Is cold/ cool air intake worth it?

Here is a post from another forum. The tested several CAIs on a dyno and posted results. There is a link at the end of the post for the spreadsheet.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48202

 

Except the throttle body spacer does nothing.

 

Maybe....maybe not. But it was fun putting it in. Im doing what ever mods i can so i can learn the truck. Im still learning and anything i can do to educate myself im gonna do.

 

and also could say the same about your bull bar!? you like it and thats all that counts right.

 

I got a TRD CAI and Flowmaster cat-back exhaust system and I didnt see any gain in MPG really but I did see better throttle response IMO. That and it sounds sick!!!

 

Yeah but in doing so, putting this crap on factory engineered mechanical bits of your truck will only lead to upsetting the apple cart. Study the tech website and do your own preventative maintenance if you want to "learn ur truck", don't molest an otherwise new truck. (Besides risking warranty issues). it came the way it does for a reason...

 

its interesting to see fuel trims in the spreadsheet versus Air fuel ratio, it begs the question if someone was tuning...Which ours does not have, without piggybacking a device.

 

Ooooh.

Always interested in actual scientific data ("sounds kewl" doesn't cut it) I took the time to read through the linked thread about dynamometer testing of aftermarket cold air intakes.

FIRST

The test vehicle is a late-model Camaro, that tested 376.2 HP and 378.1 lb. ft. on the dyno.
The maximum peak horsepower gain was 15.9. 15.9/376.2=0.042, or a 4.2% gain.
The maximum peak torque gain was 10.6 lb ft. 10.6/378.1=0.028, or a 2.8% gain.

These are facts, not opinions. People can guess for themselves whether similar performance results are achievable in a Tacoma.

Also relevant, the single intake system that provided both peak gains ran lean and pinged during the test. It needs custom tuning to run this intake without damaging the engine. Again, people can guess for themselves if a similar harmful condition may exist with the various CAI systems available for the Tacoma.

Testing was done by a professional race tuning shop that sells the intake systems. Some would question the motives and credibility of a tester with a potential conflict of interest. I make no judgement.

SECOND

This is the type of empirical test data that is required to support the many unsubstantiated claims of performance gains in the various Tacoma systems. Nothing less will suffice.

Peak horsepower is for the drag strip, where many happy Camaro owners like to engage in weekend festivities. On the street, horsepower is irrelevant. A high, flat torque curve is what you want on street and trail. The average torque gain numbers seem most relevant to Tacomas, if they applied at all to Tacomas, which they don't.

THIRD

Strong opinion: Unless you enjoy simply pissing away money, this is a waste of time. While you are pissing away money, you may be running a system which, despite the "kewl sound," has a good chance of damaging your engine. Case in point: the one intake system that caused a 33 degree rise in intake air temperature, as opposed to the 4 degree rise from the stock intake.

Arguing endlessly about whether a CAI is "worth it," is senseless. This linked thread shows the basics of a methodology for determining if a given system provides meaningful Tacoma performance gains. TEST FIRST with the right tools and somebody who knows how to use them, TALK SHIT LATER.

Mike

P.S. You can send me the money that you would have spent on the aftermarket CAI, and I will send you supportive emails every day to help you feel better about your truck. NOT!

 

sigh... finally a voice of reason... well said Slow...

 

It would be refreshing if folks would do a search and read the already countless threads arguing over the same derptastic opinions.


http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/search.php?searchid=9870625


http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/search.php?searchid=9870646

 

Check was in the mail until this....

 

We need to talk... For you only, I will hold office hours in the Rusty Moose bar/restaurant in Alton, NH, on Thursday evenings from 6 PM until you get tired of buying the beer. You can sleep in the bed of your Tacoma overnight before driving back to Iowa. It's no problem, we're nice like that here.

Mike

 

Your wildlife gets rusty? Here it's just Tacoma frames that get rusty....

 

But you know that's never going to happen...

I came to Tacomas from the VW van community. I drive Vanagons, the craptastic 1980s minivans. Bunch of self-righteous SOBs ever. Pedantic? You bet. Even worse, there are a tiny number of actual 4WD Vanagons, called Syncros, that are heinously expensive and trouble prone. More self-righteous? Perhaps. Pedantic? Full-on insane. I own three of them...

We like to argue about tires - every possible aspect of tire construction and use. I learned more about tires from endless arguments on the internet than I will ever be able to use for my Tacoma. Engineering? These people track down arcane academic research papers published by VW design engineers in the 1970s to bolster their arguments. One of the members is an actual NASA rocket scientist that worked on the current Mars rover mission.

BTW, the Syncro has a special CAI designed by the finest German engineers for off-road travel in Africa. I have one. It rocks.

Mike

 

I understand the dynamic, Perhaps a CAI BS thread needs to be started and sticked as a perm place for newer folks and what not to gather information.

 

Where did I claim my bull bar somehow improves my trucks performance in any way?

 

Oh come on..... Where is the fun in buying something and not doing anything to it. If that was the case i would have bought a sedan. Plus what is this website all about. Your giving me the impression that no one should do anything to the truck. Does your opinion include i.e. armor, bumper front and rear, bigger tires and lift. Because that all affects how it drives. I mean live a little dude. And learn the truck i should have been more clear. I meant the whole working on the vehicle and not paying someone to do it for me.

 

You didn't but to your point what purpose does it serve other than cosmetic. Im not trying to bash you but merely pointing out people should do what puts a smile on their face not what others see fit

 

No need. It was just an incorrect image linked to the Tacoma listing.

 

I agree...
...and try all sorts of experiments. But I leave all of the electronic controls completely untouched so as to know that everything is ok as long as no codes are thrown.

Each of us personalizes our Tacos to match their own uses. It's neat to see what others do because you can learn all sorts of useful tips and tricks.