I believe what I have is a stock intake, 1998 Dodge Ram Magnum 1500 5.9L, it says "Dodge Magnum" on it, but looks somewhat new. Ive been the owner of it since September, and did a tuneup a week ago, checked the filter out, and it was K&N. Cleaned enough dirt and junk out of it to fill up my little cousins sandbox, definately heard a sound improvement, and a bit of gas milage increase.

Anyways...what I have, is it stock?, if so, would upgrading it to a K&N Cold Air Intake be worth the money? Or should I stick with cleaning/upgrading a K&N filter inside my stock?


Also, whats difference from a V8, and a V8 Magnum? And is it true that Cold Air Intakes are illegal in state of California due to bull**** emission laws?

 

Just a name to represent the change to a newer design from the old original V8s that Dodge used prior to 1992. (Someone correct me if I am mistaken.)

Not sure on the K&N CAI vs. stock w/ K&N drop-in, been wondering a bit about that myself.

 

I had the stock air cleaner with a drop in K&N and swapped for a K&N FIPK.
there was a definite improvement. It wasn't huge but acceleration was improved even at part throttle.

 

save your money dont go for the k&n cai. I intaled the mopar proformence 13" round filter. I felt a noticable increase in power and acceleration. Search "fipk no more" and youll find a hugee article on it.

 

If you compare a new clean official Dodge paper filter
to a KN drop-in
and then to no filter at all
the differences in acceleration that I measured
are very small.

old post
======

>Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 15:12:52 -0500
>Subject: KN/Mopar paper/no air filter/ Quarter mile tests
>
>I was curious as to whether the KN air filter element in
the factory Ram
>air filter housing I have been using for 3 years was truly
less
>restrictive than the paper filter elements.

>Back on RTML there was a
>discussion about whether re-useable filters really filtered
the finest
>dust particles as well as paper ones do.
>
>One RTML reader said his construction company tested
re-useable filters
>and did spectrograhic oil analyis to test for dirt passing
through the
>filters. When the silica levels in the oil went up - the
construction
>company went back to paper filters - and the silica levels
in the oil went
>back down. I can't vouch for this alleged test - but the
story worried
>me.
>
>I had the afternoon free and I decided to test the
acceleration question
>myself. I went to the local Dodge dealer (the same one who
sold me a KN
>element) and bought a $14 Mopar air filter. It is white
paper, has many
>more pleats than the KN, and bears part number 53004383.
Below the part
>number is printed "Made in Canada" and 38682 and then 05/99
is stamped in
>different ink. The rubber gasket on this paper filter seems
to be slightly
>thicker and it takes a little more effort to clamp down the
top cover on
>it than the KN.
>
>I went to my home-made quarter mile on Highway 64 over the
Jordan Lake
>causeway. Remember this may be a little more than a true
measured >quartermile, is 0.4% grade uphill, and I am timing
with a stopwatch. I do a soft >start with my foot off the
pedal. The 235/85R16 tires with 65 psi never broke
>loose or smoked in these tests. Gasoline was 87 octane.
>
>Yesterday (a humid 95F day) With KN element, 1/2 tank of
gas I ran:
>18.75
>18.72
>
>This afternoon ( a humid 95F day) with KN, 3/16 tank of gas
I ran:
>18.81
>18.75
>Average= 18.78
>
>Both yesterday & today with the KN there was mild pinging
when rpms went
>+3750, and then a short burst of rapid 'clacks' when the
auto trans made
>its shifts at 4900 rpm. I have found from past driving that
the pinging
>goes away if I use above 90 octane.
>
>Both yesterday and today there was a KN element in the air
filter housing
>that had been cleaned approximately 3000 miles ago. When I
took it out
>today it showed no signs of visible dirt and was dark red
in color. I am
>using the stock factory air filter housing, with the
plastic cold air tube
>going over to the passenger fender wall.
>
>With the 53004383 Mopar paper filter, 3/16 tank of gas I
ran:
>
>18.75
>18.85
>Average= 18.80
>
>I then took the Mopar filter out and re-assembled the air
filter housing
>with no air filter inside. Everything else was the same -
the plastic
>cold air tube was still pulling air from the fender and the
top of the
>housing was clamped on.
>
>With NO FILTER element, 3/16 tank of gas I ran:
>18.72
>18.68
>Average= 18.70
>
>During these two runs without any air filter it seemed to
me that the
>pinging above 3750 rpm was still mild, but a little louder
and more
>frequent. The noise of the engine seemed slightly louder
without an air
>filter.
>
>I put the Mopar paper filter in and drove the truck home.
I could not
>feel any difference versus the KN filter.
>
>-HankL

 

I had planned to keep my K&N drop in for a while. The recharge kit is around 10 bucks, but you can use it more than once. It will not increase your MPG at all.

Thanks for the tests and write ups HankL

 

Right on guys! Great info, thanks ill stick with what I got for now.

 

Good plan...Though I'm not a fan of the round air filter, I would NOT waste my tax rebate on a FUPK....errrr FIPK. The tube has been known to crack, and the system really needs a larger element to breathe. Oh, this is my personal experience with the FIPK.[:@]
If you want true cold air, stick with a system that uses the factory design and the inner fender air hole. The factory design is great for mostly stock motors.

 

check this one out, uses stock fender hole and had noticable improvements

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/97-01...em170187963534

 

The Volant kit also uses the stock fender hole. Been eyeing that for a while, but its even more $$$ than the K&N, and thats not even counting the extra scoop you can add on...