I've got a 2002 Gt that is bone stock except for 2 chamber flows. Now I want to get a new air intake but i'm not sure which one. I like the JLT Ram Air but I have heard that for nearly stock cars it will cause them to run lean. Is this so? Also give me your thoughts on any other Cold Air/Ram air kits please.
A little intake help please
- Thread starter silver2v
- Start date
03_TrueBlue_GT
Active Member
^^
I agree getting a CAI should be the least of your worries, Id go with some 3.73 gears or 4.10's and a handheld tuner....
Have fun with the car though!
I agree getting a CAI should be the least of your worries, Id go with some 3.73 gears or 4.10's and a handheld tuner....
Have fun with the car though!
Stumbaugh
Member
I have a JLT cold air kit on mine, not the ram air kit. I noticed a gain on mine, plus, plus it looks sick. Mine did not run lean at all. The fenderwell JLT is a pain in the butt to install, but it was worth it. The only way I would use an intake such as the ram air intake is if it has a heat shield to block the engine heat. The main reason I went with the fenderwell style was because the fact that it's sucking in air from outside. It can suck driving in the rain if you are not careful tho.
IMO, I would go ahead and purchase the Fenderwell cold air intake from JLT. They are the best IMO.
IMO, I would go ahead and purchase the Fenderwell cold air intake from JLT. They are the best IMO.
Really? I wouldn't say worthless. They do exist for some reason. Better/more air flow increases HP and efficiency of the engine. Far from worthless if you ask me. Now I'm not saying you should spend a bunch of money on one, but a basic intake is worth it in my opinion.
If you want to spend 200-300 dollars on 2-3 HP that's fine, but to me that's worthless when there are many other mods for similar money that will provide much better results.
If you spend that money on a tuner, gears, or a mid-pipe you'll get much more bang for your buck.
Someone on here a couple years ago did a dyno comparison between the stock intake, a chrome CAI, and a plastic CAI and found that the chrome CAI actually lost power over stock (likely due to heat soak) and the plastic CAI added maybe 2-3 HP. They are mostly for show. Your best bet is to spend that money elsewhere, remove the factory air silencer, and get a K&N drop in.
If you spend that money on a tuner, gears, or a mid-pipe you'll get much more bang for your buck.
Someone on here a couple years ago did a dyno comparison between the stock intake, a chrome CAI, and a plastic CAI and found that the chrome CAI actually lost power over stock (likely due to heat soak) and the plastic CAI added maybe 2-3 HP. They are mostly for show. Your best bet is to spend that money elsewhere, remove the factory air silencer, and get a K&N drop in.
mransr
Founding Member
that may be your best bet, but not everybody's 
I picked up a used C&L and got a very pleasant (and very surprising) SOTP improvement over just the K&N drop in...I do agree that the price of most nice CAI is too high, but just leaving 3-5 HP (more or less) "on the table" doesn't seem like a very good idea either...
I'd definitely avoid the chrome ebay ones though
I picked up a used C&L and got a very pleasant (and very surprising) SOTP improvement over just the K&N drop in...I do agree that the price of most nice CAI is too high, but just leaving 3-5 HP (more or less) "on the table" doesn't seem like a very good idea either...
I'd definitely avoid the chrome ebay ones though
that may be your best bet, but not everybody's
I picked up a used C&L and got a very pleasant (and very surprising) SOTP improvement over just the K&N drop in...I do agree that the price of most nice CAI is too high, but just leaving 3-5 HP (more or less) "on the table" doesn't seem like a very good idea either...
I'd definitely avoid the chrome ebay ones though
+1, all I am saying is most people on this site will agree that if they had to choose from spending $300 on a tuner, gears, CAI, or a midpipe, the CAI would be the last item on the list.
1fun281
Member
The CAI is just a support mod, It will greatly help you down the road one day when your motor has alot more mods to it, like tb/plenum/cams/injectors/with offroad midpipe, gears and a tune, and a JLT ram air intake, you have yourself a 12 second mustang!
streethorse
15 Year Member
You sure about this? Sounds kind of fishy. I've always heard it adds 10-15 HP depending on the brand. Plus the other mods that you have on your engine will affect this as well.
BurningRubber
10 Year Member
- Dec 6, 2004
- 1,865
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10-15hp is the manufacturers claim. That claim is often based on a test they ran on a built motor that would benefit greatly from a single mod over the stock part.
Manufacturers claims are a joke most of the time until you get into the big money parts.
Manufacturers claims are a joke most of the time until you get into the big money parts.
If the manufacturers claims were true, I would have gained 14 HP from the MAC CAI, 18 HP from the MAC o/r h-pipe, 12 HP from the MAC cat-back, 10 HP from the UD pulleys, 10 HP from the professional products plenum, and of course the additional 30 HP from the PI cams and intake.
For a grand total of 94 HP!
not likely.... 
For a grand total of 94 HP!
not likely.... 
flstang65
10 Year Member
Here's the thing, most of the bolt on intake items worked pretty good on the old 5.0. The parts developed a reputation before the 4.6 ever arrived. In order for the 4.6 to hit the same power as the 5.0, Ford gave it a free breathing intake system all the way to the throttle body.
The 5.0 at 302CID got a 65mm maf and a 55 mm TB. The 4.6 got a 80mm maf and a 65mm TB. These factory sizes were necessary to release the 4.6 and claim similar power to the 5 liter.
With stock heads and cams, a 4.6 CANNOT move enough air for the filter, maf, or TB to cause a restriction.....no matter how many articles the magazines print and no matter how many butt dynos are performed. Every CONTROLLED test of a stock engine CAI compared to oem has shown no gain beyond the margin of error of the dyno itself.
Once you tackle the real restriction in the engine - the heads and cams and to a slightly lesser extent the intake/exhaust manifolds - the little things will be worth significantly more power. Unless you do the big things first - specifically heads and cams, intake tract items are wasted money. It's as simple as that.
The 5.0 at 302CID got a 65mm maf and a 55 mm TB. The 4.6 got a 80mm maf and a 65mm TB. These factory sizes were necessary to release the 4.6 and claim similar power to the 5 liter.
With stock heads and cams, a 4.6 CANNOT move enough air for the filter, maf, or TB to cause a restriction.....no matter how many articles the magazines print and no matter how many butt dynos are performed. Every CONTROLLED test of a stock engine CAI compared to oem has shown no gain beyond the margin of error of the dyno itself.
Once you tackle the real restriction in the engine - the heads and cams and to a slightly lesser extent the intake/exhaust manifolds - the little things will be worth significantly more power. Unless you do the big things first - specifically heads and cams, intake tract items are wasted money. It's as simple as that.
+1, With a built motor (ported heads, nice set of cams, larger plenum, 70 or 75mm throttle body, full exhaust including LT headers) your stock intake tube/MAF is still not much of a restriction. Best case scenario, you gain 5 - 10 HP with a CAI on a fully built motor.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, spend your money elsewhere. If/when you do add ported heads/cams/full exhaust, you can then go back and get a CAI.
It really is too bad the advertised HP gains are false... would be nice to just add them up... wouldn't cost more than $1,200 bucks to be over 300 RWHP
trombonedemon
Well-Known Member
26 dollar CAI from ebay FTMFW, tape that bad boy up w/heat resistant tape and there you go, no more "heat soak," you have to make your own heat shield though, plastic drawer from Walmart 5 bucks, if you must have a CAI.
," you have to make your own heat shield though, plastic drawer from Walmart 5 bucks, if you must have a CAI.
joshjwc9
Active Member
I am on the side of just getting a K&N until you are sick of looking at the stock intake tube and after you have a midpipe/catback/TB & Plenum. That's what I did, but between the stock tube and my current Steeda CAI, intake temps actually decreased, so the heat soak arguement is BS.
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