What do I gain ?
 

I've seen K&N cold air intake systems advertised. What's the advantage of installing one of these on my 2007 5.3 Vortec ?

Re: What do I gain ?
 

Looks.

I designed the engine air induction system for the initial release of the GMT800 models. Much of the system is still in use today.

We sized the system for the highest flow applications, specifically big blocks and diesels, with 1"Hg restriction (from ambient air inlet to throttle body inlet) at max airflow rates. What this implies is the system is over capacitized for all small block applications (because they have lower airflow rates).

Additionally, when you free up one end you find the cork in the system in the other (the exhaust). So we were pretty much always trading off restriction between me and the exhaust guys so that our parts wouldn't be the choke point.

Plus - typically the aftermarket systems draw underhood air, which is heated, rather than cool outside ambient air like the production setup. There is a performance loss associated with a hot intake charge vs a cool intake charge.

Bottom line: objectively you shouldn't see any performance gains, regardless of internet hype and anecdotal evidence.

K

Re: What do I gain ?
 

Another bad attribute of K&N filters is they do not filter well.

Re: What do I gain ?
 

And the oil you use to clean them can contaminate the mass air flow sensor.

Re: What do I gain ?
 

This is my point of view, as everyone has one.

I had a K&N filter setup in my 2011 GMC. It did improve the air flow characteristics over the factory air filter, we could see that on the EFI Live programs, but the setback was the fact that the metal parts absorbed a lot of eningine bay heat and would cause the computer to retard the spark to limit detonation. I pitched that system and bought into the Banks Engineering air filter unit for my truck and the gain was good. The air temps stay down, I have plenty of flow and it works well with my Kooks headers and dual Magnaflow exhasust setup.

You just can't bolt it in and believe that it will give you what the advertisement tells you. You have to work on all of the other items around it, too. I have 119,000 on my 2011 5.3, 6 speed auto and with the tune and the engine components on it, it runs really well.

http://bankspower.com/products/show/308/10

Re: What do I gain ?
 

As stated, the K&N products have some drawbacks. Cold air intakes themselves aren't horrible, but like Keith said, the GMT800 truck intakes were well designed (he should know lol).

At my shop, we get trucks come in every now and then with drive-ability problems that have K&N filters. Sometimes the MAF is toast. Usually they are neglected, over-oiled and become destructive. I pull them off and when the owner doesn't have the original stuff, I have to charge for the repair plus salvage stock intake stuff. This is the only way we feel comfortable with long-term reliability. And I have also pulled several off the old engine for complete engine jobs, then state in my warranty that the stock intake system must be retained to honor the engine warranty.

The Banks system is nice, as are the GMPP and other enclosed intakes, that's the route I'd go if I had to have one...but that $200 can be applied to a tune with much greater results.

Re: What do I gain ?
 

Very interesting. I am running the K&N system on my 2000 4.8 and what all of you have said makes since about the heat and stuff. I guess I just went with the crowd and the fact that I found mine on Craigslist for $50.00 I thought It would enhance the performance but I never did any before and after trials. The Banks is nice but $350.00+ is a good bit to bit off for a dd truck. I saved my old OE intake stuff so I am interested in this thread to see some more opinions.

Re: What do I gain ?
 

The Banks air filter intake provides something that most of the other air cleaner setups doesn't, and that includes the factory unit. It has an opening to the lower fender well and through that opening, the cooler air is ducted into the engine intake. The others take air from inside the engine compartment for the most part and that air temp impacts the IAC for the engine. The factory unit pulls air from behind the headlight and is not as effective at that as one would believe. Then include the convoluted pathway and the factory air filter and there are some restrictions that in my mind was needed. If you hook up a computer that has the capability to read inlet air temps, with the different air intakes the change is noticeable and the response from the engine is amazing when you look at how much timing is pulled while accelerating on a hot day. The Banks unit helped me lower my Inlet air temp by a large amount and the timing now stays where we want it for performance. It was worth the money to me to get my truck to accelerate better. There is always room to grow.

Compared to the cost of an aftermarket exhaust system the cost of the air intake is not that overwhelming. Putting the exhaust and the air intake together makes a good performance package.

Re: What do I gain ?
 

The convoluted path through the fender is necessary to keep from ingesting water. Water in an internal combustion engine is every Induction Engineer's worst nightmare.

Unfortunately - cool low restriction air and dry air are often mutually exclusive.

K

Re: What do I gain ?
 

I just opened up my Banks air filter and decided to clean the filter. It has about 40,000 miles on it and was not that dirty, but when there just do it and live with the fact that it is done. There was little dust and no trace of water in the housing, so it is working just great. I have driven this truck in all kinds of weather, too.

Re: What do I gain ?
 

I had just the K&N air filter and a modified housing on an F150. That and an upgraded exhaust gave me a bit of seat of the pants power, but hardly noticeable. Definitely louder, which was annoying on that crappy 4.2L V6.

The bad part was that no matter how hard I tried to seal the air filter, dust was passing through. Each item I inspected it, I found fine dust in the pleats of the intake AFTER the filter. I went back to the paper filter and new stock air filter housing after that and found no lack in performance and no more dust.