What are the benefits of a cold air intake?

I know lots of guys that have a cold air intake on their vehicles. What are the benefits of one? Why do I need one?

A sound that goes...



Honestly, it's like 5hp at most. It's a start to modding though. More air in, more air out, and more fuel in is what you want. so Intake, exhaust, tune. Then you start adding superchargers to get the air in even faster...

The cooler the air charge, the more power the engine can make. In addition, the tube from the airbox to the throttle body can be a restriction. Many are content with running the stock airbox and upgrading the tube to something such as the Airaid MIT.

Only if it's an actual cold air intake and not a pretty tube with a fancy filter on the end of it that everyone calls a "cold air intake". Even the designs that have a heat shield are complete BS. Think about it- where is the fancy filter getting this "cold air"? From the engine bay right off the side of 500-degree exhaust manifolds and right behind a 200-degree radiator?

The stock setup isolates the air filter from the engine bay heat and ducts in air from outside the engine bay- it IS a "cold air" intake. Yes, the expensive aftermarket ones look cool and can flow a lot of air. But, the stock set up already flows more than what the engine can ingest, it just doesn't look cool. I don't know how much this has been tested or proven, but apparently on the '00-'06 trucks there is some improvement to be had by opening up the hole in the fender to the dirty side of the air box. A proven point of improvement (however minimal) on the NBS and NNBS is the tube between the filter box and throttle body. Replacing this with a smooth tube to get rid of the muffler chambers improves air movement which increases throttle response and gives a slight bump in power in upper RPM. It also increases the intake growl when under load since the mufflers are gone.

So, spend a few hundred on a show piece or just open up the hole in the fender and it's accompanying inlet on the filter box and get an MIT (or fab up something similar) and you'll have the same power results. You'll also have the benefit of being able to use a stock-replacement filter.

What @iamdub said. I'm running the airaide Jr with modified factory airbox on a cammed 6ltr. I wouldn't bother with a fancy intake unless you want the looks. I actually cut 1 big hole in the bottom of my airbox and put a metal screen over it with a hole leading to the fender. It works better than a cone filter sitting in the engine bay IMO, but I can't hear it since my truck is so loud. Throttle response is instant.

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A Cold Air Intake (CAI) represents a significant performance enhancement for vehicles having a restrictive factory intake design. Our trucks do not fall in this category.

I got one off ebay they go around $50, gives you more room in the engine bay.