intake

[87stx]

Does any company out there make a cold air intake for the 2.9 or do you have to make one your self? I thought I seen somebody on here with one in there signature. Tim

 

[MAKG]

Ford makes one. You have it.

 

[89REDRANGER]

I don't know about a cold-air intake. I kinda like the setup I have now. It seems to work pretty good.

I have taken off all the snorkle pieces from the exhaust manifold and the piece that goes to the core support. After that, I took the air-box out and cut a 21/2" by 7" rectangle hole in the side of the airbox that sits next to the fender. This leaves the engine plenty of cold air coming from right through by the back of the headlight.

Throw a K&N filter in the box, throw on an '86 or '87 58mm throttle body, and it'll scream!

With this setup on my '89 I've checked the vacuum at WOT and came up with a reading of right about 1 to 2 inches of vacuum. Anybody that knows vehicles knows that 0 inches is what you're striving for. I believe without even more mods, this is about as good as it gets.

 

[Bob Ayers]

The OEM filter airbox is a CAI, as previously posted! The only thing the K&N will pass more than the OEM paper filter is dirt and oil! Stay with the OEM paper filter.

 

[89REDRANGER]

I've acually seen quite a drop in the amount of dirt and dust that makes it past the filter since I've put the K&N in. The whole thing is keeping it clean and oiled. Also, the air temp coming into the intake manifold has dropped about 20 degrees since I've opened up the box and done away with the tubes running off the exhaust manifold, and close to it and the radiator. And, yes I HAVE checked these temps, and vacuum readings.

Performance has increased quite a bit too. There is a dyno shop in town that hosts an open dyno day a couple times a month. As embarassing as it may be, I'll post the figures as soon as I get the chance to run the truck.

 

[Bob Ayers]

This was posted by AllanD in another K&N thread:

"Yes, but the factory air filter setup IS a cold air setup.

Hell even the original 2.9 setup had the air intake behind the grille.

Yes there's a preheater tube but that tube is CLOSED OFF most of the time.
Eliminating it can get you into legal hot water in terms of emmissions laws.

My brother LOVES K&N filters.
He will NOT use them on his own vehicle.

You see he is a Ford Dealer mechanic.

K&N filters make him more hours and thus more money.

Especially on the turbo diesels

Ever seen a turbo diesel that's bee run behind a K&N?

It's fugly.

AD"

 

[MAKG]

With this setup on my '89 I've checked the vacuum at WOT and came up with a reading of right about 1 to 2 inches of vacuum. Anybody that knows vehicles knows that 0 inches is what you're striving for. I believe without even more mods, this is about as good as it gets.

1-2 inches of vacuum at WOT is very, very normal for a STOCK 2.9L with a new paper filter.

 

[Bob Ayers]

Measure the vacuum in the intake tube with the stock airbox and OEM paper filter at high RPM, and WOT. You will find that it will flow all the air the engine will pull, and you won't get any more air with the K&N filter, chicken wire, or no filter at all!!

 

[Sunk]

The only reason I run a K&N is because it was thrown at me when I bought the engine behind it. Almost as an afterthought the guy said "Here take this." It's handy since I can clean it out and put it back in.... Which I need to do since it was very dusty last time I went wheeling.

No way in hell would I shell out the $50 or whatever it is for the rumored .5 extra HP. It's a 2.9 - get real.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Especially on the turbo diesels

Ever seen a turbo diesel that's bee run behind a K&N?

It's fugly.

AD"[/I][/B]

Sure have, and yes it's not pretty.
My 2.9 has always had zero vacuum at WOT with paper filters.

 

[89REDRANGER]

The only reason I run a K&N is because it was thrown at me when I bought the engine behind it. Almost as an afterthought the guy said "Here take this." It's handy since I can clean it out and put it back in.... Which I need to do since it was very dusty last time I went wheeling.

No way in hell would I shell out the $50 or whatever it is for the rumored .5 extra HP. It's a 2.9 - get real.

I agree with you there. I got this one when it had about 50 miles on it because a friend was selling his BroncoII. He said that there was no way in hell that he was gonna sell the $50 filter to a guy only paying $500 for the truck. Made no sense to me, but it was a free filter that I could clean and never have to buy again.

 

[AllanD]

I love the guys that want "more filter area" from say... a "cone" filter, yes they have more area, but the original 2.9 filter element was the same size as the filter in the 225hp 5.0HO Mustangs.

Now, if that filter flowed enough air to feed a 5.0HO engine in what way was it "inadequate" to feed a 140hp 2.9 engine?

The same filter element size is used on the 4.0 trucks up to 1994.
In what way is a filter that'll feed a 160hp 4.0 inadequate to feed a 2.9?

I've seen people use the stock airbox (modified to flow in reverse)
with the VAM air meter of a 2.3Turbo.
I saw one guy with that setup do a dyno run that showed 270hp.
Ona STOCK 2.3/2.9/4.0 paper element.

The post above from 89REDRANGER has me near boiling point,
HE REMOVED the duct that fed air to the filter box and "likes"
his setup without it?

there's a word for that... let me see can I remember it?
Oh yeah... 89REDRANGER, Here's your sign!

that's as tactful as I'm willing to be on this topic.

ADDITIONALLY Removing the preheater stove from the exhaust manifold does NOTHING because it's controlled by a thermostat that cuts off the vacuum to the vacum pot that controls it, so it only actually does anything when the engine is cold and it speeds warmup I.E. (for the innumerable swarms of stupid people out there) it does nothing but HELP and does so by speeding engine warmup from a cold start.

I have a 4.0 with headers and yes, I installed my choke stove tube.

Someone I know created an airbox "spacer" by cutting the rim off the lid and base of an airbox the purpose of this was to allow him to "Stack" two air filters on top of each other, his primary purpose was to protect his turbocharger (a somewhat custom T3/4 hybred), but he realized that it would also serve as a demonstration platform.

So he BOUGHT (specific to his purpose) a K&N filter and installed it before the paper element.... to demonstrate how much crap the K&N DID NOT catch.
this is demonstrated by just how quickly the paper element, "protected"
by the K&N becomes filthy.


Oh, BTW, the reason my brother the Ford Senior Master Diesel
Tech LOVES K&N filter?
Because when he finds one in a truck it's an instant "Warrantee denied" which means he gets paid at a higher rate for the repair.
The difference is several dollars an hour.

My brother believes that every dollar spent on a K&N for a Ford with a diesel makes some lucky technician $2-$3.

AD

 

[Big Jim M]

Allan..I think you and I could get along just fine together.. Next time I am in Jail I think I will request you as a cell mate!
Big Jim

 

[MAKG]

Allan..I think you and I could get along just fine together.. Next time I am in Jail I think I will request you as a cell mate!
Big Jim

Let me be the first to say....ewwwwww.

TMI TMI TMI TMI

 

[Bob Ayers]

Oh, BTW, the reason my brother the Ford Senior Master Diesel
Tech LOVES K&N filter?
Because when he finds one in a truck it's an instant "Warrantee denied" which means he gets paid at a higher rate for the repair.
The difference is several dollars an hour.

My brother believes that every dollar spent on a K&N for a Ford with a diesel makes some lucky technician $2-$3.

AD

Good thing K&N has this in their warranty statement:

"K&N will not be responsible for any other expenses incurred by the customer under the terms of this warranty, nor shall it be responsible for any damages either consequential, special, contingent, or otherwise; or expenses or injury arising directly or indirectly from the use of the K&N Air Filter."