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CJ from Granite Bay CA

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Have you changed your air intake over to a K & N Air Intake System? Are you pleased with the results that were advertised? Currently thinking about changing my air intake system over to K & N. Looking for positive input before purchasing one.
 
hey cj,

glad you posted this, i've been seriously considering a K&N air intake for my truck. it seems to be the first step in mods for increasing in power.
 
A K&N replacement filter alone will not do much to increase power. If you can find a K&N intake system, especially if it uses a cone filter, and a chip upgrade, you can expect some power increase.



The K&N filter will flow more air, but the engine needs to be able to take advantage of it.
 
I have a K&N cone filter in my car with the air intake piping modified as well as an upgraded ECU, (a.k.a. "chipped") I did the chip first and drove it that way for a while. When I upgraded the air intake and filter I believe they complimented each other in terms of the engine breathing better and being able to take advantage of the increase in available power, sort of like what David said. I also did a cat back exhaust which tied it all together. What I didn't do but should have was done individual dynos to get positive facts per step but I only did a before and after the three upgrades. If you are not sure about the cone then go with a drop in panel filter, it comes with a million mile warranty which could mean you would never have to buy another one;)
 
It really depends on how restrictive you stock intake is. Also allot of time they only add power on the top end. Meaning you will only feel the power at higher RPM's. If you get the cone type without an airbox on hot days it may feel sluggish until you get moving. Most stock intakes if not all have a air box, but the cone type sometimes does away with the airbox making it great for the drag strip but I'm typically just driving to work :) If you get one be sure to get an airbox along with the cone filter. Also most aftermarket intakes really amplify the car's sounds under the hood for some reason. That can be good or bad depending how you look at it.
 
At the most basic level, engine power is about getting air in and gasses out. The K&N will allow a little bit greater air flow but it is worth looking at your exhaust system as well.



TTSUPRA is correct, the power increase is at the top end because as the gasses speed up and restrictions in the system show up. But it is not a big thing, you may get a few extra HP from a filter alone assuming the filter is the main restriction in the air intake system (not always the case).



Induction noise will increase, some like it, to others it can be tiring, especially on long journeys.





Steven

Alfa 164 (with K&N)
 
The claimed 20 HP at the rear wheels. It made a difference, but nothing that was night and day. Most of all, it increased throttle response. It is a good start and necessary to debottle neck stock intake filters. The best kind have the large conical filters, they allow the most air flow. I would also recommend an aftermarket exhaust....that will be freer flowing. After all, what comes in, must go out!
 
thanks for the responses,

i was thinking that it would be a good place to start as dk said. i've considered doing some mods to the exhaust as well. the only thing is that i don't want to make my truck really loud. on a sports car the change in sound with exhaust mods sounds better (imho) but on a large truck... what would you guys recommend for the exhaust that wouldn't make my truck so loud i'd be waking up the neighbors in the morning.
 
A free flow exhaust will be louder compared to a OEM, but it should not be that loud. For example I had a Supersprint exhaust system which did change the tone but was only slightly louder than the original system, it was worth about 5-8 HP more at max revs. I used a K&N air panel, so all things been equal I probably got about 10-12 more BHP.



For me this was ok, as I used to do a lot of motorway driving and did not want a loud droning whilst driving.



Steven

Alfa 164
 
I like BORLA exhausts. The truck line up will not make your truck obnoxiouly loud, but will deepen the tone and make it more throaty. THey are made of Stainless steel and have a million mile warranty. Check out the website, and see what they have for your model truck. They might even have dyno tests to see what kind of HP increases you can get. Intake and exhaust are the way to go for a start. I wouldn't do one without the other. The next step is a chip.



DETAILKING
 
hey dk,

it's a 98' gmc sierra 4x4 z71 w/extended cab. i know that it will never be a high performance vehicle but i had a new gmc z71 spank my truck pretty good the other day (and i don't even know if he knew he was in a race or not, hehehe) and got me to thinking about adding a few hps. i've thought about moding the exhaust really ever since i've had the truck, just never have broke down and done it. i'll check out borla and see what they have. with a truck there is a fine line between adding mods and making sound good and adding mods and making it sound redneck, especially if you just so happen to live in KY;)
 
Snake

You might want to consider or look at Flowmaster, they might make something better suited for truck applications. While not wanting to make it too loud you don't want it to have a high exhaust note either, a resignated tip will remove the higher pitched notes.
 
Generally they should not void any warranty but there could be implications for informing your insurance company as they may see it as a modification to the car. When I made these changes my insurance company made no change to my premiums they said they were more interested in things liked turbos or expensive looking wheels which could increase the chances of a theft.



As I am in the UK, the insurance may be very different but I assume that at a basic level they operate the same way.



Steven

Alfa 164
 
Hey snake, I installed a Borla cat back system on my 3 liter V6 Toyota truck and noticed a little performance improvement. The truck feels a little peppier like it added a some torque but I cant prove it as there is no chassis dyno in my area. An added bonus is the truck now has a deeper, more throaty exhaust note but its definitely not overly loud. Believe me, if it did I would have taken it off and sent it right back. (I've done that before) In my opinion this system is worth the money.



If you're considering Flowmaster I'd suggest listening to them before you buy. I've heard them on street rods before and although they were very smooth sounding they were a bit loud for my tastes. I've also read on offroad forums that some fullsize truck owners also think they're on the loud side. Another good alternative to look into would be Bassani. Never heard them personally but I've read reviews that had lots of good things to say about them.
 
I looked into putting the Typhoon system on my Integra, when I asked my mechanic about this he nearly ripped me a new one. I would imagine that it would void the manufacturer's warranty, cuz afterall you are taking off the airbox, replacing it and therefor altering the configuration of the engine to something other than what the manufacturer designed it to do. In addition, I did a little research into how much preformance I would get from the intake, and it wasn't really that much, as to fully take advantage of it, I would need to do a valve job too. So I settled for a drop in and im pleased. Just, my $.02.
 
I had the K&N FIPK Cone Filter kit on my 93 F-150 302. It seemed to make a difference in throttle response thats about it as far as performance goes. I also had a Superchip and dual exhaust on the truck. The chip made more of a difference than anything, you could actually feel it as in seat of the pants. Also after installing the chip I could beat my friends 93 Chevy 1500 5.7L from 30-90mph (The way we always raced.) before we where always dead even.



Anyways though what I loved about the K&N cone was the devilish sound it makes upon wide open throttle. It sounds plain mean :)
 
Oh yea as far as your exhaust goes snake. I think your best bet would be a Gibson 5522 it's a cat back kit. It will give you a few more HP I have looked at some dyno tests on LS1.COM Truck section (I know yours is not the LS1 generation but you get the point) and Gibson seems to get the best HP and Torque improvements on truck exhausts.

I have heard them in person before on FORD trucks and they are definitaly not as loud as most flowmasters but they sound a little more refined and throaty.

Summit has them for around $370 part number is GIB-5522
Click Here To See It!
 
Some of the 928ers use the K&N Air Filters, but I saw a test that implied that the increased flow was achieved through having a more porous filter ... which permits passage of more particles of larger size into the injectors. Uh-oh. :(



With respect to the Borlas: This seems the cat back exhaust of choice for the 928 crowd.



I'm in for the Borlas and a Momo wheel when I get some extra green. :cool:



E
 
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