Who's using what cold air intake

Juice

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IMHO..
Logically an unwrapped tube (stock or aftermarket..plastic or aluminum) will soak engine heat..though not directly on top of the engine. Obvious too is that an unsealed air box will receive under the hood heated air and gone is the title of COLD air intake.
Therefore it SEEMS logical that a sealed air box with a larger diameter plastic tube wrapped (or insulated) "should" deliver a larger amount of lower inlet air to the engine. But does actual function follow logic?.. How many owners actually have the other items put in place to make proper use of the larger volume of cooler air?.. throttle body, ported intakes, larger fuel injectors and pump, hotter spark, long tube headers and yes a tune.. I suggest the answer is few have everything in place that would then probably REQUIRE a cai.
Also hypothetically (bordering on hypocritically lol) I ask myself.. I mean you .. if you're not racing your mustang then what is your end goal by adding performance parts anyway? It certainly not to save gas or make your daily driver more comfortable or quieter.
(Btw.. advice? arguments? ..whatever.. alot exist on the installing and performance gains (or no gains) of any of the above mentioned too.. so noted and moving on. lol)
So how much use is this larger volume but more important to the conversation on hand is how much positive effect does the marginally cooler air have on an otherwise stock engines performance?
I have an Airaid and I can tell you from firsthand experience that other than a nicer sound while accelerating there is no notable performance difference on an otherwise stock engine.. that includes sotp or mpg. With confidence I say to you prospective buyers ..Installing a cai ALONE you are making a modification to looks and sound and not performance.

For the record.. OF COURSE the tune or tuning is what makes the difference of performance when you add a "CAI" or any additions (that require a tune).. if said add-on requires a tune it's saying "to get the optimal benefit from this product you must let your engine know it's there or it will not run or run like crap".
But hey just my opinion.. and really who cares what I think.
Tune required cai, does NOT mean "to get the optimal benefit from the cai".
It means the tube diameter is larger and the values generated by the maf sensor have changed. This change must be entered into the calibration so the vehicle runs the same as with the stock air intake. Zero performance increase on that alone.
 

Redrebel13

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Agreed on that point in principle as I said or offered that the tune (on tune required items) are so that when installed.. whatever it is.. your car will still function (or not function worse) with the change made. You're stating that in a tune required intake the tune is so that it runs the SAME as stock.. I'm not sure I agree with that specifically.. but since the difference is probably less than fractional if any at all (because I agree a cai alone is not a performance mod) it's not worthy of debate and in the spirit of Christmas I yield to you!
 
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totaljustice

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Here is an interesting article from a other Mustang site where a couple of guys did a very in depth test of Cold Air Intakes. It's a pretty good read and answers a lot of questions. I have used an Airaid CAI since 2012 on my 2012 V6 and have been happy with it. I don't know about any power gains it dramatically improved the sound, especially under acceleration. Anyway the link below is a good read.

https://www.mustangevolution.com/th...-vs-stock-intake-quantitative-testing.373422/
 

Juice

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I base my statements of tuning efi systems for over 20 years. And carbed shit for 20+ years before that.
I was trying to clarify the difference between an actual tune session where fuel and timing is optimized, vs a tune required part. Tune required is misleading. There is no actual tuming involved simply entering the maf transfer of a cai. A monkey can do the latter. And the monkeys at AM still can fuck it up.
Im done, failed to get my point across.
 

GlassTop09

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Here is an interesting article from a other Mustang site where a couple of guys did a very in depth test of Cold Air Intakes. It's a pretty good read and answers a lot of questions. I have used an Airaid CAI since 2012 on my 2012 V6 and have been happy with it. I don't know about any power gains it dramatically improved the sound, especially under acceleration. Anyway the link below is a good read.

https://www.mustangevolution.com/th...-vs-stock-intake-quantitative-testing.373422/
Thanks for the link.........
 

Midlife Crises

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I base my statements of tuning efi systems for over 20 years. And carbed shit for 20+ years before that.
I was trying to clarify the difference between an actual tune session where fuel and timing is optimized, vs a tune required part. Tune required is misleading. There is no actual tuming involved simply entering the maf transfer of a cai. A monkey can do the latter. And the monkeys at AM still can fuck it up.
Im done, failed to get my point across.
Your statement does not fall on deaf ears. I understand and agree with exactly what you mean. I will add that it makes sense to me that open air boxes make more noise than the stock closed air box but I can’t prove it. My exhaust is louder than my inlet and I can’t even hear the blower.
Also, I mentioned screwed up inlet air temperatures. Ford placed an ambient temperature sensor in the lower grill, I installed a sensor in the inlet duct just in front of the throttle body and another in the plenum under the blower (where the bubbler tube connects) and the intake manifold has an AIT sensor in the #6 port. I can see all four temperatures at the same time and watch them change. Idling, cruising and on the throttle have an impact on air temperatures through the system. The very first thing I saw is the air heats up in the air duct as it travels over top of the engine and that’s not the worst part. When not on the throttle the bypass valve is open, recirculating air and the intercooler doesn’t really do anything. Step on the throttle, the bypass valve closes and I can watch the AIT drop in the intake manifold port. I wish I had a datalog showing all this happening at the same time but I don’t. I have logged the AIT drop under full throttle and can find that.
 

Juice

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I saw very little cold air effect between the jlt2 and stock airbox. Even in 40* ambient, IAT climbed to 60+ after about 10 min of idling/not moving. Once some air starts flowing, IATs drop to near ambient with both intakes, where it matters, makimg power. Idling, I dont care about IATs.
 

dhrmx5

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We have a 2006 GT that is a road racer. With the intake stock (quality filter) and a catless X-pipe the car made 285rwhp with a custom tune. We installed the 07 Shelby GT CAI with its larger MAF tube and the car would barely run. Once the tuner was done with it the car was making 295rwhp with a tune. CAI WITH larger MAF can have a real impact on your power. We have seen the same thing with the Aluminator XS 5.2. It is happiest with the GT350 intake tube and MAF tube size. None of the aftermarkets are as big.
 

Leo B

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Hey buddy, I'm going to take this chance for my first message in this forum (I think). I see a lot of analysis in all these responses and I respect all that info, but...
my take? I put an Airaid CAI in my 2011 3.7 pony and loved it! the sound! the look! Do it you won't regret!
Then, if you want, you can add some tune.
Enjoy the mood!
 

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