You get what you pay for.

 

Well maybe I spoke too soon on the cheapo intake I bought on ebay...just pulled it off to do some routine maintenance and here's what I found:


The intake has been on my truck for a year or so, maybe 10k miles. I have to say though that there have been no codes or engine lights and the truck seems to run normally.

 

What you should do is run down to the dollar store and get some of there most expensive duct tape to fix that!

 

damn mines holding up find i re oil my every so often with armorall but it doesnt crack. what type of climate are u in. usually salty and freezing temperatures will dry rubber out enough that it will crack

 

ok.. so what does the k&n do from keeping the engine running too rich or too lean?

 

I got one of the 20$ intakes on ebay last month and I would have to say that the clamps and filter are junk. But you can pick up a k&n cone filter for around 45$ and some new clamps for 4 or 5$. The tube seems to be fine but I don't like how they made the pice for the filter to mount to. I gained 1.5 mpg on the hwy. but stayed the same with city driving.

 

They don't do anything. In fact, none of these manufacturers needs to do anything. It's called "adaptive fuel strategy" and Ford (as well as many other manufacturers) has been using it for about 18 years now (at least). Why do you think you have sensors like IAT, ACT, O2, ECT, etc.? The engine has base fuel tables that are designed around what all of the standard components are capable of doing and then it has the adaptive strategy for dealing with changing driving conditions.

Welcome to 1988.

 

wow i didnt know that. thanks

 

No problem. I have been doing some tuning on a (race) car that I have and I have had to learn a lot of this stuff over the last few years. It's all pretty cool stuff. In a lot of cases you will find that certain things you do to a modern fuel injected engine will actually do nothing at all because of this adaptive strategy.

Definitely cool stuff.

 

Mine was on the nav for about a year and a half before I changed to the blower setup. My rubber connectors still look brand new. But even if they rotted off and I paid another $40 to get a whole nother kit, I'd still be $100+ better off than someone who spent $200+. And all this talk about running rich or lean with a particular brand, thats a load of horse chit. Using an air intake system has never once caused me to kick a code on 15+ vehicles, 13 of which were fords.

 

Agreed. Plug all sensors in and eliminate the airleaks and there shouldn't be any problems.

But, do you guys really think these things do anything besides maybe make a little bit more noise? The STOCK intake is NOT a restriction to a STOCK motor. Replacing engine internals and/or raising the redline is what makes power. Gearing will get you your torque. And how can anybody seriously expect to gain HP AND MPG???

 

Well, I don't think they are going to do you a massive gain like lots of people think they will (and some expect) Now, as in my case and a few others on here, with a blower it obviously will help us as we are pulling (or pushing, however you see it) as much air as possible. I just tonight tested mine to 9 psi.

One thing I have seen on here, and I say this in an informational only manner so I don't need the after effects it has caused elsewhere, that Mr. Troyer claims 30HP at like 3000 RPM with a simple intake. Now I for one don't believe that for a second. I don't even think a car with a blower would benefit 30HP from a simple pipe and filter. But to each his own, so you vehement Troyer defenders need not turn this into a rampage, I'm just quoting MT and saying that I disagree with his point.

 

Do these really work? Well, there has been documented evidence that it does make a difference.

Just keep in mind that manufacturers don't always design these systems for maximum performance. NVH is one of the key factors. Customers don't like noise that they don't understand. Issues like servicability, appearance and simple manufacturing all play into these designs.

How it comes from the factory isn't always the best way.

 

Yeah, I don't believe that claim for a second either. Even with intake tube completely gone from the system those numbers for hp are very high, and at 3000 RPM even more unbelievable. Any hp gain would be way at the very top of the redline and low end torque would be compromised.

Really, these intakes do nothing to make you faster, quicker or more powerful except by cutting the workload by lightening you wallets.

 

No, it's definitely not ALWAYS the best way, but for a motor with STOCK internals it is. What is it on the intake that you all think it so restrictive anyway??? I mean come one, the MAF and Throttle body are the biggest suspects here, not the whole tube. The real restriction is on the exhaust side anyways, and I'm not talking about the exhaust pipes or muffler.


EDIT: And as for servicability, well, Ford didn't design these things around that idea, that's for sure!