Factory intake vs. Aftermarket...by the numbers

[jcat]

This really is more of a 'has anyone done it' or a 'does anyone have the ability to do it' post regarding intakes.

As I see it, the top 5 intakes for our trucks in no particular order are:

1.) K&N
2.) Vararam
3.) S&B
4.) AFE
5.) LMI

Now, aside from the vararam, the others all follow the same basic form...same basic tube design, open element filter in some type of enclosure sealed against the under hood heat in one way or another. As a matter of fact, the AFE intake actually attaches it's heat shield to the lower half of the factory airbox.

Building on that, from conventional knowledge we know that plastic parts tend to be much more resistant to heat soak than metal parts.

I'm curious to see if anyone either has already flow tested the factory intake and an aftermarket one, or if anyone has the capability to do so, to see whether or not there's a dramatic difference in airflow capability. We're not talking dyno numbers or butt dyno impressions, we're talking actual CFM.

The more I look at these aftermarket setups and compare them to the factory intake, the more it seems to me that you'd end up with the same result by going with a good panel filter in the factory intake vs replacing the whole thing.

About the only exception I can forsee is the S&B with the scoop helping to bring the IAT down a bit. However, for the same $400 that intake costs, a tuner is a much better investment.

What might be really interesting would be to buy just the S&B Scoop, and find a way to integrate it into the factory airbox.

So, does anyone have the ability to test these things or maybe know someone who does?

 

[Shawn226]

Buying an intake solely isn't going to affect much, but when paired with a good exhaust and then a tuner, is when it'll really start to show it's gains. It's the tripod effect as my good friend who is a diesel mechanic explained it to me. Just a little tip, which you probably already knew, but that's all I'm able to contribute

 

[Oilbelcher]

Air flow is meaningless unless you modify for computer to 1) ask/allow for more air, 2) and then do something with that extra air. So agree with Shawn. The tuner needs to be designed to request/allow more air. Most modern engines will not make use of extra air, and might actually call for less air if it senses less filter resistance (emissions and other reasons, engine is trying hard to stay in parameters).

 

[Oilbelcher]

You are not talking about the ability of filter elements to protect the engine? I would stay away from any oil based filter media. They let way too much dirt into the engine

 

[jcat]

Buying an intake solely isn't going to affect much, but when paired with a good exhaust and then a tuner, is when it'll really start to show it's gains. It's the tripod effect as my good friend who is a diesel mechanic explained it to me. Just a little tip, which you probably already knew, but that's all I'm able to contribute

Air flow is meaningless unless you modify for computer to 1) ask/allow for more air, 2) and then do something with that extra air. So agree with Shawn. The tuner needs to be designed to request/allow more air. Most modern engines will not make use of extra air, and might actually call for less air if it senses less filter resistance (emissions and other reasons, engine is trying hard to stay in parameters).

Well right, but the tuner would then even make this test more valuable. I guess I should have clarified that. After you spend $500 on a tuner and tunes, could you get the same result out of a $50 drop in panel filter in the factory airbox and save $350 for other stuff for your truck, or is a $400 intake a better investment to take full advantage of your $500 tuner investment.

 

[audio1der]

1) You'll be hard pressed to find anyone here who agrees any filter made by K&N would be #1. Their "CAI" kits are actually warm air intakes as they draw air from the engine compartment. They are the loudest, so if you want the most "romp noise" from the skinny pedal it might be your best best. Their filter media itself is garbage.

2) A tuner- Superchips, BullyDog or Diablosport all do SO many more functions like disabling MDS, allowing for speedo correction for larger tires, trans tuning, etc. You DO get what you pay for with a tuner, especially of you go for a custom tune made just for YOUR truck.

3) A Green (the brand name) or S&B panel filter in your stock intake housing, with a DIY ram-air tube into the bottom of the filter box may be as good as any aftermarket offering thanks to the stock box drawing air from the quater panel. I spent almost $500 on my S&B setup and would love to go back in time and save $400+ of that on the above setup.

 

[jcat]

1) You'll be hard pressed to find anyone here who agrees any filter made by K&N would be #1. Their "CAI" kits are actually warm air intakes as they draw air from the engine compartment. They are the loudest, so if you want the most "romp noise" from the skinny pedal it might be your best best. Their filter media itself is garbage.

2) A tuner- Superchips, BullyDog or Diablosport all do SO many more functions like disabling MDS, allowing for speedo correction for larger tires, trans tuning, etc. You DO get what you pay for with a tuner, especially of you go for a custom tune made just for YOUR truck.

Read my post again, and post an informed comment. Your post tells me you did not read.

 

[audio1der]

I was supporting your comments with more than an 'I agree".

 

[BoldAdventure]

Agreed

1) You'll be hard pressed to find anyone here who agrees any filter made by K&N would be #1. Their "CAI" kits are actually warm air intakes as they draw air from the engine compartment. They are the loudest, so if you want the most "romp noise" from the skinny pedal it might be your best best. Their filter media itself is garbage.

K&N is garbage. They're riding high on brand name recognition and hoping no one is the wiser. And they can, because most folks aren't the wiser. They don't even try anymore, all their kits are over priced garbage, "Here's a plastic tube, a filter and a little plastic shield to go around it, now give us $300.00"

---------

To your original point on CFM, it might go up over stock with the better smoother intake tubes offered by the other brands, where the OEM probably creates a lot of turbulence.

 

[jcat]

I was supporting your comments with more than an 'I agree".

gotcha, your #3 was not there when I quoted.

 

[jcat]

To your original point on CFM, it might go up over stock with the better smoother intake tubes offered by the other brands, where the OEM probably creates a lot of turbulence.

yeah but does it really create more turbulence? I haven't pulled it out to look inside and see, but it seems that all the grid on the outside is there for is rigidity, and I imagine it does not translate to the inside. The inside I can only assume is smooth with only the IAT sensor in there, and the overall shape of the tube is pretty much the exact same thing as say the LMI carbon tube, or just about any CAI tube you get.

That volant is nice looking, sure. But you're at near as makes any difference $600 to get it and their cold air scoop. S&B you're looking at 450-500. I just don't see it being worth it at all vs. an upgraded panel filter.

Now the Vararam is obviously different. That I'd put in the class of stuff that you won't see impact on a dyno, but will see on the street and on the butt dyno. But again, what's the real improvement for $350 over an upgraded panel filter?

 

[audio1der]

I've never looked inside my stock intake tube (I can later this morning) but can say that grid crap continues on the inside of the intake manifold! I ground as much of it down as I could when port matching my TB.

 

[DavidRam]

VaraRam Dyno

http://www.ramforum.com/f44/vararam_intake_comparison_dyno-40643/

 

[BlownGP]

http://www.ramforum.com/f44/vararam_intake_comparison_dyno-40643/

BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





I could really care less. I run my spectre CAI and love it. Looks great too.

 

[DavidRam]

BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





I could really care less. I run my spectre CAI and love it. Looks great too.

Ouch that hurt my ears man! Lol
The cai argument is often blown out of proportion... I have the VaraRam and like it. I had a Volant w/scoop and liked it.
Did either of them throw me back in my seat? Nope.
I just hope I don't change my mind again, because I have spent $850 on these damn things so far! Lol!

 

[kris319]

This has basically become a thread of is it worth the money to me...

Yes some of these setups such as Volant and S&B will run you somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 for minor gains. Sure you can fabricate something similar using your oem intake but it really comes down to what is it worth to you. I prefer spending the cash and getting a nice finished product while you may not.

I agree a CAI at those prices wouldn't be my first mod simply based on the price/gains ratio when compared to say a tuner or even a throttle body.

I'm sure many people would say that we're crazy for modding our trucks period and that spending anything outside of what you paid for the truck is a waste.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[DavidRam]

This has basically become a thread of is it worth the money to me...

Yes some of these setups such as Volant and S&B will run you somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 for minor gains. Sure you can fabricate something similar using your oem intake but it really comes down to what is it worth to you. I prefer spending the cash and getting a nice finished product while you may not.

I agree a CAI at those prices wouldn't be my first mod simply based on the price/gains ratio when compared to say a tuner or even a throttle body.

I'm sure many people would say that we're crazy for modding our trucks period and that spending anything outside of what you paid for the truck is a waste.

^^^ Agree.

 

[BLKMAGIC]

True enough man...but once you get that itch, its all over haha

 

[EdmontonSS]

While I agree with most that has been said already... I just wanted to offer up this :

Switch AFE with Airaid. I had an AFE installed on the truck when I bought it and hated it for two reasons.

1. Because it attaches to the bottom half of the stock box, it sat a bit higher and seemed to always wanted to pop loose.
2. The elbow was hitting the underside of the hood. Side by side, the afe elbow is longer than the airaid/volant elbow. I could hear it bang every time I closed the hood. No bueno.

An oiled filter letting in more dirt than a dryflow filter... I would be interested in seeing the data on this. The age-old debate on oiled vs. dryflow has mainly been about the amount of oil you get on your MAF sensor. But this can be chalked up to people simply not being patient and letting the oil dry as recommended (8-10hours). I have ran oiled intakes on all my vehicles since I started modding, and have never had a MAF failure due to excessive oil.

Now, this is not to say that intakes such as the vararam or volant are inferior to an airaid intake.. in actuality they are probably equal to or a bit better flowing. For the price and the fitment, the airaid is a good option with a great sound and easy install.

 

[jcat]

http://www.ramforum.com/f44/vararam_intake_comparison_dyno-40643/

BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





I could really care less. I run my spectre CAI and love it. Looks great too.

all well and good, but I did clarify in the first post that the Vararam is sort of a different story only because it's the only one that doesn't borrow it's design from the factory intake tube.