Just wondering what the consensus was on here. I know that the different ram air packages (JL Ram Air, PSP FASTAir, home made ram airs) are yielding another pound or two of boost, so I'm sure those setups may give a slight seat of pants feel. But I want to know on those of you who have STOCK TRUCKS (no pulleys, chips, etc.) with a regular air intake system and nothing else, can you honestly say it made any difference for you..........Seat of pants, dyno, et's, anything?

I know that once you get into added boost, it obviously helps, and is almost a requirement, but I am really interested if in fact an air intake and nothing else is really doing anything for you.

My feeling is that aside from the ramair setups, a K&N filter with the bottom cut out is probably yielding the best results.........at least from the posts I'm seeing.

plz advise and thanks,
JC

 

Went from 8 lbs to 10 lbs of boost with just a K&N filter change.. cant see spending the money for anything else just now.

 

I don't see how they help.

 

We did a fair amount of testing about a year ago and here were a few of the conclusions:

These trucks are very sensitive to air temps entering the air filter.

Any filter design that allowes hot air coming off the radiator is a problem on a street driven truck.

Open air filters give lots of blower wine. This may be bad or good depending on your point of view

k&n panel filters will not increase your power but they can be cleaned often. A clean k&n makes a lot more power than than a dirty stock filter.

A ram air set up will give very little if any added boost from scooping air but they will scoop in lots of water, bugs, leaves sand ....if driven on the street.

Air intakes must be at least one 3" dia tube. 4" can be done but is a challange to get thru to the front of the truck. A few people use 2 - 3" tubes.

Most of the posts are based on opinions of drag racers that are running on a cold motor, before the radiator gets to 180 and opens to cause these issues. I drive on the street using obd2 readers, inch of water vaccum gauges and accelerometers to get data, not noise and a$$ometers for an opinion.

For ideas, see http://www.ncs-stl.com/Images/air1.jpg

http://www.ncs-stl.com/Images/air2.jpg

http://www.ncs-stl.com/Images/air3.jpg

Hope this helps

 

Andy,
love those pics, but even with this setup, what was the true add'l pickup? if any? I am doing the K&N because you can clean it and because it flows more air dirty than a clean paper filter..
curious minds have got to know

 

just being able to hear the whine of the blower is worth replacing the stock airbox,with the airbox removed and replaced with a cone filter you will scare small children old people and cats!!!

 

It depends on the year Of your truck. 99-00 trucks have a hole in the fender that is too small. 01-02 trucks have a HAND cut hole in the fender that is tackey at best for a factory mod.

When I only run the 2000 setup with only the fender mod, I get about 9" of water vac below the panel filter in the air box. With the 3" tube added, I get about 4 " of water.

The air temp at speed runs about 6 degrees over the outside temp. As far as 1/4 mile times... I don't race the truck and doing around 0 to110 on the street is frowned on by the police around here.

Bottom line every truck I have done this to is still running the stock airbox with the 3" tube setup at least on the street setup.

Andy

 

Just get the Airaid kit....... made a killer diff on my truck . but then again i have a 99......... and if you wana get it i can get it for dirt cheap.......

 

Andy,

I forgot to mention a while back that I read thru that paper you email me. I'll try to find my notes on it and send them to you. The theory and lab tests are in line with your tests and assumptions.

Spike

 

I have the Airaid kit and it has a slight seat of pants increase and it really makes the blower alot louder, which I love.

 

Only a FULLY closed ram air setup will allow Water to be scooped up, No Tuner sells one. The JL & PSP system's are open up top and keep from sucking up water...

 

Hey Dave, Can you hook me up with one of these?

 

I agree with Awhittle about the K/N making very little power(if any) but to tell you the truth the conical filters DO make power..especially with a larger pulley and chip.More boost creates more demand for air and the conical does deliver! As far as the warm air issue goes, when your truck is moving the warm air practically dissappears and cool air is funneled in from under and throgh the fenders as well as the grill..and thats a fact.The Airraid system is excellent because it does promote some sheilding but I know my truck as well as others run as good without the sheild.But the filters do run much better with the formentioned mods.

 

To be honest i didnt feel any seat of the pants power after installing ym JDM 12' filter, but i love the whine. However, my ET has shown some impovement after installing just the filter. I also have a cutout (and ET streets at the track). I used to run consisten 13.7z but i dipped down to a 13.32 amazingly. I think it is all weather conditions. If its cool outside, weather permitting, and your truck is nearly cold that is when the SOTP feelings really come on.

 

I have no empirical data to offer as Andy does, but my L has had a JL Ram Air(scoop with one tube) and now has PSP's Fast Air(scoop with two 3" tubes and a steel 'box' to somewhat isolate the conical filter from fan-wash and radiator heat).

With both kits, I used an Outerwear 'sock' to encase the filter and protect it from debris. I never get trash around either filter, though some sand would collect at the lowest part of the tubes sometimes.

Water has never been an issue and mine is driven rain or shine. I have even sat my L in those no-touch, high-pressure truck washes--with the eng. idling--and no water got to the filter then either.

My L is responsive(I know, just a SOTP 'feeling') on the street as well as at the strip and I do run 12 sec. ets when running hot-laps too. As to how much they would help an otherwise stock L, I d/k because when I started modding, I added the JL filter, pulley, and chip all at once.

Dan