TRD Cold Air Intake

Has anyone installed one of these on the v6? I was changing oil this morning and was looking over the big chunk of plastic covering most of the engine thinking it was rather large. Then I remembered seeing a pic of the TRD CAI and thinking doesn't most of that plastic go away? That might make the upgrade even more sensible, plus I bet it traps a bit of heat?

................geezer

 

The mass air flow system (big plastic box) restricts alot of the cold air coming into your intake. Not only will you get better gas mileage out of a new intake system, you will gain about 5-7hp at 4k rpms and about 7-10hp at about 5k rpms. It's kinda loud at first when you really step on it. But totally fun when gassing it around other cars. They will notice you instantly!

 

I have just purchased a new 07 tacoma access cab, 4x4 and removed the charcoal filter inside the air box, and installed a k+n air filter. So far, I am impressed, and the noise did not increase drastically.

 

The noise part bothers me. I looked and read a lot to find an exhaust system that didn't remind me of it's presence every time I nailed it. Seems a little counter productive to install an intake mod that wouldn't do the same thing. Plus I can't help wondering how much the stock computer can accommodate our qwest for performance? At what point you need electronic intervention?


.............geezer

 

This is how I understand it, but I am far from the expert as I am still gathering information and trying to pic the right combination of intake and exhaust myself. The 4.0 V6 engines run rich from the factory. Any kind of performance intake will cause them to run richer still as you are now feeding it more air so it will then feed in more fuel according to it's already rich ratio.

So yes, like the other members have said you will get more power out of a performance intake, but I doubt it will be as high as you have been previously quoted. Also, in the process of getting that additional power you will loose fuel economy, I'd guess probably as much a a mile per gallon.

To answer your question you need electronic intervention as soon as you add the intake. As I understand it the only electronic intervention that you are going to want to consider is the MAF calibrator from URD. It will give you full controll over your air fuel mixture to correct the rich misture from the factory as well as dial in the mods you already have as well as those you may add in the future. The SUPERCHIPS, EDGE and BULLYDOG type of one size fits all chips are a waste of money, and will do nothing to help you unlock the full potential of your mods.

Check this thread for the answers I got when I asked this very same question a few weeks ago http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/2034-help-cai-exhaust-maf-calibrator.html and look to Spyder327 for the best understanding of how the MAF calibrator works.

Let us know what you choose

 

Sounds like you pretty much covered it man.

But yea i can answer any additional questions anyone else has about it.

 

I have seen these $500.00 chips on Ebay lately that are pre-tuned to your mods and they fit right over the existing chip. I haven't really researched it at all yet due to the time I'm spending on looking for the right exhaust system but I plan to get more info on it soon.

 

I'm not thinking pre-tuned is going to work, I believe that this is something that you need to do yourself or have done by a competant shop near you.

Examples:

If the chip is marketed to be tuned for say exhaust and intake... Well is it tuned for Flowmaster, or Gibson, or Borla, or TRD exhaust? Each one going to perform somewhat differently, and therefor alter the variables to some extent. Same with all the various intakes on the market... Prime example was over on another forum, someone with just a TRD intake, had a drastically different map from another guy with just a K&N intake.

Which brings me to my second point... Each engine is also different. Toyota accepts a plus or minus 15% varience in the MAF sensors, hence the reason that the 4.0's run rich, and why the MAF calibrator is able to do what it does. Therefor, if both you and I had the exact same mods (same manufacturer even) our corrected air/fuel maps would still be different.

Last point... Where were these pre-programed chips made? Example, if they are made and programed with data from say Denver, then they are not going to work well and possible even lean out the motor to the point of damage here at the Jersey Shore, and conversely if they are made here, then they certainly are not going to work correctly in Denver.

My point is just that, to my understanding, in performance tuning there really is no plug and play, to get the most power out of your truck safely, you need to tune everything to that truck as is where is.

Please check me on all that again Spyder if you don't mind

 

Nah man, that makes perfect sense. With the smog equipment that California requires along with the rich running 4.0L there could most definitely be a problem that could arise from installing a chip manufactured in just about any other state.lol (California has the strictest clean air laws). Again, I haven't looked into what I'm going to do yet with this. That MAF cal. from URD is looking pretty tempting at this point though. I'm saving money right now anyways so I've got some time to research that. I'll probably get my exhaust in and then go with the MAF cal. Exhaust in 3 weeks, MAF cal. in 6 weeks. I'll work on getting some video of how it sounds to post here once installed. I might even video the installation.

 

Yea thats pretty much right. The idea of a "tune" with those chips is basically to lean out AFR. This can be a very bad idea because like you stated, there are differences between each trucks, and that depending on mods, AFR will need to be tweaked differently. URD's MAF calibrator is the only thing that allows for you to retune as you add more mods, Chips that come to you "pre-tuned" are a very bad idea.

 

This is TRD CAI on my truck. I relly like it with the TRD exhaust and URD maf

 

Kevin - Thx for the pic. Not sure why I thought the large plastic air box went away but obviously it does not.

............geezer

 

Check out the URD TCAI, I have one with the MAF Cal unit and I love it.

http://www.urdusa.com/index.php?cPath=9_113

 

I am either going with the URD CAI or I am just going to put in a high flow drop in. To me the other ones that sit in the engine bay dont seem to do much more that the stock airbox.

 

I got an 08..just grabbed it last nite actually..since this is my first new Taco..old one was an 04..im taking it the Cold Air intakes for 07's will fit an 08?

Im gonna wanna make some adjustments under the hood here and I wanna make sure its done right..so i will be asking alot of questions..

 

As far as I know the 08 uses the same 4.0L V6 as the 05-07. You will probably have a hard time finding aftermarket parts that say 08 until maybe December/January. But all of the 05-07 ones should fit.

 

Cool Cool..thanks reid..

 

I have the TRD Off Road Packege. So I have all of this stuff, right?
And a Diff. Lock. do I need to read this thread?
I have not had the time to take a good look at the 2006 Taco.

 

No! If you have the TRD package you do not have this stuff. TRD is Toyota's performance aftermarket division. Your truck has a few upgraded things but you have the same engine as the rest of us SR5 guys.

 

Thanks I was getting confused. I have a TRD exhaust I assume.
I just bought this thing and the weather has consumed a lot of my time.
I am the local LEO. So I own all of the problems.
Stuff that should be up is down. The Taco escaped three times so far. I had left where trees went down just after I moved it.