Thoughts on Cold Air Intakes?

[HSKR R/T]

No, that ball is in your court. I supported my opinion with the reason and logic below and you supported your opinion with absolutely nothing.

As I've said several times now the difference may be so small as to be insignificant, but duct work sitting on top of the radiator will collect more radiant heat than ductwork below or along the side of the radiator. As a result the air traveling through the warmer duct work will extract and retain more heat than the air traveling through the slightly cooler duct work. The speed of the air will just reduce the heat transfer; not eliminate it.​

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If you fail to understand or believe what I've written above then I can't help you. I have no desire to give you more of an education or scientific proof of the physics of heat transfer.

You "supported" your opinion with your opinion. Trying to talk it into being fact without any actual data to support it doesn't make it any more "right" than what I have said. Which, I supported mine with reason and logic as well.

 

[mikeru82]

You "supported" your opinion with your opinion.

That was my thought exactly.

 

[Philth]

I haven't read all 8 pages but I do have the S&B. I notice zero difference in power or MPG. Looks only. I honestly would just get a drop in filter, if that.

 

[Darksteel165]

I haven't read all 8 pages but I do have the S&B. I notice zero difference in power or MPG. Looks only. I honestly would just get a drop in filter, if that.

Correct.
Most cars\trucks get the same thing and everyone even here will tell you only change for looks, and rarely sound.
You MIGHT get increased power, but it would not be measurable by a but dyno and thus no change.

 

[mikeru82]

Correct.
Most cars\trucks get the same thing and everyone even here will tell you only change for looks, and rarely sound.
You MIGHT get increased power, but it would not be measurable by a but dyno and thus no change.

In addition, you might actually lose performance with some aftermarket intakes.

 

[Darksteel165]

In addition, you might actually lose performance with some aftermarket intakes.

Yep, the crappy cone ones that are not protected from engine heat with plastic parts and such. Funny when I see those that "look cool". I think majority of name brand would be same performance or better though.

 

[6of36]

The cold air intakes, like Veriram, and the Mopar one, will give colder air. When you are driving, the air isn't moving slow enough to heat up, in the 2 inches it's over the radiator. However the factory intake, is running a couple feet, with curves, in the hot air behind the radiator. Not that normal driving any of that matters. If you are driving 150 MPH or more on a NASCAR track, it could.

 

[Wsttexas82]

Your Ram already has a cold air intake. Some of the aftermarket parts may allow marginally better flow, but if you're expecting improved mileage you'll probably be disappointed. In fact, mileage is likely to drop, since increased air flow will also cause increased fuel flow.

If you like the look or the sound or a possible tiny increase in power, do it for those reasons and don't expect other magic stuff to happen.

Exactly which results in power gain more.

 

[Wsttexas82]

There we go, dyno proof they do work. I don't really care about the sound, or HP, but if it does increase HP, it's working more efficiently, meaning more MPG. Thank you for finding and posting.

I don’t know why people on here are saying cai won’t add power or torque! They do period any increase of air flow and injected fuel will result in power. Ive owned a whipple supercharged mustang, a pro charged mustang and had several bolt on mustangs with Cai’s with exhaust and sometime headers. The bolt on cars I had we dyno’d even with just a cai picked up at least 12-15 hp you can’t tell me removing a restrictive oem filter, carbon filter and adding a high flow cone filter such as a afe 5r filter isn’t going to increase power. With all the people on here saying it won’t add power have yall actually dyno’d yalls trucks???

 

[Wsttexas82]

well more hp dosent always means more mpg... add a supercharger, everyone knows you will get more hp, and its more efficient but even if you baby it, it will take more gas, therefore losing mpg.

for cai, there is no proof you can gain or lose mpg, so still not sure you could actually gain mpg, for sure it will be minimal if any gain,

More injected fuel with more air flow will result in power gains.

 

[Wsttexas82]

You don't need it. Would only benefit if you have a custom

Either you didn't install it correctly or the filter is dirty.
It's not possible to lose mpg with a bigger filter area. Both use cold air.

It’s more fuel to air and sometimes you will lose gas but gain power.

 

[Wsttexas82]

You didn't make a point you expressed an opinion that that I disagree with. As I said before the, difference may be so insignificant as to not make a difference but a CAI drawing air from the top of the engine above the radiator will draw warmer air than one drawing air from the lower side of the radiator. The faster air moves across a radiant heat source the less heat it retains, but it doesn't stop retaining heat. If it did, your radiator would no longer provide cooling when you started traveling down the highway.

Also, nearly every manufacture claims their CAI's provide colder air. Your argument that no one here has repeated that claim is completely irrelevant to that fact.

The entire point of my post was to hopefully convince at least one person to reconsider spending hundreds of dollars on a component that accomplishes nothing. You can't even see it until you open your hood and nobody will be impressed. It seems you agree with my point, but like Darksteel165, you are so intent on arguing that you cherry-pick and miss the point entirely.

Have you dyno’d these trucks to say it accomplishes nothing?

 

[BigHornDaddy318]

I'm considering putting a cold air intake on but I'm not certain if they actually provide any benefits. I would mainly like a little more throttle response and more aggressive sound. It any MPG gains were there then that would be bonus. I'm looking at S&B closed box CAI and a Spectre CAI. I can get a great deal on the Spectre but not sure if there is actually any difference in these intakes that would make the extra cost for the S&B worth it. Anyone have any experience with either or both and can attest to the benefits?

I have the Corsa Closed Box cold air intake on my truck and I love it especially with my Borla Atak exhaust, Moe’s Performance ported throttle body and Edge Pulsar tuner. Not sure how much gains you will receive with the just the cold air intake but they all seem to work together well

 

[theblet]

I don’t know why people on here are saying cai won’t add power or torque! They do period any increase of air flow and injected fuel will result in power. Ive owned a whipple supercharged mustang, a pro charged mustang and had several bolt on mustangs with Cai’s with exhaust and sometime headers. The bolt on cars I had we dyno’d even with just a cai picked up at least 12-15 hp you can’t tell me removing a restrictive oem filter, carbon filter and adding a high flow cone filter such as a afe 5r filter isn’t going to increase power. With all the people on here saying it won’t add power have yall actually dyno’d yalls trucks???

In this scenario, you had boosted/modified engines. They make more hp/tq than stock so a stock CAI will be a restriction.

Unless you modify the stock hemi to need more air than the OEM air box will provide, you won’t really see any significant gain if any.

 

[HSKR R/T]

It’s more fuel to air and sometimes you will lose gas but gain power.

Not sure why you quoted me. I was relying to a comment about a ported throttle body.

Also, in response to your barrage of replies, all saying pretty much the same thing. Even if they do improve airflow slightly over stock, unless you spend most of your time driving at WOT, there really is little to no benefit. And Dyno results are all done at WOT. The engine is only going to suck in as much air as it needs to run. And part throttle operation, or cruising on the highway, where 99% of owners spend 99% of there time, there will be no benefit. Unless you are a drag racer, dyno results and WOT performance don't really mean much. And even then, Dyno numbers don't always translate to performance at the track.

 

[mikeru82]

I don’t know why people on here are saying cai won’t add power or torque! They do period any increase of air flow and injected fuel will result in power. Ive owned a whipple supercharged mustang, a pro charged mustang and had several bolt on mustangs with Cai’s with exhaust and sometime headers. The bolt on cars I had we dyno’d even with just a cai picked up at least 12-15 hp you can’t tell me removing a restrictive oem filter, carbon filter and adding a high flow cone filter such as a afe 5r filter isn’t going to increase power. With all the people on here saying it won’t add power have yall actually dyno’d yalls trucks???

The factory intake on these trucks is a CAI design, and is not restrictive. Anyone can come here and claim to have dyno'd this and dyno'd that. Maybe you have and maybe you haven't. Either way, any dyno results from boosted Mustangs is irrelevant in a Ram 1500 forum about adding an intake to a naturally aspirated engine. Adding a CAI can help improve performance under the right conditions. The point most of are making here is that they don't make any real difference on these trucks because the design of the factory CAI is a good design.

 

[DEG]

... you can’t tell me removing a restrictive oem filter, carbon filter and adding a high flow cone filter such as a afe 5r filter isn’t going to increase power.

The flaw in this argument seems to be the automatic assumption that the stock Ram intake system, with paper filter, will not pass all the air demanded by an unmodified 5.7 motor under all conditions. A higher flow filter does not force the engine to demand a higher volume of air.

 

[H2OMAN]

The flaw in this argument seems to be the automatic assumption that the stock Ram intake system, with paper filter, will not pass all the air demanded by an unmodified 5.7 motor under all conditions. A higher flow filter does not force the engine to demand a higher volume of air.

This right here is the whole point^^^. The intake cannot put additional air in. The motor takes in what it takes in and the stock CAI is more than enough to provide what it needs. Not to mention the computer won't allow the truck to do more than 105 MPH. How is an air filter going to give it more? It's not possible unless the motor is modified with something that forces air into the intake and over rides the program to allow the additional power. Even then the stock intake is probably more than enough to handle that as well. That said, God Bless America. Spend your money your way. But you are NOT getting more power or mileage from an air filter.

 

[Darksteel165]

This right here is the whole point^^^. The intake cannot put additional air in. The motor takes in what it takes in and the stock CAI is more than enough to provide what it needs. Not to mention the computer won't allow the truck to do more than 105 MPH. How is an air filter going to give it more? It's not possible unless the motor is modified with something that forces air into the intake and over rides the program to allow the additional power. Even then the stock intake is probably more than enough to handle that as well. That said, God Bless America. Spend your money your way. But you are NOT getting more power or mileage from an air filter.

What does 105 mpg have to do with an air intake?
I have gone faster than 105 even when I had my stock intake, maximum speed has nothing to do with this conversation.

 

[Rick3478]

God Bless America. Spend your money your way. But you are NOT getting more power or mileage from an air filter.

Cooler air or less filter restriction can allow the engine to pass more air, and thereby make more power, but it's a small amount and only at or near wide open throttle. Most of the time you will be deliberately restricting airflow with a big ol' throttle plate anyway, and they will make zero difference under those conditions.