Finally Installed K&N CAI in 6.2

[LurkingLuke]

[Before/After videos are on their way, but not worth waiting for, as the kid who started it for me to film couldn't take his foot off the pedal after the swap]

Finally swapped the stock for the K&N today. Noticed:
1. Slightly better sound at startup/idle, a wee bit grunt-ier, but not a game-changer.
2. Couldn't tell if I had better low-end or if I just wanted it to be better to match the claims some have made online.
3. Definite improvement of grunt, both sound and power, at full throttle and through the gears.
4. My gearhead friend who did most of the work couldn't believe the acceleration ("My dear, it's only to help with towing...har har....") in a 3-ton SUV.
5. I can't compare it to the MIT rig, which I haven't driven, but I'm very happy with the present setup.
6. Unbelievable amount of underhood space was opened up.
VERDICT: Worth it, excellent value, even. Do it!

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I want to see the videos, please. As far as I know, the 2013 Yukon Denali already had CAI as a stock build (draws cold air from the tire/fender well and not warm air from the engine compartment). If your KN CAI is now drawing air from the engine compartment, you now do not have a CAI, but instead, you have eliminated it.

I'll wait to see the videos before forming a final opinion.

 

[tooleyondeck]

I believe you are experiencing a placebo effect my friend. Until you get a tune, you aren't gaining any power. In most cases, you are losing power due to heat soak. That being said, get you some headers to accompany that intake then find a good tuner and you will see a decent increase in whp/tq.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Finally swapped the stock for the K&N today. Noticed ...

Do you still have the OE intake?
Ask your stopwatch to compare the OE cold air intake to the K&N intake.
Then show us and your gearhead friend the results.

For truly honest results the way to do this A-B-A-B testing, is to drive around with each intake for a week to give the ecm a chance to adapt to the intake, BEFORE testing with the stopwatch.
Most who test aftermarket intakes don't retest a week or so later to see how the ecm adapted.

 

[Doubeleive]

Any gains are extremely neglible, but there has to be something said about more cfm with less effort.
kind of like drinking thru a slightly bigger straw, it's easier to do
forced induction is even better

 

[LurkingLuke]

Placebo effect applies, no doubt. I knew going in that would be the case. I'm just going to have fun at this point, and concentrate on a proper tune some time later. It's like many car mods: they aren't always the "best" choice, but they make the owner happy in the meantime.

 

[LurkingLuke]

I want to see the videos, please. As far as I know, the 2013 Yukon Denali already had CAI as a stock build (draws cold air from the tire/fender well and not warm air from the engine compartment). If your KN CAI is now drawing air from the engine compartment, you now do not have a CAI, but instead, you have eliminated it.

I'll wait to see the videos before forming a final opinion.

I am all but a luddite when it comes to video tech, so be sure to breathe while you wait.

 

[Trey Hardy]

I want to see the videos, please. As far as I know, the 2013 Yukon Denali already had CAI as a stock build (draws cold air from the tire/fender well and not warm air from the engine compartment). If your KN CAI is now drawing air from the engine compartment, you now do not have a CAI, but instead, you have eliminated it.

I'll wait to see the videos before forming a final opinion.

I believe you can use the stock airbox with a k&n filter and use the k&n intake tube and see gains over an open intake/heatsoak.
I have always had spectre/k&n intakes and never seen a huge gain until I did the exhaust and a tune to match with it. This new truck of mine has a s&b intake which is closed box and sucks air from the factory fender hole/cold air
I definitely like the s&b over the k&n and the only reason I got the k&n was because it was a steal at 100$ I couldn’t refuse

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I believe you can use the stock airbox with a k&n filter and use the k&n intake tube and see gains over an open intake/heatsoak.
I have always had spectre/k&n intakes and never seen a huge gain until I did the exhaust and a tune to match with it. This new truck of mine has a s&b intake which is closed box and sucks air from the factory fender hole/cold air
I definitely like the s&b over the k&n and the only reason I got the k&n was because it was a steal at 100$ I couldn’t refuse

Yes. I have the Airaid MIT, which is essentially a polished tube (inside) to connect the stock CAI air filter box to the engine intake. I use a Wixx filter.

I purchased this at the recommendation of @BlackBearPerf as a way to clean up and remove the OEM intake tube with all of its noise reduction baffling, while still maintaining the OEM CAI air filter box. I do get a bit more intake 'noise' with it when I punch it, but it is cool.

 

[Charlie207]

[Before/After videos are on their way, but not worth waiting for, as the kid who started it for me to film couldn't take his foot off the pedal after the swap]

Finally swapped the stock for the K&N today. Noticed:
1. Slightly better sound at startup/idle, a wee bit grunt-ier, but not a game-changer.
2. Couldn't tell if I had better low-end or if I just wanted it to be better to match the claims some have made online.
3. Definite improvement of grunt, both sound and power, at full throttle and through the gears.
4. My gearhead friend who did most of the work couldn't believe the acceleration ("My dear, it's only to help with towing...har har....") in a 3-ton SUV.
5. I can't compare it to the MIT rig, which I haven't driven, but I'm very happy with the present setup.
6. Unbelievable amount of underhood space was opened up.
VERDICT: Worth it, excellent value, even. Do it!

What K&N model number did you go with?

 

[Charlie207]

Yes. I have the Airaid MIT, which is essentially a polished tube (inside) to connect the stock CAI air filter box to the engine intake. I use a Wixx filter.

I purchased this at the recommendation of @BlackBearPerf as a way to clean up and remove the OEM intake tube with all of its noise reduction baffling, while still maintaining the OEM CAI air filter box. I do get a bit more intake 'noise' with it when I punch it, but it is cool.

View attachment 420391

Your power steering fluid resevoir looks like mine.

 

[LurkingLuke]

Qty
Hard to find. Does this help? Performance Air Intake System SKU: 30-3070	1

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Your power steering fluid resevoir looks like mine.

Interesting that you noted that. It looked real bad, and I had it replaced about 6 months ago.

 

[LurkingLuke]

Interesting that you noted that. It looked real bad, and I had it replaced about 6 months ago.

That's not good. does mine look like it's failing?

 

[LurkingLuke]

Qty
Hard to find. Does this help? Performance Air Intake System SKU: 30-3070	1

I found the manual. That's the part #

 

[Charlie207]

Interesting that you noted that. It looked real bad, and I had it replaced about 6 months ago.

I might replace mine in the spring.

 

[BlaineBug]

I want to see the videos, please. As far as I know, the 2013 Yukon Denali already had CAI as a stock build (draws cold air from the tire/fender well and not warm air from the engine compartment). If your KN CAI is now drawing air from the engine compartment, you now do not have a CAI, but instead, you have eliminated it.

I'll wait to see the videos before forming a final opinion.

Truth. A quality drop-in filter with the stock setup is more than perfect. I prefer paper replaceable filters than the oily reusable filters.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Truth. A quality drop-in filter with the stock setup is more than perfect. I prefer paper replaceable filters than the oily reusable filters.

I tried the oily reusable filter, but I went back to paper, as I did not see an appreciable buildup of particles on the reusable oily filter (meaning that they probably went right through it and into the engine.

 

[iamdub]

I love my $15 oil-free reusable AEM filter

 

[LurkingLuke]

How do I upload a phone camera video?