K&n Airfilter? Banks Cold Air?

cowboy21 · October 26, 2009

Thinking about putting in a K&N airfilter for better performance. Any opinions? I have read both positive and negative post on other web sites concerning K&N filters. Also any one have any experience with K&N or Banks cold air intakes? I was also thinking about going that route but they are expensive. Are the cold airs worth the cost vs increase in performance?

Thanks

thearborbarber · October 26, 2009

I would steer you towards amsoil's products. They make a reusable filter that is cleaned with compressed air and NO oil. They also have some nice kits for intake replacements. There is a member that is an amsoil dealer that may chime in and provide better info.

C. Charles Hahn · October 26, 2009

I really don't think a CAI is worth much where performance is concerned. They're mostly there to look cool. Personally, I went with the Airaid MIT (modular intake tube) since it's cheaper than a CAI and does what I was after, to eliminate all the extra tubing and baffles in the stock intake. Makes under the hood look less cluttered and leaves better access to work on things around it.

As for the K&N, there are two camps on them. Personally I have been using K&N drop-in filters for years with no problems, and I love them since they seem to do their job well and have yet to fail me. Others seem to think they're the devil's spawn. It's really just up to you if you want to give them a shot or not.

uh6tdrvr · October 26, 2009

On an 07 (NBS) the AEM produces 17HP.....is that worth it? I have see 2 of them on the NBS. One on a 07Tahoe +1.9-2.1 and definite increase with just driving it. One on a 08 CC4WD, solid 2.2mpg increase. Is that worth it??? I work with another guy that put a GMPP intake on a 08 Avalanche and has seen about 2 on the highway.

Most that say they arent worth it say that cause they read it somewhere. You can read the manufactures websites and see the results or if you think that they are bias, read independant articles that show HP increases. Maybe not a SOTP increase like a tune ect. but it will give you an increase.

C. Charles Hahn · October 26, 2009

On an 07 (NBS) the AEM produces 17HP.....is that worth it? I have see 2 of them on the NBS. One on a 07Tahoe +1.9-2.1 and definite increase with just driving it. One on a 08 CC4WD, solid 2.2mpg increase. Is that worth it??? I work with another guy that put a GMPP intake on a 08 Avalanche and has seen about 2 on the highway.
Most that say they arent worth it say that cause they read it somewhere. You can read the manufactures websites and see the results or if you think that they are bias, read independant articles that show HP increases. Maybe not a SOTP increase like a tune ect. but it will give you an increase.

Funny, I've had zero difference in my fuel mileage with the setups I have on my trucks. Never have had a CAI equate to higher MPGs. That's not reading it somewhere, that's practical real world experiences.

amtz.zero · October 26, 2009

They sure make it sound like you'll have a big horsepower/mpg increase if you install it though. But if it doesn't increase my fuel economy and only adds like 5 hp, then I can't justify buying it. Who knows though? Maybe in the future.

DvlDogDmaxZ71 · October 27, 2009

i traded my stock rims for a k&n 63 series intake. no problems whatsoever with it and i dont know if i can tell if it has any affect or my brain is telling me it does..haha. seems like it may pull a tad harder from around 2800 and up than it used to. id love to tune that tm crap out so i guess i need to sell my diablosport and get a blackbear tune. overall since i didnt actually have to "spend" money i guess it was worth it for me.

C. Charles Hahn · October 27, 2009

They sure make it sound like you'll have a big horsepower/mpg increase if you install it though. But if it doesn't increase my fuel economy and only adds like 5 hp, then I can't justify buying it. Who knows though? Maybe in the future.

I'm sure under ideal conditions on their flow bench it does post those kind of improvements in HP/TQ.... but in real world conditions I'm not so sure I'm convinced. Maybe when combined with other modifications and some computer re-tuning it makes a difference, but by itself? Hm......

Spurshot · October 27, 2009

I think there were some actual dyno runs posted with various popular air cleaners. None showed much until max rpm, and then they were very small single digit improvements. I believe these runs were with custom tunes for both stock and CAI. If I could get 2.2 mpg and 17 hp, I'd have bought two and I'd be gettin 4.4 mpg better with a 34 hp increase.

stlavsa · October 27, 2009

I think there were some actual dyno runs posted with various popular air cleaners. None showed much until max rpm, and then they were very small single digit improvements. I believe these runs were with custom tunes for both stock and CAI. If I could get 2.2 mpg and 17 hp, I'd have bought two and I'd be gettin 4.4 mpg better with a 34 hp increase.

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?...2&hl=intake

gains are throughout the powerband not just max rpm, but gains are most likely only seen at full throttle, so its not going to help mpg. The only way that these will give u more MPG is if you have a dirty clogged up filter in there now.

jaslo · October 27, 2009

On an 07 (NBS) the AEM produces 17HP.....is that worth it? I have see 2 of them on the NBS. One on a 07Tahoe +1.9-2.1 and definite increase with just driving it. One on a 08 CC4WD, solid 2.2mpg increase. Is that worth it??? I work with another guy that put a GMPP intake on a 08 Avalanche and has seen about 2 on the highway.
Most that say they arent worth it say that cause they read it somewhere. You can read the manufactures websites and see the results or if you think that they are bias, read independant articles that show HP increases. Maybe not a SOTP increase like a tune ect. but it will give you an increase.

Funny, I've had zero difference in my fuel mileage with the setups I have on my trucks. Never have had a CAI equate to higher MPGs. That's not reading it somewhere, that's practical real world experiences.

I will second that. I had a cai on a 01 5.3 and a 06 5.3 and never seen a increase in mpg. Are you sure you wasn't driving slower than usual?

rodram · October 27, 2009

... well... I read this thread again to try to sort out all the pro and con comments out there about the benefits of Cold Air Intakes (CAI) ....

... it seems that all the pro comments say.... "my friend got this"... or "I know a guy that got this..." or "I read in some product literature that..."

... and all the con comments are from guys based on personal experience ON THEIR OWN TRUCKS

... I think I'll save my money and keep it stock

stlavsa · October 27, 2009

... well... I read this thread again to try to sort out all the pro and con comments out there about the benefits of Cold Air Intakes (CAI) ....

... it seems that all the pro comments say.... "my friend got this"... or "I know a guy that got this..." or "I read in some product literature that..."

... and all the con comments are from guys based on personal experience ON THEIR OWN TRUCKS

... I think I'll save my money and keep it stock

ROD R

Did you take time to look at the link that I posted with the dyno graphs? If you take time to look at it, you will have a little actual test info to help you with a decision.

According to those dyno runs, simply dropping in a K&N panel filter provides a nice positive gain througout the powerband, and can be had for about $50 bux. Take that for what its worth

Spurshot · October 27, 2009

Just a note about the increases shown on that data; that was with an engine producing about 320 rear wheel hp. The fundamentally stock 5.3 engine won't be that high and very likely won't see the gains that example showed. My Vmax is probably down more than 30 hp from that example and would likely not see quite those gains either.

66nova · October 27, 2009

I think there were some actual dyno runs posted with various popular air cleaners. None showed much until max rpm, and then they were very small single digit improvements. I believe these runs were with custom tunes for both stock and CAI. If I could get 2.2 mpg and 17 hp, I'd have bought two and I'd be gettin 4.4 mpg better with a 34 hp increase.

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?...2&hl=intake

gains are throughout the powerband not just max rpm, but gains are most likely only seen at full throttle, so its not going to help mpg. The only way that these will give u more MPG is if you have a dirty clogged up filter in there now.

This post right here basically sums up an aftermarket CAI. Aftermarket Intakes can be good for a little power, but ONLY at wide open throttle. Remember the factory intake is a cold air intake, it just doesn't have as smooth of flow as a aftermarket CAI. The majority of the claims most companies make are inflated numbers that got with a tune and optimal conditions. I have never seen an independent test that backs up the numbers the manufacturers claim with CAI's.

Here are the benefits of a CAI...

1. Looks. Much cleaner under the hood.

2. Sound. Getting rid of all the sound deadening baffles/chambers gives a nice aggressive sound in the cab. This is also the reason most get a placebo seat of the pants gain from them.

3. You like know that every little (no matter how little) hp you can get from your motor is available. Nothing wrong with that.

Notice mpg is not on there. Not saying you will not get any gains, but they will be minimal. Sorry, no way are you going to see 2.2mpg unless your previous filter was a piece of cement.

GM just released their XFE model this year that has a CAI, low rolling resistance tires, different tune, bed cover, lower ride height, and some other things and it only gets 1mpg better.