Hey! Did anyone other than me notice that we V6 owners are getting a $30.00 shaft with the FIPK? Even though the "introductory" price is $199.95, why does this kit cost $30.00 bucks more than the V8 kit?

I understand the benefits of this kit but come on, the R&D on this product has already been paid for, hasn't it?

 

New molds, new kits, new packaging (?), new I-sheet, not too sure about projected sales or forcasts... I think?

I like it, My birthday is in October...Anyone?

 

Well, I've gone and done it. I've ordered the Airaid FIPK kit from the online store. This will be a real experiment since I've never done any kind of performance modification on any vehicle I've owned. I decided to get this kit because of the repeated positive comments about the K&N filter package that many F150 owners have installed. I was also swayed by the "Searching for Power" article in the May 2000 Truckin' magazine. They installed a FIPK in a Suburban and this modification alone resulted in a 12hp/22lb-ft of torque increase (dyno tested). I figure if I can get anything similar to this then my mileage can only go up.

 

The one thing that still really concerns me about FIPK is my factory warranty. In the "Engines" thread I think there is a comment that Ford has issued a notice that the oil in K&N filters is clogging MAF sensors and Ford is voiding warranties on trucks equipped with K&N filters. I called my local dealership (Millenium Ford in Seattle) and the service department says the FIPK won't void my warranty, but if the "check engine" light comes on and is attributed to the K&N (oil clogged MAF sensors perhaps?) then I would have to pay the $75 reset fee... I also looked into the warm hood vs. cool fender air and realized this is a big issue in the South like Texas and Virginia, but up here in cool Seattle the summers are mild (1999 summer high was 87 degrees - that summer sucked) so I think the hot air issue will not be a factor.

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White '98 XL,Reg Cab Long Bed, V6, Auto, Lund Interceptor Deflector, Extang Saber Tonneau, F150online.com SuperWhite Bulbs, My lousy gas mileage is better than my girlfriends new 1999 Explorer!

 

Speaking of mileage I've kept a log book since I've owned the truck. Right now I average 14.5 mpg. This is year-round whether I have the 280lbs of sand in the back during the winter (helps with the hydroplaning up here) or when the bed is empty during the summer. I'll let everyone know if my mileage improves.

[This message has been edited by JLMCPW (edited 04-25-2000).]

 

Dear JLMPCW,

Excellent choice, I'm sure you'll like it.

With regards to what your service deparment told you, that sounds fairly accurate, but I did want to point one thing out. It's generally only when these K&N air filters are cleaned and then re-oiled (which is only needed at intervals of 30,000 to 50,000 miles, by the way) improperly, using too much oil, that we see this oil actually migrating and causing problems. K&N offers a cleaning kit that includes their "special" oil, which has a red dye in it so you can literally see where the filter has oil, and where it doesn't, during this re-oiling process after you clean it.

So as long as you do not over-oil the filter after cleaning, you won't have a problem with this. We've been using K&N air filters on every one of our vehicles for many years now, with *never* any hint of this type of problem, because we don't over-oil them when we clean them.

I'm glad to hear your service department didn't try to pull the old "anything aftermarket voids your warranty" line, good for them!

Also, I wouldn't expect to see much of an improvement in actual fuel comsumption with this kit, perhaps .5 mpg at best.

Good luck with your truck,

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Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Online Superchip ordering system:https://www.f150online.com/scpp/index.html

 

Mike, Thanks for the support. Your educated comments throughout this website is one of the leading reasons I made my decision. I agree with your assessment of the migrating oil during the recharge process of the filter. I cannot believe K&N would send a filter dripping of oil so it must be during the recharge process. It will be interesting to see what happens to the performance of my truck. By the way, do you know if the FIPK kit attaches to the same factory mounting points just behind the radiator reservoir or does the filter just rest there and vibrate all over the place?

 

By the way, the dealer service department didn't even know what an FIPK was. Neither did I until I saw this thread. Sure I knew about the K&N filter itself and the claimed perfomance gain, but the issues of the restricted airbox and fender vs. engine compartment air was new. Once I mentioned the K&N filter then the guy seemed to catch on pretty quickly.

[This message has been edited by JLMCPW (edited 04-22-2000).]

 

I received my Airaid FIPK today. It took me about 90 minutes to install. Ran into some problems with the MAF sensor assembly. The two nuts were really torqued tight. I also had two curious neighbors asking what I was doing. Took time to explain what an FIPK was. Anyhow the truck runs great! What a great addition. The throttle response is much better and the engine has a throatier sound to it during high revs. One question though - what do I do with the crankcase air tube? The directions don't say what to do with it after pulling it off the old air assembly. Right now it is just sitting on top of the Airaid. I'm tempted to punch a hole in the rubber 90 elbow for the air tube, but that doesn't seem right to me.

 

Matt at Airaid said there is indeed a little hole in the 90 degree elbow. He said it is easy to overlook because it is in the crook of the elbow.

I went and looked and sure enough it was there. I poked the crankcase ventilation tube right through the hole and my installation is complete.

Matt & Roger - thanks for your help, I appreciate it. --- Colin

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White '98 XL,Reg Cab, 4x2, Long Bed, V6, Auto, Lund Interceptor Deflector, Extang Saber Tonneau, F150online.com SuperWhite Bulbs, Airaid FIPK with K&N Filter.