Define better.

And as for the exhaust comment, we've been through this, there are plenty of threads on this forum stating why you are wrong.

Exactly... thats the point of denser air. A 60 gallon air compressor at 0 psi has the same volume as a 60 gallon air compressor at 150 psi, but the higher pressure has a higher density so there is more air.

Again, we've been through this.

 

Lets think of it like we are back in school as a child.
Walk down the hall with your hand on the wall. Come to a door jam and you hit the door jam. Doesnt hurt so much. Now run down the same hall and eventually your hand starts to hurt from the door jam. Now does running down the hall seem worth it. Now get to the end of the hall way and suddenly it makes a turn. Can you stick to the wall running and make a right turn without slowing down.

You=air, Running=flow, Jams=bends, Turn=max pressure

Running a cowl 'correctly' deletes these factors.

And running a $300 K&N FIPK only adds like 8+ HP at 4000+rpm. No one here drives their truck down the road at 4000rpm to even see that increase in HP. Ill keep mine stock and save the money for a fuel pump and heater core.

 

Stock step it is free flowing enough. The only restricter is the air filter. You can help a little bit to improve flow with the CAI systems or a performance air filter. Yes exhaust and other mods will give you the most out of it.

To say the truth a functioning cowl induction hood and MOST Ram air hoods don't do nothing, but look good. With a cowl the air is flowing back, so the intake has to fight to get air. The reason cowls are made is to give fresh air to the engine without worrying about the rain or other debris from entering the intake system.
With a Ram air hood scoop, the body creates an air pocket at 1in above the body. So your not getting the force from the air. That is why Dodge came out with the UGLY tall ram air scoops in the 60's.

 

Actually, I quite often wait til my truck is over 5000 rpm to shift. There's no power in the low rpm range, so why would I want to be in the low rpm range?! The torque curve of the 5.2 magnum peaks at 3200 and the power curve peaks at 4800, so anywhere inbetween those rpms is where the truck really starts moving.

But I'm done arguing the intake/exhaust debate. I've argued it too many times on this forum and its gotten old. My views are thoroughly expressed in several other threads if anybody wants to know the truth about it. As an engineering student, I've studied thermodynamics and pipe flow and I understand the concepts. Having said that, nobody understands every aspect of intake and exhaust systems, and if somebody says they do, they're lying. There is too much chaos in an engine to design or even explain the systems. Most of it is trial and error. Just be knowlegable enough to know what to try.

Now the cowl induction system is something I've never argued. And Crazy4x4RT is right, cowl induction isn't what its cracked up to be. It works well in a very specific range of speed... too slow and the airflow just isn't there, too fast and the air passes right by the intake. I've personally seen then in a wind tunnel.

 

I just opened up the intake housing from the grill. There was a rubber flap at the intake by the grill. I removed it. Installed a K&N filter in the stock air cleaner housing. I am going to put a piece of 1/2"X1/2" hardware wire where the flap was at (when it warms up!!) because I will get leaves and other stuff in the air cleaner housing once in a while. I get the air from outside the truck and not the hot air from the engine bay. I also moved the air temp sensor from the intake to the air filter housing at the snorkel. Seemed to help on the take off power. All simple stuff and the only expense was the filter and I got it off E-Bay for about half the price from Auto Zone and a brass plug to seal the hole where the sensor was in the intake. I had a stainless Magnaflow high flow muffler put on a few years back. Went from 16-18 mpg to about 18-20.
Next project is and electric fan set up. Getting rid of the gas robbing clutch fan. Maybe squeeze out a little more MPG. 1996 3.9 V6.

 

I REALLY want to change out my stock air intake. I hate it. I want it as minimal as possible. To me it's like a rats nest in the way of everything. Even if I can't go CAI in my 88 I at least want to change it somehow. Looking at that turbo setup someone else posted it seems as though a short ram could work provided you could get it to fit over the top of the throttle body.

Any suggestions?