Intake

[Minitrucker]

I know this will start some debate so here we go. Which is better a little cool air ( stock airbox ) or alot of hot air ( CAI ).

[03 Rado]

There is nothing to debate!
80% of the socalled CAIs should be renamed hot air intakes. Hot air intakes work better than stock when outside temps are under 65 or so since they do allow better amounts of air flow. But over 65 the edge they have in air flows gets taken out and surpasses since unwanted much higher air temps are coming in taking out timing and also density is down.
Factory box has but one problem, its silencer horn on the front. Take the horn out and enlarge the hold to accept a 3-4 inch pcv pipe or something and use some sort of foam-rubber something to seal it to the rad core support and you will have a CAI that will outperform a CAI made to order in all conditions and for the right price!

[Matt 4.3 TBI]

I would think an aftermarket intake with a good heat shield would perform better than the factory parts, but that might be that 20% Rado didn't cover.

For TBI systems, the debate is usually between the factory intake and the open-element filter. One school of thought insists the factory is better since it brings in colder outside air, while the open-element just sucks in the hot air from the engine bay. The other says the open-element is better since it can pull in a much larger volume of air.

In my personal experience I've noticed the open-element performs better, hot air or not. Most people seem to neglect the fact that the factory intake has a small, corrugated intake pipe, and the metal filter housing gets just as hot as the engine surface, thanks to the pre-heater hose and the fact it is a metal drum sitting on top of the TBI (which also gets quite hot when operating, since it's mounted on a water jacket! If I could get only cold air into the filter (such as with a cowl hood and a carb tray) I'm sure it would run even better. A sorta old-school cold air intake :D

So I'm still gonna say the best bet a cold-air intake with a well-designed heat shield.

[LEADFOOT]

I do agree that the CAI are really inhaling hot air. I have the K&N FIPK Gen II. It used to get really hot and inhale hot air. I did a little modifications to keep the heat soak down and keep it from inhaling hot air. Check out my cardomain page to see what I did.

There are some CAI that don't make any sense at all. The ones that are aluminum get hot as hell.

[Minitrucker]

Just for the sake of conversation I guess I should mention I have an 02 4.3 with an AEM on it and am wondering if this is the best in hot summer weather.

[03 Rado]

I've tried and tested K&N FPIK, Volant, Air Aid Quick Fit and just running them tells me the story 100% completely.
Everyone out there tries to copy in some fashion the K&N which I think actually is the worst one out there if you remove there filters. From MAF forward elbows to rear sections with custom bonnets.
Removing the ruffled tube does nothing you can measure for air flow. Changing the bonnet does nothing if it has a surrond to it. The Injection intake with its small bonnet hampers air flow for the intake.
Heat shields do ****!! Not one out there seals off the engine bay. Not one seals it to a direct cooler air source. All have the filter back from the hole opening so all they do is grab the easiest to pull air they can, right from the engine bay since the headlights needs a vacuum draw otherwise its a restriction. I tested with both datalogging and using a electric thermometer air temps around the filter to inlet temps and all show a severe increase in temps the further away from the headlight opening so it proves where it gets its majority of air from.
Quick fit out did the K&N in temps and the Volant INDENTICALLY had the same air temps readings that the stock box offered. Also it seals to the front so it CANNOT draw in underhood air but it very costly.
Again take the horn off the factory one and redo it to the front end, it'll copy the others air flow, lowest temps and cheapest filter!

[Maxx]

So cutting the bottom out of the stock air box is not wise...?

[Minitrucker]

Now I am torn between keeping the AEM or going back to stock box with some mods.

[stepside2k1s10]

If that's the case, putting in a drop-in K&N air filter would be the proper solution...?

[JROD©™®]

I do agree that the CAI are really inhaling hot air. I have the K&N FIPK Gen II. It used to get really hot and inhale hot air. I did a little modifications to keep the heat soak down and keep it from inhaling hot air. Check out my cardomain page to see what I did.

There are some CAI that don't make any sense at all. The ones that are aluminum get hot as hell.

thats petty cool what you did. i had seen an sdime with similar mods, kind of. he modified the body of his truck. he had two air ducts fabricated into the fenders which lead into some air ducts that continued into the underside of the hood which then met at the center of the hood and released all that air that was being sucked in. he did this and still kept the contours of the body...lets see if i could track him down and if my memory served me right...

[JROD©™®]

i like my K&N too...i'd like to improve on it...but it does pretty good on its own. maybe i'll start driving around without the driver side headlight...and just dremel all that pesky metal in the way so the filter can get clean stream of fresh air...plus so all that road debris can find its way into the engine where it belongs :-P

[03 Rado]

i like my K&N too...i'd like to improve on it...but it does pretty good on its own. maybe i'll start driving around without the driver side headlight...and just dremel all that pesky metal in the way so the filter can get clean stream of fresh air...plus so all that road debris can find its way into the engine where it belongs :-P

There was actually over a 1/2 dozen people whom ran without the headlight in place and knocked and average of 2-3 tenths off in doing so. Plus on trucks they did a K&N assembly on a truck and dynoed it and found 1 h.p., but Stacy had the idea to rerun that thing on the dyno with the hood up and found 8 h.p. more! After he found that they ducted it into the wheel well and got a solid 7 h.p. Goes to show you the better it can access cooler air the better it will perform!

[JROD©™®]

I seriously did know that riding without the headlamp did something good for air flow. gives me an idea about taking the faux brake ducts off an SS Silverado and toying with them...but experiemtation comes later...right now i just wanna fix up my dime for cruising around a lookin wicked fly...do the kids still say wicked fly???

[Hammer]

a cowl induction hood can do wonders for under hood air temps.... just a side note to the heat soak issue....

also ceramic coated headers will REALLY help you too... and of course not running ac.

i have a drop in k&n thats it... have not fixed air horn yet though. stock air box works good, plastic keeps heat out, acts like an insulator.