cold air kits??

yea they require a tune....the only one I ever saw who said they didnt need one was K&N but its still probably a good idea even with them.
And if I were you I would stay far away from Mac

There are actually others that do NOT require a tune, such as the Mustang Racing Technologies (Street Smart Design) intake and the Air Aid intake.

MRT Intake

Air Aid Intake

Almost all require a tune. Without a tune the car goes way lean. The K&N one does not require a tune so if you are definatly against the tune go with that one. Otherwise what I did is just save up for a few mods that need a tune and then install them all at once and tune at one time. This way you won't need multiple tunes. As far as cold air kits go check out the JLT kit. It is the least expensive at only around $150 + tune. You can also buy the CAI, tune and tuner all together for a pretty fair price of around $500 or so.

I agree with 8urvtec JLT makes some really nice stuff

Thanks guys.

Jay

So why do the K&N, MRT, and Air Aid kits not need a tune? They don't make the engine run "dangerously lean"? Are they more restrictive so as not to set off the MAF? If so, do they actually increase power at all? Basically are the kits going to make any difference?

I just don't get why Ford made it so that tuners would have to retune the entire ECU just for simple bolt-on mods....

Cai

Not sure on the 05's but I would assume that it is like all the other years that you do not need a tune. Now if the CAI kit comes with a different MAF then you should re-tune. The MAC in some cases does come with a new MAF housing which changes what the sensors reads and reports thus requiring a tune. If you look at K&N FIPK, it does not require a tune. In general, no you do not need to tune for CAI kit.

Tell your friend to be choose carefully, not all CAI kits produce good numbers. My brother and I have done some extensive testing with his 04 Terminator with CAI and so far K&N FIPK kit with a S&B Power Stack filter has produced the best numbers. But that is on a 04 Terminator, 05 may like something different. Give the guys at RPMOutlet.com a call and they can give you some real numbers for a 05.

The last thing to consider is: I am going to do more than just CAI? If yes then you need to consider how the CAI kit will act with the other mods.

My brothers Cobra has the following:

2.73" pulley
Idler pulley
Magna Flow Magna Pack 4" round mufflers
MAC Pro-Chamer (No CATS), Stainless
Diablo Prediator
Reat O2 Sensors are off

We are designing our own CAI kit since we are not completely happy with those that are out there.

He's putting down 474 RWHP & 493 on torque!

So you can see that research and testing is required. All depends on what you want to do. Hope this helps.

Siggy33 said:

So why do the K&N, MRT, and Air Aid kits not need a tune? They don't make the engine run "dangerously lean"? Are they more restrictive so as not to set off the MAF? If so, do they actually increase power at all? Basically are the kits going to make any difference?

I just don't get why Ford made it so that tuners would have to retune the entire ECU just for simple bolt-on mods....

Click to expand...

The word on the K&N is that yes, it is more restictive than other CAIs so it does not need a tune nor does it produce as much HP. I have heard that with the K&N you need to take the HC trap out of your stock air box and put it in the K&N. That restricts the flow enough that you don't need a tune. If you take that out and run the K&N by itself you do need a tune. That is what I have heard anyway.

The reason you have to retune is b/c the '05's computer can only adjust 5% in either direction to correct for a lean situation. Most CAI's cause enough additional air to go through so that the fuel cannot keep up within that 5% range so you go lean. You need a tuner to change beyond that.

I added over 20 rwhp and 30 rwtq using JLT's CAI and a custom SCT tune. For $650 it was worth it IMO. ($500 for XCal2 and custom dyno tune, $150 for JLT CAI).

Here is the thread on my JLT intall, tune and dyno:
http://franksperformance.com/Forums/index.php?showtopic=161

Ok, I checked out AIRAID's website and they're saying that their CAI will produce 17 rwhp and 21 lb/ft without a tune. They say this is possible because of they're Modular Venturi Tube (MVT) that somewhow "maintains proper air/fuel ratios with stock electric tuning." Anyone know how this thing works, or if it is true at all? Anybody have one that can back this up? And if this is all true, how mcuh do they cost?

If I recall correctly the CAI's that don't require tunes typically use MAF housings of approximately the same diameter as stock.

Its voodoo magic involving MAF size, flow characteristics and toe of sea-urchin.

I'm serious.

Also, hopefully you saw this:
Cold Score

Jlt

I just received my JLT CAI the other day (performance white) and must say that I am very satisfied with the quality of the unit. I ordered the CAI X-Cal 2 from Brenspeed. Just waiting on the tuner to see how it performes.

Thanks for the fast service Jay!!

Wow, I beat Brent out the gate??
Glad you got it and are happy, now let us know what you think when you install that "air Pirana"

Jay

Siggy33 said:

Ok, I checked out AIRAID's website and they're saying that their CAI will produce 17 rwhp and 21 lb/ft without a tune. They say this is possible because of they're Modular Venturi Tube (MVT) that somewhow "maintains proper air/fuel ratios with stock electric tuning." Anyone know how this thing works, or if it is true at all? Anybody have one that can back this up? And if this is all true, how mcuh do they cost?

Click to expand...

It also looks like you can take out the venturi for added flow if you purchase the tuner in the future. This looks like you can have your cake and eat it too.

Jay-- I think...

I like it a lot! My poor tires. You and Brent both do good work. Both items installed easy, looks awesome and the combo really gave Sally a kick in the rear.

Keep up the good work.

Bryan

I'm pretty new to this, so I apologize if this is a stupid question.

Why do you have to BUY a tuner. If I buy a CAI, won't a speed shop have an "in-house" tuner. Basically, I'd just pay them to tune my car once.

I can see if you plan on making many modifications to your car, then your own tuner would pay off. But just for a CAI, are there any other options?

No, not with this new car. Tuners are a must as the MAF and computer are not adjusting the tune as the older "seperete MAF" cars do.

It's a must on the 05,06.

Jay

Siggy33 said:

So why do the K&N, MRT, and Air Aid kits not need a tune? They don't make the engine run "dangerously lean"? Are they more restrictive so as not to set off the MAF? If so, do they actually increase power at all? Basically are the kits going to make any difference?

I just don't get why Ford made it so that tuners would have to retune the entire ECU just for simple bolt-on mods....

Click to expand...

The reason why those kits do not require a retune, is because the MAF housing is around the same size as stock.. and in some cases, such as the K&N, S&B and AFE kits. the MAF is actually smaller, in fact after speaking with tech's from both K&N and AFE.. I discovered that the MAF is 73mm. compared to the 79.5mm. stock housing, so the answer to your question is, NO.. they do not lean the engine out, and here's why.. Air travels across the sensor at the same speed and volume, because the MAF size remains either unchanged or is decreased, and despite the rest of the intake tube being larger in size, the computer still receives the same signal from the MAF sensor, indicating that air flow travel across the sensor remains normal and the computer therefore is able to compensate for the additional airflow, from the rest of the intake tube, because its within the 5%+ or - adjustment range.. So yes..they are restrictive, because the only way those kits are able to avoid setting off the MAF, is by decreasing the housing size.. So in reality, without a tune IMO.. you'll end up getting half the power, compared to kits that do require a tune, and to be honest with you..its really the tune that is going to provide the most benefits and gains, so in the long run..you would be much better off to invest in a tuner anyway..as for the MRT kit. thier website claims that no tune is required, However if you check out the cold score article, in 5.0 mustang and fast ford magazine 11 cold air kits were tested.. and included in that test was the MRT. according to the test results the MRT showed a 17hp. gain over stock. But on the other hand, the a/f numbers appeared to be around 13.1, which is considered to be lean.. And if you take a look for yourself.. the article does recommend a tune be required, in order to achive the best performance .. As for the Airaid kit. it doesn't require a tune, because it uses what is called a venturi tube, which is smaller piece of tube thats placed inside the MAF meter, which is designed to be similar to the stock housing, then if you should decide down the road to do any additional mods..the tube can be removed.. However once its removed.. a tune is then required, other than that..I really don't have any addtional info. so you may want to check out thier website, if you're interested in that particular kit. Anyway..I hope that I've been able to answer at least some of you're questions and have been somewhat, helpful.. just in case, I'll include the link for the cold score article, for you to check out.. And BTW.. good luck to you.. http://mustang50magazine.com/techarticles/m5lp_0601w_cold_air_intake/