I have been looking at both the AIRAID CAI system and the MAC Products Motoblue CAI system. Anyone know which gives the better performance?? Or any other brands I should look at.

Thanks.

 

I like JLP's Ram air induction kit or PSP's fast air system. Both are quality products and you would be happy with either one. Check them out .

www.johnnylightningperf.com

www.powersurgeperformance.net

 

There is always the $15 home depot and 2 hours in the garage CAI kit.

Rich

 

Oh man, here we go again!!!

 

I got the PSP unit and love it. It doesn`t look aftermarket either but does look racey. Two ducts for air to enter as opposed to one with the JLP unit. Go with the PSP unit, it`s the original and still the best.

 

I have Sals fast air kit. Excellent addition. JLPs is also a nice quality piece. Either are great choices.

 

i have read about a lot of people using the stock airbox and dropping in a K&N. Then drill 2 3-4 inch holes in the bottom of the box and get some ducting @ home depot and make your own "fast air" or "ram air" whatever u want to call it. exact same thing as PSP or JLP. I have also read several peops say this method(using the stock box + K&N) will support up to approx. 450rwhp. I haven't actually done this myself, just passing on some good info i have read. my .02

 

 

Jalin,

Read this old thread https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...hlight=camcojb It's got some great information on the Airaid and some other open intake setups. I met Jody (camcojb) this past Saturday and this guy knows his stuff!

And the button is your friend

Steve

 

Love my JLP Cold Air Kit.......



Love that whiiiiiiiiiiiine!!!!!!!!!

 

Just get a nice 12" cone filter kit. Don't waste your $$$ on any fresh air ductwork. The lower IAT temps have almost no affect on your IAT2 temps, which are the ones that matter anyway.

A buddy of mine and me proved this out over a 1000+ mile round trip to Lightning Fest and back. He has a fresh air kit and his IAT temps were pretty much ambient air temp. I have a 12" open element cone filter with no ducts or heat shield. My IAT temps would be consistently 12-15 deg over ambient. My IAT2 temps (after intercooler) were actually lower than his, and we have pretty much identical mods.

That being said, it pretty much demonstrates that our intercoolers are very efficient, and cooler incoming air is not needed in our trucks.

 

Many others have reported dramatically different results:

As reported by soap from F150 Online:

Was helping a friend this weekend work on his L. He has the full PSP Fast Air kit. I wanted to check out how it worked so when work was done we took a ride up to the local parts store and I did a little data logging. We drove 3 minutes to the store and parked. In the 12 minutes we idled in the parking lot the IAT rose from 82* to 146*. 11 seconds after pulling out on the main road (45mph) the IAT dropped to 82* . . . 1* warmer than the outside temp reading of 81*.

FYI . . . I logged another friend's L the same day. All he has is a open element cone filter, no ram air or fresh air kit. On the freeway cruising at 70MPH his IAT never got below 92*. The outside temp at that time was 78*.

"Ltnbolt" from the F150 Online boards reports on the PSP FASTAir kit:

"had DealerJim's Autotap hooked up to my truck last night. The air inlet temp started at 109 degrees while idling for about 15 minutes while we setup the laptop.

As I drove down the street in the rain at about 40 mph the temp started dropping. After about a mile it was in the high 80's when I stopped to make a turn. In another 1/2 mile it was down to the same temp my overhead thermometer was reading which was 73 degrees.

It would start climbing every time I stopped for a light and drop quickly to outside temp when I started moving again."

"Silver 2000" reports:

"I'm recording just 2 to 10 degrees over ambient in the same temps w/ the stock airbox. . . . w/ the modified stock airbox [holes drilled in the stock airbox] I'm seeing anywhere up to 50 over ambient in traffic and low speed cruising. When on the highway or interstate I'm getting +20 over around 55 to 60 and about +10 over at 80."

Wydopnthrtl reports:

"It takes a steady 30 mph to "flush" the hot air from the face of an "open" filter. I'm not nearly finished yet, but I can tell you already I'm definitely going to end up with an enclosed/fresh air setup. So far I'm seeing temp differences of up to 50 degrees F (at filter face)."

Camcojb collected some excellent data in May 2004:

I had the Swanson $300. open air filter setup with nice billet aluminum MAF adapter and anodized aluminum brackets and air diverter. Very nice quality. I always wondered about the IAT though. So I did some datalogging yesterday and since I thought I knew what was going to happen I had ordered an Airaid system to replace it.

It was 83 degrees yesterday and today when I tested. I drove the exact same 40 mile round trip with a mix of in-town and rural 55-65 mph open roads.

Yesterday I had the Swanson 4" by 9" open K&N filter and their brackets and panels which supposedly block and divert hot fan air from the filter on the truck. Once going and up to temp the IAT1 temps (at the MAF) were at least 17-18 degrees above ambient. The IAT2 temps (after the intercooler) were between 25 and 30 degrees above that. So for a cruise on an 83 degree day the IAT1 temps were at about 100 degrees with the IAT2 temps between 125-130 degrees. This was the best case while at a steady cruise of at least 55 mph and no stop lights. Swanson told me they stay within 10 degrees of ambient.

When you got into traffic the temps rose quickly. Averaged 30-40 degrees above ambient with the below 45 mph heavy traffic and occasional red lights. Saw a high of 130 degrees (47 degrees above ambient!) sitting at a couple of lights. The IAT's stayed about 25-30 above this which put them over 150 degrees at points, and we're not under any boost yet. What surprised me the most was that the IAT1 temps took so long to drop even when moving in traffic. I mean literally miles to get 4-6 degrees of drop. I had to run at 55 mph without stopping for about 10 miles to get them back to 17 to 20 degrees above ambient again.

Today I installed the Airaid. I've heard good and bad, but figured it had the exact same filter as the Swanson and was basically enclosed, drawing air through the (probably) too small factory hole in the fenderwell. I am planning on adding a fresh air hose to the box for additional cool air, but decided to go ahead and try it just to see if there was a difference.

Same exact route and same temp today so it was a very even comparison. On the open road section my IAT1 temps were within 3-4 degrees of ambient for an improvement of 13-14 degrees. The IAT2 temps were the same 25-30 degrees higher, but of course were lower than the open filter due to the IAT1 temps being so much lower.

In town traffic and stop lights saw the same temp rise as before, but never exceeded 22 degrees over ambient, versus up to 47 degrees over with the open filter. Most of the time they remained 12-15 degrees over ambient. But the biggest difference was in how fast the temps dropped when you pulled away from the light. Before it took miles (literally) to see a 6 degree drop in temps at the IAT1. With the enclosed unit they dropped 10 degrees within a 1/4 mile tops, and dropped the rest of the way to 3-4 above ambient within 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile. HUGE difference as the IAT2 temps are so much improved due to the lowered IAT1 temps.

It's basically like jumping on your truck on a 65 degree day versus jumping on it on a 85-90 degree day. There's (on my truck) a 20-25 degree reduction on the in-town slower speed stuff and 14-15 degree reduction out on the open road.

Finally, as well said by Kenne Bell:

"Right there on the list [of most ridiculous products] has to be those "underhood exposed filters" that suck in 200° underhood air instead of ambient (70°-100° air from the fenderwell). 10° air temp rise is -1% HP. That's how dynos are calibrated for temperature changes. Does anyone really believe that all those OEM manufacturers designed expensive plastic inlet systems - for the last 20 years - that pull cool air from the fenderwell, hood or grill because they didn't have anything else to spend their money on?"

 

We report, you decide. That's what's so great about the internet, we can all learn from each other and share our experiences.

Many others have experienced the same results we gathered as well. I know for a fact that our trucks are identically modded except for the CAI. We run identical MPH in the 1/4. So does it matter to me what my IAT1 is? No, because my IAT2 is the same as the next guy with a fresh air setup. I won't be spending any more on one myself. Just my .02

 

fantastic post tim, one of your best. i wonder if you have been reading airtroops post on nloc. that same 200 degree theroy is being used on warped blower cases

 

Not aimed at you lightninquick....

The "hot air is causing premature blower wear" in my opinion is a line of bull**** that KB is spewing to try and pin blower failures on someone other than themselves. Sorry to be so blunt, but that rhetoric is pure nonsense.