Any advantages with a K&N Drop in or intake on 2016 3500 6.7 CTD

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Inthewind

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Cummins newbie here. Traded up to my first diesel from a 6.4 Hemi 2500 Megacab. I know the benefits on a gas engine of a K&N Drop in or cold air intake but curious if they're the same with a TD? Having never owned one I thought I'd come to the place with the most knowledge!
 

Power247

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The stock air box is good for 500 HP so you will not see any performance gain with a drop in filter or aftermarket CAI.

At most a CAI will get you so more turbo whistle sound from under the hood. You have to be extra careful with oiled filters because you don't want to let any extra oil coating the turbo blades.

Greg
2012 | 2500 | CCLB | Custom MCC by Double R Diesel
 
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Inthewind

Inthewind

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The stock air box is good for 500 HP so you will not see any performance gain with a drop in filter or aftermarket CAI.

At most a CAI will get you so more turbo whistle sound from under the hood. You have to be extra careful with oiled filters because you don't want to let any extra oil coating the turbo blades.

Greg
2012 | 2500 | CCLB | Custom MCC by Double R Diesel

Thanks Greg, thats definitely good to know info.
 
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Inthewind

Inthewind

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What about bolt on exhaust upgrades? My primary use is going to be towing a 12k 5th wheel so I'm trying to remain somewhat conservative for now.
 

Power247

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Np man. Unless you plan on tuning and deleting emissions, anything else is just for show. DPF back exhaust setups have no effect on the performance of the truck. The factory muffler is really just a resonator.

The new diesel world is so much different than the gas world. The emissions equipment on these trucks are the real hindrance when it comes to increasing performance. Thankfully they are pretty good performers in stock form. Especially for towing and hauling.

Greg
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Inthewind

Inthewind

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Np man. Unless you plan on tuning and deleting emissions, anything else is just for show. DPF back exhaust setups have no effect on the performance of the truck. The factory muffler is really just a resonator.

The new diesel world is so much different than the gas world. The emissions equipment on these trucks are the real hindrance when it comes to increasing performance. Thankfully they are pretty good performers in stock form. Especially for towing and hauling.

Greg
2012 | 2500 | CCLB | Custom MCC by Double R Diesel

Yeah, I understand that completely. The torque is amazing, I'm just missing the growl of my 6.4 Hemi and Magnaflows!

Thanks!
 

Power247

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No doubt! I am interested to hear your comparison after you've had your Cummins for a while. I love mine but still consider the possibility of going back to a gasser.

Greg
2012 | 2500 | CCLB | Custom MCC by Double R Diesel
 
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Inthewind

Inthewind

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Yeah, the Hemi wasn't going to be enough to pull the 5er, so the best choice was to upgrade to the 3500 Cummins for the tow capacity. When I did it I decided to just go all the way. This way we have room to grow if we want to regarding the size of the 5th wheel.
 

Power247

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You'll be able to pull pretty much whatever you want now.

Greg
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Dooner

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In my opinion, the only thing you will regret with your choice is the gears. If what you wrote is right. 3.43's? I had a 2010 Ram 3500 DRW with 3.73 gears and with a drop in K&N and Smarty Jr. (no deletes), it pulled my 15k RV as fast as I wanted to go. And use cruise control. If I stayed a nice 65 mph, I could get around 10-12 mpg. Depending on the road and hills.
I can tell the difference from the 3.73 that I had and the 3.42's that I have now. I don't tow anymore, but the heavy acceleration does not pull me back in the seat as the 3.73's did. It's sad.
 
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Inthewind

Inthewind

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In my opinion, the only thing you will regret with your choice is the gears. If what you wrote is right. 3.43's? I had a 2010 Ram 3500 DRW with 3.73 gears and with a drop in K&N and Smarty Jr. (no deletes), it pulled my 15k RV as fast as I wanted to go. And use cruise control. If I stayed a nice 65 mph, I could get around 10-12 mpg. Depending on the road and hills.
I can tell the difference from the 3.73 that I had and the 3.42's that I have now. I don't tow anymore, but the heavy acceleration does not pull me back in the seat as the 3.73's did. It's sad.

Thanks Dooner, Power247.

To me, the torque in the 3500 clearly makes up for the difference in gearing that was in my 2500 Hemi (3.73). Initial take off in the Hemi was great but then in low end pull it was no comparison to the Cummins. I know that goes without saying but from a roll I can break my tires loose in the 3500. I'm not sure if the Aisin has anything to do with that but I'm telling ya, Its crazy. :naughty:
 

Bigdaddy

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Congrats on your 2016 3500, it sound like that you are happy and that's is what count.
 

brandonjansen

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Already been covered for the most part. But to add to the information... I wouldn't run a K&N filter on any daily driven vehicle; especially a diesel. While they do flow very well they are actually terrible at filtering air. You can read up on this information for yourself here - Duramax Air Filter Testing * - Diesel Bombers

As Greg already stated, running an oiled filter on a diesel is something to be cautious of as well. If they're oiled correctly it's not an issue. However over oiling them can start to be a big problem as the turbo will suck that extra oil out and it will gum up the compressor wheel reducing efficiency.

If you do want to go to a drop in filter I'd recommend AEM or S&B filters as they're the best available IMO. If you want to go with a full aftermarket intake then S&B is the way to go. But again, you aren't really going to get any performance gains from it. It's more for looks/convenience than anything.
 
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