Cold Air Intake? To install, Or not to install. That is the Question.

Just bought a 2005 Tacoma Prerunner, 2.7L I4, manny tranny. Curious as to what kind've mods i can do to get a bit more juice out of the 4 banger. I know cold air intake is one of the few quick/cheap mods you can do. I live on the Central Coast where it is quite foggy, and it doesn't get very warm. I'm not sure if a cold air intake would work, or if it would add any noticeable power increases. Any wisdom on this particular addition, or any other power increasing additions would be fantastic! thanks so much.

 

I put the cak on my 05 2.7 and it made a huge difference

 

what kind of gains are you looking for?

a CAI really only benefits big engines 5.7+ or turbo'd cars/trucks a 2.7L i-4 will only see very small gains, maybe some more noise

 

I just want to get the most out of the 4cyl. I am not too engine savvy and am looking for some more "oomf" out of the 4 banger, because it ain't no V6. And i've heard one of the big issues with the 4cyl is that the xtra cab truck is too heavy. any way to reduce weight without getting rid of the SR5/Prerunner amenities?

 

Cai pulls air from the engine compartment. How is that cold? Stock pulls from the fender well, high pressuer, cold air.

 

just remove the secondary air filter and drop in an afe pro dry s air filter

 

The stock filter pulls air from a tube that draws air forced in from in front of the fender. However, the CAI filter is positioned so that this same tube is providing cool air from the outside, so it is certainly not any worse. Furthermore, they come supplied with a heat shield meant to shield against the warmth coming off the engine. This shield also touches the hood in an attempt to isolate the filter the best way possible. I agree that it is not a "cold air intake" in the sense that it is receiving cold air being forced in from the front like a race car would, but it is certainly not worse than the stock setup. One of the biggest advantages of a CAI is the high flow filter and less restrictive tube.

My CAI made a difference in mpg and throttle response, particularly because I have a manual and can keep the power band where the intake makes the most difference...something that an automatic trans can't necessarily do. I also added a cat-back exhaust, but a muffler upgrade would have been sufficient, and I'm not entirely fond of the drone of the magnaflow.

 

a CAI alone on a 4 banger won't do much of anything, i dont care what anybody says. if its power you want you should've bought a v6

 

It does do something, albeit not much...K&N has the dyno charts to prove it. A CAI on anything won't do much, but a couple more horses out of a 4-banger is a big difference .

In addition to the improved throttle response I previously mentioned, I track my mileage religiously and I gained ~2 mpg...therefore it paid for itself over the years. The cat-back in conjunction with the intake improved acceleration through the upper power band and gave another ~1 mpg...so combining upgrades does help, but the CAI by itself will do something!

I do agree though: if it's horsepower you want, go can't beat a V6....with a CAI of course

 

Awesome noise maker. You will gain some in the right power bands and lose some in the bands you use the most if you are AT. Sounds cool though.

 

Yes, yes I know that if it's horsepower I was worried about I shoulda boughtthe V6. But that isn't the issue. I like the 4cyl, suits me just fine. I just want to squeeze all the "juice" out of it I guess. Who sells the best CAI? His easy is it to install? Aaand last but not least, whAts this "deck plate mod" I keep hearing about. How do i go about removing that secondary air filter? Where is it at? And can i just replace it before my next smog? Thanks guys

 

you can always put the secondary back in...

 

the 2 extra horse power still dosnt justify the $200 or more price-tag. unless you wanna go all out and put turbo's or something. your better off just leaving it stock.

 

Possibly true, but it works great w/ my manual.

I'm not sorry much worried about the 2 hp (it's closer to 7 at the top end, but that's not worth arguing), it's the mpg increase I'm interested in...it pays off over time.

 

Alright, so larry, you like the CAI. What brand/company did you buy yours from?

 

I got an S&B CAI for my truck, hp boosts honestly there weren't any, but as far as MPG there was an increase. Mine has an enclosed box drawing air from the front of the truck, not the motor giving it true cold air. You could check it out. The only way you'll find out if it does anything is to do some research, find the one you want and put it on there. Instead of wondering...just my opinion thats what I had to do, I questioned it for a while but I just said screw it and bought one.

 

Obviously you've seen people have different opinions on this topic. In my situation I tracked my mileage before and after an intake and I had an improvement...so for me, over time, it paid for itself and then some. I have a K&N but agree with wolfpack, you certainly run the risk of over oiling, I just make sure I keep the MAF clean...I've heard good things about the afe stuff.

 

Ya, I read way too much into it on TW. A lot of it is good information, and I figured its a gutsy call, but then I looked at it and said ah hell I'm looking for some extra noise, and something to blow money on, and if it helps then thats great. It ended up helping some so I scored. Might as well just get it and hope for the best.

 

Bought one and put it on, took it off a month later. No advantage except it's pretty loud! I since bought an AFE Pro Dry drop in.

Anyone need a slightly used CAI, I've got one to sell cheap.

 

What kind and what year model truck is it?