Cold Air Intake?

[JAKD-UP]

If I don't have a catback exhaust system would it be a waste of money to buy a CAI and install it? I don't know much about CAI but I've read alot on what you guys have to say. But noone has seemed to touch on this subject...or at least not what I could find.

[VMax2007]

What do you want/expect from it? If you want/expect a power/mpg gain, it will do very little, if anything by itself. But it looks cool and sounds cool.

 

If you get an exhaust and a tune, then you may see some power gains from it, but nothing huge by any means. Mostly at the higher RPMs where your engine is breathing heavier.

 

I have the GMPP CAI and I like it. But mostly for it's looks/sound. I have stock exhaust and a custom tune and I have no idea if the CAI helps. But the tune rocks!!!

[JAKD-UP]

When you say sound what are you refering to? You mean the exhaust note or something else? I was really just looking for more HP gains and thought the CAI would be the best place to start. Am I wrong? Is there something else I should be looking into?

[cambo]

You hear a high pitched wind noise. It sounds pretty cool.

 

To get the most gains from the smallest amount of money would be by buying a Custom Tune (Westers, Nelson, Wait4Me, HPTuners), a CAI, and an exhaust system.

[JAKD-UP]

Kinda like a supercharger? If so then yeah I can defnitely see why you got one for the look/sound.

 

Ok so basically I should go about it this way...CAI then Exhaust then a tune?

[cambo]

Kinda like a supercharger? If so then yeah I can defnitely see why you got one for the look/sound.

 

Ok so basically I should go about it this way...CAI then Exhaust then a tune?

Exhaust, CAI, then Tune. Always do tune last.

[C & A s Dad]

Adam, most CAIs will give you more intake noise/music depending on if you like it or not. It will be a deeper throaty sound when you are in the gas.

 

An open element system like K & N will produce the most noise while sealed units such as the GM or Trueflow set up will be more quiet.

 

I have the True Flow set up but would have likely bought the GM system if it had been avail at the time.

 

If you decide to do this, I would recommend a sealed system that pull cold air from your fender well just like the OE unit. As VMax said, do not expect any great change in HP or MPG, but they do look and sound good and clean up things under the hood.

[VMax2007]

The sound from a CAI is NOT high pitched, it is a deep, throaty growl under high accleration (downshifts). Kinda like when you run a 4-barrel carb with the air cleaner removed or the lid flipped in the good-ole-days.

 

Depending on your finances, I would do the CAI, Exhaust and then Tune in that order, BUT if you must wait to do them all, do the tune first since it provides 90%+ of the total gains of all three. You can always re-tune for the CAI and exhaust later if necessary. Typically, tunes do NOT require a re-tune for CAI and exhaust upgrades unless you do Headers.

 

I recommend Nelson or Wheatley for a tune, and both will do free updates for minor mods.

[JAKD-UP]

Cool! Thanks guys that's some really helpful info. I did alot of reading and it seems the enclosed CAI are the way to go. That's why I was leaning towards Volant. The Outlaw CAI seemed to be a good one too but we all know what happened with them.

[2000DV4.8]

The sound from a CAI is NOT high pitched, it is a deep, throaty growl under high accleration (downshifts). Kinda like when you run a 4-barrel carb with the air cleaner removed or the lid flipped in the good-ole-days.

 

 

I agree. It is definitely not a high pitched sound.

[C & A s Dad]

I almost used the "lid flipped on an 4 bbl comparison" but I was afraid Adam may be "age impaired" and not know what I meant.

 

Man, my 68 Buick Wildcat, 430 would make you think it would pull a small town down those secondaries when the top was flipped. My Dad did not like me doing it so I would flip it when I was away from the shop and flip it back before returning.

[JAKD-UP]

Thanks C&A's dad I apprecaite that. I know a little about the old school but not a whole lot. But the one thing I do know is they still don't make em like they used to. I'd give anything to have a 57 bel-air. One can dream I guess!

[DgBritt8]

I added a CAI on my NBS 07 recently and after a couple of tanks I can say it gave me about 2-3 tenths increase. I am about to add an exhaust, with the tune coming later. I bought a S@B Filters CAI and it was very easy to install and is a sealed unit. I agree it sounds like old school flipped lid on the ole Q-Jet.