The truth about cold air intakes. 

Thank you bootleg vin diesel saved me much money

He's videos are informative. If you don't like to be educated and want a yes or no answer go elsewhere but some of us here like an explanation of how things work and what they actually do.

Watch in 1.25x or 1.5x playback speed. Your welcome.

This is super helpful. Very thorough explanation and the overview of the pros and cons. I was thinking about getting a CAI for my car, but I doubt I will now. Thanks.

People can say you ramble to much, but your very informative an knowledgable. Thank you.

Great information, well stated, went with the high flow drop in instead of the cai. Saved me saved me $250. Thank you

B Mason , You have one of , if not the most credible and real world , honest and no bias channels on You Tube Keep it going man.

Thanks for the video. You're someone who actually breaks things down and explains how they work in a way that the average person can understand. I had thoughts about a CAI, but upon inspecting the OEM setup of the 5.7 Challenger air intake, it looked and seemed quite optimal in my opinion. A higher flowing drop in filter would definitely be better than the factory equipped one, but the big hose and cone filter for 300$ simply can't be justified. It's a nice visual mod though. I do like the style, but not the price.

Good Analogy Professor : I'm all about Budget mods & maintenance. I love the additional intake noise on a Naturally Aspirated engine that a CAI can give you but would prefer to muffle any Supercharger whine if possible without losing any hp. I can't speak from experience on the cold air intakes on newer cars but When I heard you talking about the Viscous Fan Clutches I got all excited. Man when the thermal spring kicks in on the fan clutch on my 98 Dak it loses at least 15 hp and the whooshing noise is so loud that you can't miss it. Ever since I put in the 180 degree thermostat I don't think I've heard the Fan Clutch kick in at all this summer. Something (fun fact) I noticed is that my 73 Dodge Dart Sport has pretty much the same 7 blade fan & clutch setup as my 98 Dodge Dakota.

Great info! I love mine. No gains at all just love the sound of my Chevy 2500 HD 6.0. Sounds amazing! SB cold air closed box around filter

Excellent video! You hit all of the important points including: - Different filter material (usually cotton gauze) vs. paper. Cotton gauze allows more air flow and perceived performance, but also allows more dirt to get through. - Most modern cars already have cold air intakes (follow the airbox snorkel). - Open hood dyno is not the same as being on the road with a closed hood. I'd like to add: - Most of these aftermarket cold air intakes are not cold air intakes at all but are instead short ram air intakes with crappy heat/splash shields. If you see the air filter in the engine bay, you have a short ram air intake. If it is sucking hot engine bay air, you are losing performance. - Most cotton gauze air filters require cleaning and oiling. Your car may be down for several hours as you clean and air dry the air filter unless you have a spare. On top of that, be careful not to over oil it, or it will get oil on the air flow sensor and will affect performance and could damage the sensor. It's best to keep it OEM. Use paper air filters, clean the airbox out with a shop vac and spray cleaner if necessary, and enjoy your car!

What an informative video. I have fitted a K&N 57i Performance Air Intake system to my Ford streetKA 2003 car. The K&N sound is just too loud as in pure noise. It gets better once the engine has warmed up. My philosophy here is to regularly replace the standard engine air filter, taking into account the different quality of manufacture of available engine air filters. Upgrade your engine spark plugs from copper electrodes to something like iridiumn platinum types. Ensure that you ignition leads are of quality and clean. Ensure that you have the correct type pressures. Lighten your load by carrying less fuel in your tank or even consider in some cases go on a diet!!!

Wow. This was one of the most information videos I've seen on RU-vid. Very well done.

Was thinking about putting a cold air intake on my 2018 Focus hatch. Thank you for saving me $300+, sir!

That’s pretty good stuff. Lot of good information for people to think about who don’t normally do this type of stuff on a day to day basis like this guy, and it’s directly related to the performance of your engine post installation. The best thing he said my opinion is the information about the mass airflow sensor. Very very very very true indeed that the information read by that mass airflow sensor is extremely important when it comes to the proper and efficient operation of your engine. Make no mistake the temperature speed and volume at which air passes past that mass flow air sensor is critical to the operation and efficiency of that engine. Even if you tune your engine after installation of the CAI system, it still may not be within the parameters set by the OEM due to the Basic design parameters of the engine itself. To get down to the nitty-gritty of these issues one would have to speak directly with the engineers Of the CAI system and Ford and see what information they would actually be willing to share with you. All that being said, is it really worth it with respect to cost and benefit? Probably not. That’s why I just installed a higher flow filter in my stock intake system, which is my recommendation. I will say this, before you install one of the systems in your vehicle you better do your homework or your engine they suffer the consequences.

Thanks B. You gave me something to think about.. Might try insulating my stock box. I'm also installing the Hellcat filter in my 19 challenger widebody.

Thank u so much for plaining. Keep putting your info out

Dang Kojak, you just crushed my intake dreams. I used to put cold air intakes on all my rides but now I will rethink my next purchase. Thanks for trying to cure my insomnia. 😸

Whats up B?? Nice to see your videos again. As usual they are excellent. I tell alost everyone of the speedshop clients no after asking them what they expect out of them performance wise. Anyhow...... I think I will finally get that chance to watch the 4 best You Tubers all the time again. Watching this video, I remember what I have been. Missing. Well Done B, Well done . Ps- I see your channel is getting more traffic, about damn time . I know it's not your main reason for this but it's cool. More people watch You , More knowledge on the street. See you soon buddy

Thank you. I take a bang for the buck approach. This helps a lot.

thank you for your experiences, their good to hear for everyone I think

You know I value ur thoughts on our car a lot man. I really love ur honesty and it dead on no bs. Hard to bullshit people who do as much research us lol. You do have my fav channel concerning tha 392

I know I’m late to the party but this video was extremely helpful and informative. I opted to go with an aftermarket high flow drop-in filter instead of a CAI for my ‘21 Ram Hemi.

Good video B Mason!!! I concur! I am currently running a Mopar Hot Air Intake myself!

Love your vids man, always very informative! I've watched your continuous efforts to improve your 1/4 mile times and see what gains have been netted from different mods. I recently bought the Legmaker True like yourself after much consideration including watching your vids on it. I just have the itch to mod my car and decided to ditch the unsightly stock box and get a nicer looking kit that provide some benefits, even though small. Car guys like to tinker, and its fun to experiment and upgrade. There isn't much we can do on these 392's to improve them without spending big bucks. Its a catch 22 imo. Dodge built a great motor that doesn't appear to have much holding it back, unless you want to shell out the money for big mods. I am also on the fence on tuning as well. I have had a hemifever tune on my previous 2012 Ram that I absolutely loved, but that truck drove like mush from the factory and the tune really fixed the hesitant throttle and mushy shifts. This car doesn't have that problem and costs twice as much to tune essentially since we have to buy an unlocked PCM...first world problems really, we got a good car and nice engine but we always want more ;) keep up the vids man, love your channel buddy!

I have a ram air intake on my focus it came with the car when i bought it. One day it was raining pretty hard i hit a Puddle and sucked a small amount of water into the emgine luckily it didn't blow just bogged for a few seconds. I wanted to put one on my charger but after that no way. But i love the way it changes the sound of your engine

WAS ABOUT TO PUT ONE ON MY RT...GLAD U SAVED ME

Agree....changed out to aFe HIGH FLOW OEM replacement filter....later went to open CAI & although intake temp stays down while moving, come to a stop or slow down, & the temp rises quickly, but didn't before....so now I get more air, but is not as cool....so to me the trade off is only in sound & aesthetics for an aftermarket CAI.....thank you for the informative video.

Very detailed Informative video. I love you’re T-shirt. Where did you get it?

Stickers increase horsepower

Very informative. I'm new to muscle cars, so thanks for the education.

I can only go by the results of my experience installing CAI's and then testing the results. Installing a tuneless CAI, especially an open one is useless and allows heat and likely will slow the car down. On my 2006 Mustang GT way back in 2006 there was a huge test between what was then the big CAI companies, the key is they all required a tune due to flowing more air over the sensor. Demolet (Tuneable Induction) won the shootout and I decided on buying his. The car went 13.7 bone stock, with the Demolet CAI and a tune the car went 13.3, that's not snakeoil, that's actual repeatable results, I then went supercharger. Fast forward to my 2018 Mustang GT I knew I wanted a closed box CAI that required tuning so I went with the Steeda Pro Flow with 121mm maf because Steeda has seen repeatable results and because air inlet temps are close to ambient unlike open CAI's. With an E85 tune (the main source of the increase) the car will pick up near half a second or more making it worth the cost. eBay CAI's and a crap ton of other offer absolutely nothing more than looks and sadly too many do no research and buy based on looks and no knowledge of the car they are trying to make faster.

I realized this is an older video. The 2019 Hellcat is picking up 10 HP at the crank. Maybe 8.5 at the rear wheels. Attributed to a revamped CAI. Testing for this is performed on an engine dyno in a sterile testing environment. Thanks for the detailed information. It would be difficult to dispute your findings. $400.00 or more is better spent elsewhere.

They just look cool..thats it. OEM airboxes keep air cooler and help prevent hydro-lock incase water is splashed up underneath.

I was Just about to buy a K&N for my 2017 Suburban LT 5.3 - thanks for the info....so based on your logic ...K&N increases HP on the Dyno because it has access to ambient air........are you saying that if I was to couple the K&N to a RamAir type setup - scooping air directly from outside, then it would be worth the $$$? What options would you recommend? Secondly - opinions on Superchips or Diablo tuners? Tuners in general?

Hmm..You seem to like Mopar products! I've owned a couple of them..My 1st was a 1964 dodge dart G.T. It had a 340 c.i. w/4speed. Really enjoyed it. But my pride and joy was a 1969 Plymouth GTX! It had a 4speed and like all GTXs it had the 440 motor BUT with the 6pak option, not the 4 barrel super commando run of the mill motor! Had I the vision, I'd certainly kept it since the prices today are insane! However, I do agree with the premise of your argument regarding C.A.I. systems! Just get the best possible angled intake pipe with the mass airflow sensor location and use pretty much any quality air filter! I'd never buy/utilize a "oiled" filtering system, NEVER! Just buy a good air filter that has the proper rubberize gasket that seals the air filter as designed and you'll never have to worry about a dirty air intake into your motor!

I tried the cheap set up and it sounded cool but, honestly it just sucked a lot of hot air into my engine. Now I have the airaid intake tube so I still use my factory intake filter box but now it’s a smooth swoop into the TB. Compared to the factory zigzag intake tube. That with my headers and exhaust. I sleep the engine flowing better . Wanting a ss2 cam and some injectors next. 👍 recently found the channel. Checking out some old vids. Good content , keep it up

Great explaining. I actually added a cold intake to my 2016 dodge dart sxt. I fabercated a box , insulated the inside and strapped inside space right front tire . cuttout fog light hole. Took out air box and bubble. The port where air comes in from under bumber and the cutt out fog light feed right into insulated box. Funny he mentioned that in video. Fucking amazing and YES i can feel differance in throttle response...thanks 4 video

Question I have a hellcat lower air box and filter, AFE cone on my RT thinking of getting the larger smooth intake tube do you think this will help. Because so far I believe it’s all been a placebo effect. Thanks for some insight keep putting it out there brother.

i agree with you i have a 2014 mustang gt i put a jlt cai i feel more power but more on the higher rpms im thinking of getting a k&n closed air box because it might flow better on lower rpms please write back im interested to know what you think i think a closed air box is better

Hey Awesome video, really appreciate all the info. I have a question, i have a 1997 honda crv, that i offroad in. I want to put a cold air intake or a short ram intake on, primarily to elevate where its sucking in air, for water crossings. I just dont want to do it at the expense of power since im running a 4 cylinder. Do i have to worry about losing and hp or torque if i put one on?

I can concur! I had an 07wrx, the only thing that the cobb intake with a cold air box did was allow the tuner to run more boost safer which gave a negligible amount of power (I think it was like 4-5hp on a blouch 20g). So even in that application, it wasn't worth it given the intake was around $150 and then $400 for the tune = learned the hard way. Now just rolling a 370z with drop in k/n's, which make zero difference but I figure it's one less thing the dealership can touch when I have the vehicle in for service.

I agree with you. What about using heat tape or something to cover the box and intake tube? It won't look fancy but might help keep intake temps down

I did all the cai when I was young, just took my k&n off my 5.7 gmt400 k3500 and put the complete oe airbox system on. I think I'll run stock drop in filter as well as the resonant chambers are tuned to work with that given restriction and it's affect on air pressure inside the intake and upper manifold. It's a tuned air circuit. Plus, I think it's better to have oe filter for dusty trails with expectations of engine longevity and little worries of peak hp.

where did you get the poster on the wall its awesome and would like to get one myself.

Thanks for the info. Mason again before I spent money on jlt cold air intake and besides I wasn't to sure about the open box closed hood gets pretty hot

Right said Fred also do advice about engines, Great!

I purchased a 05 350z that has a mod cold air intake. How can I keep water out of it when it rains or I hit a water puddle. My check engine light comes on and when the intake is dry it goes off. the check engine light comes on at random times and mysteriously and mysteriously goes off.

So, what kind of impact is that causing by having your thermostat mounted on your wall, right above the cold air return? That's all we really need to know. Do you get better mass air flow with that setup? Does it make your furnace come on less often because it's pulling warm air down past your thermostat? Better heating bills? Or does it cause your furnace to come on more often because that wall is cooler due to that massive cold air retun making that wall cooler, causing your thermostat to get a false reading of the ambient air temperature? That's what we really need to know.

Yet another well thought out, informative and executed video!!!! Off topic though, where did you get that shirt from? Thanks

Great info! Thank you. my experience is, i will and would only install an intake with a tune. u get the most out of the cai. without a tune its a waste. But overall feel they arent worth it. My ? is...Do u have an opinion on a oiled air filter vs a dry one such as K&N and Airaid offers both. Do the dry version filters filter dust and dirt better than the oiled versions?

WoW!! thanks for the tipsand all the info!👍👍👌!

Removed the oem airbox and associated tubing of a vortec 6.0 HD truck and not only is it virtual subterranean tunnel system with a myriad of dead end chambers to deaden sound primarily it also leaked at the seams new off the showroom floor with large areas for heatsoak . Any aftermarket CAI would do better than stock but I opted for a well insulated S&B CAI that draws from the wheelwell similar to the OEM without potentially drowning the engine during a deluge by drawing air in an enclosure. Best $300 I spend on the engine to date. It's not particularly powerful but throttle response has improved significantly and that sound that sweet sound alone... sweet reward to sucking fuel.

Will the Hellcat filter work with a 2013 RT? I also just want the smoother elbow with no baffle.

So if I did get a CAI on my 5.7 Challenger with just a canned diablosport tune, what would you recommend

Very informative carry on

What is your opinion of a throbbing throttle?

so it just triggers the fuel trims back a little then in order to have it lean from what i understand about fuel injection

Sooo, what u think about putting a Hell cat factory air box in a scatpack charger. The 2019’s cause they have those snorkels

Great Video B Mason.

What do you recommend for a 2017 Chevy Silverado 5.3L?

I’m getting a 6.1 hemi I first had the v6 charger now I have the RT I’m ready for the srt8

He and I would get along fine. We think the same about the "feeling of more power" than the real thing. Its a mind thing.

well main points , people who dislike , i think don't really understand what he is explaining, or pissed because he brought out the truth about all that

It never fails to amaze me at how many people will drop a grand on supporting mods like a CIA and fancy cat back exhaust and then do nothing to the engine. Or bother getting better tires, tuning the car/getting an after market ecu, dropping some weight or lowering the gear ratios. Or worse yet, do an intake and exhaust then stuff a couple subs, aftermarket speakers, 4 amps and an extra battery in the car lol. I always tell people, if you want to really do something to your car that makes a difference get good tires, make it lighter and if you can change the gear ratio. Those are things that will actually effect your 0-60 and quarter mile times. And it make it more fun to drive. I used to have a 72 skylark back in the 80's. When I got it it had a stock 350 buick with a 2 barrel carb and 2:55 gears I think? I dropped a 455 in it. Changed the cam, aftermarket intake manifold, holley carb, headers all the nifty stuff. And on a buick that shit ain't cheap! It was faster for sure but nothing amazing. I put a 4:10 posi and a shift kit in it and HOLY crap! That felt like adding a racing engine with a blower or something.

Years ago i ran out of gas in my 2001 dodge ram 1500 quadcab and was a few miles from nearest gas station, i took a chance and put some paint thinner in the tank as i was a painter. It actually got me there and now 12 years later i am still driving that truck. the only problem ive had is to this day as you accelerate it makes a slight clinging sound from the cat converters but other that that starts every time. i have over 150,000 miles on it and its a 318 or 5.2l.

Great vid, but now I'm torn. lol. I have a 2021 Silverado 5.3L and I've been looking at K&N and S&B CAI's. Which would you recommend for regular street/highway use and better gas mileage/performance? Thanks.

All I know is this, I put a S&B cold air intake on my 6.7 powerstroke a little over a year ago when comparing pre cold air intake to now I average 2.5 miles per gallon better went from 14 miles per gallon to 16.5. I don't know if I got anymore hp or not never dynoed it.

Great information, as always!

U gotta put ram air on it with hood scoops the faster u go the more air being forced in and its cold

damn. look at the dislikes... some people are pissed off they got ripped off.lol

My 20 year old factory air box was cracked, brittle and hissing loudly that I had to change it out regardless. In the mean time I got a great savings down from 325 to 250 and it looks great under the hood. So it's something at least in my case.

I like you are honest!:)

Hey, Mace! Praise for stock Hellcat/SRT air boxes.😉 Given design & condition restraints production cars need, I examined air box system on my Hellcat Challenger putting in K&N filter. Hard to beat!😄 Ditched paper element & put in K&N. Wow! 😮 My Hellcat "woke up"! SRT engineers aren't stupid. Draws air from front headlight and bottom. $$$ will be spent on wheels/tires for traction.😉

What do you think about shaker hood intake and throttle bodies?

My over the radiator cold air intake with a tune gave my vehicle 30 more rear wheel kW and 53 more NM at the tyres so I would definitely recommend the right sort of cold air intake for your vehicle 👍

By the way, You said the Experts at Dodge, The same ones that designed a trunk you can park a mini Cooper in, instead of a trunk you can use VIPER size 345 tires or who put 4cyclinder disconnect in a car called SRT

Cold air intakes with cone filters only give a bit of a mid range increase in the power band. You lose ALL low end torque because the stock box protects from engine bay heat and condenses the air a bit because its a chamber. Its better to use the stock box with a high flow filter and smooth plumbing to the throttle body.

Like the information. It made sense

So if i bought a closed cold air intake and insulated that against engine heat to reduce heat soak, on a turbo diesel would it make any difference on a car when it comes to remapping the car. There would be a direct cold air feed into the closed air filter.

I was wondering if you could do a video on cooling system upgrades such as fans or radiator upgrades. Manufacturers claim many great things but you explain real world scenarios where it counts.

I've got a 2014 Ram with the 3.6 L and I'm looking to just getting more free flow of air.

In order to get maxim performance out of your CAI 1St you have to get the CAI to cold Air that means out side the engine bay or you still suck hot air..Also if do not change the throttle body size (larger) you do nothing to gain. The factory throttle body will still only allow the same amount of air into the motor.

I have a 2014 Ram 1500 5.7L v8 Hemi still have factory air intake setup not been tuned that i know of 2nd owner so i don't know for sure if it has or not I might consider the mopar cold intake setup just the lower setup was wondering will a tune will be needed if i do the cold intake mod ?

Been thinking of putting a cold air on a Camaro, just trying to find out if it is worth the money or not if anyone can help me with this I would really appreciate it

what is your take on cowl intakes

I always had the thought in my mind but then again know nothing about cars. I just thought about getting just the k&n air filter and call it a day. Would that be a problem on the long run? Great video. Btw I have a 2015 Ford Taurus sel

do throttle body kits do anything?

I love your videos so much

What if you just replace the resinator box with a less restrictive air flow tube like an air raid setup..my trucks 1 year old i dont think ill risk it

CAI's are gimmicks. As Jeeps go, one mod that actually works is the Thor cowl air intake. And the other is a side hood vent where the air box hole is, seen on the concept Jeep Nacho. It comes with an inside snap on cover to keep rain and snow out.

Hey Professor : I noticed from the few things I've helped my Son with on his 2000 S-10 Blazer is that GM uses Knock Sensors & MAF sensors on their engines. I know that my 98 Dakota is not equipped with a Knock Sensor. I was wondering if the newer Mopars are equipped with knock sensors or if Mopar is leaving that choir up to the keen hearing of the Driver as they have in the past. I could care less about the MAF sensor since the system my Dak has with the MAP sensor seems to be more trouble free.

B, I have a scat pack shaker, My intake temp stays right around eight degrees above ambient temp after I pulled the plug out of the headlight. I.m going to the track to start data logging . Thanks for some insight

The afe momentum gt I was considering because the nice closed box area with a big filter and tube but i might just save the $ and get a k and n drop in filter and call it a day

Great Info.

I ordered a hellcat CAI for my 2019 SXT. I was assured it would fit after removal of the headlamp plug. Does this filter box use my standard air filter included with the vehicle?Will this system lean the mixture too much without a tune?I paid 120 for all the hardware at the dealer

Very informative video. New to mods and have a 2014 Ford f150 5.0L V8. What do you suggest to gain HP, Torque and throttle response as its slightly sluggish on initial acceleration. Looking for Best bang for the buck as im on a budget as well...CAI, throttle body spacer....

I put filter kits on other cars and trucks it GREATLY improves throttle response and you will lose 1 or 2 mpg because more air the motor wants more fuel which is more power

I got my car dyno, I think the guy closed my hood. I was about to ask "hey why every car video on RU-vid has open hood but not mine?".

Would the k&n typhoon cai be good to install in my ‘14 Dodge Challenger in your opinion?