Exhaust on an 03 1500 4X4
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 24,686
Likes: 21
From: South Georgia/East Florida
Don't "get a CAI done on it". Trust me on this one because I bought a $320 CAI before my '04 was a month old. Since then I've made about 15 for people and have shown a good dozen more how to make one.
I've measured intake temps and in most cases the ones I've made are a hair cooler than the one I bought (but the differnce is minute - like within 4*). But my point is you can make one for under $25 (plus cost of filter of choice - anywhere from about $20-$50) that will function 100% as well as any you can buy unless you are going to get a true CAI like a Vararam and spend $500 on it.
There are gains from a CAI, but unless combined with other mods like ported throttle bodies, heads, headers, cam, etc. they are minimal and IMO just not worth spending $300 on. Better to build one and use the $ to buy you a tuner that would get 4-5x the performance gains.
This is a two hour job in the driveway at most. I've done three 4.7s for guys up at the Georgia farm in the shade of the barn and about five more here in my driveway.
I've measured intake temps and in most cases the ones I've made are a hair cooler than the one I bought (but the differnce is minute - like within 4*). But my point is you can make one for under $25 (plus cost of filter of choice - anywhere from about $20-$50) that will function 100% as well as any you can buy unless you are going to get a true CAI like a Vararam and spend $500 on it.
There are gains from a CAI, but unless combined with other mods like ported throttle bodies, heads, headers, cam, etc. they are minimal and IMO just not worth spending $300 on. Better to build one and use the $ to buy you a tuner that would get 4-5x the performance gains.
This is a two hour job in the driveway at most. I've done three 4.7s for guys up at the Georgia farm in the shade of the barn and about five more here in my driveway.
Last edited by HammerZ71; Jun 1, 2012 at 03:55 PM.
If you have a baby on the way you should totally go with a flowmaster or magnaflow glasspacks would probably be way too loud. My son is almost 2 now and it puts hims to sleep almost everytime we go on a highway journey. Babies love that rumble.
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 24,686
Likes: 21
From: South Georgia/East Florida
If your concerned about loud then go Magnaflow AND spend the extra $25 on the stainless Maggy "Y" pipe to replace the crimped, constrictive one. Cherry Bomb anything (be it glass packs, wing plate or straight pass mufflers) are not for the faint of heart - they are made for people who want to **** off their neighbors!!!
As far as the Star Tron goes - DON'T panic if the first tank or two you use it in actually gets worse gas mileage. It cleans very well and if there is a lot of gunk breaking loose you may get 1-2 MPG worse mileage. But by tank 3 it'll start to go the other way and you'll gain fuel economy. Do what the bottle say - 1 oz. to 8 gallons for the first tank and then 1 oz. to 16 gallons thereafter...
As far as the Star Tron goes - DON'T panic if the first tank or two you use it in actually gets worse gas mileage. It cleans very well and if there is a lot of gunk breaking loose you may get 1-2 MPG worse mileage. But by tank 3 it'll start to go the other way and you'll gain fuel economy. Do what the bottle say - 1 oz. to 8 gallons for the first tank and then 1 oz. to 16 gallons thereafter...