Not only a waste of $$$, but everyone I know-everyone- who has put one of these on his truck invariably will have a problem with the check engine light. That's when the real fun happens.
Look at it this way:
There is NO gain in power.
There is NO gain in mileage.
There is NO performance improvement whatsoever.
There IS a problem with it screwing up your otherwise well-engineered factory set-up. Keep you filters (factory) clean, change thme out often and you will be miles ahead of the game.
Roger

 

NOOOOOOOOO (10 chararcter rule).

 

You said everyone you KNOW has problems with CEL with a cold air intake??? Why would a CAI cause a CEL?? Ive had mine for quite a while with no CEL. Ive never heard of anyone having a CEL with a CAI.


Is this your opinion or do you have proof?

 

I'd like to see the independent test that backs that up. There are plenty that show an improvement in both power and mileage, including the one listed above. Test results or it didn't happen.

I've always run K&N and never had a problem with a check engine light. My folk's 1996 F250 Powerstroke came with a K&N FIPK when they bought it with 68k miles on it, they just rolled over 250,000k miles with it and they haven't had any issues other than incredible fuel mileage. I'd like to know what code that you've seen the K&N filter throw before.

This theory that the truck was perfect off the line is junk, government emissions requirements alone account for several pieces of design that could use improvement. Also Ford has to make a buck when they sell these things so they can't make every aspect of the truck 100% or they'd go under, that's why aftermarket parts exist.

 

listen to this guy. especially the last part. though, i still stand by my claim that a CAI isnt enough gain to warrant the price.

 

Have you had one?


Alot of people go on what others have said or what they have heard instead of real experience.

A properly build "CAI" will be much cheaper and better than the K&N "kits" though.

 

86-

You've seen my setup.....A 302 MAF Y intake setup, and a filter...A LOT less restrictive than the factory box, etc.....But in all honesty, I haven't seen more power, etc....Just a cleaner engine bay....And more room to work with...

 

Not to be a dick but from what I remember it was pretty ghetto. Not sure if you have changed it though.

Your never going to SEE power unless you throw it on a dyno.

A good CAI paired with exhaust and all the other little mods will make a nice little bump in power.

But in the end its whatever the owner of the truck wants to do. But with the info on NLOC ive gathered the CAIs give a nice little increase in power and quicker times at the track. Only thing I don't like about mine is the annoying sucking sound.. Alot of people like it but I personally don't care for it. Ill be keeping my CAI though

 

What was Ghetto?

It had a spectre filter, and extension piece, 302 MAF intake Y, and I had to cut/use the I6 tubes inside the 302 tubes, because of different diameters?.....I agree...Not the PRETTIEST unit ever fabbed up, but definantly a tad more effective than some I've seen....


*Note, the filter is now located right behind the area the factory tube goes into the radiator support brace....

 

Well location of filter(rain, road debris, whatever your tire kicks up) What size filter? The different tubings spliced together.

I look at it kinda like an exhaust system. Dont want too many unnecessary bends, too small of piping, or restrictive muffler(too small of a filter)

Or maybe im just crazy.. Fever had been getting to me today. lol

EDIT: Just saw your note you added. Glad you decided to change the location of the filter.

 

Later on, I may swap to a 302 throttle body...Would eliminate the spliced tubing, and make airflow smoother......

Now, can you HONESTLY sit there and say that isn't a more EFFECIENT design, than the factory box, tubes, etc....

As you just said, less bends= more.....Mine has 1 bend....Vs. the 192834239743 from the factory setup, yet again, no real NOTICEABLE power......

Its a filter, approx 6" diameter, and about 8" long.....Thats being conservative...

 

Also....Compared to the factory paper filter, it has ROUGHLY the same size of area coverage....Roughly....I may swap to the biggest size available soon.....Its about 12" long and about 7-8" diameter...


As for the 1st way I had it ran, it had a fiberglass shield.....To keep water, mud, etc off the filter, and was actually pretty effective....lol

 

On vehicles equipped with a Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF), an over-oiled K&N (or other similar type of oiled filter element including foam) filter will cause tiny droplets of oil to get into the intake air. This oil then sticks to the sensing elements inside the MAF and causes it to malfunction (and in some cases, actually causes the MAF to burn up because it can't dissipate the heat properly into the air flowing through it). This then causes the CEL to turn on.

I have several friends who are mechanics and they all confirm this (even though K&N on their website claims that this can NEVER happen!!!). You can also google "K&N MAF" and start reading. Plenty of info out there. The European-car MAFs that use a circuit board sensing element are the most prone to being damaged by the oil film BTW. The hot-wire MAFs usually can be cleaned without any permanent damage.

 

I'd buy that.....

 

At the OBD site for P0102, one of the causes can be a Reusable filter.

OBD-II Trouble Code: P0102 Mass Air Flow (MAF) Circuit Low Input

I am currently chasing down this code on my 4.2 so I have been visiting

this page quite often.