i drive a 97 F150 with the 5.4L...ive heard both sides of the story on this k&n product...very interested in purchasing one but want to know if it is really worth the money. Heard great praise about the low rpm power, throttle response, great sound, and about 1-3 better mpg? also considering purchasing a throttle body spacer? Heard its a cheap accessory with decent HP gains?

any suggestions??


-Drew

 

There will always be 2 sides to the K&N conflict. Some say they get better mileage and power with it and others say the opposite. I think it just depends on what other mods have been done and how you drive the truck. A few also say the oil from teh filter will mess up the MAF. As long as you don't over service it with the oil, you'll be fine. I think the majority will say it is better though. I can't say if there was a difference with mine. I've had it for 5 years.

The spacer is another story. They were good on vehicles with carbs. Newer vehicles with FI don't benefit much, if at all, from it. Most people will say they are snake oil.

 

Throttle Body Spacers do nothing, like ^ said. The only thing you might get is a irritating whistle on hard acceleration, and you don't get the added hp that they claim.

As for the intake, I strongly feel that you should go with another less restrictive closed box design intake. Volant or S&B are the only two that I can think of at the moment. With the Volant, you have the option of purchasing the additional ram air tube with the basic kit roughly $250. The S&B is the same exact except without the option of the ram air tube and you get a clear box top, so you can see the filter. With that kit only $210. I have the S&B on my 4.6, along with a Magnaflow cat-back. With those two, it helps the engine breath a little better, producing a lot more throttle response and low end.