Cold Air Intakes, necessary?

[Ishea]

Just for me and all the newbies...
Just how much do cold air intakes help? [i know, I know] And/or where DO they help?
There are test results of them helping but I hear folks saying it's not necessary .....
This a much-advertised mod and I just would like to hear some ''meaty'' answers to this question.
I know the 'seat of the pants' meter can lie like no other.

Fill me in, folks! I expect a lot of us would have an interest in this...

 

[John Brereton]

Anything you can do to help your motor breath better (whether it be intake or exhaust) is always beneficial. Think of it as running with your breathing restricted through a mask as opposed to unrestricted.

Cold air is denser (and dryer) so you get more oxygen per cubic foot. Now whether or not that translates into something noticeable beyond the "seat of the pants" feel is another story. Certainly the benefits will be more noticeable with higher HP engines that suck more air.

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[Kob0583]

The truck has a CAI already and aftermarket will be louder and may move more air but unless you do the exhaust aside from sound you might not see much for the money, do both and add a tune and you will get a verifiable improvement. I removed the carbon filter and did a drop in green filter.

I have no idea if it’s helped or not with the exception of I seem to be getting better MPGs than most with the 3.92 gears but there are people that are higher than me so who knows. I’m getting about 18-19 MPG mixed driving about 60 percent HWY. I plan in putting on a fight flow muffler next to see if there are any improvement plus the better sound.


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[SColang22]

Just for me and all the newbies...
Just how much do cold air intakes help? [i know, I know] And/or where DO they help?
There are test results of them helping but I hear folks saying it's not necessary .....
This a much-advertised mod and I just would like to hear some ''meaty'' answers to this question.
I know the 'seat of the pants' meter can lie like no other.

Fill me in, folks! I expect a lot of us would have an interest in this...

As said above our trucks already have CAIs. They are fairly restrictive due to the filter type and the charcoal filter. You can replace the whole intake or remove the charcoal and switch to a better filter. Either way if that is your only mod you probably wont see a whole lot of difference.

 

[Diamondback]

I opted for the Ultimate CAI -- RAMAIR

 

[RiskReward]

I opted for the Ultimate CAI -- RAMAIR

Want. Having a hard time with the price right now but eventually I’ll convince myself it’s not that big of a difference.

The Mopar exhaust was a little easier for me to justify but the Ram Airflow is either an infinite percentage more expensive than the next best option (assuming negligible difference from stock) or about 3x more expensive (assuming negligible from K&N or S&B).

Talk to me in a few months and I’m sure I’ll have bought and installed one...

 

[SpeedyV]

Want. Having a hard time with the price right now but eventually I’ll convince myself it’s not that big of a difference.

The Mopar exhaust was a little easier for me to justify but the Ram Airflow is either an infinite percentage more expensive than the next best option (assuming negligible difference from stock) or about 3x more expensive (assuming negligible from K&N or S&B).

Talk to me in a few months and I’m sure I’ll have bought and installed one...

Let me know if you do. I’m in FW and would love to see/hear the combo of RamAir intake and Mopar cat-back in person!

 

[RiskReward]

Let me know if you do. I’m in FW and would love to see/hear the combo of RamAir intake and Mopar cat-back in person!

Well now I feel like I’m obligated to do it. You know, being so selfless and wanting to help fellow posters and all...

I’ll definitely let you know.

 

[Diamondback]

My stock exhaust sounds good when getting on it .. I'm glad I didn't swap it out (yet).

 

[Moparian]

Can anyone with the Ram Airflow measure the ID(inner diameter) of the hose that connects to the TB?

 

[LincolnSixAlpha]

Yea, but let's be honest here... It's not like these trucks are super restrictive on either their intake or exhaust. Any gains from an intake, combined with an exhaust and some sort of ECU module, or diablo sport or whatever net very marginal gains anyhow. So if your fine with that understanding then go for the intake, but it's not like these trucks are down on power or anything. Certainly not needed in my opinion.

 

[BlablablaRam]

hey, wanted to talk about the same thing. I'm not a mechanic and have very limited automotive knowledge. just bought my first Ram 2019 Laramie 5.7. was told that a cold air intake could save me some MPG. cool.. I did some research about CAI and it appears to me that the 2019 ram already comes with one stock.. I came up with this assumption all on my own based on what I've read about CAI's. please correct me if I'm wrong (probably am) but the stock intake is sealed and draws air from the front grill (outside engine compartment) isn't that exactly what a cold air intake is? it also appears to me that most of these AM set ups have an open top box and or sides which clearly in the best cases will allow at least some engine air (hot air) into the system. Again.. I am genuinely new to this stuff but it just seems to me that the only benefit to changing the air setup would be to make the engine sound louder and more throaty. And that's fine if that's your thing. its just not my thing. Can someone explain to me how these benefit (MPG, HP) an engine (besides sound) when the volume and flow of air entering should be almost identical to the stock? thanks ahead of time.

 

[SColang22]

hey, wanted to talk about the same thing. I'm not a mechanic and have very limited automotive knowledge. just bought my first Ram 2019 Laramie 5.7. was told that a cold air intake could save me some MPG. cool.. I did some research about CAI and it appears to me that the 2019 ram already comes with one stock.. I came up with this assumption all on my own based on what I've read about CAI's. please correct me if I'm wrong (probably am) but the stock intake is sealed and draws air from the front grill (outside engine compartment) isn't that exactly what a cold air intake is? it also appears to me that most of these AM set ups have an open top box and or sides which clearly in the best cases will allow at least some engine air (hot air) into the system. Again.. I am genuinely new to this stuff but it just seems to me that the only benefit to changing the air setup would be to make the engine sound louder and more throaty. And that's fine if that's your thing. its just not my thing. Can someone explain to me how these benefit (MPG, HP) an engine (besides sound) when the volume and flow of air entering should be almost identical to the stock? thanks ahead of time.

The difference is the stock air box and filter are very restrictive. Now it’s easy to make it not so much. Remove the carbon filter and use a better air filter. This will help out a decent bit. The difference between the stock box and some aftermarket is filter size and intake size. The 5.7 is known for being underpowered from the factory so opening it up a bit tends to help our engines more. But you are right. From the factory we have a CAI.... a very restrictive CAI. They make it restrictive in order to comply with emissions standards and such

 

[BlablablaRam]

The difference is the stock air box and filter are very restrictive. Now it’s easy to make it not so much. Remove the carbon filter and use a better air filter. This will help out a decent bit. The difference between the stock box and some aftermarket is filter size and intake size. The 5.7 is known for being underpowered from the factory so opening it up a bit tends to help our engines more. But you are right. From the factory we have a CAI.... a very restrictive CAI. They make it restrictive in order to comply with emissions standards and such

aahaaa I see... so the faster the air can get in the better.. so removing that carbon damper (I think that's what it was referred to in one of these threads) and swapping the paper stock filter for a k&n drop in should do as much (for the most part) as the CAI out there that uses the same intake tube.. obviously I'm assuming that same air intake tube (from box to grill) will always allow the same amount of air in because most CAI'S connect in the same way to that front grill tube... also I'm assuming that the K&N drop in is the same minimally restrictive filter as the cone style... otherwise I must be missing something..

 

[SColang22]

aahaaa I see... so the faster the air can get in the better.. so removing that carbon damper (I think that's what it was referred to in one of these threads) and swapping the paper stock filter for a k&n drop in should do as much (for the most part) as the CAI out there that uses the same intake tube.. obviously I'm assuming that same air intake tube (from box to grill) will always allow the same amount of air in because most CAI'S connect in the same way to that front grill tube... also I'm assuming that the K&N drop in is the same minimally restrictive filter as the cone style... otherwise I must be missing something..

You got it for the most part. I bigger box can possibly help accelerate the air being pulled in as well as add more volume

 

[Diamondback]

Can anyone with the Ram Airflow measure the ID(inner diameter) of the hose that connects to the TB?

It is the same size as the stock duct/tube, why?

 

[Nails]

Besides the 2 filters of restriction. Box to tb tube is little flow ugly to me. After those 3 things takin care of, it’s a solid cai of its own.

 

[LincolnSixAlpha]

I guess what it boils down to; is the cost for aftermarket CAI/Tuner/Exahaust worth the marginal gains? Your wallet decides that. For me, I'm 51 now, and pretty damn salty with all of this aftermarket nonsense having gone through this nonsense time and time again over the years. Just blew my load on my previous 2018 JL wrangler, thought all lifts/suspension/etc, no CAI/Tune/Exhaust for the 6-banger. I'm very happy with the RAM in OEM format. But hey - to each his own.

As a side note for Socolang22, It's true most/all cars/truck/whatever pull in outside air with their OEM setup, and I do agree with you in the fact that having an OPEN CAI filter under the hood pulling in hot air is not a good idea on normally aspirated vehicles. However, those vehicles with turbos, and associated air-to-air, or air-to-water intercoolers this is not an issue because pulling in hot engine air will get cooled via the intercooler before it feeds into the engine, however this would not be true for normally aspirated vehicles, of course.

 

[awalk]

hey, wanted to talk about the same thing. I'm not a mechanic and have very limited automotive knowledge. just bought my first Ram 2019 Laramie 5.7. was told that a cold air intake could save me some MPG. cool.. I did some research about CAI and it appears to me that the 2019 ram already comes with one stock.. I came up with this assumption all on my own based on what I've read about CAI's. please correct me if I'm wrong (probably am) but the stock intake is sealed and draws air from the front grill (outside engine compartment) isn't that exactly what a cold air intake is? it also appears to me that most of these AM set ups have an open top box and or sides which clearly in the best cases will allow at least some engine air (hot air) into the system. Again.. I am genuinely new to this stuff but it just seems to me that the only benefit to changing the air setup would be to make the engine sound louder and more throaty. And that's fine if that's your thing. its just not my thing. Can someone explain to me how these benefit (MPG, HP) an engine (besides sound) when the volume and flow of air entering should be almost identical to the stock? thanks ahead of time.

I did not modify my ram 5.7 but I had the Mopar cone CAI (airbox removed) on my Charger which has the same engine. The intake by itself didn't do much for performance but made my car a little louder when I got on the gas. When I added a Cat back exhaust and a tune I got about a 10% bump in horsepower. I also had to go to a higher octane gas which was slightly offset by a 1-2 mpg improvement in gas mileage.
.

 

[SColang22]

I guess what it boils down to; is the cost for aftermarket CAI/Tuner/Exahaust worth the marginal gains? Your wallet decides that. For me, I'm 51 now, and pretty damn salty with all of this aftermarket nonsense having gone through this nonsense time and time again over the years. Just blew my load on my previous 2018 JL wrangler, thought all lifts/suspension/etc, no CAI/Tune/Exhaust for the 6-banger. I'm very happy with the RAM in OEM format. But hey - to each his own.

As a side note for Socolang22, It's true most/all cars/truck/whatever pull in outside air with their OEM setup, and I do agree with you in the fact that having an OPEN CAI filter under the hood pulling in hot air is not a good idea on normally aspirated vehicles. However, those vehicles with turbos, and associated air-to-air, or air-to-water intercoolers this is not an issue because pulling in hot engine air will get cooled via the intercooler before it feeds into the engine, however this would not be true for normally aspirated vehicles, of course.

I don’t think I mentioned anything about open filters. Yes any NA vehicle hot air is not good. We didn’t say anything about forced air vehicles