Hey everyone! Been doing some research on CAI for my 2003 V6 dakota 3.9 quad cab. As many of you know, its very sluggish off the starting line. And if you have the Air Conditioning on then forget about it! lol

Anyway, I found this nice system on autoanything for $220 or so http://goo.gl/ZcD0Q and I found this generic system (but with an K&N filter) on Ebay for $81 http://goo.gl/GMN45

Now riddle me this. It's a flippin TUBE connected to a filter! I mean... what's the difference and why should I spend an extra $140?

I am asking this question sincerely because I do feel I am missing out on some bit of knowledge I should know about....

Thanks in advance everyone! Excellent community you have here.

 

there is alot of price on the brand but also look at materials used and quality of them and the location of werre the filter is located is a big deal also

 

You usually get a nice sticker with the higher priced one.

But I agree with above post it does matter where the placement of the filter is and if there is any isolation from the engine heat with a baffle of some sort.
Alot of people have had success using a cheaper CAI and modifying the existing stock box to provide heat isolation. Depends on what you want in the end and how creative you are.
I bought a very similar one off ebay but paid only about 50 bucks last year. I didn't mess with a baffle but extended the tube a bit to get the filter end to to left of the passenger headlight and cut a bit of the paper/plastic back to allow straight airflow. I also removed my entire AC system due to a crap compressor so the condenser and AC lines aren't in the way either.
Works fine as long as your going forward.......

 

good thoughts. I was thinking about that as well. (The baffle.) Because the stock box DOES suck from the fender well and I'd like to utilize that hole. However, it looks like BOTH of the products I pictured above do not have ANY baffle and they both relocate and install to the same place.

So the question still remains.... why spend more money? The quality of the pipe really doesn't come into play... it's a pipe.... lol... As long as its not paper, I'm sure it will be ok. hahaha

But I was also thinking that it is pretty pointless to have a 360-degree cone filter if you build a baffle around it. You are still restricting air flow immensely with the baffle and you are sucking air from one side only (where the hole is.)

SO, I am up in the air about even getting a CAI. (no pun intended). Sure, I would have more air flow, BUT it would be a warmer air flow. HA!

Any more thoughts anyone? Is it even worth the money of sacrificing a cold air intake box to a high-flow intake?

 

get a cai and then wrap the tube in either aluminum foil or make a heat sheild for it, or in heater wrap. then remove the rubber flap on the front radiator to get some cold air to the filter when you are driving.

 

^^^^
You have this way too thought out. haha, I went with a K&N just because I didn't want to mess around with anything, and the box seals nice with my hood. If water gets into that intake I don't deserve to drive my truck.

 

I got a cheap one off ebay. Its actually a granatelli intake I got it for 30.00 and I found them for like 200.00 on other websites. It looks like a k&n tube but only its bigger.

 

Thanks for the info and suggestions guys! It really does help.

My next problem is that I have a 3.9. And these I mentioned are the only two that I found that actually fit my truck!

And the funny thing is.. K&N doesn't even have a intake system for my truck. Only for the 4.7L... But yet, this guy on ebay is selling the one I mentioned with a K&N filter! This makes me raise an eyebrow....

 

the intakes for the 3.9 and the 318 or 360 will be interchangeable.

 

aem, k$n or just tun down to the local shop with a pipe bender. and have them bend a piece of 3 in pipe to where ever you want it. then go to advanced ot napa or any auto parts and buy a 30 dollar filter then go to a hardwear store. and pick up a rubber boot that will go from three inch to the diamiter of the stock hat. and a few worm clamps to button it all together and you have a CAI that you can put away from the heat of the motor where it will get better air flow and if you wanna be really safe wrap it in header wrap and build a wall out of sheet metel that runs from the fan sroud to the fender behind the filter. rivit ir to the fender and remove the rubber from the hole between the rad and the sad support. this will increase air flow but it will allow for possable water as well i took a piece of window screen and covered the whole to help reflect some of the water. i also took the liberity of running a bead of gasket maker at all the joints where the worm clamps sit just so that when i get in the soupy water and the tires throw it between the frame and fender lining because there is a hole there thats if pretty big. you can also at this point more the coil to the inside of that blocked in get a coil wre froma v8 for the lanth and you can keep that cool and dry as well which will help with the stalling in the water. because its no only the water in the intake that kills the dodges.