Volant CAI install

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
I'm putting in a Volant cold air intake, number 16759 in my 2005 5.9. It's supposed to be very close to a drop in, but it's not, at least not on my truck and I'll show pictures of what I had to do to make it fit.

Interestingly enough, the same problem I have with the Volant kept me from installing a stock airbox I got off Craigslist.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
Nope. Not a thing as far as I'm concerned, but my truck didn't come with one, and the one I got off craigslist wouldn't fit. It looked correct but it just would not seat. This is a compromise.
 
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
So this is what I was replacing. Sounds like the runway at a major airport and sucks in all of that hot under hood air.

20220712_162756.jpg
 
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
Part of the problem I had with getting the stock air box to seat was the inner fender shield was just in the way. I had the same issue with the Volant and had to do some surgery. I don't have a before picture, but this is what I had to get rid of.

20220712_155113.jpg



This is why



20220712_155155.jpg
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
This is what I end up with. If you try this, be very careful of your AC lines. You can see where one of the previous owners gouged through the paint getting the original airbox out.
20220712_162508.jpg
 
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
So the airbox and filter mount is a two piece affair and fit is.... questionable. This shows the gaps on both sides that point into the engine bay.

20220712_155217.jpg
 
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
Not dealing with that. So I made a gasket out of some ballistic foam packing material.

20220712_164432.jpg20220712_164424.jpg

20220712_165325.jpg


Sealed up tight.
 
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
So up in one of the pictures above you will see the speed nuts that replace the rubber grommets that the stock airbox uses. The bolts they include look to be nice stainless bolts. The only problem is they are at least 1/2 inch too short. Had to get some replacements out of the garage.
20220712_180337.jpg
 
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
Once I got the bolts in the airbox, everything else was fairly simple. I had to drill the tube for the airflow sensor screws. The kit comes with two rubber washers. Those are spacers. You want to set the sensor in the hole, start the screws with the rubber spacers between sensor body and the tube and then slowly tighten the screws in an alternating fashion until you just snug the rubber spacer. You DO NOT want to push the sensor all the way into the tube or the o-ring acts like a lock. Sorry, no picture.


The air filter just squeezes into the box. If you guys have taken the glove box door off, it's like that.

20220712_181426.jpg
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
And then it's just tightening all of the clamps. Getting the sleeve that mates the intake tube to the airbox is best done with the bolts that hold the airbox in place loose. With the air filter off and the sleeve on the tube, you can reach through the air filter mount to help get the sleeve over the airbox side.

This is what it looks like all done.

20220712_184550.jpg
 
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
I ran it for just a minute to see what it sounded like. No comparison to what was there. I like the wine of a turbo as much as the next guy, but on my truck that other intake was like a megaphone. It was deafening. The Volant is MUCH quieter. I would say very close to stock, but I have not heard a stock 05 so I can't really say. I like the sound, that's what I was going for. That and an intake that draws fresh air.

I'm pretty happy with the end product, but I had to "add 3" to make it a 10.

The box includes a round "take off" on the bottom so you can add a snorkel. May try that in the future just to say I did.
 
Last edited:

Fuel35 67

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Aug 18, 2019
Posts
311
Reaction score
194
Location
Hanford
Ram Year
2011
Engine
6.7 Cummins
I like it when people take something not designed to be there and make it fit/function! Good job!
 
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
Well, this was supposed to be designed to be there, just some of the execution was sloppy. But if it dropped right in it would not have been any fun to do so I'm good with it :)
 

Fuel35 67

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Aug 18, 2019
Posts
311
Reaction score
194
Location
Hanford
Ram Year
2011
Engine
6.7 Cummins
You sss as I’d it wasn’t a drop in for your truck, that’s why I said that I liked the “execution” of it. Good job all around.
 
OP
OP
Oliver Closehauf

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
Sorry for the confusion. It was supposed to be a drop in, but it turned out not to be. That's what I meant.

I'll edit that post so it's more clear.
 

06 Dodge

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2022
Posts
1,900
Reaction score
1,781
Location
Forest Grove, Oregon
Ram Year
2022
Engine
6.7L CTD
Now that you tell us why I understand why you installed it, sad part is the factory box air flow is good for 500 HP so I never did understand why so many bought into the idea they needed more air....
 
Top