If you can, please go in reverse order (K&N first, then stock) to account for order bias/ECM learning and comparison with the 1st test.
Does a cold air intake add power on a 4.0?
- Thread starter Jezza
- Start date
If you can, please go in reverse order (K&N first, then stock) to account for order bias/ECM learning and comparison with the 1st test.
WestCoastDan
TJ Addict
People seem to think that adding an open element under their hood will increase HP.
Too bad it isn't that simple.
Too bad it isn't that simple.
Even if a cold air intake added power (it doesn't), it wouldn't be worth the potential for water exposure you would now have over the stock intake system.
I just finished my box of popcorn and don’t know which Threads I like better which oil and filter are best, which miracle in a can is best or cold air intake power gains.
PO had a cold air intake on my 06. Luckily he kept the old air box and I was able to put it back on. The only difference I experienced afterward was that the engine was quieter. There was no discernible loss of HP or mileage with the stock air box. I do not run my engine above 3500 rpms and all the data I’ve seen is that the HP gains with a cold air intake are not seen below 5000 rpm.
I just do not see the need to increase the HP on my Wranglers they do everything I ask them to do. If I want more power I just drive my 6.2L F250.
PO had a cold air intake on my 06. Luckily he kept the old air box and I was able to put it back on. The only difference I experienced afterward was that the engine was quieter. There was no discernible loss of HP or mileage with the stock air box. I do not run my engine above 3500 rpms and all the data I’ve seen is that the HP gains with a cold air intake are not seen below 5000 rpm.
I just do not see the need to increase the HP on my Wranglers they do everything I ask them to do. If I want more power I just drive my 6.2L F250.
KenR955
Member
Factory intakes on MOST vehicles are the best compromise of noise, emissions, performance and cost per unit. Having said that, MOST "Cold air, High performance, Bigger, Better, Faster, More" intake systems filter less and make more power at the higher/highest rpm. Not where I tend to run an engine, and I'll bet, not most of you. As I understand it , the stock intake will flow more air than a stock engine can breath. It filters pretty well too.
Me? For about 10-20hp at the top of the rev band, on a 4000lb brick and less quality filtering? I say Nay Nay. Now, if I can get 50hp at 2,500rpm, I'm all for that.
YMMV
Me? For about 10-20hp at the top of the rev band, on a 4000lb brick and less quality filtering? I say Nay Nay. Now, if I can get 50hp at 2,500rpm, I'm all for that.
YMMV
Thanks Jezza ,
It amazes me how many panties get twisted up over the results of a simple dyno run !
This reminds me of an old adage " The truth doesn't mind being questioned , A lie does not like to be challenged ".
Who knows if this applies to this scenario. But I can't believe the internet ," shunning " of a quantitative dyno run !
Jezza, Thanks for doing something many of the less butthurt crowd would like to see, but don't have the capability to do.
I say do the dyno run and " let the chips fall where they may " .
Who knows , we may find out the Stock 242 Air box may become the hot setup for Formula 1 !
Now let the madness continue.
That would require a throttle body spacer…
A little double entendre there, Jerry?
KenR955
Member
Head Lice
TJ Addict
The original post by Jezza shows the multiple dyno runs with some gains above 4000rpm.
You state, as you've done multiple times, that the hp/tq gain in negligible . . . many/most agree.
But, you make a fool of yourself by discounting Jezza's dyno runs and the gain that shows for all to see on the dyno sheet.
And Jerry, you validate the . . . . . "because Jerry says so" quip.
Trying to spin what I said or taking snippets out of context doesn't fly with me. I stand by my original statement said many times here, adding a CAI or aftermarket air intake isn't going to help the performance of our TJs.
And if no one understands this yet, dyno runs CAN be manipulated. I'm not saying anyone here manipulated anything, I'm simply saying that dynos are not the precision infallible machines some think they are and they can be easily manipulated to produce whatever results you want. Statistics and dynos are both easily manipulated.
If you don't like my opinion, that's fine with me. Just don't try to spin what I said.
Anybody who read this thread in it's entirety can clearly see he's not spinning anything.
Carve
TJ Enthusiast
I don't believe cleanability is a K&N advantage. It's a messy job with oil and solvents, and it should be easier to clean a regular filter. I do it all the time with my HEPA filter I have in my bedroom and it works fine. I run a humidifier that puts lots of calcium from hard water into the air, so this thing clogs up every month or so. I just soak it in some hot water mixed with detergent and vinegar, rinse well, and then run it through the dishwasher with dish detergent (by itself, of course). You can actually hear the smooth airflow afterwards, and then a month later, sure enough you hear my HEPA filter chuffing and sputtering, so it is continuing to filter out these microscopic calcium particles. There's no reason to think you can't do the same thing with the paper filter on your engine....I just don't bother because it's only $15 every few years for me. If I was racking up miles in super dusty conditions though and going through many filters per year, I'd probably give it a try.
But yeah....K&N sucks as a filter. I'd not use it in the dirty off-roading environment. It'll let too much dirt in, and also pack up too quickly, ultimately rendering it MORE restrictive in short order. For a seldom used performance car on the street though...sure...it'll get you a little extra power if you look after it.
But yeah....K&N sucks as a filter. I'd not use it in the dirty off-roading environment. It'll let too much dirt in, and also pack up too quickly, ultimately rendering it MORE restrictive in short order. For a seldom used performance car on the street though...sure...it'll get you a little extra power if you look after it.
Agreed and filtering is one of the reasons why most everybody in this thread (myself included) don't generally recommend them or CAI's (not the same thing though). That and they don't give a meaningful boost in performance for most 4.0's, especially in the rpm range most people use them.
WestCoastDan
TJ Addict
I'll just add this:
IF a CAI actually introduces COLD air, then it will be beneficial at some point in the power band (what RPM range will be impacted is a variable dependent upon many other factors).
For our 4.0, I'll bet the gains from a PROPER CAI are minimal, largely due to the anemic condition of this motor, which is about torque instead of HP.
MOST CAI 'kits' or DIY mods just convert from the stock airbox/filter configuration to an open element filter (with more surface area) and they don't actually bring in ambient/COLD air (Instead, they rely on more air already heated under the hood!)...
More heated air is not equal to more cold air.
IF a CAI actually introduces COLD air, then it will be beneficial at some point in the power band (what RPM range will be impacted is a variable dependent upon many other factors).
For our 4.0, I'll bet the gains from a PROPER CAI are minimal, largely due to the anemic condition of this motor, which is about torque instead of HP.
MOST CAI 'kits' or DIY mods just convert from the stock airbox/filter configuration to an open element filter (with more surface area) and they don't actually bring in ambient/COLD air (Instead, they rely on more air already heated under the hood!)...
More heated air is not equal to more cold air.