5.0 guys? CAI or no CAI?

[Five Oh Brian]

so I've been reading up on coyotes and have found that a CAI is not really needed? tried a search, but couldn't get a definitive answer.

I've seen some AED cars make 420whp with a tune and OR mid pipe.

Louie, my '11 5.0L has just an SCT Tuner with the canned 91 octane tune that came from SCT + a drop in K&N air filter in the stock airbox, along with the FRPP GT500 axleback mufflers. No other mods.

It put down 409 rwhp at The Mustang Shop in Auburn, WA on their stingy Mustang Dyno. Recently, at Bremerton Raceway on May 11th, it ran a best trap speed of 117.17 mph in the 1/4 mile (with 4 runs at 116+ mph). There were 3 other 11/12 Brembo GT's there that day racing and they were trapping anywhere from 105 mph to 112 mph, so I was killing them through the traps. One of those Brembo GT's was 100% stock while the other two had aftermarket CAI's & tunes. I think the aftermarket CAI's are mostly hype and are just for looks at near stock power levels.

Stop in sometime and drive my car if you like to see how you like the power with the canned tune.

 

[HEMI LOL]

Louie, my '11 5.0L has just an SCT Tuner with the canned 91 octane tune that came from SCT + a drop in K&N air filter in the stock airbox, along with the FRPP GT500 axleback mufflers. No other mods.

It put down 409 rwhp at The Mustang Shop in Auburn, WA on their stingy Mustang Dyno. Recently, at Bremerton Raceway on May 11th, it ran a best trap speed of 117.17 mph in the 1/4 mile (with 4 runs at 116+ mph). There were 3 other 11/12 Brembo GT's there that day racing and they were trapping anywhere from 105 mph to 112 mph, so I was killing them through the traps. One of those Brembo GT's was 100% stock while the other two had aftermarket CAI's & tunes. I think the aftermarket CAI's are mostly hype and are just for looks at near stock power levels.

Stop in sometime and drive my car if you like to see how you like the power with the canned tune.

do you have a shifter bracket or shifter? I'm thinking about he barton bracket. stock shifter isn't that bad, but after two years with the hurst its taken awhile to get used too.

I've skipped the idea of a CAI. thinking either BAMA/AED/Lund for a tune. but not for awhile. the car has plenty of power to satisfy my mod bug for a few weeks.

 

[Seer]

do you have a shifter bracket or shifter? I'm thinking about he barton bracket. stock shifter isn't that bad, but after two years with the hurst its taken awhile to get used too.

I've skipped the idea of a CAI. thinking either BAMA/AED/Lund for a tune. but not for awhile. the car has plenty of power to satisfy my mod bug for a few weeks.

It's not just the power but the tunes also transform the throttle response which changes the car completely.

 

[iceguyb14]

Personally I think a CAI is definitely worth it. Sitting still for a while the IAT's will go up some, but they will go up some with the stock airbox as well. If you are getting a tune, it only makes sense to get a CAI. You get an extra 10-15hp or so, it sounds better, it looks better, and it's good for future mods. Plus the tuner can have the fan turn on at a lower temp to keep air moving around. I've noticed with my Bama tune, my IATs when sitting still are around 20* or so cooler than they were with the Lund Racing tune. Not sure if it's because of the fan or not, but just interesting to note. And when driving normally, the IATs are basically whatever the ambient temperature is. I mean a JLT is less than $300. For 10-15hp, the sound, the look, etc I think it's worth it.

Louie, my '11 5.0L has just an SCT Tuner with the canned 91 octane tune that came from SCT + a drop in K&N air filter in the stock airbox, along with the FRPP GT500 axleback mufflers. No other mods.

It put down 409 rwhp at The Mustang Shop in Auburn, WA on their stingy Mustang Dyno. Recently, at Bremerton Raceway on May 11th, it ran a best trap speed of 117.17 mph in the 1/4 mile (with 4 runs at 116+ mph). There were 3 other 11/12 Brembo GT's there that day racing and they were trapping anywhere from 105 mph to 112 mph, so I was killing them through the traps. One of those Brembo GT's was 100% stock while the other two had aftermarket CAI's & tunes. I think the aftermarket CAI's are mostly hype and are just for looks at near stock power levels.

Stop in sometime and drive my car if you like to see how you like the power with the canned tune.

Not to be a dick, but have to call complete bs on that one. K&N filter and GT500 axle back isn't going to do much for performance. So even if you were were a factory freak making 370whp stock (mustang dyno), you're saying you gained 39whp from only a canned sct 91 octane tune? Something doesn't add up. For the whp numbers, the trap speeds make sense. But that doesn't make sense with those mods. There are guys with a cai, o/r x pipe, and dyno tune not making that much power on a dynojet and trapping slower than you are...

 

[Seer]

Personally I think a CAI is definitely worth it. Sitting still for a while the IAT's will go up some, but they will go up some with the stock airbox as well. If you are getting a tune, it only makes sense to get a CAI. You get an extra 10-15hp or so, it sounds better, it looks better, and it's good for future mods. Plus the tuner can have the fan turn on at a lower temp to keep air moving around. I've noticed with my Bama tune, my IATs when sitting still are around 20* or so cooler than they were with the Lund Racing tune. Not sure if it's because of the fan or not, but just interesting to note. And when driving normally, the IATs are basically whatever the ambient temperature is. I mean a JLT is less than $300. For 10-15hp, the sound, the look, etc I think it's worth it.



Not to be a dick, but have to call complete bs on that one. K&N filter and GT500 axle back isn't going to do much for performance. So even if you were were a factory freak making 370whp stock (mustang dyno), you're saying you gained 39whp from only a canned sct 91 octane tune? Something doesn't add up. For the whp numbers, the trap speeds make sense. But that doesn't make sense with those mods. There are guys with a cai, o/r x pipe, and dyno tune not making that much power on a dynojet and trapping slower than you are...

and people have done some extensive testing and have seen the CAI does nothing even down to the low 11 second mark.

 

[2FST-4U]

ok well if i remember right all the cars from last years n/a shoot out (adam browne from alternative auto) that ran in the 10's had after market cold air kits and not a one had a stock air box. hmm not saying that the stock air box is bad but the after market cold air kits definetly work and make more power.

 

[Seer]

ok well if i remember right all the cars from last years n/a shoot out (adam browne from alternative auto) that ran in the 10's had after market cold air kits and not a one had a stock air box. hmm not saying that the stock air box is bad but the after market cold air kits definetly work and make more power.

because they were most likely paid to run those or sponsored lol.

 

[Greg Hazlett]

^^ I would agree with that statement 99.9% of the time but knowing Jay I know he would not promote nor sell a product that did not work; he does spend a lot of time ensuring his products work and make power; it can be debated how much of the 30 hp gains is in the intake alone and how much is in the intake, tune and 93.

 

[Rob72]

From the 3 links that I have provided throughout the thread a cai gives you anywhere from 6 to 12 rwhp. Same dyno, same day and no unstrapping. My guess is the average is around 10. Higher IAT or not it's still adding HP. Is it worth $300-$400 for the extra power for an easy bolt on. That's a subjective arguement. Is 10 extra rwhp going to make an inexperienced driver beat an experienced driver. I don't think so. Just my .

 

[Seer]

^^ I would agree with that statement 99.9% of the time but knowing Jay I know he would not promote nor sell a product that did not work; he does spend a lot of time ensuring his products work and make power; it can be debated how much of the 30 hp gains is in the intake alone and how much is in the intake, tune and 93.

from my own personal testing, I found the intake to be worth 6-9hp.

Not enough to make a difference at the track imo. Witjh that said, I like my JLT 127 CAI I run on my gt500 but only run it because with the whipple I am out of maf.

On my 5.0 I am keeping the stock airbox for quite some time as I've looked at some of the maf curves the jlt throws off... no thank you, especially Jay's melt down he had on the subject on modularfords by not directly answering questions.

Especially in this thread where he canceled his sponsorship because a mod would not delete posts.

http://www.modularfords.com/f259/cais-maf-signal-quality-185310/

Not taking anything away from JLT, but I'd of thought he wouldve been able to answer the questions with tech responses.

 

[Greg Hazlett]

I have my opinions on how Jay handles issues/questions, esp on how he publically attacked another vendor on here and because of that I am no longer friends with him; I have used his products, promoted his products and do believe in his products but that does not mean I have to like the man.

Being in the military I had to learn a hard lesson from about respecting people; I have to respect the rank and authority that rank carries but I don't have to respect the man behind the uniform.

 

[riored4v]

It's not just the power but the tunes also transform the throttle response which changes the car completely.

Just wish we could get away with a tune and not void the warranty. I'd have one on my car yesterday lol. Seems like they make a HUGE improvement over stock.

 

[Seer]

Just wish we could get away with a tune and not void the warranty. I'd have one on my car yesterday lol. Seems like they make a HUGE improvement over stock.

The FRPP Procal seems to do a semi decent job at transforming throttle response. If you let the dealer install it theres like a 12 month warranty

 

[riored4v]

The FRPP Procal seems to do a semi decent job at transforming throttle response. If you let the dealer install it theres like a 12 month warranty

Might look in to that. I think eventually I'll get a tune, but I want to ride out the factory warranty for awhile. Hopefully the exhaust/suspension stuff I ordered is enough to hold me over for awhile

 

[HEMI LOL]

It's the same difference, you mod it breaks in warranty you pay for it. You mod it out of warranty it breaks you pay for it.

 

[Seer]

Might look in to that. I think eventually I'll get a tune, but I want to ride out the factory warranty for awhile. Hopefully the exhaust/suspension stuff I ordered is enough to hold me over for awhile

A friend of mine dyno'd around 390rwhp with a FRPP Procal and the FRPP 3" X pipe and catback on his 2011 GT/CS. So it is going to be a bit more conservative than a full custom tune from say Lund, Bama, Steeda etc.

But it does change the throttle response quite well.

 

[riored4v]

It's the same difference, you mod it breaks in warranty you pay for it. You mod it out of warranty it breaks you pay for it.

Kinda depends on the mod though. I know if i get a knock or something engine related, with no tune, I won't have to worry and my warranty will be good. If I have a tune, I better be prepared to put the gloves on. Suspension and exhaust stuff I'm not really worried about causing any issues with my warranty.

A friend of mine dyno'd around 390rwhp with a FRPP Procal and the FRPP 3" X pipe and catback on his 2011 GT/CS. So it is going to be a bit more conservative than a full custom tune from say Lund, Bama, Steeda etc.

But it does change the throttle response quite well.

Pretty solid numbers I'll check in to it

 

[Five Oh Brian]

do you have a shifter bracket or shifter? I'm thinking about he barton bracket. stock shifter isn't that bad, but after two years with the hurst its taken awhile to get used too.

I've skipped the idea of a CAI. thinking either BAMA/AED/Lund for a tune. but not for awhile. the car has plenty of power to satisfy my mod bug for a few weeks.

I have the MGW Ltd full shifter assembly. It makes hitting the gears super easy every time. The factory shifter is sloppy and I had missed a couple shifts with it (especially at high rpm's), so in went the MGW shifter and missed shifts are a thing of the past.

 

[Five Oh Brian]

Not to be a dick, but have to call complete bs on that one. K&N filter and GT500 axle back isn't going to do much for performance. So even if you were were a factory freak making 370whp stock (mustang dyno), you're saying you gained 39whp from only a canned sct 91 octane tune? Something doesn't add up. For the whp numbers, the trap speeds make sense. But that doesn't make sense with those mods. There are guys with a cai, o/r x pipe, and dyno tune not making that much power on a dynojet and trapping slower than you are...

Ask forum member, MarcS, about my '11 5.0L. He works for The Mustang Shop in Auburn, WA where I had the dyno pulls done and he witnessed the pulls and knows what little mods I have. Other people in the shop, Marc, and I were guessing I'd see about 375 to 385 rwhp based on the limited mods (SCT canned tune, K&N drop in filter, and GT500 axlebacks). All three pulls were over 400 with a best of 409 rwhp so we were all really surprised!

So, I went to the dragstrip a couple days later to see if that dyno number made sense. Before racing, I calculated that 409 rwhp would mean a 116 mph trap speed so I was very skeptical. However, after experimenting with my launch technique for a few passes, I was rewarded with 4 passes over 116 mph and one over 117. Those trap speeds support the 409 rwhp figure. On a side note, I weighed my car on the drive home from the track and it was 3,720 lbs with me in the car (I weigh 180 lbs, so the car is 3,540 lbs).

The only other mods on the car have nothing to do with power production: adjustable LCA's and M&H Racemaster 275/50/17 drag radials.

So, perhaps my car really is a factory freak. It is fully broken in with 10,000 miles on the odometer and I have driven it very hard since day one, which I've always preached as the best way to break in a new car. Oh, and this isn't my first factory freak, so I believe that my method of breaking in new cars works. My 2000 Mustang GT, 2003 Mach 1, and 2007 Mustang GT all went quicker than most people expected. I bought them all brand new and drove them hard from day one.

 

[riored4v]

I have the MGW Ltd full shifter assembly. It makes hitting the gears super easy every time. The factory shifter is sloppy and I had missed a couple shifts with it (especially at high rpm's), so in went the MGW shifter and missed shifts are a thing of the past.

How's the noise with it? I keep hearing mixed responses. Some forum members say its a bit noisy, but then George will chime in and says that there should be almost no increased noise