Do aftermarket intakes (CAI) make a difference? Yes. Yes, they do.

cai go woosh make trok go fast

 

Anecdotal experience.

Once upon a time when fuel prices were peaking in 2007, I was driving a 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 HD with the 6L engine and a 4.10 rear end. It did pretty well for fuel efficiency at 17 mpg highway. I was filling 25 gallons every other day. I was looking for an improvement. I was ignorant and drank the kool-aid of a CAI system from K&N hoping for a 2 mpg improvement. Got the system, install was easy, everything was good. I checked my fuel mileage over several tanks.......I was not able to discern any difference, still getting 17 mpg. Any power increase was negligible. Although, the sound was more throaty. After several months.....and more research, I was sorry that I spent the money and time on the CAI system

 

Here's a decently done air filter review with test stands and particulate measurements between popular air filters. The guy does a better job testing than any of us here would do.

 

An intake by itself will net very minimal gains.

With a tune, you will see gains. With supporting mods, even more so.

I have Volant cai with ram air scoop, 3* camshaft gears, 1" IM spacer (not TB spacer), URD spec u headers and URD maf calibrator. Also about 1000lbs of extra gear and armor, I stay even with a stock tacoma from a dig.

Not sure how much hp I gained but it is much faster than before.

 

With all due respect without actual data this means absolutely nothing.

 

That video really sells the Wix filter, ehy?

 

There are other more sophisticated tests performed by certified labs.

I would consider the results of this testing procedure as directional results.

The particulate test is a bit off of representing the conditions an air filter is subjected. The static pressure test is also a bit misleading. The pressure should be a differential pressure across the filter.

Anyhow, consider the results as directional.

 

someone's gonna do that and blow there motor and make a thread about it.

and im all for it

 

Another fact people tend to neglect is, if you aren't already maxing out your engine during normal driving, then you aren't going to notice any difference from modest increases in power (if there even is one!) because you aren't using all the power you have to begin with. It's like putting more food on your plate when you already have enough food on there to fill you up. Gains you absolutely nothing. Getting more power when you aren't maxing out your engine is the easiest thing in the world. No mods required, just push the pedal down more.

 

Would the total HP or torque numbers increase? Maybe a little.
But you would have to chart the HP and TQ numbers along the whole RPM range with the factory system and them with the after market CAI system. You may see increases at certain RPM ranges, which you would feel. But not a peak number increase.

 

In order to actually feel a difference in performance in a vehicle there has to be a roughly 10% increase in power, does a CAI give your truck 20 more HP? FEEEEEEK NO that said I have seen measured increases with my custom intake piping airflow straightener and FJ cruiser airbox and snorkel with my exhaust, bust even still all together the only actual noticable increase in performance has been MPG.

 

Congratulations, you figured out toyota's secret! They put in a super restrictive air intake so they can upsell you to a Tundra!! Now you're ready to live your life 1/4 mile at a time...

https://youtu.be/ij57f1pzWjk?t=53

 

You can also get dry aftermarket filters that will have more airflow than the stock. I swapped mine out for a different one.

 

Same lol I got so excited

 

You just compared the Toyota 4.0L to a performance race engine?

A race engine is pushing the limits and finding the bottleneck and making it bigger, race series rules not withstanding. The intake is far from being a limiting restriction on the 4.0, or almost any other modern EFI engine.

 

I know for AFE and K&N you can but I couldn't find any for the trd one. Plus I prefer the regular paper filters because they keep more dirt and dust out. It might kinda defeat the purpose, but I just have it for looks and sound.

 

Sound differences aside - I would prefer to get the intake air from a cooler spot. My stock outfit always shows intake air temp 6 - 12 degrees over ambient and in my mind, that ain't cold air. On 100 degree day here in Tucson the inlet air runs 106 on concrete pavement - higher on the blacktop. There could be some better location than the one we have to work with.

 

Some of the guys on Bobistheoilguy site refer to the best air filter (meaning best filtration) as the best oil filter.

That won't make sense to some people