I am starting to think that removing the tube out of the air box may be causing the poor performance I am experiencing. I am thinking about the K&N FIPK to fix the problem, and thoughts?

 

I can almost guarantee you that will cause a problem at low to mid rpm's. That is not necessarily a silencer tube. If you look at it closely, it's a tube within a tube. The openings from the inner tube to the outer chamber allow for resonance tuning, intake plenum volume. The more you read on engines you realize that intake valume is critical for performance tuning in certain rpm ranges. By opening that up the way you do, you totally disrupt this tuning not to mention the air flow characteristics. Air will flow better in a smooth 3" tube than a rough convoluted 4" path. Less turbulence. When you look at the performance stats for the FIPK's they quote peak HP and TQ gains. Usually they will occur at upper RPM's, not necessarily where you are running the engine in day to day driving. I'd love to see a dyno plot of the stock intake tube with K&N filter, and their tube with K&N filter to see the total effect on the power band. They don't every seem to show that, at least I haven't seen it. Just my .02 but I do know that the elimination of the resonance chambers on some imports can cause up to a 10% loss of power in the mid and low rpm ranges, only benefitting about a 5% gain up top. Hardly worth it.

 

Have you tried resetting the PCM? Also, if it's recently become hot where you live, that could be the reason for your degraded performance. I noticed no loss of performance by doing the airbox mod on the Expedition.

 

Irutt--I agree with you on the graph,,I would like to see some real figures on the torque curve and where it moves it in comparison to the stock peak rpm for the torque...I just cant bring myself to buy the FIPK...

From the article that I saw dyno before and after it only added 5hp and 5 ft lbs....I would think you could almost get that from the filter alone...Then if that wasn't enough one of the smooth flow elbows would probably do that....

I know the idea air intake is in front of the truck(cold induction),,I will settle for the fender for now until I can come up with a ramair/cold induction package....

I cant believe that someone doesnt have this out on the market..

Manufacturers----are u listening...

 

FORDTRK et al,

I noticed a drop in performance in the low-mid range when I removed the inner tube. I'm thinking about putting the tube back in.

However, a question for NOMO:
Reset the PCM? Is that the computer or another sensor?

As for the K&N filter....I pulled mine out and then put back the stock filter; drove around for about 50 miles and couldn't stand the drop in performance. After putting the K&N back, I'm much happier. It just didn't respond as well with the stock filter.

Thanks!

 

Powertrain Control Module...pull the battery cable and let sit 15 mins...restart, let idle relearn, then redrive to teach PCM new parameters...

 

Thank you Mach 1

 

FYI---generally after mods reset the PCM so that it can reconize and retune for these changes..

you are welcome...