Cold Air Intake produces a 41 Horsepower Gain for 2025 Ram?

[Sherman Bird]

K&N is claiming an HP and torque gain as a result of their Cold Air Intake parts. The RHO has an OEM version that does not produce any gain. I believe they said it moves the HP/Torque down lower on the RPM curve. Do any of you have this installed? Does it work? Is there a danger adding too much HP/Torque? See the claim below.

When I first became an automotive tech, I was fortunate in that I was mentored by a Rolls Royce Master. One of his favorite sayings was "There are things in this world made to sell, not to buy".

That's definitely a wide berth, but, in this case, it is POINT ON!

An engine is a pump, designed by manufacturers with billions of dollars in R&D resources at their finger tips. Air intake is designed for maximum efficiency and to quell the complainers who don't like noise from resonance.
The maximum efficiency and ability of the engine to move air is limited by many factors, so I'll touch on a few...
Valve size, and lift & cam profile. Duration is a biggie, so is restriction of exhaust systems and cylinder head combustion chamber designs.

The size of the throttle body is a fixed value (in terms of maximum air flow).

With these facts in mind, how are you going to spend money on a Cold Air Intake, and really make any effect large enough to gain 41 HP?
With no other changes, you MIGHT get 1/2 of a horsepower... except the increase of "imagined" HP caused by that resonant whine.
You can't stuff 10 pounds of $hit in a 5 pound hole. So, unless you just need the excitement and turn on of that resonant noise, designed to fool you into "thinking" you actually added a substantial amount of horsepower.

Here's another little fact... At WOT (wide open throttle), air is moving at close to supersonic speed in MPH, and that takes an already free flowing stock air filter.

In closing, ALL engines like cool, dense air; especially humid air! That's why records were set at Baytown, Texas' Houston Raceway Park, now closed down as of 2022. But, to gain 41 horses, you'll be faced with re programming at bare minimum. But you can forget anywhere near 41 HP solely from adding a CAI.

BTW, Resonance is a factor of reversion! Reversion is caused by the substantial difference in air mass inertia of upwards of 6-700 MPH incoming air, and static 15 PSI air at sea level that occupies the exhaust system!

 

[Riccochet]

Dyno numbers can be manipulated,a real world test on the track or a road using a Dragy is a better method of testing.
Matt Fikac is actually pretty good at testing new products,and most of his tests can usually be backed up.
Right now he's working with Diablo on bringing a tuner to market for the new I6's.As soon as he's done,i asked him to do a comparision between the JB4 tuner and Diablo's tuner.That's a test that i'm curious to see,as JB4 claims up to a 104 horse increase using their I6 tuner.

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Showing gains on a track can be manipulated as well, especially by someone standing to make a profit on it.

My point is that an intake, especially on a MAP/MAF engine, is useless without tuning. The air is metered. No one is going to see those track gains by simply installing a K&N intake on their stock truck.

So my request still stands. Put it on a dyno, stock tune, with stock and K&N intake. I'd put $1000 down that there are zero gains.

 

[NCRaineman]

So my request still stands. Put it on a dyno, stock tune, with stock and K&N intake. I'd put $1000 down that there are zero gains.

Typically on a dyno the vehicle is sitting there with the hood open and a big ass fan blowing on it. If the K&N filter is open to that air while the stock box is closed there likely will be a small gain, but not near 40hp.

 

[Riccochet]

Typically on a dyno the vehicle is sitting there with the hood open and a big ass fan blowing on it. If the K&N filter is open to that air while the stock box is closed there likely will be a small gain, but not near 40hp.

there will be no gain as the air is metered. The fuel map doesn't change, and the stock air box is capable of far more flow than stock power levels and fuel mapping allow.

Everything is computer controlled. If you don't change the programming you don't gain anything when it comes to fuel/air.

 

[NCRaineman]

there will be no gain as the air is metered. The fuel map doesn't change, and the stock air box is capable of far more flow than stock power levels and fuel mapping allow.

Everything is computer controlled. If you don't change the programming you don't gain anything when it comes to fuel/air.

Air temperature matters. Lower IAT by 5 or 10 degrees and you'll make more power on the stock tune. "Flow" isn't the whole picture.

 

[Riccochet]

Air temperature matters. Lower IAT by 5 or 10 degrees and you'll make more power on the stock tune. "Flow" isn't the whole picture.

And if you put a truck on a dyno, hood open, fans on, run it, then swap over to the K&N, same conditions, you won't see a change.

Back to back runs on a dyno, even if air temp changes a couple degrees, won't show any noticeable difference in power.

Dyno's shouldn't be used to show actual power, but delta's in power when conditions are changed. ie: the intake

 

[ExpressRules]

It is a well known fact that horsepower increases are not possible unless the kit includes a decal and it is placed on the lower left rear window. I've read about possibilities of an extra 40 to 50HP if the decal is placed in the sweet spot of the window.

 

[Sherman Bird]

It is a well known fact that horsepower increases are not possible unless the kit includes a decal and it is placed on the lower left rear window. I've read about possibilities of an extra 40 to 50HP if the decal is placed in the sweet spot of the window.

AND!!! Add the Mazda Zoom Zoom stickers and get the bonus 100 horsepower!!

 

[turkeybird56]

AND!!! Add the Mazda Zoom Zoom stickers and get the bonus 100 horsepower!!

Add a wing on the back and change and put on rice burner exhaust, lol. NOW it does sound kewl.

I had a K & N on my 2001 Ford F 150 which had a lousy stock air system and got a lil improvement, ran a bit better, bout sounded kewl. The KEWL factor hee hee.

If putting on a K & N, make sure you get the non-oiled option, oiled filters mess with them sensors, lol. I personally have a dry AEM in my stock box on my 2019
RAM, and I know I can turn 30 second 1/4 mile runs, lol.

 

[turkeybird56]

It is a well known fact that horsepower increases are not possible unless the kit includes a decal and it is placed on the lower left rear window. I've read about possibilities of an extra 40 to 50HP if the decal is placed in the sweet spot of the window.

NJ still got that law ref nothing hanging from the rear view mirror and stickers on the front windshield? Many moons ago, the inspection guy at the NJ Inspection station (way before private garages did this), failed my inspection for stickers on the front windshield and hanging items from mirror. Boy was I PO'd. Scrapped off sticker, removed hanging artifacts, and had to go through that line again.

 

[Sherman Bird]

NJ still got that law ref nothing hanging from the rear view mirror and stickers on the front windshield? Many moons ago, the inspection guy at the NJ Inspection station (way before private garages did this), failed my inspection for stickers on the front windshield and hanging items from mirror. Boy was I PO'd. Scrapped off sticker, removed hanging artifacts, and had to go through that line again.

Bumper stickers were my entertainment back in the day! "I'm NOT bald!!! I'm just taller than my hair!" is one of my favorites!

 

[jawzs2]

NJ still got that law ref nothing hanging from the rear view mirror and stickers on the front windshield?

No, they pretty well did away with a "safety" inspection years ago, now basicaly all they check is emissions out the exhaust, no check eng light, and cat converter installed. They do step on the brakes moving thru the inspection lane, so if they didn't work and they plowed into the car in front of them, they might fail you for that - LOL.

 

[Dean2]

Bumper stickers were my entertainment back in the day! "I'm NOT bald!!! I'm just taller than my hair!" is one of my favorites!

My favourite bumper sticker was one made up by my Dad back in the 70s. It was reproduced by lots of other people.

Vegetarian, an Indian word for lousy hunter.

 

[Dan Topp]

The claims here are correct in fact,anything besides a rebuild is eye candy. It will last as long as you change the oil.

 

[Wild one]

Showing gains on a track can be manipulated as well, especially by someone standing to make a profit on it.

My point is that an intake, especially on a MAP/MAF engine, is useless without tuning. The air is metered. No one is going to see those track gains by simply installing a K&N intake on their stock truck.

So my request still stands. Put it on a dyno, stock tune, with stock and K&N intake. I'd put $1000 down that there are zero gains.

I doubt Fikac manipulated his tests,but he is working with Diablo on their new I6 tuner,so there might have been some tweaks, he doesn't say if they tweaked the tune when he tested the cai.

 

[Sherman Bird]

My favourite bumper sticker was one made up by my Dad back in the 70s. It was reproduced by lots of other people.

Vegetarian, an Indian word for lousy hunter.

Another Bumper sticker I read on the back of a Pickup read "Bosses are like diapers... Always on your a$$ and full of $hit"!

 

[ppine]

In order to get those results of more air in, you probably need to modify and upgrade your exhaust to get more air out.

 

[Sherman Bird]

In order to get those results of more air in, you probably need to modify and upgrade your exhaust to get more air out.

Not as much as you might think! The restriction alone at the throttle body won't pass any more WOT air just because you enhance exhaust flow. You can't control 15 PSI at sea level, thus static back pressure of static air as opposed to WOT speeds of air at the intake nearing supersonic velocity. The overlap of the intake/exhaust valves are where the 2 forces meet. High velocity air coming in from the intake, and 15 PSI or more exhaust backpressure from the other direction. YES! You will enhance power SLIGHTLY with dual exhaust... but not 40 HP. Headers DO enhance cylinder evacuation, but, even with that, 41 HP is a VERY unrealistic goal.

 

[Riccochet]

In order to get those results of more air in, you probably need to modify and upgrade your exhaust to get more air out.

You need to modify the tuning to also put more fuel in. Can't do one without doing the other.

 

[CanuckRam1313]

It is a well known fact that horsepower increases are not possible unless the kit includes a decal and it is placed on the lower left rear window. I've read about possibilities of an extra 40 to 50HP if the decal is placed in the sweet spot of the window.