Cold Air Intake vs Stock Airbox

leftystang89 · 04-23-2002

I read somewhere online that if you take the airbox out to put a cold air induction in that you reduce air flow and lose horsepower....the article said that if you just remove the silencer and add a K&N filter you have more airflow and just as much horsepower if not more than the cold air induction. Anybody care to verify this info...or is it just B.S.

spyder · 04-23-2002

well the stock airbox on my 94 gt is already in the fenderwell, i dont see how the "cold air kit" will really help. and i read somewhere that in reality it only adds 2 horsepower , on a good day. if u take the stock airbox with k&n filter vs cold air with k&n , you will not notice any difference. i'd recomend just the filter. just my two cents.

Vortex · 04-23-2002

I dont really see how that report started... Usually the CAI kits are a tube thats bigger than the factory one. Plus you usually have less restrictive bends. There is always the fact that engines run better with colder air, even if cold doesnt boost HP, hot air loses HP. so you're gaining back what you should have to begin with.
This is true Unless, you use one of those flex tubes that are half the size. Ive never seen anything good come from them..
Just my opinion.

EricD · 04-23-2002

The air box does a good job of getting the air in and with a K&N there in not much else you can do there to make alot of horse power with the intake tub. Unless you drill and tap it for a dry NOS system. HAHAHA I agree with Vortex on this one the less restrictive tub with it's bigger diameter will get you something but not alot. Cold air is better than hot air. We all learned that in 1st grade. Run a snorkel on it in fall. The ones the guys run on there off road trucks that cross rivers. j/k

88 GT 5.0
Cold air inductin
Factory 5 upper and lower control arms
FMS 3.55 Motorsport H.D clutch
a/c dalete under drive pullies

Twister · 09-22-2002

I was talking to a K&N rep at the 1998 SEMA show....he told me that the reason why they did not have a cold air kit for a FOX body at the time was that they did not see anything better than the normal mod of removing the scilencer and putting in a panel filter....

stangman1 · 09-22-2002

the stock air box sucks in the hot air from the engine bay.

Twister · 09-22-2002

Stangman, look at a 86-93.....it is sealed off from the engine bay

marks86gt · 09-30-2002

The only way to get any power gains is to upgrade the entire system from filter to lower intake. The answer to going from engine bay to fenderwell is simple. If your race, keep the filter in the engine bay, if you drive in traffic put it in the fenderwell. Look at it this way, a racer will not build up much heat under the hood. The air will also have the shortest travel with an underhood. A large portion of the time the car will wait to be staged while turned off. A cooler engine will also make more power. Versus the driver on the street who constantly sits at traffic lights, building up heat under the hood. The only air flow provided by a slow turning fan. Getting cool air from the fenderwell is the only choice for a street driver.

My 2 cents

kchronister · 09-09-2003

Well I can speak to this re: my 95GT.

First went from stock to a K&N replacement and the silencer removed. Drove that for a year, then went to a CAI w/fenderwell intake.

I didn't note much difference with the K&N replacing the stock cone filter. I did notice with both stock and the K&N filter that the car lost "oomph" after it was running for a bit -- presumably due to the engine compartment getting hotted up (esp since it took longer to get the effect the colder the weather was)

However, i've noticed a distinct difference moving from K&N stock replacement to the CAI. I think there's a flat out difference -- the car simply has more go to it. But I will certify there is a definitive difference in terms of not having the "it's hot now" dropoff in power any longer. So my experience would be the complete opposite of what leftystang heard.

YMMV, of course.

95mustanglover · 09-09-2003

Same Hear Started With Cone K&n Then Performance K&N Now CAI With Performance K&n In The Fender The Best Is CAI Thats All There Is To It Its Better For Ur Engine And Better For U

Marco · 09-09-2003

I have the Ram air kit from Kenne Bell and I took it to the track and never saw a difference. I took the kit off and is only running th eopen filter under the hood

teh n00b · 09-10-2003

On a 90 GT is the silencer inside the fender?

Twister · 09-11-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by teh n00b
On a 90 GT is the silencer inside the fender?

yup

jjgt06 · 05-12-2006

i get a kick out of these companys saying put our cai on and gain 15 to 20 hp. if you want 15 more hp out of a cai,you have to have your motor running at 6000 rpm to get this, who gos around at 6 grand all the time? you only gain a deeper sucking sound out of cai,s if you like that sound, more power to you,each to your own!!jj

89GTVert · 05-12-2006

I dont see how a "cold air" intake gets air thats any colder than the stock airbox because the source is the same. I would venture a guess that the only real advantage to a CAI is the tubing. If there is any gain from a CAI it would probably just be the tubing, thats why I am going to replace my stock tube with an aluminum one and keep my K&N panel filter.