CAI and Egr. What’s the point?

[I support common sense]

K&N makes a cold air intake for the vulcan v6, but it seems to be worse off then the stock intake as it (K&N) draws right out of the engine bay. How is this considered a cold air intake? Furthermore, if the egr is open it’s drawing extremely hot gases right off the exhaust headers, heating even the warm air already flowing in. I’m beginning to wonder if an egr delete would help the stock air intake draw cool air better. I’ve placed my hand on my aluminum intake and it is often too hot to touch.

Is an egr delete going to help keep the intake cooler?
Do the K&N cold air intakes really help or is it just a scam?

They start with this for the newer trucks that actually make some sense and get progressively worse with the older trucks until you’ve got an air filter that draws right from the engine bay.

They’re also stupid expensive.

 

[Blmpkn]

You're right, 99% of aftermarket CAI kits are in all actuality HOT air intakes. Most people shouldn't waste their money on one.. especially if it's for a truck.

The intake manifold is always gonna be hot though.. regardless of whether it has an EGR or not. Its bolted to the heads. Heatsoak is the enemy.. not a lot of good ways to kill it however.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Fact is, most Fords come factory with what is essentially a CAI, since the air is ducted from behind the headlight into the air box.

EGR isn’t quite the enemy either, the whole purpose is to inject hot exhaust gases that may contain some unburned or partially burned exhaust gases into the intake under certain conditions, like full throttle. Well, I mean, if you have an early 2.9 that has an EGR, those didn’t work great from the factory and they were unnecessary on the 2.9 which is why they went away in like 87 or 88. Those EGR equipped 2.9s though got the bigger throttle body.

Catalytic converters aren’t a problem either. As long as that stuff is working properly, it’s not hurting anything. What is harming performance is that automatic transmission if it’s un-modded and the bands haven’t been adjusted in the last 50k miles.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My factory intake 2002 F-150 intake was generally within 10 degrees of ambient... 10 degrees wont make a bit of difference.

 

[97RangerXLT]

The K& N model is used primarily for applications that the owners will use a high performance chip imbedded in a card that will allow the transfer of funds directly to K & N's site to boost their profit margins by giving the owner a shiny plastic and metal device that looks cool in their vehicle. Also does not filter as well as the paper filter and system placed by the company that designed the vehicle...

But it does look cooler...

AJ

 

[stmitch]

EGR will increase intake air temps, but it will often cool combustion temps (there's less complete fuel burn). I'm not sure there's a huge performance or efficiency benefit to deleting it, and it will increase your tailpipe emissions (NOx especially). Removing emissions hardware is also a Federal crime that has been receiving increased scrutiny in recent years.

You could replace your aluminum upper intake manifold with a composite upper from 01+ 3.0s, and it might help avoid heat soak a bit. You could also drill/tap a fitting(s) into the aluminum intake to add something like water/meth injection to bring IAT's down.

 

[I support common sense]

EGR will increase intake air temps, but it will often cool combustion temps (there's less complete fuel burn). I'm not sure there's a huge performance or efficiency benefit to deleting it, and it will increase your tailpipe emissions (NOx especially). Removing emissions hardware is also a Federal crime that has been receiving increased scrutiny in recent years.

You could replace your aluminum upper intake manifold with a composite upper from 01+ 3.0s, and it might help avoid heat soak a bit. You could also drill/tap a fitting(s) into the aluminum intake to add something like water/meth injection to bring IAT's down.

Why would I want a plastic intake, I heard that was a huge complaint about the newer 3.0s. I will consider the water idea, but I want to see if that would even be practical.

 

[stmitch]

Why would I want a plastic intake, I heard that was a huge complaint about the newer 3.0s. I will consider the water idea, but I want to see if that would even be practical.

I don't think I've ever heard complaints about the composite upper intakes on the 3.0. They're lighter, stay a tad cooler, and appear to have slightly longer runners. I'm also pretty sure that people used to put Escape 60mm throttle bodies on the composite upper intake manifolds more easily, but those memories are a little foggy. You can probably search for those threads if interested.

Anyway, composite intake manifolds are pretty much standard for modern engines. They can have more complex shapes than cast manifolds. Every LS, Coyote, Ecoboost, etc leaves the factory with a plastic intake manifold, and they perform so well that it can be difficult for the aftermarket to do any better. They're not an issue.


Also should mention that if your truck is flex fuel, and you have access to e85, then running that can decrease engine temps too. The alcohol burns cooler than gasoline.

 

[SenorNoob]

Wasn't the upper intake being cooler the idea (whether it worked or not) behind those plastic spacer things?

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

This is a "running cooler = more performance" thread? EGR lowering combustion temps improves performance by allowing timing advance. You'll be less performant (and efficient and emissions-friendly) without it unless you tune around it, which is probably out-of-scope for a discussion about CAIs.

I always wondered about louvering the hood, but that was more a "stuck in summer traffic with the AC on" question than a performance one.

I thought those plastic spacers made some wild-ass advertising claims like they were rifled to spin the air which makes it go in faster. Maybe that was just one brand?

 

[Blmpkn]

Wasn't the upper intake being cooler the idea (whether it worked or not) behind those plastic spacer things?

Phelonic spacers? They do definitely have an effect

 

[sgtsandman]

This is a "running cooler = more performance" thread? EGR lowering combustion temps improves performance by allowing timing advance. You'll be less performant (and efficient and emissions-friendly) without it unless you tune around it, which is probably out-of-scope for a discussion about CAIs.

I always wondered about louvering the hood, but that was more a "stuck in summer traffic with the AC on" question than a performance one.

I thought those plastic spacers made some wild-ass advertising claims like they were rifled to spin the air which makes it go in faster. Maybe that was just one brand?

The louvers, as you say, are more beneficial at low or no speeds, like being in congested traffic or riding trails.

The swirling air thing seamed to be only one or two companies. Most spacer makers make them with a smooth bore. The claim was that it helped the fuel atomize and mix with the air better. Carburetor equipped engines may have seen a benefit from them but port and direct injection engines, highly doubtful. The "feature" just makes it easier to separate ignorant people from their money.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

The louvers, as you say, are more beneficial at low or no speeds, like being in congested traffic or riding trails.

The swirling air thing seamed to be only one or two companies. Most spacer makers make them with a smooth bore. The claim was that it helped the fuel atomize and mix with the air better. Carburetor equipped engines may have seen a benefit from them but port and direct injection engines, highly doubtful. The "feature" just makes it easier to separate ignorant people from their money.

That goes along with the whole port/polish thing. Apparently the best is not to polish, just do a flow port because the slight roughness helps with more efficient fuel atomization that a polish takes away. So about all a polish gets you is a lighter wallet.

 

[Shran]

Those spacers under a carburetor are just about a necessity so that you're not boiling fuel in the float bowl. The EFI tornado spacers or whatever they were called are snake oil, "a fool and his money........."

I don't know why people still insist on buying cold hot air intakes. They are a total waste of money. I had an argument with my buddy that was going to buy one for his Mustang, I might as well have been trying to convince him that the sky isn't blue. Under hood air = hot... outside air = not as hot... obviously... but people read the advertising and lose their minds.

 

[Blmpkn]

Those spacers under a carburetor are just about a necessity so that you're not boiling fuel in the float bowl. The EFI tornado spacers or whatever they were called are snake oil, "a fool and his money........."

I don't know why people still insist on buying cold hot air intakes. They are a total waste of money. I had an argument with my buddy that was going to buy one for his Mustang, I might as well have been trying to convince him that the sky isn't blue. Under hood air = hot... outside air = not as hot... obviously... but people read the advertising and lose their minds.

They do generally grant an increase in power.. but simply due to easier flow.. and always miles above the rpm range seen by daily drivers. Waste of money unless it's a drag car.