What's the BEST Cold Air Intake System?!?!?!?

gabet95 · February 7, 2012

Ok. So I'm looking to to buy/install a "Cold Air Intake" on my 2009 GMC Sierra 5.3.

After doing some research I discovered that there is a ton of different brands and type...Prices range anywhere from $150 all the way up to $270.

I totally understand that a "cold air intake" is not gonna make a remarkable difference on performance or gas consumption. However I feel a "cold air intake" will make a good addition to the Corsa exhaust I just purchased and looking to install on my truck in the next coupe weeks.

I was actually leaning toward K and N, but I'm not certain it's any better than anyone of the other brands to justify paying $270 for the K and N.

So lets hear it. What have you guys experienced and what would you recommend (best bang for your buck)?

Thanks

Z45 · February 7, 2012

Injen makes the best system in my opinion.

Pictured below on a 2008 GMC

On a 2007 Duramax Classic

Gurrzt · February 7, 2012

Check out the Volant with the PRO5 filter, looks closest to stock if you are in a state with "smog nazies":

http://www.carid.com...ra-air-intakes/

redjewel2ss · February 7, 2012

through research and testing... over on a Camaro forum, a performance shop found the best air intakes to be the ones with a heat shield and sealed from the engine bay they tested about 15 different brands, and the sealed intakes performed the best on the dyno and on the strip. what that means is when you open your hood, the intake box is sealed, much like the factory one. the open top intakes might appear to be better on the dyno, but most of the time the hood is open on a dyno, not on the streets. and the open top/no heat shield intakes experience more heat soak than sealed boxes.

so you have quite a few options.

you could get an Airaid intake tube and a K&N panel filter - most economic

or buy a full intake kit with either an oiled or dry cone filter - biggest gain

the gain between different brands IMO is moot. they all have straight through intake tubes, and they all have big @$$ filters to suck in as much air as the engine can.

a little about filters, people claim the oiled ones clog up MAFs. well that is 99.9% of the time due to operator error when cleaning and applying too much oil when reoiling them. i put a new K&N on my truck 20,000 miles ago, and i just inspected my MAF at my last oil change with no signs of oil from the filter on it. the oil is there to trap more dirt than a dry cotton filter would catch. now, volant has this new powercore filter which they claim big stuff about. i almost bought that one but the price tag wasn't in my budget.

so all that being said, i went with the K&N 63 series intake, and i am very satisfied with it. it paired with my corsa exhaust and tune makes the truck sound great and haul @$$!!!

Carder09 · February 7, 2012

Either way, if you buy an intake you will not see the true gains unless you get a tune.

gnet158 · February 7, 2012

Volant, ran one on my last truck and loved it. Thinking about adding one to my new truck.

Couldn'tThinkof1 · February 7, 2012

I have the volant with the power core 100k filter on my 5.3, I have had it on about 25k miles and love it so far.

BlackZ71Silverado · February 7, 2012

Volant, ran one on my last truck and loved it. Thinking about adding one to my new truck.

I have had nothing but problems since the Volant install......They supplied no o-ring for the MAF and my truck runs like shit because of it. The OEM one is to thick and doesn't allow proper seal. Made several attempts with their customer service and they keep telling me to disconnect the battery. That was done with install, they just don't get it I guess........

STAY AWAY from Volant IMO. TERRIBLE! Wish I would have held onto my Airaid system.

scz71864 · February 7, 2012

save your money and get an air raid intake tube with a high performce filter.

BlackZ71Silverado · February 7, 2012

save your money and get an air raid intake tube with a high performce filter.

^^^^^

AGREED!

gabet95 · February 8, 2012

Injen makes the best system in my opinion.

This setup looks pretty nice. I've heard metal intake tubes get very hot from the engine heat radiating on them, which causes any cold air running through the hot intake tube to heat up.