Okay, there has been a lot of typing going on about Cold Air Intakes (CIA), our poor stock intakes, how cold air is so much better for our trucks, etc. I have done some testing to measure outside air temperature vs. air temp at the inlet to the intake and the temperature inside the filter box. So I started this thread to discuss air temperature.
I was motivated by this statement
Quote:
Put a fresh new air filter element in your stock filter box. Go out on a road
with little traffic and measure the temperature and pressures at your small
hole test points of the stock system when the engine is at wide open throttle
through the 2000 to 6000 rpm range.
If you find between two points that the temperature goes up, then the air is
picking up heat in that length between the two points. (i predict you won't
find much heat pickup)
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and decided to do some testing.
My truck is a 1999 Ram 1500 with 5.9L motor and a stock intake.
I used two indoor/outdoor thermometers, one with a wireless remote, the other with a sensor attached to the wire. I removed the tube from the fender to the air filter box and secured the wireless sensor to the inside of fender, in front of where the tube picks up the air. I fastened the receiver to my driver's side mirror. This thermometer displays both the outside air and inside air temperature on the screen. So this thermometer is giving me the outside air temp and the temp of the air leading to the air filter. I placed the sensor for the other thermometer inside of the air box, on the intake side of the filter. I taped it so that the sensor is sticking up in the air and is not touching the filter or the air filter box. It is in the center of the box. The receiver is placed inside the cab on the dash.
I drove to work this morning which is a 14 mile trip over back roads, mostly 40 mph with one 3 mile stretch at 55 mpg. The last two miles is in town with speed averaging 20 mph. The outside air temperature at home was 25 F. As I drove to work it crept up to 31 F.
So, I pose the following questions. When traveling down the road, how much higher is the air temp at the intake? Inside the filter box? What if I moved the location of the intake, would the air temp go down? What affect does being stopped at a red light have on the temperatures? How high does the temperature go after shutting off the truck?
I know and I will post my results later today. They are interesting but not surprising if you actually think about it.
Over the next several days, I will move the positions of the sensors to various locations, such as to the right front corner where the K&N and other CIAs pick up the air, to the right rear of the engine compartment, and immediately above the air filter box for those of you running open round air filters. I also want to take off the tube from the fender and measure the air temp inside the air box. Let me know if you are interested in the results.