hi everyone i'm new to this forum and i just bought a 97 f-150 4x4 flareside 4.6 v8. I love the truck it's awsome looking and love the power, my old truck is an 88 f-150 4x2, can't kill that thing. anyways i want to purchase a cold air intake and want to know what is the best for this truck, and do they really make that much of a difference. also i just put on a flowmaster, cat back system and it sounds sweet i love it. if anyone can point me in the right direction as to which induction system to go with i'd be very gratefull, thanks guy's looking forward to hearing from you.

 

In my personal opinion, I like the K&N FIPK for a couple reasons:

1. They are well established and proven quality

2. The pipe from the filter to the throttle body is made of plastic which does not conduct the heat of the motor into the airflow like the pretty metal tubes do...

 

i have another question, i'v seen the air force one and other intake systems and am wondering how they can call it a cold air intake when all it is doing is sucking hot air from under the hood. shouldn't it be drawing fresh air from outside, it just doesn't make sense to me. I think it's a ripoff am i wrong?

 

1. jonny 220 - nice sig!
2. bikenut--i have a K*N drop in filter already. Can i buy a FIPK with out the filter? or do i have to buy the whole thing? How much power will i get from a FIPK?
thanks

 

Unless it is snowing where you are at, there is not a single cold air intake, that is a marketing term.

As for the open vs closed element FIPKs there is not a huge temp delta between the open element FIPK, and outside ambient air temp, as a WMS or Voliant would make someone believe.

I did the logs from AutoTap on open element FIPKs and found at worst a 5 deg delta from ambient air temp to Intake air temp, while driving.
This is not SOP testing, but actual readings from the truck's computer using AutoTap software.
https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...threadid=85409

Take a look over all the mfgrs and buy what you like best, don't let the closed vs open elemet monkey shine get in the way of what you want to buy. Take the specs on flow rates, and HP increase that a perf. vendor has to offer, and decide on that, don't let the closed element wives tail limit the field of mfgr to select from.
BTW : I had a K&N and actually changed it to a ROUSHFAN-1 intake mod. Works great, and the flow rates oin the MAFS seem better with the filter that JLP uses, over the K&N filter with the chrome cap on it. But this might not be a big deal to some, just more so a science experiment that I did, and left the last one one.
The delta in the MAFS flow rates might not warrent the additional cost to some people.

Long story short, buy what you like, that fits you budget.
The K&N is still a good FIPK in my book, and I do not have 1st hand knowledge on the AF1, iceman or Volaint..so take the above statements with that in mind. I don't have flow rates on them, maybe a performance vendor might have them all, flow rate wise, as well as HP increase wise.

 

Im almost positive that you cannot use your drop in filter with the FIPK system and I also dont think you can buy the FIPK system without a filter for a savings unfortunately.


>>> Im going to run a test on my FIPK. Im going to zip tie a temp. sensor to the actual filter and drive around and compare it to ambient. I'll let you guys know the outcome. I think Scullys results will be correct, but I wanna see for myself

 

If you use a WMS, then yes. It uses the origional air box, and filter. The WMS is a MAFS to T/B replacement part ( 90* elbow ) which is where the IAT sensor is at.

This might be different, as I am using the air temp gauge ( bulb sensor in the MAFS to T/B area.
I do recall another member putting in a outdoor temp and getting WAY different temp readings then me, so don't be suprised if this is the case with you ( maybe I am not sure how true his readings were ). Also I don't know if you will get a temp couple with the this type ( if this is what you are using ) with the probe to the temp gauge wire. Also I had the benefit of having the log being taken against the RPM, mph and MAFS flow rate, and stored so I did not have to try to look at it all the time.

Good luck with the experiment, if you want my AutoTap logs, I can send them to you for you to replay, and check out.

 

Wow!

Forget it, Im just gonna go with your reading since it sounds like you had all right instruments in the right locations. I was just going to use my handy dandy little temp. gauge for the house that has a wire and a sensor that goes outside the window to tell you the outside and inside temp. of the house

~So, when you did the testing, you got an average of 5F diff. ?
Thats pretty decent

 

Sorry that post was not meant to discourage you from testing it yourself, it was more so a disclaimer that they *could* be different then mine.
More data is always a good thing, just try to keep your eye on the road more then on the gauge, so you don't wreck your truck.
I just looked back over posts, and found someone who put that type temp gauge under the hood of the truck, to get temp readings of the engine compartment, but the temp gauge he had stopped at 122* F, so the top end could have been higher then that at a stop.

Don't take the 5* delta, to be at all points, sitting in Chicgo rush hour traffic, the IAT would rise to 194* at a stand still. If you read over the thread, it does note this.
I, for one, don't need tons of air into my truck to idle at a stop light. Just enough so the truck does not stall
My truck is a 4x2, and I'm not going to play monster truck and run over the car in front of me.
The average 5* delta is where it matters most, when the truck is moving.

Do some data collecting of yoru own, it would be good to see what someone else comes up with.
I have yet to find a low cost IEEE data collection interface for my laptop to check the engine compartment temps, but I have a few more months to look, as I don't think air density is a problem around here until MAY
I got all the cold air that the truck can take until then, closed or open element.

 

I was the one who did the temp probe testing. I went back and found my old post.

"I have a MAC Performance intake. I installed a temp probe about 3 inches behind the air filter. On hot days (85+), the temp will reach >122 degrees while idling. During any driving at >35mph the underhood temp maintained 3-4 degrees above the outside air temp. I haven't had any constant driving at <35 to test with."

 

For towing and 4x4ing, Get an ICEMAN and/or Roush Intake, I did and very happy with it. www.ice-man.com.

 

I'm getting this intake when they come out, quite nice looking and a heat shield to boot. I'm thinking of sealing a little better than they do, plus add some of that metal coated insulation you can buy for floors and firewalls. Should look nice and serve a purpose.,,,,98

www.aempower.com

 

The stock intake system is a "cool air intake system", all air is drawn from the fender well and completely out of the engine compartment. This being the case, the stock system is a well engineered system for that reason, but, the Ford engineers hands are tied to designing a system that makes less noise and consistantly mild power gains throughout the powerband. Needless to say, the restrictive 1.5 inch inlet helps the noise level and is probably the easiest place to control the noise. The shape of the existing enclosure, is perfect, and probably took alot of engineering dollars to develope it, either that or they pulled it from a ford pinto, found in a junk yard......kidding.

Shape, material and sizes of the intake itself determines bottomend torque and/or peek Horse power. So in designing an intake system, you would think that these aftermarket intake engineers would take all things into consideration. Makes you wonder...because In most cases, if you look at HP gains, with streight pipe, you have volocity for highest peek HP at high RPMs over most chambered volume intakes, but loose power somewhere within the powerband, with hardly any torque gains. Volume = torque.

Meterial should be considered, although driving temps may be near ambient, 5 degrees F (note: 1/2% of one % loss only), sitting time should be considered, heated thin wall aluminum piping absorbs and transfers heat during idle, making the engine hotter and less efficient during take off and probably a half a mile down the road, throw-in an open element filter and ouch! The funnest statement in regards to this was aluminum cools down faster, so it stays cooler...lol Hello!

heat is not good for any engine, even in the idle mod. I am just glad i dont live in a crowed city, bumper to bumper traffic, that would be crazy.

What ever you go with, you will notice an improvement somewhere, somehow, someplace, even if it is only noise.

Its beer time!

 

So with your recomendation of using the stock filter box, and a filter that is designed for the same ( i.e. a plastic cap on the end of it, with less filter surface ) is how to get Volume ?

Doesn't really compute in my book.
Got an 11" long filter, with filter pleasts in the end of it, for more filter surface.
Couple this with the dual 3" brake ducts that feed it, and from the MAFS flow rates it is out flowing the K&N FIPK, and using the stock Ford MAFS the A/F ratio is within spec.

The Roush / Ice-Man tube looks just like the K&N tube, just in a different color.
Add to this a filter with less surface then the K&N FIPK filter, and it this is the formula for Volume ?

If you can get a copy of AutoTap to use, I would be curious to know what the flow rates are on the Ice-Man kit you have to see if the volume is actually there, as the WMS V Tube and JLP airbox are out flowing the K&N FIPK

And Ouch what ?
The temp readings in the above noted thread ( seems which you did not read ) where taken with the truck's computer, not a meat thermometer. This is what the truck uses to adjust the system.
Don't understand what the vauge statement of ouch was trying to convey.

 

On a normally asperated vehicle, your engine uses only so much CFM, if a filter allows all the air your engine needs with less pressure within the system (restriction), then an 11" larger filter with two open holes in it (filtered of course) wouldnt make any differents and is an over kill and gives you not benefit. Filter surface, needs to be larger than the square inches, plus 30% within your next smallest port, lets say your throttle body or MAS. typically a filter has a 30% surface loss, due to the wire mesh and filter element, of course this is on cotton filters. Foam filter actually flow more, but filters less.

Now for the stock filter enclosure, it does not allow any more volume of air into the engine than a filter on a stick, it only acts as a heat shield, allowing ambient air in and HOT engine compartment air out. What i was refering to, when talking about the enclosure, in its stock configuration it actually acts as a restriction, but causing equal pressure over the filter, due to the restriction, making a more consistant flow of air over the entire filter, and utilizing the entire filter element.

Now for volume. Volume is actually on the clean side of the filter. Taking in for consideration that filter restriction is elemenated or i should say reduced, due to the filter element being used, like an aftermarket filter, AFE or K&N drop-in...ie. surface restriction within the pipe itself, cubic inches of air within your intake pipe, before the filter element restriction kicks in. (in most cases, streight piping gives you a slight lag at lower RPMs), reduced surface restriction, note: plastic is like porting your intake system, it has almost a glass finish and easy to clean. anyway, all of the above allows more volume, making a complete system.

Ive done some research before buying my intake, now the Iceman is completely different than the K&N, it has twice the cubic inches within the system, larger bend radius, gradual reduction in diameter (cone shape for volocity), glass like inside surface (like porting your intake), and utilizes the stock filter enclosure (for shielding tempetures). The 5.4L filter enclosure has a 2.0 diameter snorkle, the Iceman removes the snorkle and gives you a 3.5 inch diameter sleeve that runs into the wheel well compartment, opening your system twice as much, dropping in a high flowing filter that actually supplies the engine with all the air it needs. In fact the stock system design, has a built in air horn, leading into the MAS.

The entire system has to be taken into consideration, temp's, volume and volocity, filter size is only a part of the entire system, of course it can be the killer of the system.....the automotive engineers that designed the stock filter layout, i give props to....with all there parameters they have to work with...there awsome.

When an intake system is designed correctly, the torque and horse power gains will be consistant across the entire powerband, if a streight pipe is used, the peek HP may be good, but, you will have valleys in your horse power gains, and hardly any torque, if not a loss.

torque =