K&N Cold Air Intake

[Vigy86]

I just installed a K&N Cold Air Intake on my truck and it seems like the "off the line" from a dead stop pick up isn't too great. The top end speed is nice and it has a great sound, but it feels almost as if the RPMs fall a bit then come back up. Do the computers just need some time to reset and get used to more air? Thank you, Any ideas would be great.

 

[Dweano]

I think tuning helps?

 

[Big Jim M]

Hey! Proof again that the K&N is crap.
Big JIm

 

[Nhaz]

I just installed a K&N Cold Air Intake on my truck and it seems like the "off the line" from a dead stop pick up isn't too great. The top end speed is nice and it has a great sound, but it feels almost as if the RPMs fall a bit then come back up. Do the computers just need some time to reset and get used to more air? Thank you, Any ideas would be great.

You truck is getting NO MORE AIR then it did with the stock intake.

Think about this for a sec. What size is your engine and how much air does it move every revolution? It moves 4 liters of air and fuel.

Before. AND AFTER!

Oh. and I gotta say. Did you know that Ford put a Cold Air Intake On your Truck Stock? And it got its Air where its Colder. Namely from outside the engine compartment.

Now you have brought the intake Inside the engine compartment. Where its hotter. good job!

 

[LittleBigFoot]

Yeah man, cold air is a joke. Ford's intake is behind the headlight. Factor in wind chill and you got dense oxygenated air commin in. That cold air intake is suckin in hot air from the bay. Get your motor nice and up to temp and pop the hoop and stick your hand behind the fan. It's not cool air by any means.

You want some get up and go? Get a hi-po car, not a compact truck with horribly under powered engines.

Welcome to TRS!

 

[James86]

I don't have mine sucking air from behind the fan (and I doubt the original poster does either) and pertaining to his original question, the Mass Air Flow sensor should adapt to any increase in airflow just as it would when increasing/decreasing the throttle. Also, the Intake Air Temperature sensor should compensate for the air temp changes as well. No, a "CAI" won't bring in air thats any colder than the factory - I will gladly concede that fact. However, if you look on a lot of tuning sites the airbox is left alone and the hose swapped out to something smoother like an aluminum pipe specifically shaped for the run between the airbox and the throttle body. The factory airbox is A-OK for 99.9% of people out there and the only reason you change the hose is smoother airflow, which again, won't really help powerwise a lot, but throttle response may be a bit better. If you think your off-the-line power is lacking, was it that way before you did your mod? From the handful of 4.0's I've ridden in (SOHC and OHV) they seemed pretty torquey to me - but I'm accustomed to my 3.0. Perhaps if off the line acceleration is what your looking for, a regear may be in order. I suppose its possible that when you mash it, the engine leans out slightly, but as pointed out above, the engine only sucks in as much air as its designed to and no drainage ditch monster size pipe or piece of tubing will ever change that unless you shove it in with a turbo or a supercharger. Have you done a tune up lately? A set of plugs and wires will go a lot farther than an intake kit and costs a hell of a lot less. Good luck.

P.S. - And if you want to know why I slapped a kit on it's because:
1. I broke the clips on my factory airbox (one was broke when I bought it and I broke the other one day when changing the filter)
2. Boneyard pickings are slim around here
3. God knows what a dealership would've wanted for a new one
4. I just got one of those universal kits from O'Reilleys and got the pieces to route it to behind the headlight - and yes, I have raised the hood after driving for a while and my MAF housing is still cool to the touch.
5. It was fairly inexpensive and looks a lot better than those "shower drain" mods I see in the Tech Library

 

[Big Jim M]

Please guys THINK before you make a purchase! Our engines were properly designed and work fine as they are built. With the factory intake system they do all they can do.
Think about this! If a CAI actually DID put more air into the combustion chamber, Your engine would clatter from the increased compression ratio! Our engines are already teetering on a clatter as it is.
When clattering the KNOCK sensor would retard the timing.. AND then there went any increase in HP.
My point is LEAVE it alone! There can be NO GAIN! All one might get is more intake NOISE and lots more DIRT in his engine.
Big JIm

 

[blh0007]

do yall see how many post this dude has made. I tell yall what yall sure do know how to welcome a new member. Man makes his first post and yall are ready to tie him up and burn him at the stake.
I'll agree with a previous post. A tune up is for sure a plus...fuel filter, plugs, ect. Don't let anyone on here tell you your an idiot for using a CAI. I have had one for i guess about 70000 miles now and i have 250000 on the truck. My truck averages 18 city highway mixed and it has the power to pull..well everything that i have tried to pull. The idea that it hurts performance is false in my opinion. I've never experience the oil on the maf that so many people on here seem to talk about. I feel like it is better than stock...no proof other than opinion. Even if there has been no improvement in performance what so ever it sounds cooler. I have a masters in redneck engineering and i can't think of anything else to say to that. so good luck with your venture for power. later

 

[RangerSVT]

Take it easy on this guy, he's a new member, but he may also be new to rangers as well. Not everyone comes to TRS knowing everything about a ranger, thats mainly why people come to TRS, for help and advice.

Welcome and don't let some of these guys intimidate you
SVT

 

[Vigy86]

Thank you to James86, blh0007, and Ranger SVT for not being rude and sticking up for the new guy. This place sure makes you not want to post anything else. Also yeah a tune up is a good point I should probably put in some new plugs and such any suggestions?

 

[Big Jim M]

Howdy

Thank you to James86, blh0007, and Ranger SVT for not being rude and sticking up for the new guy. This place sure makes you not want to post anything else. Also yeah a tune up is a good point I should probably put in some new plugs and such any suggestions?

Vigy a tune is needed when the engine noticeably misses under a load. Your 2007 prolly has les than 100K on it. The factory tune is known to last to 15K and even more.
Installing DIFFERENT tune up parts won't help anything if she is running good.
I follow the old rule about not fixing anything that isn't already broken.

What I have been saying is your engine isn't getting more air.. You must get a grip on that. If it does get more air, it will have more compression. More compression will, in turn, cause the engine to clatter. When it clatters the computer will retard the timing.. So you will end up with LESS power than you had with the stock compression..

And no, we aren't being rude! The guys here try to educate the unknowing home mechanic. If one knows what and why he is doing a chore..all the better for him.
Big JIm

 

[James86]

I will humbly submit that I generally run either E-85 (approximately 110 octane) or I run 89 octane to help it run a little better and Flex Fuel vehicles like mine have 25lbs injectors instead of the stock 19lbs so if I did decide to do something crazy, my fuel system could keep up for a little while

Even my friend with a bone stock 3.0 says hi '98 runs better on 89. Its only a few cents different and at some places like Kwik Trips and Casey's, midgrade is the same price as 87, so you could always give a tank of that a try. Wouldn't hurt anything.

 

[wahl_7s]

I agree with Big Jim, 07 prolly doesn't need plugs or wires yet but if you feel so inclined use nothing less than motorcraft platinum's kragen sells them cheeper than dealer. and with all due respect i do not agree that a higher octain fuel gives you more power the PCM is programed to run on 87 so the timing is retarded to run on 87 the engine doesn't know the difference between 87 and 110

 

[James86]

I never said it gives more power, it prevents pinging which seems to be a common complaint on TRS, and i said mine and my friend's trucks seem to run a bit better on it. I mever used the word "power" in regards to octane.

Just sayin....

 

[wahl_7s]

I never said it gives more power, it prevents pinging which seems to be a common complaint on TRS, and i said mine and my friend's trucks seem to run a bit better on it. I mever used the word "power" in regards to octane.

Just sayin....

I misread sorry, but i live in calif. our trucks are so detuned that we dont have pinging problems but i get so tired of guys telling me that they run 91 in their trucks because it has much more power which is just not possible and the diff. between 87 and 91 is $.30 a gallon here and they're throwing money away.I don't get it