3rd Gen Tacoma's Air Intake System

Likely because TRD is just a sticker marketing ploy. When the SC was available it was worth a nod.

Other than that there is really nothing 'race'. All badging fluff and profit

Well, maybe the TRD oil fill cap is racy.

 

How big a difference did it make?

 

No. You aren't putting any significant amount of extra stress by not having an aftermarket intake.

 

I LOL'd

 

Your engine isn't going to have a harder time because you opened up the exhaust. As long as the engine is tuned for the changes.... and in this case, the computer will take care of it.

+35HP!!! Just add the 25HP from the new exhast and we're at 338HP! Now we can whip up on some Colorados!

 

As far as stress on the engine: I guess you can introduce mechanical stress (more power, more resistance) or thermal stress (hot, cold), but adding an aftermarket exhaust probably isn't going to do either of these things. You still have the rest of the engine to deal with to get more air though it. You'd need to prove that the original exhaust was actually significantly restricting the engine.... It probably wasn't. Also, changing the exhaust may positively impact the HP, but at a negative impact on torque. It's really alot more complicated than you might think. Still, your exhaust isn't having a significant impact on anything besides noise.... maybe a couple high rpm horse power, but nothing dramatic.

 

You have dyno numbers to back up the "non performance" performance. I have real word experience. Have you ever even seen a dyno or a car on a dyno. Lots of variables even stock and no mods can get wildly different result depending on operator.

OVtune said it. The exhaust is the bottle neck. Open that up and get performance. Stands to reason IF you open up the exhaust then open up the intake and there's some performance gain. It's what I did and I've never had any complaints about performance. Also not afraid to punch that little pedal either.

 

Can't speak to performance, but I do have some pretty good data logs showing that the stock CAI is adequately cold.

Have this data log from a stop and go commute in 115 degree Phoenix weather:


Google drive is being a pain in my ass and not wanting to label the scales properly but the scale is both degrees Farenheit (for the blue) and speed in MPH (for the red line)

You'll notice that even when I sat still for a long time (especially at the end of my trip) the delta between "ouside air" and "air going into the engine" did not crest 20 degrees F. Once you accumulate any speed it goes back down to a quite low delta.

And note again that this is on as close of a testing ground as you can get to the surface of the sun. It was blazing hot. If you were going to get gnarly heat soak, this is where you would get it.

For most of the trip it was more like 5-7 over ambient at the absolute maximum.

You're simply not going to find much gain there, as it only gets even easier to manage this heat when you are under 100, or even under 80 degrees...

Show me the logs! It might make a difference and close that gap by a few degrees... But there'd probably be some losses to turbulence w/air flowing in the box and then (most likely) back out the original snout into the fenderwell instead of up through the filter.

 

Everything has optimal design parameters. If an engine IS DESIGNED TO RU

Cmon man. In 1970 your brilliant "reasoning" was correct. Fast forward to today and it is not even close. Simply opening up the exhaust or providing more air does nothing, because the ECU parameters won't let it change. If you had a method to provide more air, the ECU will just adjust the throttle body to keep optimal air/fuel mix. That's the fact, like it or not. The second fact is there have been dyno runs with this truck, with exhaust added, with different air filters, with no air filters and a different intake. Do a search. The results? No change. Actually no filter reduced the HP a bit.

Every shade tree mechanic WISHES that this adds power, so much so that, after doing the mod they convince themselves that it is actually a bit quicker and gets better mpg. Sorry, but it just isn't true. It's not, no matter how hard you wish.

OV tune changes the drivability of the vehicle by changing the operating parameters.

If you want a bit more HP, run 91 gas. The 91 gas is not what will give you the few extra HP, but what the truck does to the engine timing will. The trick is you always have to run 91.

BTW the tooth fairy is not real either.

 

Exactly Right.

 

This couldn't be more wrong, you want to know what controls the throttle body? Your foot. The ECU monitors what's going on and adjusts fuel, so yes more air can go in and out and yes it will optimise the mixture, but it will have to adjust for the addition of air into the engine.

For your second point: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2016-tacoma-sikky-intake-test-and-review.414513/

It's not like adding a turbo, but yes, intakes do give you power and torque increases.

 

Oops, i forgot that 10hp you get at wide open throttle, like that is a normal driving condition.

 

Gains a gain, doesn't matter where it is.

 

Not in any practical sense in this application. Let me guess... you have an aftermarket intake...

 

I do, do I think I gained anything out of it...not really. It's loud and I didn't feel any difference when I took it off.

The point I was making is that you were giving out false info. I'm just correcting it. Every vehicle I've owned I've done an intake and it has had significant improvements, albeit, those were on turbo cars.

 

not gonna get gains from an intake without a tune

 

Alright, I'll make sure I add the WOT disclaimer in the future.
As far as the throttle body being controlled by your foot, that's true to a point. As there is no cable connecting the pedal to the throttle it is electrically controlled. However, MAP will control it beyond a certain point if the pressure exceeds parameters.

 

A map sensor measures air density so the injectors can do their thing to reach stoichiometry. You're telling me if I go WOT and exceed perimeters the throttle will close? I do not think that's true. The only thing that is controlled by the ECU is the injectors when it pertains to the intake system. Sensors are there to tell the ECU what to do with said injectors.

 

Put cams and ecu tune then yes there will be difference. Makes me chuckle every time I see these types of threads. Someone always falls for it.