanks 4 video
I did all the cai when I was young, just took my k&n off my 5.7 gmt400 k3500 and put the complete oe airbox system on. I think I'll run stock drop in filter as well as the resonant chambers are tuned to work with that given restriction and it's affect on air pressure inside the intake and upper manifold. It's a tuned air circuit. Plus, I think it's better to have oe filter for dusty trails with expectations of engine longevity and little worries of peak hp.
Good Analogy Professor : I'm all about Budget mods & maintenance. I love the additional intake noise on a Naturally Aspirated engine that a CAI can give you but would prefer to muffle any Supercharger whine if possible without losing any hp. I can't speak from experience on the cold air intakes on newer cars but When I heard you talking about the Viscous Fan Clutches I got all excited. Man when the thermal spring kicks in on the fan clutch on my 98 Dak it loses at least 15 hp and the whooshing noise is so loud that you can't miss it. Ever since I put in the 180 degree thermostat I don't think I've heard the Fan Clutch kick in at all this summer. Something (fun fact) I noticed is that my 73 Dodge Dart Sport has pretty much the same 7 blade fan & clutch setup as my 98 Dodge Dakota.
My over the radiator cold air intake with a tune gave my vehicle 30 more rear wheel kW and 53 more NM at the tyres so I would definitely recommend the right sort of cold air intake for your vehicle 👍
Agree....changed out to aFe HIGH FLOW OEM replacement filter....later went to open CAI & although intake temp stays down while moving, come to a stop or slow down, & the temp rises quickly, but didn't before....so now I get more air, but is not as cool....so to me the trade off is only in sound & aesthetics for an aftermarket CAI.....thank you for the informative video.
Let me summarize what you didn't and should have said: 1) air temperature under the hood on the street is different than a hood popped open on a dyno, thus the dyno test doesn't reflect exactly what you're getting, but not too far off. 2) gains will differ depending on car, and where the filter is positioned under the hood. Some vehicles get much hotter than others, with less breathing vents than others, and in the first place, depends on if your driving in a hot humid climate like miami vs a cool dry climate like New York. 3) these air systems are only a part of a bigger picture like along with a full cat back exhaust, and other elements like an intercooler etc, KEEPING IN MIND that you are compromising on noise, jumpier throttle, and even more lag, being it's the price of more flow, in both directions.. for better AND For worse. Keep in mind that sensors like air, fuel pressure regulation, throttle or mass air... will need to now be re-mapped to all work together.. If you understand this, you understand the factors, investments in other parts, and compromises . Done.
Actually, I mentioned quite a bit of that throughout the video. But allow me the opportunity to respond to your comments: 1) air temperature under the hood on the street is different than a hood popped open on a dyno, thus the dyno test doesn't reflect exactly what you're getting, but not too far off.R) I addressed this, and more directly, air temps on the dyno are FAR less than with the hood propped up on the dyno. So much in fact that, depending on the application, the IAT's can be 60-70*f higher with the engine rinning at full temp. 2) gains will differ depending on car, and where the filter is positioned under the hood. Some vehicles get much hotter than others, with less breathing vents than others, and in the first place, depends on if your driving in a hot humid climate like miami vs a cool dry climate like New York. R) The temp delta (ambient vs under hood) will be high no matter what the ambient temp is, depending on application. Very few cars (read, a vast minority) can benefit in cooler ambient conditions with an exposed under hood filter, the vast majority will not. In cooler ambient conditions, the under hood temps may not get high enough to trigger an IAT spark modifier. In this case, it is only a matter of time at idle/ low speed driving, and, depending on the design of the "CAI", once the radiator fans kick on, the IAT will rise and we are now back to square 1, with the engine breathing in all that sweet, hot radiator fan wash. 3) these air systems are only a part of a bigger picture like along with a full cat back exhaust, and other elements like an intercooler etc, KEEPING IN MIND that you are compromising on noise, jumpier throttle, and even more lag, being it's the price of more flow, in both directions.. for better AND For worse.R) True, however wrecking inlet air temps by using a component which lends itself to higher initial IAT's will negate any gains by the latter mentioned components. In terms of auditory changes due to a CAI, they are largely negligible on a naturally aspirated engine. FI applications are a different story, and even then the sound gain is largely reserved for PDFI applications. Keep in mind that sensors like air, fuel pressure regulation, throttle or mass air... will need to now be re-mapped to all work together..R) I cover this as well. in some cases this is mandated by the diameter of the tube in which the MAF is being inserted into. In others, where the ECU runs on Speed Density or Neural Network, this is not necessary unless VE is affected, this would show in the AFR produced on a loaded dyno at full load. Usually (read, it never is) this is not the case and no changes are needed to be made to the VE tables of the ECU. BTW, sensors are not adjustable, They are passive data collection apparatuses. The tables and scalers in the tune are adjusted when needed. If you understand this, you understand the factors, investments in other parts, and compromises .R) agreed
If you want to see any gains then your CAI, SRI, or a modified stock air intake will have to be paired with a dual exhaust system with free flowing mufflers or a single exhaust system with a free flowing muffler. You will see HP and torque gains there. How much of a gain you will get depends on the engine and transmission.
Depends on the application. Most modern mufflers are free flowing. Can’t have a 300hp v6 or 400hp v8 from the factory with a super restrictive muffler. Some headers will make a difference. Most factory airboxes are cold air,it’s the tubing that’s the issue. Out side of that tubing diameter can affect things but most of the gains are still coming from the headers and tubing.
Different engines don’t react the same way to a CAI or a SRI. Just because it says you will gain 10 to 15 HP doesn’t mean you will with the engine the mod is going on. They tell you that so they can get your $300.00. The best thing to do is modify you stock air box if you can. Also make some changes in your exhaust system. I have a modified air box where I yanked the tubes out and cut the sound barrier out. I also modified my exhaust by installing a straight pipe where the cat was at and putting an axle back dual exhaust in with vx mufflers that sound just like flowmaster 40’s. I did this on a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix SE with a 3100 engine.
Removed the oem airbox and associated tubing of a vortec 6.0 HD truck and not only is it virtual subterranean tunnel system with a myriad of dead end chambers to deaden sound primarily it also leaked at the seams new off the showroom floor with large areas for heatsoak . Any aftermarket CAI would do better than stock but I opted for a well insulated S&B CAI that draws from the wheelwell similar to the OEM without potentially drowning the engine during a deluge by drawing air in an enclosure. Best $300 I spend on the engine to date. It's not particularly powerful but throttle response has improved significantly and that sound that sweet sound alone... sweet reward to sucking fuel.
Robert Polkamp you know, I've heard from a few people now that the Silverados do gain, or at least are showing significant improvements over that stock air box. Just like with anything there's always exceptions to a rule, and I think that that platform maybe one of those exceptions. I don't have any direct experience with them, in terms of actually looking at the stock air box for those trucks. It sounds like the GM Engineers were expecting that thing to be run through a desert, or wanted it to hold up to some severe conditions. Possibly Overkill.
well main points , people who dislike , i think don't really understand what he is explaining, or pissed because he brought out the truth about all that
Obviously ambient temperature outside the car is what you want to get into your air intake The colder the air the better your engine performs That's the key not airflow
The only good part of a cold air intake is the tubing if it’s made of plastic. Unless the factory air box has a small diameter out port it’s generally better then the cold air box.
I love it when people say they don't increase power, yet dyno results show they do with the proper mods. You have to be smart enough to tune a car. And they sound cool as fuck.
Depend on if you are fuel injected or not. If you are carbonated and have a normal filter and you bring it from the top of the engine bay to the front where the heat is not you will get hp gains.
I added cold intake to right wheelwell fabercated a aluminm box put insulation inside and outside, left stock air entrance off bumber and cutt out fog light hole both feed into box. Absoutly great. NOW THATS CALLED A COLD AIRINTAKE .
Dyno tested cold air intakes have shown gains in hp. There's no disputing this. Modern intakes are full of baffles, twists and turns and extra chambers. If you're talking about an old V8 from the 70's or earlier, of course the intake is less restrictive. We would install the open type of filter which helped. I would expect cold air intakes would show a greater gain on modern fuel injected engines.
By the way, You said the Experts at Dodge, The same ones that designed a trunk you can park a mini Cooper in, instead of a trunk you can use VIPER size 345 tires or who put 4cyclinder disconnect in a car called SRT
I tried the cheap set up and it sounded cool but, honestly it just sucked a lot of hot air into my engine. Now I have the airaid intake tube so I still use my factory intake filter box but now it’s a smooth swoop into the TB. Compared to the factory zigzag intake tube. That with my headers and exhaust. I sleep the engine flowing better . Wanting a ss2 cam and some injectors next. 👍 recently found the channel. Checking out some old vids. Good content , keep it up
Back in the day I always put open element air filters on my carbed cars and felt an immediate increase in throttle response and the car generally ran better. Today, I run a K&N cold air on my truck and felt the same better throttle response and the truck runs better overall. Fuel mileage is slightly improved but nothing fantastic. Did it make my truck a race car? Of course not, but they do work provided your engine has no other issues. An engine is a big air pump. If you cork it up at either end, it will suffer a performance loss plain and simple.
For all of those that still think CAI don't work then swing on over to Banks Performance and look at all the testing they do to get the most out of their intakes.
Love your vids man, always very informative! I've watched your continuous efforts to improve your 1/4 mile times and see what gains have been netted from different mods. I recently bought the Legmaker True like yourself after much consideration including watching your vids on it. I just have the itch to mod my car and decided to ditch the unsightly stock box and get a nicer looking kit that provide some benefits, even though small. Car guys like to tinker, and its fun to experiment and upgrade. There isn't much we can do on these 392's to improve them without spending big bucks. Its a catch 22 imo. Dodge built a great motor that doesn't appear to have much holding it back, unless you want to shell out the money for big mods. I am also on the fence on tuning as well. I have had a hemifever tune on my previous 2012 Ram that I absolutely loved, but that truck drove like mush from the factory and the tune really fixed the hesitant throttle and mushy shifts. This car doesn't have that problem and costs twice as much to tune essentially since we have to buy an unlocked PCM...first world problems really, we got a good car and nice engine but we always want more ;) keep up the vids man, love your channel buddy!
Thanks B. You gave me something to think about.. Might try insulating my stock box. I'm also installing the Hellcat filter in my 19 challenger widebody.
You could save money buying a straighter tube (don't get metal lol) and high flow filter replacing the stock one or buying a used a used CAI and clean the filter. Another thing you can do is buy thermal attic insulation wrap and foil tape from hardware store and custom wrap the tube and box/heat shield to better insulate the air. Probably wouldn't want to do that to a show car, but if it is your daily toy every little bit helps.
You know I value ur thoughts on our car a lot man. I really love ur honesty and it dead on no bs. Hard to bullshit people who do as much research us lol. You do have my fav channel concerning tha 392
Natalie Deyton thank you, I appreciate that! Yeah, given the amount of bs out there I figured I would try to share my experience. When we spend hard earned money on parts we need them to give results. Also wanted to show how and why these parts make power and the conditions where those gains are achieved.
In order to get maxim performance out of your CAI 1St you have to get the CAI to cold Air that means out side the engine bay or you still suck hot air..Also if do not change the throttle body size (larger) you do nothing to gain. The factory throttle body will still only allow the same amount of air into the motor.
I know I’m late to the party but this video was extremely helpful and informative. I opted to go with an aftermarket high flow drop-in filter instead of a CAI for my ‘21 Ram Hemi.
So, what kind of impact is that causing by having your thermostat mounted on your wall, right above the cold air return? That's all we really need to know. Do you get better mass air flow with that setup? Does it make your furnace come on less often because it's pulling warm air down past your thermostat? Better heating bills? Or does it cause your furnace to come on more often because that wall is cooler due to that massive cold air retun making that wall cooler, causing your thermostat to get a false reading of the ambient air temperature? That's what we really need to know.
The only experience I ever had is with a stock 95 LT1 formula Firebird. I used to have to power brake the car to burnout. I dropped in a K&N stock filter into stock box and could now burn out without power braking. Obviously something changed. Bought the car new and from day one had to power brake with paper filter. I no longer prefer oiled filters because of mass air flow sensor contamination but that's my 2 cents.
My 20 year old factory air box was cracked, brittle and hissing loudly that I had to change it out regardless. In the mean time I got a great savings down from 325 to 250 and it looks great under the hood. So it's something at least in my case.
I put filter kits on other cars and trucks it GREATLY improves throttle response and you will lose 1 or 2 mpg because more air the motor wants more fuel which is more power
You’re confusing short ram intake with cold air intake. A short ram intake is under your hood in the engine bay which is really just for looks but a true cold air intake has to be routed to inside your fender or under your bumper. If you can see the “cone” filter then it is not a cold air intake but a short ram intake please know the difference.
So you tested bad designs and cheap crap. Cold air intakes work either talking about increasing hp or mpg. If you guys want to find a good CAI design one in your mind and look for that design. That simple.
i agree with you i have a 2014 mustang gt i put a jlt cai i feel more power but more on the higher rpms im thinking of getting a k&n closed air box because it might flow better on lower rpms please write back im interested to know what you think i think a closed air box is better
Whats up B?? Nice to see your videos again. As usual they are excellent. I tell alost everyone of the speedshop clients no after asking them what they expect out of them performance wise. Anyhow...... I think I will finally get that chance to watch the 4 best You Tubers all the time again. Watching this video, I remember what I have been. Missing. Well Done B, Well done . Ps- I see your channel is getting more traffic, about damn time . I know it's not your main reason for this but it's cool. More people watch You , More knowledge on the street. See you soon buddy
Cold air intakes with cone filters only give a bit of a mid range increase in the power band. You lose ALL low end torque because the stock box protects from engine bay heat and condenses the air a bit because its a chamber. Its better to use the stock box with a high flow filter and smooth plumbing to the throttle body.
well not everyone is trying to make power with a huge displacement engines like the 6.4 in the SRT, some guys have 4 cylinders and a turbo and are trying to make 450 whp, theyre gunna need a cold air intake. i truly believe that if you have a TUNE for your intake, you will be fine as long as installed it properly and you wont lean out. plus it has been proven on dynos that you can make more power down low with an intake and a tune, so throttle response would feel faster especially on boosted cars
I work in the high tech field and what you say is 100% CORRECT. I am just surprised and disappointed in so many car enthusiast channels where it becomes so obvious that the youtuber has been bought off by whatever Co to promote a car product. It shows just how shallow and rotten the souls of many are. Thank you for being 100% genuine and honest.
To be honest, I really haven't seen that make any measurable difference. It does work when isolating fluids, but for an intake system like what's on these cars, not so much
05ls4gxp depends on the engine, a little 4 cylinder doesn't sound all that good with an intake, I've had 2 of them both sounded like crap. Now a hemi or really any v8 on the other hand will sound better though.
louder yes.. better? debatable. a long as it doesn't help it sound like these cars that go down my street. sounds like someone driving a weed wacker. ugh...
lampim that is usually someone who has a poor exhaust setup. Always need to put a resonator or 2 if necessary so you can clean up the sound and quiet it down a bit
96ws6ta I had a 2010 Ram 1500 Hemi and the MOPAR CAI I had on it was so badass, 😂 I have a 2018 Ram now and plan on getting one for it. Just the throatier sound is worth it, IMO.
This is 100% truth, you are not going to get 25 hp with a simple bolt-on on a modern engine, they are optimized with only restrictions and limitations to intake noise and water contamination. I have seen tests with just K&N filters and then open air kits that are almost the same in power, within 2-3hp. Many of these kits are not very well engineered. The extra power is the filter which according to tests I've seen are not nearly as good as say a Wix at trapping dirt. It's all a compromise. I do like the aFe Momentum GT with the dry filter system(still washable, synthetic) and am considering it for my Hemi Jeep GC. It's an enclosed unit which will add a little noise and eye candy under hood and will help more as I add headers, intake, cam, ect. Thank you for this informative video.
One other thing I'd like to add, aFe claims "up to" 16 hp. and 24 ft. lbs. They provide a dyno chart and if you look closely, the gain in hp and torque are from 2,500 to 3,800 rpms then the curves flatten out(all even) and then the aFe unit pulls ahead maybe 8-10 hp over stock @ 5,750 rpms. This advertised gain, if true, puts the power in the sweet spot for passing and first gear acceleration. I'd be ok with that.
I think manufactures look more into cost to performance than performance to cost ratios. Also, a dyno is generally used for stock vs not-stock. The environment is the same to test a stock engine to an non-stock engine. It's ignorant to think that "the only reason a cold air intake gets more performance is because of fans and an open hood. Remember that they are comparing it to a stock configuration that is also open hood and with fans. It's 1:1 ratio, don't pretend it's anything less. Same environment stock vs CAI upgrade the CAI gets more performance. Also, it's undeniable the main reason people purchase a Cold Air Intake or a upgraded Exhaust is mostly for the sound tune of their car.
I was wondering if you could do a video on cooling system upgrades such as fans or radiator upgrades. Manufacturers claim many great things but you explain real world scenarios where it counts.
I can sum up that question in two words. They don't. At least not in the way that the manufacturers would lead you to believe. What I can do is use this for the topic for the monologue on my next live show. It's a great question and I'll be more than happy to address it tonight!
Too much time in a lab you do know all the info just seem like having trouble putting it together. Lets NOT talk about full builds but instead the average Joe wants to get a little better performance out his 4 banger. The real world situation is oem are most often slightly restrictive and the tiny gain of 2 to 3 whp is something nice on a low power car (under 200) both a SRI & CAI will get you. But more flow often comes at less filtration from my experience K&N filter are the best of the high flow stuff providing more filtering than the average while getting the same increased flow but meh some are brand specific to each his own The bigger gains will be mitigating losses with a Proper CAI. SRI are most often getting the same heat soak as oem set ups but a proper CAI relocating the filter outside the engine bay will not lose as much power getting heat soaked in real world driving conditions. This will be the most significant as its times like accelerating on an on-ramp to merge oem and SRI may feel sluggish from heat soak the CAI most often mitigates that loss. If tracking the car you might deal with heatsoak a tad more if you back to back and are out for every little bit possible chasing numbers we take everything we can get So the peak number gains one might see on a dyno don't always reflect real wold conditions where not all gains are about peak numbers but often mitigating losses in real world conditions or improving power under the curve in the real world. I certainly have seen better throttle response with SRI & CAI intakes but probably won't notice that on a dyno. To a car with 500hp or even more these days a measly 2 to 5 hp gain coupled with a 10 to 15 hp loss mitigation your not gonna feel a big difference because the percentage of change is so small compared to the overall power figures but when youre talking about 140hp to 200hp cars that same measly 5hp gain and 10hp power loss mitigation is a HUGE percentage of the cars overall power so damm right you gonna feel it ;) Now I'm not some CAI fanboi I drive a custom build turbo car with 400 to 465 whp (VR6T), I was just at one time an enthusiast with a measly 140hp car where a 2% gain and 8% loss mitigation was worth a 10% overall situational gain sure as fucking Hell it was noticeable and used when I was tracking the shit out of that thing. The Track numbers always more important that dyno numbers (sorry) the improved breathing from all bolt on and a set of cams was worth about 2 seconds on a slow ass car (progressively improved track times) but those 2 seconds put me in front of a lot of cars.
A cold air intake works best on heat soaked engines. A cold air intake is not going gain hp but to maintain hp. A heat soaked engine can loose up to 20 hp. With a CAI you can gain 14 hp from the 20 you lost. And in cold weather you might gain 5 + hp. So you never gain hp with a CAI it's more of maintaining hp. Now this doesnt work on all vehicles. One it does work on is 04-08 F150 5.4l. With a high end Snap On scanner I able to monitor air temp. The air filter housing on these truck sits right in middle of the engine and is heated up pretty good in the Texas summer's. The cold air intake redirects the filter near the head light left side where you can see the ground protected by a heat shield. The cold air intake was 16 deg cooler then factory intake. With the cold air we had better throttle response on the heat soaked engine. It felt like the stock housing in 80 degree weather. With the stock you could feel the sluggish performance. So for some its an improvement and some it for looks. If air filter is near the headlight already from factory and your CAI goes in the same spot you more the likely wont gain a thing and the temps remain the same...
Hey, Mace! Praise for stock Hellcat/SRT air boxes.😉 Given design & condition restraints production cars need, I examined air box system on my Hellcat Challenger putting in K&N filter. Hard to beat!😄 Ditched paper element & put in K&N. Wow! 😮 My Hellcat "woke up"! SRT engineers aren't stupid. Draws air from front headlight and bottom. $$$ will be spent on wheels/tires for traction.😉
Eh I bought mine more for engine bay candy and better induction sound. You can't deny a CAI makes your engine sound more throaty. Not louder, just different. Maaaaybe I've noticed the power I've already had is more quickly accessible. But I'm well aware that's most likely my imagination.
All I know is this, I put a S&B cold air intake on my 6.7 powerstroke a little over a year ago when comparing pre cold air intake to now I average 2.5 miles per gallon better went from 14 miles per gallon to 16.5. I don't know if I got anymore hp or not never dynoed it.
You know the saying YMMV or your your mileage may vary? I've had some success with intakes when the car was ready for it. My MAF (reads air flow) showed a lot more air flow. Did it make power? In my case only a little, but that's because I believe a stock car which maxed 70-90 g/s of air which can suddenly get 117 g/s of air probably doesn't have injectors and/or a fuel pump which can keep up.
Hey Awesome video, really appreciate all the info. I have a question, i have a 1997 honda crv, that i offroad in. I want to put a cold air intake or a short ram intake on, primarily to elevate where its sucking in air, for water crossings. I just dont want to do it at the expense of power since im running a 4 cylinder. Do i have to worry about losing and hp or torque if i put one on?
Ram intake and cold air intakes are different. U will get a better result if u get a true cold air intake where the filter is out of the engine bay to get nice cooler air. Doesnt matter anyway because once the air hits the mass air flow sensor the computer compensates and u dont get anything without tuning the computer.
I was Just about to buy a K&N for my 2017 Suburban LT 5.3 - thanks for the info....so based on your logic ...K&N increases HP on the Dyno because it has access to ambient air........are you saying that if I was to couple the K&N to a RamAir type setup - scooping air directly from outside, then it would be worth the $$$? What options would you recommend? Secondly - opinions on Superchips or Diablo tuners? Tuners in general?
I think I found that one on Amazon. I think I did a search for Mopar t-shirts and that's one of the ones that popped up. To be honest, I have so many Mopar shirts I can't remember where it came from exactly
Question I have a hellcat lower air box and filter, AFE cone on my RT thinking of getting the larger smooth intake tube do you think this will help. Because so far I believe it’s all been a placebo effect. Thanks for some insight keep putting it out there brother.
I purchased a 05 350z that has a mod cold air intake. How can I keep water out of it when it rains or I hit a water puddle. My check engine light comes on and when the intake is dry it goes off. the check engine light comes on at random times and mysteriously and mysteriously goes off.
Well I bought a turbo and put it on my 2008 Mazda 3 and I’m sure it works well I had a dyno and it did have me more hp and the acceleration was faster if it didn’t work for some people it’s because they have installed it wrong
So if i bought a closed cold air intake and insulated that against engine heat to reduce heat soak, on a turbo diesel would it make any difference on a car when it comes to remapping the car. There would be a direct cold air feed into the closed air filter.
My 78 Trans Am was built with a cold air intake from the fender well to the air cleaner assembly, but it was removed by the previous owner. Should I purchase and install the OEM assembly or scrap the idea? If I understand you correctly, even going back to the OEM set-up, it will not make a difference. The cold air duct clipped to the fender is open, so there is ambient air flowing into the engine bay, just not directly into the air cleaner assembly. If anything, the fresh air probably just helps to cycle the hot air out through the side vents on the fenders that you see on all 70s Trans Am cars. What are your thoughts? Good information by the way.
@@bmasontv Let me ask you, I've seen a few videos on people who swapped out the stock 392 air box with the Hellcat air box with inlet tube to headlight. Does that make any difference as far as "more" air getting to the engine or no? I would have thought that Mopar would have added that if they thought the 392 needed it right?
@@DirtySerb the case of the Hellcat airbox, either by running the headlight tube on the challengers or the grill tube on the charger, it does help to bring the airbox intake temperature closer to ambient. That whole really isn't there for added air flow, although there is air flow added, think of it more as a means to bring the temperature closer to ambient than to add actual air flow. The absolute best track results that I have been able to get have been with the Hellcat airbox with the headlight tube installed.
Great info! Thank you. my experience is, i will and would only install an intake with a tune. u get the most out of the cai. without a tune its a waste. But overall feel they arent worth it. My ? is...Do u have an opinion on a oiled air filter vs a dry one such as K&N and Airaid offers both. Do the dry version filters filter dust and dirt better than the oiled versions?
Thank you bootleg vin diesel saved me much money
He's videos are informative. If you don't like to be educated and want a yes or no answer go elsewhere but some of us here like an explanation of how things work and what they actually do.
Watch in 1.25x or 1.5x playback speed. Your welcome.
Take my upvote
Thanks 😂😂
Thanks -- I needed x2 :D
I can only go by the results of my experience installing CAI's and then testing the results. Installing a tuneless CAI, especially an open one is useless and allows heat and likely will slow the car down. On my 2006 Mustang GT way back in 2006 there was a huge test between what was then the big CAI companies, the key is they all required a tune due to flowing more air over the sensor. Demolet (Tuneable Induction) won the shootout and I decided on buying his. The car went 13.7 bone stock, with the Demolet CAI and a tune the car went 13.3, that's not snakeoil, that's actual repeatable results, I then went supercharger. Fast forward to my 2018 Mustang GT I knew I wanted a closed box CAI that required tuning so I went with the Steeda Pro Flow with 121mm maf because Steeda has seen repeatable results and because air inlet temps are close to ambient unlike open CAI's. With an E85 tune (the main source of the increase) the car will pick up near half a second or more making it worth the cost. eBay CAI's and a crap ton of other offer absolutely nothing more than looks and sadly too many do no research and buy based on looks and no knowledge of the car they are trying to make faster.
Excellent video! You hit all of the important points including:
- Different filter material (usually cotton gauze) vs. paper. Cotton gauze allows more air flow and perceived performance, but also allows more dirt to get through.
- Most modern cars already have cold air intakes (follow the airbox snorkel).
- Open hood dyno is not the same as being on the road with a closed hood.
I'd like to add:
- Most of these aftermarket cold air intakes are not cold air intakes at all but are instead short ram air intakes with crappy heat/splash shields. If you see the air filter in the engine bay, you have a short ram air intake. If it is sucking hot engine bay air, you are losing performance.
- Most cotton gauze air filters require cleaning and oiling. Your car may be down for several hours as you clean and air dry the air filter unless you have a spare. On top of that, be careful not to over oil it, or it will get oil on the air flow sensor and will affect performance and could damage the sensor.
It's best to keep it OEM. Use paper air filters, clean the airbox out with a shop vac and spray cleaner if necessary, and enjoy your car!
The only good part of cold air intakes is if they have it the larger diameter plastic tubing that is smooth on the inside.
People can say you ramble to much, but your very informative an knowledgable. Thank you.
That’s pretty good stuff. Lot of good information for people to think about who don’t normally do this type of stuff on a day to day basis like this guy, and it’s directly related to the performance of your engine post installation. The best thing he said my opinion is the information about the mass airflow sensor. Very very very very true indeed that the information read by that mass airflow sensor is extremely important when it comes to the proper and efficient operation of your engine. Make no mistake the temperature speed and volume at which air passes past that mass flow air sensor is critical to the operation and efficiency of that engine. Even if you tune your engine after installation of the CAI system, it still may not be within the parameters set by the OEM due to the Basic design parameters of the engine itself. To get down to the nitty-gritty of these issues one would have to speak directly with the engineers Of the CAI system and Ford and see what information they would actually be willing to share with you. All that being said, is it really worth it with respect to cost and benefit? Probably not. That’s why I just installed a higher flow filter in my stock intake system, which is my recommendation. I will say this, before you install one of the systems in your vehicle you better do your homework or your engine they suffer the consequences.
I have a ram air intake on my focus it came with the car when i bought it. One day it was raining pretty hard i hit a Puddle and sucked a small amount of water into the emgine luckily it didn't blow just bogged for a few seconds. I wanted to put one on my charger but after that no way. But i love the way it changes the sound of your engine
It never fails to amaze me at how many people will drop a grand on supporting mods like a CIA and fancy cat back exhaust and then do nothing to the engine. Or bother getting better tires, tuning the car/getting an after market ecu, dropping some weight or lowering the gear ratios. Or worse yet, do an intake and exhaust then stuff a couple subs, aftermarket speakers, 4 amps and an extra battery in the car lol. I always tell people, if you want to really do something to your car that makes a difference get good tires, make it lighter and if you can change the gear ratio. Those are things that will actually effect your 0-60 and quarter mile times. And it make it more fun to drive. I used to have a 72 skylark back in the 80's. When I got it it had a stock 350 buick with a 2 barrel carb and 2:55 gears I think? I dropped a 455 in it. Changed the cam, aftermarket intake manifold, holley carb, headers all the nifty stuff. And on a buick that shit ain't cheap! It was faster for sure but nothing amazing. I put a 4:10 posi and a shift kit in it and HOLY crap! That felt like adding a racing engine with a blower or something.
Reminds me of the old days. You almost doubled your torque to the rear wheels with that gear swap. But if you weren't running an OD trans, your top speed was about 110mph at 6,000rpm's(and Buicks don't like to rev, long stroke, small bore). I was in the same boat and 10mpgs. I went as far as cutting out safety beams in the doors(50 lbs, in a Camaro and removing the real front bumper under the plastic, 60 lbs. Not stuff I would do now.
@@mkedan6741 Ya, I had a 79 camaro that had 410's in it as well, with a mild 350. It would run 12's but it topped out at 130 mph in the quarter mile. And got like 7 mile to the gallon. Wasn't any fun to drive on the highway either, loud and hot. And you are right about the buick, I ended up putting 3 something gears in it because it wasn't very usable for normal driving.
I realized this is an older video.
The 2019 Hellcat is picking up 10 HP at the crank. Maybe 8.5 at the rear wheels. Attributed to a revamped CAI. Testing for this is performed on an engine dyno in a sterile testing environment. Thanks for the detailed information. It would be difficult to dispute your findings. $400.00 or more is better spent elsewhere.
B Mason ,
You have one of , if not the most credible and real world , honest and no bias channels on You Tube
Keep it going man.
Great info! I love mine. No gains at all just love the sound of my Chevy 2500 HD 6.0. Sounds amazing! SB cold air closed box around filter
How is the SB CAI holding off in your truck so far? I've been wanting to get a SB also for my Sierra. Same with a close box around the filter.
What an informative video.
I have fitted a K&N 57i Performance Air Intake system to my Ford streetKA 2003 car. The K&N sound is just too loud as in pure noise. It gets better once the engine has warmed up.
My philosophy here is to regularly replace the standard engine air filter, taking into account the different quality of manufacture of available engine air filters.
Upgrade your engine spark plugs from copper electrodes to something like iridiumn platinum types. Ensure that you ignition leads are of quality and clean.
Ensure that you have the correct type pressures.
Lighten your load by carrying less fuel in your tank or even consider in some cases go on a diet!!!
Stickers increase horsepower
This is super helpful. Very thorough explanation and the overview of the pros and cons. I was thinking about getting a CAI for my car, but I doubt I will now. Thanks.
Years ago i ran out of gas in my 2001 dodge ram 1500 quadcab and was a few miles from nearest gas station, i took a chance and put some paint thinner in the tank as i was a painter. It actually got me there and now 12 years later i am still driving that truck. the only problem ive had is to this day as you accelerate it makes a slight clinging sound from the cat converters but other that that starts every time. i have over 150,000 miles on it and its a 318 or 5.2l.
I third that...My 97' 1500 5.2L 318 is the most reliable vehicle ever! Doesn't take much to keep it goin!
CSiev17 I've known so many people with five twos and five nines that have well over 350 to 400 thousand miles on them. One of them, if I remember correctly, at last check was close to something like 520 something thousand miles and the only things that have been replaced on it where the water pump and the alternator and routine maintenance, spark plugs oil changes and stuff like that. Granted, all of those miles were racked up on the highway running from Dallas to East Texas and back but still...
B Mason absolutly! I am in South Texas. My truck has "low miles" with 228 thousand. Racked up on the highway but now she stays more on town. I still trust her enough to jump in and drive clear accross the country... I would say with most engines, do your P.Ms and general maintenance and they wont let ya down.
Mark P. Leclerc I honesly dont think I could ever sell the Truck..its only let my down once and that was that Fuel pump. I cant place a value on it...its priceless...well to me lol.....
Years ago, I ran out of paint thinner when painting my house and was a few miles from the paint store. I took a chance and put some gasoline in the can as I was a gas station attendant. It actually got the job done and now 12 years later, I am still living in that house. The only problem i've had is to this day, whenever I light my grill, the house goes up in flames. I always put the fire.
Thanks for the video. You're someone who actually breaks things down and explains how they work in a way that the average person can understand. I had thoughts about a CAI, but upon inspecting the OEM setup of the 5.7 Challenger air intake, it looked and seemed quite optimal in my opinion. A higher flowing drop in filter would definitely be better than the factory equipped one, but the big hose and cone filter for 300$ simply can't be justified. It's a nice visual mod though. I do like the style, but not the price.
Dang Kojak, you just crushed my intake dreams. I used to put cold air intakes on all my rides but now I will rethink my next purchase. Thanks for trying to cure my insomnia. 😸
I'm happy to have been of assistance!
@@bmasontv Hey, great video! I had a question for you. I'm LS swapping a Cadillac Coupe that never came equipped with a CAI, what would you recommend in my situation? The vehicle will not be used for racing, just overall reliability and reasonable fuel economy.
@@danmarley2926 in your case, anything that fits will be just fine.
@@bmasontv Appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Great information, well stated, went with the high flow drop in instead of the cai. Saved me saved me $250. Thank you
CAI's are gimmicks. As Jeeps go, one mod that actually works is the Thor cowl air intake. And the other is a side hood vent where the air box hole is, seen on the concept Jeep Nacho. It comes with an inside snap on cover to keep rain and snow out.
I can concur! I had an 07wrx, the only thing that the cobb intake with a cold air box did was allow the tuner to run more boost safer which gave a negligible amount of power (I think it was like 4-5hp on a blouch 20g). So even in that application, it wasn't worth it given the intake was around $150 and then $400 for the tune = learned the hard way. Now just rolling a 370z with drop in k/n's, which make zero difference but I figure it's one less thing the dealership can touch when I have the vehicle in for service.
I respect that. I run K&N cleaners. What I don't like about them is increased MAF failure from the oil contamination. I lightly oil my K&N air filters. Sometimes, from K&N they come soaked - when I didn't know better I hurt my car that way. Check out my intake series. I sneak in some comments about paper versus K&N during part 2.
They just look cool..thats it. OEM airboxes keep air cooler and help prevent hydro-lock incase water is splashed up underneath.
Great explaining. I actually added a cold intake to my 2016 dodge dart sxt. I fabercated a box , insulated the inside and strapped inside space right front tire . cuttout fog light hole. Took out air box and bubble. The port where air comes in from under bumber and the cutt out fog light feed right into insulated box.
Funny he mentioned that in video. Fucking amazing and YES i can feel differance in throttle response...thanks 4 video
I did all the cai when I was young, just took my k&n off my 5.7 gmt400 k3500 and put the complete oe airbox system on. I think I'll run stock drop in filter as well as the resonant chambers are tuned to work with that given restriction and it's affect on air pressure inside the intake and upper manifold. It's a tuned air circuit. Plus, I think it's better to have oe filter for dusty trails with expectations of engine longevity and little worries of peak hp.
Good Analogy Professor : I'm all about Budget mods & maintenance. I love the additional intake noise on a Naturally Aspirated engine that a CAI can give you but would prefer to muffle any Supercharger whine if possible without losing any hp. I can't speak from experience on the cold air intakes on newer cars but When I heard you talking about the Viscous Fan Clutches I got all excited. Man when the thermal spring kicks in on the fan clutch on my 98 Dak it loses at least 15 hp and the whooshing noise is so loud that you can't miss it. Ever since I put in the 180 degree thermostat I don't think I've heard the Fan Clutch kick in at all this summer. Something (fun fact) I noticed is that my 73 Dodge Dart Sport has pretty much the same 7 blade fan & clutch setup as my 98 Dodge Dakota.
My over the radiator cold air intake with a tune gave my vehicle 30 more rear wheel kW and 53 more NM at the tyres so I would definitely recommend the right sort of cold air intake for your vehicle 👍
Agree....changed out to aFe HIGH FLOW OEM replacement filter....later went to open CAI & although intake temp stays down while moving, come to a stop or slow down, & the temp rises quickly, but didn't before....so now I get more air, but is not as cool....so to me the trade off is only in sound & aesthetics for an aftermarket CAI.....thank you for the informative video.
Let me summarize what you didn't and should have said:
1) air temperature under the hood on the street is different than a hood popped open on a dyno, thus the dyno test doesn't reflect exactly what you're getting, but not too far off.
2) gains will differ depending on car, and where the filter is positioned under the hood. Some vehicles get much hotter than others, with less breathing vents than others, and in the first place, depends on if your driving in a hot humid climate like miami vs a cool dry climate like New York.
3) these air systems are only a part of a bigger picture like along with a full cat back exhaust, and other elements like an intercooler etc, KEEPING IN MIND that you are compromising on noise, jumpier throttle, and even more lag, being it's the price of more flow, in both directions.. for better AND For worse.
Keep in mind that sensors like air, fuel pressure regulation, throttle or mass air... will need to now be re-mapped to all work together..
If you understand this, you understand the factors, investments in other parts, and compromises .
Done.
Actually, I mentioned quite a bit of that throughout the video. But allow me the opportunity to respond to your comments: 1) air temperature under the hood on the street is different than a hood popped open on a dyno, thus the dyno test doesn't reflect exactly what you're getting, but not too far off.R) I addressed this, and more directly, air temps on the dyno are FAR less than with the hood propped up on the dyno. So much in fact that, depending on the application, the IAT's can be 60-70*f higher with the engine rinning at full temp.
2) gains will differ depending on car, and where the filter is positioned under the hood. Some vehicles get much hotter than others, with less breathing vents than others, and in the first place, depends on if your driving in a hot humid climate like miami vs a cool dry climate like New York. R) The temp delta (ambient vs under hood) will be high no matter what the ambient temp is, depending on application. Very few cars (read, a vast minority) can benefit in cooler ambient conditions with an exposed under hood filter, the vast majority will not. In cooler ambient conditions, the under hood temps may not get high enough to trigger an IAT spark modifier. In this case, it is only a matter of time at idle/ low speed driving, and, depending on the design of the "CAI", once the radiator fans kick on, the IAT will rise and we are now back to square 1, with the engine breathing in all that sweet, hot radiator fan wash.
3) these air systems are only a part of a bigger picture like along with a full cat back exhaust, and other elements like an intercooler etc, KEEPING IN MIND that you are compromising on noise, jumpier throttle, and even more lag, being it's the price of more flow, in both directions.. for better AND For worse.R) True, however wrecking inlet air temps by using a component which lends itself to higher initial IAT's will negate any gains by the latter mentioned components. In terms of auditory changes due to a CAI, they are largely negligible on a naturally aspirated engine. FI applications are a different story, and even then the sound gain is largely reserved for PDFI applications.
Keep in mind that sensors like air, fuel pressure regulation, throttle or mass air... will need to now be re-mapped to all work together..R) I cover this as well. in some cases this is mandated by the diameter of the tube in which the MAF is being inserted into. In others, where the ECU runs on Speed Density or Neural Network, this is not necessary unless VE is affected, this would show in the AFR produced on a loaded dyno at full load. Usually (read, it never is) this is not the case and no changes are needed to be made to the VE tables of the ECU. BTW, sensors are not adjustable, They are passive data collection apparatuses. The tables and scalers in the tune are adjusted when needed.
If you understand this, you understand the factors, investments in other parts, and compromises .R) agreed
I’m getting a 6.1 hemi I first had the v6 charger now I have the RT I’m ready for the srt8
If you want to see any gains then your CAI, SRI, or a modified stock air intake will have to be paired with a dual exhaust system with free flowing mufflers or a single exhaust system with a free flowing muffler. You will see HP and torque gains there. How much of a gain you will get depends on the engine and transmission.
How much for a 4.7 v8
Depends on the application. Most modern mufflers are free flowing. Can’t have a 300hp v6 or 400hp v8 from the factory with a super restrictive muffler. Some headers will make a difference. Most factory airboxes are cold air,it’s the tubing that’s the issue. Out side of that tubing diameter can affect things but most of the gains are still coming from the headers and tubing.
Different engines don’t react the same way to a CAI or a SRI. Just because it says you will gain 10 to 15 HP doesn’t mean you will with the engine the mod is going on. They tell you that so they can get your $300.00. The best thing to do is modify you stock air box if you can. Also make some changes in your exhaust system. I have a modified air box where I yanked the tubes out and cut the sound barrier out. I also modified my exhaust by installing a straight pipe where the cat was at and putting an axle back dual exhaust in with vx mufflers that sound just like flowmaster 40’s. I did this on a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix SE with a 3100 engine.
Removed the oem airbox and associated tubing of a vortec 6.0 HD truck and not only is it virtual subterranean tunnel system with a myriad of dead end chambers to deaden sound primarily it also leaked at the seams new off the showroom floor with large areas for heatsoak . Any aftermarket CAI would do better than stock but I opted for a well insulated S&B CAI that draws from the wheelwell similar to the OEM without potentially drowning the engine during a deluge by drawing air in an enclosure. Best $300 I spend on the engine to date. It's not particularly powerful but throttle response has improved significantly and that sound that sweet sound alone... sweet reward to sucking fuel.
Robert Polkamp you know, I've heard from a few people now that the Silverados do gain, or at least are showing significant improvements over that stock air box. Just like with anything there's always exceptions to a rule, and I think that that platform maybe one of those exceptions. I don't have any direct experience with them, in terms of actually looking at the stock air box for those trucks. It sounds like the GM Engineers were expecting that thing to be run through a desert, or wanted it to hold up to some severe conditions. Possibly Overkill.
well main points , people who dislike , i think don't really understand what he is explaining, or pissed because he brought out the truth about all that
U gotta put ram air on it with hood scoops the faster u go the more air being forced in and its cold
Was thinking about putting a cold air intake on my 2018 Focus hatch.
Thank you for saving me $300+, sir!
Obviously ambient temperature outside the car is what you want to get into your air intake The colder the air the better your engine performs That's the key not airflow
But... the aftermarket sells us the airflow being greater than stock... LOL...
@@bmasontv The mystery has been solved hot air is always been an issue lol
The only good part of a cold air intake is the tubing if it’s made of plastic. Unless the factory air box has a small diameter out port it’s generally better then the cold air box.
I love it when people say they don't increase power, yet dyno results show they do with the proper mods. You have to be smart enough to tune a car. And they sound cool as fuck.
Keep believing whatever you're told.
Depend on if you are fuel injected or not. If you are carbonated and have a normal filter and you bring it from the top of the engine bay to the front where the heat is not you will get hp gains.
I added cold intake to right wheelwell fabercated a aluminm box put insulation inside and outside, left stock air entrance off bumber and cutt out fog light hole both feed into box. Absoutly great. NOW THATS CALLED A COLD AIRINTAKE .
Dyno tested cold air intakes have shown gains in hp. There's no disputing this. Modern intakes are full of baffles, twists and turns and extra chambers. If you're talking about an old V8 from the 70's or earlier, of course the intake is less restrictive. We would install the open type of filter which helped. I would expect cold air intakes would show a greater gain on modern fuel injected engines.
Plenty of dispute on this. I've personally done so much dyno and track testing of these components that I cant be convinced otherwise.
The best results for cold air intake is ,take off your hood and you'll get better air flow.. you'll save money. Great results.
Don't forget weight reduction.
By the way, You said the Experts at Dodge, The same ones that designed a trunk you can park a mini Cooper in, instead of a trunk you can use VIPER size 345 tires or who put 4cyclinder disconnect in a car called SRT
I tried the cheap set up and it sounded cool but, honestly it just sucked a lot of hot air into my engine. Now I have the airaid intake tube so I still use my factory intake filter box but now it’s a smooth swoop into the TB. Compared to the factory zigzag intake tube. That with my headers and exhaust. I sleep the engine flowing better . Wanting a ss2 cam and some injectors next. 👍 recently found the channel. Checking out some old vids. Good content , keep it up
Back in the day I always put open element air filters on my carbed cars and felt an immediate increase in throttle response and the car generally ran better. Today, I run a K&N cold air on my truck and felt the same better throttle response and the truck runs better overall. Fuel mileage is slightly improved but nothing fantastic. Did it make my truck a race car? Of course not, but they do work provided your engine has no other issues. An engine is a big air pump. If you cork it up at either end, it will suffer a performance loss plain and simple.
Rich B. Your exactly right man. Well said
For all of those that still think CAI don't work then swing on over to Banks Performance and look at all the testing they do to get the most out of their intakes.
The only way you increasing power is upgrading sorounding components .just a stock car with a short ram or cold air intake wont do shit
@@chrisschlichting9145 You're uneducated, in the nicest way possible
Love your vids man, always very informative! I've watched your continuous efforts to improve your 1/4 mile times and see what gains have been netted from different mods. I recently bought the Legmaker True like yourself after much consideration including watching your vids on it. I just have the itch to mod my car and decided to ditch the unsightly stock box and get a nicer looking kit that provide some benefits, even though small. Car guys like to tinker, and its fun to experiment and upgrade. There isn't much we can do on these 392's to improve them without spending big bucks. Its a catch 22 imo. Dodge built a great motor that doesn't appear to have much holding it back, unless you want to shell out the money for big mods. I am also on the fence on tuning as well. I have had a hemifever tune on my previous 2012 Ram that I absolutely loved, but that truck drove like mush from the factory and the tune really fixed the hesitant throttle and mushy shifts. This car doesn't have that problem and costs twice as much to tune essentially since we have to buy an unlocked PCM...first world problems really, we got a good car and nice engine but we always want more ;) keep up the vids man, love your channel buddy!
Thanks B. You gave me something to think about.. Might try insulating my stock box. I'm also installing the Hellcat filter in my 19 challenger widebody.
You could save money buying a straighter tube (don't get metal lol) and high flow filter replacing the stock one or buying a used a used CAI and clean the filter. Another thing you can do is buy thermal attic insulation wrap and foil tape from hardware store and custom wrap the tube and box/heat shield to better insulate the air. Probably wouldn't want to do that to a show car, but if it is your daily toy every little bit helps.
Chris Topher I've toyed around with fabricating my own. I just need the time to dedicate to it.
You know I value ur thoughts on our car a lot man. I really love ur honesty and it dead on no bs. Hard to bullshit people who do as much research us lol. You do have my fav channel concerning tha 392
Natalie Deyton thank you, I appreciate that! Yeah, given the amount of bs out there I figured I would try to share my experience. When we spend hard earned money on parts we need them to give results. Also wanted to show how and why these parts make power and the conditions where those gains are achieved.
In order to get maxim performance out of your CAI 1St you have to get the CAI to cold Air that means out side the engine bay or you still suck hot air..Also if do not change the throttle body size (larger) you do nothing to gain. The factory throttle body will still only allow the same amount of air into the motor.
Wow. This was one of the most information videos I've seen on TH-cam. Very well done.
Don Tarver II thank you very much!
I know I’m late to the party but this video was extremely helpful and informative. I opted to go with an aftermarket high flow drop-in filter instead of a CAI for my ‘21 Ram Hemi.
He and I would get along fine. We think the same about the "feeling of more power" than the real thing. Its a mind thing.
I've got a 2014 Ram with the 3.6 L and I'm looking to just getting more free flow of air.
So, what kind of impact is that causing by having your thermostat mounted on your wall, right above the cold air return? That's all we really need to know. Do you get better mass air flow with that setup? Does it make your furnace come on less often because it's pulling warm air down past your thermostat? Better heating bills? Or does it cause your furnace to come on more often because that wall is cooler due to that massive cold air retun making that wall cooler, causing your thermostat to get a false reading of the ambient air temperature? That's what we really need to know.
The only experience I ever had is with a stock 95 LT1 formula Firebird. I used to have to power brake the car to burnout. I dropped in a K&N stock filter into stock box and could now burn out without power braking. Obviously something changed. Bought the car new and from day one had to power brake with paper filter. I no longer prefer oiled filters because of mass air flow sensor contamination but that's my 2 cents.
My 20 year old factory air box was cracked, brittle and hissing loudly that I had to change it out regardless.
In the mean time I got a great savings down from 325 to 250 and it looks great under the hood. So it's something at least in my case.
Thank u so much for plaining. Keep putting your info out
I put filter kits on other cars and trucks it GREATLY improves throttle response and you will lose 1 or 2 mpg because more air the motor wants more fuel which is more power
You’re confusing short ram intake with cold air intake. A short ram intake is under your hood in the engine bay which is really just for looks but a true cold air intake has to be routed to inside your fender or under your bumper. If you can see the “cone” filter then it is not a cold air intake but a short ram intake please know the difference.
Thanks...u saved me 400 bucks!
So you tested bad designs and cheap crap. Cold air intakes work either talking about increasing hp or mpg. If you guys want to find a good CAI design one in your mind and look for that design. That simple.
od11bj what if my minds design doesn’t exist?
@@BaBaBooeyWRLD What if your mind does not work well or is missing?
Max Nix That’s what I’m saying! 😂
WHO THE HELL SPENDS MORE THAN $100 ON THOSE?!?!
i agree with you i have a 2014 mustang gt i put a jlt cai i feel more power but more on the higher rpms im thinking of getting a k&n closed air box because it might flow better on lower rpms please write back im interested to know what you think i think a closed air box is better
WAS ABOUT TO PUT ONE ON MY RT...GLAD U SAVED ME
They work when used with a high flow exhaust.
Whats up B?? Nice to see your videos again. As usual they are excellent. I tell alost everyone of the speedshop clients no after asking them what they expect out of them performance wise.
Anyhow...... I think I will finally get that chance to watch the 4 best You Tubers all the time again.
Watching this video, I remember what I have been. Missing.
Well Done B, Well done .
Ps- I see your channel is getting more traffic, about damn time .
I know it's not your main reason for this but it's cool. More people watch You , More knowledge on the street.
See you soon buddy
Cold air intakes with cone filters only give a bit of a mid range increase in the power band. You lose ALL low end torque because the stock box protects from engine bay heat and condenses the air a bit because its a chamber. Its better to use the stock box with a high flow filter and smooth plumbing to the throttle body.
well not everyone is trying to make power with a huge displacement engines like the 6.4 in the SRT, some guys have 4 cylinders and a turbo and are trying to make 450 whp, theyre gunna need a cold air intake. i truly believe that if you have a TUNE for your intake, you will be fine as long as installed it properly and you wont lean out. plus it has been proven on dynos that you can make more power down low with an intake and a tune, so throttle response would feel faster especially on boosted cars
I work in the high tech field and what you say is 100% CORRECT. I am just surprised and disappointed in so many car enthusiast channels where it becomes so obvious that the youtuber has been bought off by whatever Co to promote a car product. It shows just how shallow and rotten the souls of many are. Thank you for being 100% genuine and honest.
I appreciate that, thank you
Filter needs to flow more air than the engine can consume.
Short Answer for Challenger Owners Hellcat Airbox and filter
I agree with you. What about using heat tape or something to cover the box and intake tube? It won't look fancy but might help keep intake temps down
To be honest, I really haven't seen that make any measurable difference. It does work when isolating fluids, but for an intake system like what's on these cars, not so much
All stock intakes are made for noise control. Fact. A aftermarket intake makes it sound better
05ls4gxp depends on the engine, a little 4 cylinder doesn't sound all that good with an intake, I've had 2 of them both sounded like crap. Now a hemi or really any v8 on the other hand will sound better though.
louder yes.. better? debatable. a long as it doesn't help it sound like these cars that go down my street. sounds like someone driving a weed wacker. ugh...
lampim that is usually someone who has a poor exhaust setup. Always need to put a resonator or 2 if necessary so you can clean up the sound and quiet it down a bit
96ws6ta I had a 2010 Ram 1500 Hemi and the MOPAR CAI I had on it was so badass, 😂 I have a 2018 Ram now and plan on getting one for it. Just the throatier sound is worth it, IMO.
damn. look at the dislikes... some people are pissed off they got ripped off.lol
The thumbs down were just ”cold” pride ha. no thumbs down here
Yep a fool and his money are soon parted.
This is 100% truth, you are not going to get 25 hp with a simple bolt-on on a modern engine, they are optimized with only restrictions and limitations to intake noise and water contamination. I have seen tests with just K&N filters and then open air kits that are almost the same in power, within 2-3hp. Many of these kits are not very well engineered. The extra power is the filter which according to tests I've seen are not nearly as good as say a Wix at trapping dirt. It's all a compromise. I do like the aFe Momentum GT with the dry filter system(still washable, synthetic) and am considering it for my Hemi Jeep GC. It's an enclosed unit which will add a little noise and eye candy under hood and will help more as I add headers, intake, cam, ect. Thank you for this informative video.
One other thing I'd like to add, aFe claims "up to" 16 hp. and 24 ft. lbs. They provide a dyno chart and if you look closely, the gain in hp and torque are from 2,500 to 3,800 rpms then the curves flatten out(all even) and then the aFe unit pulls ahead maybe 8-10 hp over stock @ 5,750 rpms. This advertised gain, if true, puts the power in the sweet spot for passing and first gear acceleration. I'd be ok with that.
I think manufactures look more into cost to performance than performance to cost ratios.
Also, a dyno is generally used for stock vs not-stock. The environment is the same to test a stock engine to an non-stock engine. It's ignorant to think that "the only reason a cold air intake gets more performance is because of fans and an open hood. Remember that they are comparing it to a stock configuration that is also open hood and with fans. It's 1:1 ratio, don't pretend it's anything less. Same environment stock vs CAI upgrade the CAI gets more performance.
Also, it's undeniable the main reason people purchase a Cold Air Intake or a upgraded Exhaust is mostly for the sound tune of their car.
I was wondering if you could do a video on cooling system upgrades such as fans or radiator upgrades. Manufacturers claim many great things but you explain real world scenarios where it counts.
I can sum up that question in two words. They don't.
At least not in the way that the manufacturers would lead you to believe. What I can do is use this for the topic for the monologue on my next live show. It's a great question and I'll be more than happy to address it tonight!
Too much time in a lab you do know all the info just seem like having trouble putting it together.
Lets NOT talk about full builds but instead the average Joe wants to get a little better performance out his 4 banger.
The real world situation is oem are most often slightly restrictive and the tiny gain of 2 to 3 whp is something nice on a low power car (under 200) both a SRI & CAI will get you. But more flow often comes at less filtration from my experience K&N filter are the best of the high flow stuff providing more filtering than the average while getting the same increased flow but meh some are brand specific to each his own
The bigger gains will be mitigating losses with a Proper CAI. SRI are most often getting the same heat soak as oem set ups but a proper CAI relocating the filter outside the engine bay will not lose as much power getting heat soaked in real world driving conditions. This will be the most significant as its times like accelerating on an on-ramp to merge oem and SRI may feel sluggish from heat soak the CAI most often mitigates that loss. If tracking the car you might deal with heatsoak a tad more if you back to back and are out for every little bit possible chasing numbers we take everything we can get
So the peak number gains one might see on a dyno don't always reflect real wold conditions where not all gains are about peak numbers but often mitigating losses in real world conditions or improving power under the curve in the real world.
I certainly have seen better throttle response with SRI & CAI intakes but probably won't notice that on a dyno.
To a car with 500hp or even more these days a measly 2 to 5 hp gain coupled with a 10 to 15 hp loss mitigation your not gonna feel a big difference because the percentage of change is so small compared to the overall power figures but when youre talking about 140hp to 200hp cars that same measly 5hp gain and 10hp power loss mitigation is a HUGE percentage of the cars overall power so damm right you gonna feel it ;)
Now I'm not some CAI fanboi I drive a custom build turbo car with 400 to 465 whp (VR6T), I was just at one time an enthusiast with a measly 140hp car where a 2% gain and 8% loss mitigation was worth a 10% overall situational gain sure as fucking Hell it was noticeable and used when I was tracking the shit out of that thing. The Track numbers always more important that dyno numbers (sorry) the improved breathing from all bolt on and a set of cams was worth about 2 seconds on a slow ass car (progressively improved track times) but those 2 seconds put me in front of a lot of cars.
A cold air intake works best on heat soaked engines. A cold air intake is not going gain hp but to maintain hp. A heat soaked engine can loose up to 20 hp. With a CAI you can gain 14 hp from the 20 you lost. And in cold weather you might gain 5 + hp. So you never gain hp with a CAI it's more of maintaining hp. Now this doesnt work on all vehicles. One it does work on is 04-08 F150 5.4l. With a high end Snap On scanner I able to monitor air temp. The air filter housing on these truck sits right in middle of the engine and is heated up pretty good in the Texas summer's. The cold air intake redirects the filter near the head light left side where you can see the ground protected by a heat shield. The cold air intake was 16 deg cooler then factory intake. With the cold air we had better throttle response on the heat soaked engine. It felt like the stock housing in 80 degree weather. With the stock you could feel the sluggish performance. So for some its an improvement and some it for looks. If air filter is near the headlight already from factory and your CAI goes in the same spot you more the likely wont gain a thing and the temps remain the same...
Thank you. I take a bang for the buck approach. This helps a lot.
Hey, Mace! Praise for stock Hellcat/SRT air boxes.😉 Given design & condition restraints production cars need, I examined air box system on my Hellcat Challenger putting in K&N filter. Hard to beat!😄 Ditched paper element & put in K&N. Wow! 😮 My Hellcat "woke up"! SRT engineers aren't stupid. Draws air from front headlight and bottom. $$$ will be spent on wheels/tires for traction.😉
thank you for your experiences, their good to hear for everyone I think
Eh I bought mine more for engine bay candy and better induction sound. You can't deny a CAI makes your engine sound more throaty. Not louder, just different. Maaaaybe I've noticed the power I've already had is more quickly accessible. But I'm well aware that's most likely my imagination.
All I know is this, I put a S&B cold air intake on my 6.7 powerstroke a little over a year ago when comparing pre cold air intake to now I average 2.5 miles per gallon better went from 14 miles per gallon to 16.5. I don't know if I got anymore hp or not never dynoed it.
Ok....having trouble following along....9 minutes in. Bottom line, is it worth installing a cold air intake on my 2012 Ram 1500 w/4.7L V8 or no?
Don Dutra I would go with an aftermarket air filter and call it good.
Yes do it!
what about the 392,Shaker,, It takes in outside air Or RamAir and the faster air moves the cooler it is?
You know the saying YMMV or your your mileage may vary? I've had some success with intakes when the car was ready for it. My MAF (reads air flow) showed a lot more air flow. Did it make power? In my case only a little, but that's because I believe a stock car which maxed 70-90 g/s of air which can suddenly get 117 g/s of air probably doesn't have injectors and/or a fuel pump which can keep up.
That's one of the two that I believe that actually make a power increase. The other is the OTR type.
Hey Awesome video, really appreciate all the info. I have a question, i have a 1997 honda crv, that i offroad in.
I want to put a cold air intake or a short ram intake on, primarily to elevate where its sucking in air, for water crossings.
I just dont want to do it at the expense of power since im running a 4 cylinder. Do i have to worry about losing and hp or torque if i put one on?
Ram intake and cold air intakes are different. U will get a better result if u get a true cold air intake where the filter is out of the engine bay to get nice cooler air. Doesnt matter anyway because once the air hits the mass air flow sensor the computer compensates and u dont get anything without tuning the computer.
I was Just about to buy a K&N for my 2017 Suburban LT 5.3 - thanks for the info....so based on your logic ...K&N increases HP on the Dyno because it has access to ambient air........are you saying that if I was to couple the K&N to a RamAir type setup - scooping air directly from outside, then it would be worth the $$$? What options would you recommend? Secondly - opinions on Superchips or Diablo tuners? Tuners in general?
Very detailed Informative video. I love you’re T-shirt. Where did you get it?
I think I found that one on Amazon. I think I did a search for Mopar t-shirts and that's one of the ones that popped up. To be honest, I have so many Mopar shirts I can't remember where it came from exactly
Short and simple not worth the investment. If it was $100 go for it. Otherwise for 1-2 hp gain on a 500hp car it's not worth it
so it just triggers the fuel trims back a little then in order to have it lean from what i understand about fuel injection
Question I have a hellcat lower air box and filter, AFE cone on my RT thinking of getting the larger smooth intake tube do you think this will help. Because so far I believe it’s all been a placebo effect. Thanks for some insight keep putting it out there brother.
It’s been proven dyno before and after on many videos to always add 5-19 hp
Always.? ....dyno?...... 👌
I purchased a 05 350z that has a mod cold air intake. How can I keep water out of it when it rains or I hit a water puddle. My check engine light comes on and when the intake is dry it goes off. the check engine light comes on at random times and mysteriously and mysteriously goes off.
Well I bought a turbo and put it on my 2008 Mazda 3 and I’m sure it works well I had a dyno and it did have me more hp and the acceleration was faster if it didn’t work for some people it’s because they have installed it wrong
So if i bought a closed cold air intake and insulated that against engine heat to reduce heat soak, on a turbo diesel would it make any difference on a car when it comes to remapping the car. There would be a direct cold air feed into the closed air filter.
No need to remap
My 78 Trans Am was built with a cold air intake from the fender well to the air cleaner assembly, but it was removed by the previous owner. Should I purchase and install the OEM assembly or scrap the idea? If I understand you correctly, even going back to the OEM set-up, it will not make a difference. The cold air duct clipped to the fender is open, so there is ambient air flowing into the engine bay, just not directly into the air cleaner assembly. If anything, the fresh air probably just helps to cycle the hot air out through the side vents on the fenders that you see on all 70s Trans Am cars. What are your thoughts? Good information by the way.
In that case I would put it back, if for no other reason than that's the way that it came from the factory,
So basically just swap out my stock 392 air filter with a Hellcat air filter. Great video, thanks for the intel and the money savings.
Yes. And you're welcome. I have tried so many of these things both on the track and on the dyno.... same result.
@@bmasontv Let me ask you, I've seen a few videos on people who swapped out the stock 392 air box with the Hellcat air box with inlet tube to headlight. Does that make any difference as far as "more" air getting to the engine or no? I would have thought that Mopar would have added that if they thought the 392 needed it right?
@@DirtySerb the case of the Hellcat airbox, either by running the headlight tube on the challengers or the grill tube on the charger, it does help to bring the airbox intake temperature closer to ambient. That whole really isn't there for added air flow, although there is air flow added, think of it more as a means to bring the temperature closer to ambient than to add actual air flow. The absolute best track results that I have been able to get have been with the Hellcat airbox with the headlight tube installed.
@@bmasontv Nice i'll have to keep that in mind for a potential mod later. Thanks again for the info.
Not cold air but vararam on the ram trucks do actually make a big difference, I know mine did.
Great info! Thank you.
my experience is,
i will and would only install an intake with a tune. u get
the most out of the cai. without a tune its a waste. But overall feel they arent worth it.
My ? is...Do u have an opinion on a oiled air filter vs a dry one such as K&N and Airaid offers both. Do the dry version filters filter dust and dirt better than the oiled versions?
The oil gets on the mass air flow sensors and gets build up. Go with dry
Will the Hellcat filter work with a 2013 RT? I also just want the smoother elbow with no baffle.
What if you just replace the resinator box with a less restrictive air flow tube like an air raid setup..my trucks 1 year old i dont think ill risk it
Wont make much of a difference at all.