Yeah because the Stock Box with a drop in K&N is just as good as any CAI. and the Box being closed adds to the colder air factor

 

Yea I'm actually considering going back to that just because I'm too lazy to make a heat shroud for my intake now lol

 

This is what I might do. I've looked at some of the home made CAI's that hook into the throttle body and they just look really junky to me. Some of the more expensive CAIs, like the volant, look nice, but I don't want to spend that much money. The Hemi resonator looks good so I'll probably just keep it stock and drop in a K&N.

 

Youll get about the same increase.

 

I was working on my truck today. Along with replacing my front struts I decided to build a CAI. I spray painted it black, look, meh, ok. I also cut off my muffler and cats and threw on a cherry bomb extreme. It's loud a hell now, but I don't notice any extra horses or low end torque.

I'll probably bump my muffler down to a cherry bomb pro and put the hemi hat back on.

 

I've been wondering about this. Well, I took your advice. I removed the huge hat from the 4.7 and ran a 3" PVC from the throttle body to the stock filter box which contains a K&N replacement.

 

That's what I want to do, right there.

 

It's super easy. 2-foot section of 3" PVC pipe, $5; 90• street elbow (flange on one end only, $3; two 3" couplers, $6/ea. Total cost $20 (I already had the K&N filter) and 15 minutes work.

 

Earlier in this post I ranted about most of the DIY intakes being worse than stock due to the multiple 90• bends. I still stand by that but as mentioned above I agree the stock air box and better panel filter is just as good as after market CAI and better that most DIY jobs.

The surface area of the panel filter is bigger than the surface area of "some" cones.
And I agree it is better for cold air. I was thinking of opening the side of the stock air box along the fender side. I think that might yield access to more air.

On my 5.9 the big issue seems to be that crappy caved in stock hat on the TB. I was thinking of using a hybrid of stock air box an a spectre TB hat that stands a little taller.

I like DIY mod experiments as long a they don't have a negative impact.

 

You arent going to notice a increase in anything wit your cats off, unless you have a custom tune.
You will constantly be running rich/or lean. period. Your Cats are plated with a ion that changes the chemical compound of the gas, this is why they have 2 different kinds of o2 sensors (Pre Cat/Post Cat).

And adding a muffler will not change the Hp/Trq output that much either unless you go from alot of restriction to none, which would be better for Hp/trq. I have Cats with no muffler, it by far has put more Torque down than anything else.