CAI Really worth it?

[Camaro45th]

Just found this topic, I have the 4.3 and I'm running e85 for a little boost in power, I see you guys talking about this airraid MIT kit, is that only for the 5.3? I googled it and that was the first thing that popped up.

[SouthernSilveradoGuy85]

Just found this topic, I have the 4.3 and I'm running e85 for a little boost in power, I see you guys talking about this airraid MIT kit, is that only for the 5.3? I googled it and that was the first thing that popped up.

 

I believe Airaid only has products for the V8s with these K2s. You may be able to get one for the 5.3 and then take a trip to Lowe's and buy parts for an extension. The M.I.T. in my opinion is worth the money. It's half the price or less than full air intake kits and from tests that I've seen it flows as good or better with the ACDelco paper filter than the full intake kits. I don't think I felt any increase in throttle response, but it opens up the engine bay so you can actually get to things on the front of the engine without taking what would be the factory intake box off.

[Camaro45th]

Thanks for your response. I will have to dig a bit. Maybe someone with the 4.3 will chime in with their findings.

[Silvern Sentry]

As others have said 'Nope not really', just slapping in a CAI will do bubkus. But since OP is doing headers (and I assume exhaust too) then yes it would finish off those mods nicely.

[BigBadSierra]

I find it funny when I see the intake questions. I have a full AiRAID intake and the truck most defiantly performs better with it on vs the stock intake.

 

The sales manager and my salesman both added one to their trucks after Driving my 2014 when I traded it.

 

It really shows when I'm towing as I can actually pass stuff with the travel trailer on.

 

As for the question if your going to open up the exhaust defiantly do a full CAI to get everything out of the exhaust and headers.

[Silvern Sentry]

I find it funny when I see the intake questions. I have a full AiRAID intake and the truck most defiantly performs better with it on vs the stock intake.

 

The sales manager and my salesman both added one to their trucks after Driving my 2014 when I traded it.

 

It really shows when I'm towing as I can actually pass stuff with the travel trailer on.

 

As for the question if your going to open up the exhaust defiantly do a full CAI to get everything out of the exhaust and headers.

 

That is simply an opinion. All testing and data and physics says otherwise. I am not going to go into it all here or even try there is a literal plethora of info already out there. Suffice it to say that an engine is essentially a vacuum and it can only suck in so much at a time the factory airbox supplies more than enough (physics) and to get any real gain you need to push or compress the air with a turbo or supercharger or god forbid chemically with NOS. Any difference you notice in the noise or growl is simply because you went from a sealed and 'flattened' air delivery to an open one where more engine noise and sound waves are leaked out.

[BigBadSierra]

 

That is simply an opinion. All testing and data and physics says otherwise. I am not going to go into it all here or even try there is a literal plethora of info already out there. Suffice it to say that an engine is essentially a vacuum and it can only suck in so much at a time the factory airbox supplies more than enough (physics) and to get any real gain you need to push or compress the air with a turbo or supercharger or god forbid chemically with NOS. Any difference you notice in the noise or growl is simply because you went from a sealed and 'flattened' air delivery to an open one where more engine noise and sound waves are leaked out.

 

 

The intake is affecting how the engine programming is working more and overcoming some of the issues it has specifically with throttle lag which is non existent now in my truck..

 

The filter area is greater than the square filter and draws air in from a 365 degrees into the intake pipe which is more efficient then an drop in flow system. Air is coming in from multiple locations so it simply has air where it needs it not catching air that has already hit the bottom the factory air box and drawn into the intake pipe.

Air that now has turbulence causing disruption to the flow as it goes pas the mass airflow sensor.

 

The other issue is the factory intake pipe is now gone.

 

It is designed to reduce the engine noise and sacrifices air flow as the added chambers cause turbulence to the air going into the engine.

 

The direct pipe removes this and the airflow has a better directional flow and causes less disruption in side of the actual intake manifold.

 

So as with your statement the engine is drawing the same amount of air most likely yes they are.

 

So the Air intake drawing in a better flow that is more efficient and has less turbulence in the intake.

 

Thus the mass airflow sensor is getting a more steady efficient read and you end up with a better calibration from the engine ECU.

 

So in the end better performance form the engine.

[Silvern Sentry]

 

 

The intake is affecting how the engine programming is working more and overcoming some of the issues it has specifically with throttle lag which is non existent now in my truck..

 

The filter area is greater than the square filter and draws air in from a 365 degrees into the intake pipe which is more efficient then an drop in flow system. Air is coming in from multiple locations so it simply has air where it needs it not catching air that has already hit the bottom the factory air box and drawn into the intake pipe.

Air that now has turbulence causing disruption to the flow as it goes pas the mass airflow sensor.

 

The other issue is the factory intake pipe is now gone.

 

It is designed to reduce the engine noise and sacrifices air flow as the added chambers cause turbulence to the air going into the engine.

 

The direct pipe removes this and the airflow has a better directional flow and causes less disruption in side of the actual intake manifold.

 

So as with your statement the engine is drawing the same amount of air most likely yes they are.

 

So the Air intake drawing in a better flow that is more efficient and has less turbulence in the intake.

 

Thus the mass airflow sensor is getting a more steady efficient read and you end up with a better calibration from the engine ECU.

 

So in the end better performance form the engine.

 

Do you really think GM spent millions on researching these engines and just haphazardly decided , well **** it lets just leave some potential power and efficiency on the table and design an intake that is junk. If you do stand back and give your head a shake.

 

 

This is why people still like to argue about CAI. It is called the Back Fire effect.

 

The Backfire Effect. The Misconception: When your beliefs are challenged with facts, you alter your opinions and incorporate the new information into your thinking. The Truth: When your deepest convictions are challenged by contradictory evidence, your beliefs get stronger.

[SouthernSilveradoGuy85]

 

 

The intake is affecting how the engine programming is working more and overcoming some of the issues it has specifically with throttle lag which is non existent now in my truck..

 

The filter area is greater than the square filter and draws air in from a 365 degrees into the intake pipe which is more efficient then an drop in flow system. Air is coming in from multiple locations so it simply has air where it needs it not catching air that has already hit the bottom the factory air box and drawn into the intake pipe.

Air that now has turbulence causing disruption to the flow as it goes pas the mass airflow sensor.

 

The other issue is the factory intake pipe is now gone.

 

It is designed to reduce the engine noise and sacrifices air flow as the added chambers cause turbulence to the air going into the engine.

 

The direct pipe removes this and the airflow has a better directional flow and causes less disruption in side of the actual intake manifold.

 

So as with your statement the engine is drawing the same amount of air most likely yes they are.

 

So the Air intake drawing in a better flow that is more efficient and has less turbulence in the intake.

 

Thus the mass airflow sensor is getting a more steady efficient read and you end up with a better calibration from the engine ECU.

 

So in the end better performance form the engine.

 

 

From what it looks like the only thing that really helps is the straighter pipe from the filter to the throttle body, right? If so then why not just buy the Airaid M.I.T. which is just the tube to go from the factory air filter box to the throttle body. There are tests shown on this forum that shows the M.I.T. tube with a factory filter flows the same or better than those full intake kits like you have. I thought the same as you when I put my K&N intake kit on my '98. It did help with throttle response, but that's mainly because of just having a straight pipe from the filter to the throttle body. Also with the stock filter box the air is completely sealed off where a full intake kit (even one with a heat shield) will let some of the hot engine bay heat mix with the air going in which is a negative effect. The way I see it, unless you have forced induction you're not really letting anymore air in than stock, it's just a straighter path for the air to flow better. Also to add better throttle response I plan on do what spurshot did. Replace the throttle body and intake manifold on my 5.3 with one from the 6.2. Cost isn't that much either. I believe the Airiad M.I.T. plus the parts needed for the 6.2 throttle body swap still cost less than a full air intake kit and will do more than a full intake kit also.

[BigBadSierra]

 

Do you really think GM spent millions on researching these engines and just haphazardly decided , well **** it lets just leave some potential power and efficiency on the table and design an intake that is junk. If you do stand back and give your head a shake.

 

 

This is why people still like to argue about CAI. It is called the Back Fire effect.

 

The Backfire Effect. The Misconception: When your beliefs are challenged with facts, you alter your opinions and incorporate the new information into your thinking. The Truth: When your deepest convictions are challenged by contradictory evidence, your beliefs get stronger.

 

 

This is my last post on this I'm not going to argue this.

 

Automakers design everything for the masses not the individuals.

 

This means smooth riding, quiet and fuel efficient vehicles plus other comforts and the biggest they all have to meek the CAFE standards.

 

Cutting horsepower cuts the CAFE that's why all 80's cars suck so bad because it over 10 years before they figured out how to pickup the horsepower and meet CAFE.

 

So yes they all defiantly sacrifice performance to give a well rounded vehicle to the masses.

 

Why do you think tuners are able increase power and improve shifting.

 

The people writing the programs are not just smarter then the automakers.

 

They are just putting more aggressive/customized settings and letting the engine/transmission perform more but this has a cost in engine life, transmission life, fuel efficiency and more.

 

The is an entire industry called the aftermarket the grew from this mentality the automakers have been using.