Will a CAI help my MPG at all? I have seen all different schools of thought on this. What is your experience with this in your Dakota?

Thanks all.

 

I noticed a slight increase in MPG. Like, 2 MPG. You will also get a power gain and a deeper sound at higher RPMs. The power gain isn't noticeable until ~4000 RPM. I definitely recommend a CAI on ANY vehicle as it increases airflow in almost any application. Imagine breathing through one nostril all your life, and then randomly being able to breathe through both.

 

Thanks for the input fhadso. I guess the next question is: Is it worth spending a lot of money or will a cheap CAI do? I don't see where the expensive ones look any better?

 

try this as a test build your own but don’t get the filter the most expensive part in the system see if you notice any difference if you like it stick a filter on it.

IMO they are a head trip only they sound good that is why most think they help but as the other guy said it only helps in the high rpm range and I would say maybe 1 mpg better if that.

A good Wix paper filter will do the same for $8

 

I still like this better.. Just it seems to bog for a mili second right off no throttle.

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Long Live the old school style TB's .

But I think I'm going to start back my project of a so called "Ram Air" through the grille.

 

They will increase your gas mileage but very little. It won't pay for the CAI that's for sure. The biggest gain you get is sound. The truck will sound slightly better with an intake.

The cheap ones serve the same function and you'll see similar gains as more expensive ones, but the more expensive ones have a much better look, fit and finish. It all depends what you want. I hate the cheap chrome plastic ones with bright blue connectors and what not. I like the look of the K&N that's all black and the dark red filter. But that's just me.

I was going to buy a nicer one with my tax returns before I hit a deer and had to pay a deductable so now it looks like I'll have to settle for a cheaper one or making one myself. You can make your own out of ABS piping. It won't look quite like a K&N or AEM or any of the name brand ones but it will serve the same function.

 

Yeah for real.. I notice on my 97 the direction the fan is spinning off all that heat is to the right side strait towards the inlet for the intake..

And Ive seen many times where that seems to be the hottest area under the hood other than right by the manifolds..

So unless you get the one with the special heat sheilds that seperate the filter from the rest of the engine compartment I do not see anything but a little better air flow response and sound; but your still sucking in hot air..

I think this is really the key of rather buying a cheap one vs buying a more expensive one. The deciding factor would be that.. and the ability to direct air from the outside directly into the filter area.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.. but this is my observations.. maybee if you could direct it to the left side of the truck besides the batter in that hollow area then you would pulling in truly colder air.. but not on the right with out the right dividers to separate and keep that hot air from getting to the filter..

But when i get back from NJ trip ill be gone on for 2 weeks I'm going to resume my inlet from the grill like I was going to do before.. but I'm just going to sue the stock Airbox.. I'm a 4x4 and i dont want to worry about water and junk soaking the filter..

 

Ok my Dak is the 2.5 so this is what I did on the front next to my rad I cut out an air hole to let in the outside air this should also help push out the Hot rad air that passes through the Rad my theory is if you let some outside air in past the Rad it will cool the Hot Rad air down or at least push the Hot air out of the engine compartment letting in outside air.

I also if you noticed cutout some of the blocking air barrier thick tar paper out next to the headlight so as to push outside air back past the headlight to were the air box inlet is giving me cooler outside air.

I did this Mod last summer and noticed my truck ran cooler or let’s just say it didn’t run any hotter it didn’t over heat either.

I live in Hot AZ all you guys that live back east this Mod should be a big plus in the milder climate.

So in IMO my air box was getting more outside air to the air inlet and helping dissipate the engine bay hot Rad air at the same time.

 

Yeah.. that hole you cut there.. well that's where im going to but a nice sized inlet attached to the air box.. either that or I'm going to put a snorkel on the truck once i get the lift I want and bigger tires.

 

Only thing I would worry about with doing that is way too much air pressure with it getting direct air like that now if you could make some kind of air pass-through like some kind of tube that would let air in the front and then out the back thus no high air pressure and then the throttle body feeding off of this air passage.


My Dak being the 2.5 dosent have any exaust on that side of the engine