K&N Gen III vs. S&B CAI Systems

[Diesel]

RAM H.O. Elites,

I finally have the opportunity to share my personal experience with the latest CAIs for the S.O/H.O. Hurricane 3.0L SST turbo offerings. Some history here, my last RAM was the 2019 RAM 1500 5.7L Hemi Laramie addition, and, in the first week of ownership, I upgraded the intake to S&B CAI, and loved it. The craftsmanship, performance (while negligible), and ease of maintaining it were all I needed to replace the OEM crap. I traded in my 2019 after 89,300 miles due to the infamous "Hemi Tick" emanating from the driver's side valve cover with stethascope. This was after I swapped in new exhaust manifolds ($1300) at the dealer. The risk to keep the truck (and pay for a $12-15K valvetrain/cam job) or go with the beautiful 2025 RAM Limited H.O. was not easy--first-year model and all. Luckily, I have had very few issues, and this truck is a beast!

Just like the last truck, I went right to the aftermarket and wanted to get a CAI, tuner, and eventually an exhaust (In that order, that is how I modded this insanity). I searched S&B, and all they had for nearly a year was one delay after another for releasing it. So, I bought the K&N Gen III CAI and Diablo CAT 6 Piggyback tuner and installed it. Just like they both advertised, this woke the truck up, which already had 540Hp/521tq, to something I never felt before in a 3-ton truck loaded with tools and everything I need for work. It was insanity! 9 months later, S&B relased there CAI for the Hurricane motors. I was thrilled and immediately purchased it.

So, I went on and swapped that K&N out for the S&B--out with the old and in with the new, much better, more reliable, better brand. The differences blew me away. I have been using K&N products for many years, and all of them performed at or above advertised, but like many have reviewed and shared, their products don't filter for longevity. The attached pics will show you what I mean. That is all I needed to swap out the danger and preserve my precious, fully built, from the factory, rotating assembly and valvetrain. The differences in performance at the same prices are impressive. See for yourself! I love it and feel so much better, and the beast is happier for it!

 

[Riding Deacon]

Now all you need is a catch can to keep all of the regurgitated **** from going back into your engine. J & L makes them, along with a dozen other vendors. Very nice set up. Love the RAM logo on the radiator shelf!! Great job!!!!

 

[Diesel]

Thanks, RD, it's a lot of fun and, of course, a lot of money. I like the details of things. I have the J&L CC since day one of ownership. This engine is so efficient and tightly spec'd and the catch can is essentially my dipstick. It collects very little oil — maybe a teaspoon every 5,000 miles —and I drive my RAM, Hurricane H.O., like I stole it, sort of. It's getting better, smoother, and faster with every mile. She has 11,200 miles currently. Like a child, it requires moderate care and feeding--regular maintenance w/best oils. It is truly a beast, but so manorly 90% of the time.

 

[BowDown]

ON FB, the sonsensus has been that the K&N was the superior perfromer of the 2. How do you feel about the S&B vs the K&N?

 

[Diesel]

ON FB, the sonsensus has been that the K&N was the superior perfromer of the 2. How do you feel about the S&B vs the K&N?

In my personal experience owning both CAIs, the performance differences are negligible, and since S&B just released this CAI for the Hurricane motors to the public, there is no real data actually for either CAI in real-world testing, except for a few videos, meaning the FB consensus is purely opinion-based. What I noticed immediately, as I described in my post, is the craftsmanship and quality over the K&N. The pics depict the real-world differences visually. There is no comparison. Perhaps the K&N takes the edge in power performance, but you'll never feel the difference. But if you don't care about longevity and a few extra HP and chasing a second or two in your track attack events, K&N as advertised, may be for you, but definitely not for me.

What I really love about the S&B CAI for this application is that you get airflow choices. What K&N doesn't have, other than being an open-airbox design (not a true CAI), is that I can remove the top of the airbox (like the K&N) to increase airflow. In addition, there is a sideport intake plug that you can unplug to add even more airflow to those thirsty turbos on special nights when you want to add more power to the motor. Go S&B!

 

[BowDown]

In my personal experience owning both CAIs, the performance differences are negligible, and since S&B just released this CAI for the Hurricane motors to the public, there is no real data actually for either CAI in real-world testing, except for a few videos, meaning the FB consensus is purely opinion-based. What I noticed immediately, as I described in my post, is the craftsmanship and quality over the K&N. The pics depict the real-world differences visually. There is no comparison. Perhaps the K&N takes the edge in power performance, but you'll never feel the difference. But if you don't care about longevity and a few extra HP and chasing a second or two in your track attack events, K&N as advertised, may be for you, but definitely not for me.

What I really love about the S&B CAI for this application is that you get airflow choices. What K&N doesn't have, other than being an open-airbox design (not a true CAI), is that I can remove the top of the airbox (like the K&N) to increase airflow. In addition, there is a sideport intake plug that you can unplug to add even more airflow to those thirsty turbos on special nights when you want to add more power to the motor. Go S&B!

There's been some definitive evidence that the K&N makes more power over stock, I've just seen none on the S&B and I prefer the S&B. Good to know that you find the differences in performance neglible
I think the S&B build quality is better

 

[Maverik259]

Ya I would agree the build quality on the S&B is top notch. And the filter is insanely massive and honestly probably a bit beyond what is necessary if we’re being honest. What I would love to see is a dual intake set up from the factory but oh well.

Only complaint is I feel the box really restricts air flow to just that skinny inlet on the bottom. Yes as OP stated they do come with the extra lower port that you can leave open (also completely ignored in the instructions or manual or YouTube install video) and you can open the top like the K&N which I have open myself due to it being winter and I want to maximize use of that filter. Right now it barely fits in the box which does have me concerned. Either way I like it, do occasionally pick up turbo spool too. Not as much on my EVenturi intake I had on my M5 but still better than stock


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[CobraKai]

Ya I would agree the build quality on the S&B is top notch. And the filter is insanely massive and honestly probably a bit beyond what is necessary if we’re being honest. What I would love to see is a dual intake set up from the factory but oh well.

Only complaint is I feel the box really restricts air flow to just that skinny inlet on the bottom. Yes as OP stated they do come with the extra lower port that you can leave open (also completely ignored in the instructions or manual or YouTube install video) and you can open the top like the K&N which I have open myself due to it being winter and I want to maximize use of that filter. Right now it barely fits in the box which does have me concerned. Either way I like it, do occasionally pick up turbo spool too. Not as much on my EVenturi intake I had on my M5 but still better than stock


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I kept throwing CELs with the s&b intake... the reducer inside the intake tub kept coming off and causing ambient temp errors... pretty pissed, had to return it and put the k&n back on! I really wanted to love the s&b but man they fu(ked this one up! hate having an open box but the k&n seems to work just fine... now waiting for stainless works downpipes and turbosmart BOVs to come out next month and ill be good!

 

[BowDown]

I keep seeing issues with S&B and in FB groups, people complaining about no performance gain vs the K&N or the AFE momentum.

I'm leaning towards the AFE but I'm going get a draggy pro and verify any gains.

 

[Diesel]

For me, as I mentioned in my initial post, I have had both, and I will tell you, there is no noticeable difference--each functions as advertised performance-wise. You'd need both CAIs and a dyno day to compare which there is zero, at least I haven't seen a vid or data comparison to reveal the truth. However, clearly, in the pics I provided, there are long-term safety issues, as in early motor longevity damage from K&N choosing performance over protection. If you're chasing numbers, then K&N is for you. S&B in my humble opinion, is superior in performance, quality, reputation, and protection. I have zero experience with AFE, but they seem reputable...

 

[Maverik259]

Zero issues with my S&B intake. Anyone who says the K&N provided more performance is full of it. Nobody is going to tell the difference without a dyno purely on an intake. It’s so small anyway.

Only thing I didn’t like about the S&B was the inlet to it seems tiny and restrictive which is why I run it open to ensure max airflow into the filter.

Idk what the K&N or AFE boxes look like to compare.


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[Diesel]

I kept throwing CELs with the s&b intake... the reducer inside the intake tub kept coming off and causing ambient temp errors... pretty pissed, had to return it and put the k&n back on! I really wanted to love the s&b but man they fu(ked this one up! hate having an open box but the k&n seems to work just fine... now waiting for stainless works downpipes and turbosmart BOVs to come out next month and ill be good!

CobrakAI,
I did not have any of the issues that you experienced, and I would attribute the install to that of an aftermarket exhaust system. Meaning, you have to install everything as the instructions dictate and not tighten anything up, only snugging, until you get everything lined up. It begins with the airbox. The intake tube has a nice foam seal around it, and it fits nicely into the factory inlet aft of the grill. You do have to observe this install to ensure proper fitment, which, for me, was seamless.

Then it's fitting the MAF sensor into the new intake tube, which can only be installed one way (K&N, you can screw this up). The big deal here with the MAF is that you ensure it remains clean, and you didn't touch any part of the sensor during removal or installation. The sensors in this truck are super sensitive to any anomalies i.e. foreign hands messing with stuff. Once you get all the intake and couplers installed, then it's time to tighten everything down evenly, ensuring you distribute the two intake tubes evenly between the couplers, airbox, and throttle body. If there is any gap, especially before the MAF, there will be errors. That is why S&B put top mounting alignment tabs for your install reference!

S&B took almost 6 additional months to ensure fitment and quality before releasing it, and it's very revealing in my application!

 

[Diesel]

Ya I would agree the build quality on the S&B is top notch. And the filter is insanely massive and honestly probably a bit beyond what is necessary if we’re being honest. What I would love to see is a dual intake set up from the factory but oh well.

Only complaint is I feel the box really restricts air flow to just that skinny inlet on the bottom. Yes as OP stated they do come with the extra lower port that you can leave open (also completely ignored in the instructions or manual or YouTube install video) and you can open the top like the K&N which I have open myself due to it being winter and I want to maximize use of that filter. Right now it barely fits in the box which does have me concerned. Either way I like it, do occasionally pick up turbo spool too. Not as much on my EVenturi intake I had on my M5 but still better than stock


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This was all I needed once I got the S&B CAI, and knowing the difference in build and performance quality between it and the K&N!