New Volant CAI on 6.2L... LOUD!

shanedaniel · March 27, 2016

So I ordered a Volant CAI for my truck last week. It came in on Friday & I installed it yesterday. Very easy install (though I've installed 1 before) maybe 30 minutes.

Took it for a drive yesterday and man is it loud. When you push down on the the throttle it growls! So mush so, that I am thinking about removing it.

I had a K & N n my 2012 5.3L and loved the little bit of growl it gave that truck. I am guessing it's either the Volant design or the larger 6.2L but man it's LOUD.

Anyone else experience this? What about with the Air Raid or K&N?

I know it's basically an engine dress up, and I want that.... but I may just get a Air Raid Jr tube & high flow filter...

LongrangeLauber · March 27, 2016

Yup, mines loud as well. I kind of like it though personally, and I have a 5.3

Silver ice 6.2 · March 27, 2016

I have the afe gt... and yup its loud.. but it's only loud if your flooring it.. normal driving I don't hear it.. should be like that with all Cai in these trucks..

LongrangeLauber · March 27, 2016

Yeah it's only loud at certain rpm bands. Cruising down the highway you can't hear it but nice and throaty when you drop out of overdrive, I like the sound of it

GMC-AT · March 27, 2016

Dump the full cai...get just the airaid tube. I sounds good on the 6.2

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GMC-AT · March 27, 2016

I tried all the full cai kits..and they are all the same amount of annoying.

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BuyAmericanIron · March 27, 2016

I have to agree with GMC-AT. Got the Airaid MIT on my 6.2. You can hear it moan a little when accelerating or under a load, but quiet at all other times. Plus, it is wife approved!

shanedaniel · March 28, 2016

I took the lid/top off of the Volant box today and I'm going to see if that changes the loud echoing sound. if not, it comes off tomorrow and I am going to install just the Airaid Jr kit and keep the stock box.

07Softail · March 28, 2016

I agree with the Airaid MIT only... just right!

RT

emeryz28 · March 28, 2016

I also have the AirAid MIT that leaves the stock airbox, gives you a highflow filter and a better intake tube. I believe dyno tests show it was one of the better CAI's out there and with the stock airbox you still get cold air instead of sucking in hot engine air through the open cone.

It is noticeably louder, rally growls when you get on it, but under moderate or light acceleration just a small increase in noise.

I installed mine last week, very happy with it

TJay74 · March 28, 2016

I also have the AirAid MIT that leaves the stock airbox, gives you a highflow filter and a better intake tube. I believe dyno tests show it was one of the better CAI's out there and with the stock airbox you still get cold air instead of sucking in hot engine air through the open cone.

It is noticeably louder, rally growls when you get on it, but under moderate or light acceleration just a small increase in noise.

I installed mine last week, very happy with it

That test was on the 2008-2013 model trucks, completely different engine than the 2014+ trucks so the test data is not as valid now. I have the full Airaid CAI and yes the throttle growl is loud, but I like it and my wife has never said one thing about it. Heck her Audi with the modified airbox on it makes as much noise as my truck plus it adds on with a supercharger whine as well.

shanedaniel · March 28, 2016

With the lid off it sounds much better (lower growl, less echo and rumble), but now I'm sucking in hot air... not sure how much a difference it makes, since really it's just engine dress up. I'm going to give it a few days and see how I feel....

SILVER SLED · March 29, 2016

I have the MIT tube and it isn't that loud. Its strange at lighter throttle applications, it will start a little loud and get quiet as rpms increase, or reach a certion rpm. Overall I like it a lot though.

emeryz28 · March 29, 2016

I have the MIT tube and it isn't that loud. Its strange at lighter throttle applications, it will start a little loud and get quiet as rpms increase, or reach a certion rpm. Overall I like it a lot though.

I have also noticed some "strange" sounds when lightly accelerating while cruising around 40MPH. I wouldn't say it is bad, but it is a unique sound?

Jon A · April 5, 2016

That test was on the 2008-2013 model trucks, completely different engine than the 2014+ trucks so the test data is not as valid now.

Yes, and even worse than that, 99% of the people here look at the data it did provide incorrectly. With widely varied A/F ratios, the dyno results are somewhat meaningless. More meaningful would have been power output after a tune puting the A/F ratio to the same level for each intake--or at the very least after the computer has adjusted for the new MAF calibration after driving for a couple hundred miles. Then a couple HP up or down on the dyno would have been meaningful.

The best part of the test that people ignore, is the pressure data they provided that actually measures the intake restriction--the MAP data. From this you can see the MIT was one of the poorest performers and a couple of the full CAI systems really did reduce the intake restriction tremendously. In some of the best ones though, the slight change in MAF calibration also caused the truck to run richer than stock which kept their dyno numbers down. After a couple hundred miles of driving (or a tune) they likely would have done much better on the dyno.