Stinky started with an AIS from the previous owners, but my upgrades to AC 160/100 injectors and a 38R turbo put an end to the useful life of the AIS in the truck. The stock Filter Minder told me that even a new filter cartridge didn't have enough flow. Here is the AIS:



Within 5 minutes, everything was out... thanks to tools I have.



Putting the new S&B in was not as fast, but everything fit as it should:



For those wondering how these two filters "size up", The cartridges:



The snorkel inlets:



The un-cluttered view:



The rigid tube to the CCV tee (unsure what that is called) will make it much more difficult to do any future work under the valve covers. The AIS top popped right off with clips and one band clamp. Now with the S&B, I would have to remove two band clamps, slide the boot back, remove two bolts, then pull the rigid tube out - before I could access anything else on the driver side. I hope my VC-popping days are done for a while.

All the components for the S&B filter housing are of very high quality, it is far more sturdy than either the stock or AIS housings. I don't like the clear plastic on top, it feels like Plexiglass (not Lexan), but I could be wrong. Swapping filters on the AIS was unclip, lift old filter, drop in new filter, clip - easy peasy. Changing a filter on the S&B will involve removing the four screws on the clear cover (hoping not to lose them), unclamping the filter, swapping the clamp to the new filter, clamp new filter, install cover and screws.

The AIS factory configuration has the filter housing closed, with just the snorkel opening. I had cut a hole in the housing to draw air in from the fender opening. The S&B has a very large hole to draw air from the fender opening, this may make more noise than I wish, but I can tinker with that if it does.

I have no performance comparisons yet. I was busy all day and this was the last project before packing it in. I will have some wheel time soon... so check back if you're curious.

 

Im curious to see what you think of that intake. Im also curious as to what made you pick this as a solution

 

Im with Diehard, what made you pick S&B?

I know you are looking for more air flow for your tune but isn't the 4" inlet a little more restrictive than an open element filter. Mind you I do you know you are looking for something more quiet. Im just asking for some details is all.

 

Great pics Rich! I'm liking the bigger snorkel to the front! The AIS does look on the small side there. I saw a fix for that, the "cool canuck mod" (see pic) but that just looks like a great way to get rain water and crap thrown by the fan straight into your intake. Not a good idea IMHO. Also digging the clear plastic lid on the S&B, makes it easy to eyeball the filter. Do you plan to sleeve the port to the fender? Then there is the impolite question: will you install the filter minder?

 

There is a HUGE opening in the filter housing that faces the fender, much bigger than the one that I made in the AIS housing when I was trying to get more air. If you look through the right side of the newly-installed filter housing, you can see a cable on the fender.

There is no port for the filter minder, so I'm looking into that. There is a port for the Air Intake Temperature sensor, and that was easy to install.

S&B had ISO 5011 flow data published, and I could see what it would do at WOT. I couldn't find squat on the others, just a bunch of "We're better than the other guy" graphs. Joey's experience had me leaning hard in the direction of the AFE Stage 2 Pro Dry, but the design didn't warrant the $140 bump in price. S&B was cheaper, it looked nicer, the design was thought out and a lot of effort was put into it, and the flow data was there.

 

Yours has no port for the filter minder? Thats strange. There was one on my 6.0 intake but it was way on the bottom and you have to pull the gasket out of the old intake and swap it over

 

I've been banging on the calculator for a while, and I finally feel warm and fuzzy about the accuracy of this information. The graph below will be counter-intuitive, but it takes a lot more volume of air in Denver to make a 17 PSI boost than it does in Seattle. That being said, a filter isn't straining to filter thin air like it would if it were to filter the same flow of sea-level air. This means the flow/restriction curves would be the same in Seattle, but different in Denver.




One might ask "But Tugly, where is the AIS flow data?" It is rumored the AIS flows like stock, but has a much higher dirt load. I welcome any feedback or data on that.

This brings a rather pointed controversy into the conversation: I was primarily aiming for a cold-air intake. When I did my calculations for the graph above, it took a LOT more air flow to get the same performance with a significant intake temperature increase (like one would find inches above the exhaust manifold of an engine under load).

 

subscribing.....

 

Everything I've read in my seemingly endless research on the AIS seems to point to it flowing much better than stock. This could mostly be speculation from AIS users, not sure.
However, there was a thread on another forum, thedieselstop I believe, where a member who supposedly worked for Donaldson posted CFM stats comparing the AIS, Donaldson B085011 (6637), and the stock 7.3 AIS. If I'm remembering correctly, breakdown went similar to this:
Stock- 450 CFM
B085011- 650 CFM
AIS- 750 CFM
I think there were also restriction numbers as well, can't remember those.
To be honest, these numbers don't mean much to me personally. I'm not sure what factors into figuring out CFM, or *H2O, etc.

 

I have had the S&B for about 4 years now and have no complaints. I wanted something that flowed better than stock and was not as loud as the old 6637 I was running previously. Seat of the pants I can't tell a difference but I feel more confident with the fit and filter clamp connection than I did with the 6637. Also, the clear top makes it easy to view the condition of the filter and change or clean as needed.

 

The restriction numbers are half of the answer, there is no answer without restriction numbers. The graph above is two-dimensional - CFM flow by inches of vacuum at the turbo inlet. Put your hand over the nozzle on a Shop Vac and you reduce the flow while creating a stronger vacuum at the turbo inlet. According to the graph, the stocker can handle 800 CFM at 25 inches of vacuum, but the S&B handles it much easier at about 13 inches of vacuum - less suction at the turbo inlet.

Flow numbers mean almost nothing alone, like longitude means almost nothing without latitude.


Unsubstantiated rumors:

• The 6637 flows and cleans as well as or better than just about anything out there. Well... the "Tymar" is what was originally used, with a Donaldson filter that had excellent filtering capabilities. The Wix 6637 looks like that filter, but the price argues against its ability to match the performance. I wouldn't drink that Kool Aid unless I had done the homework to verify every claim. This is not to say it's all a lie, but group-think happens a lot on forums.
• The AIS out-filters and out-flows the stock filter. In all my reading of Motorcraft and Donaldson documentation, I haven't found them to claim improved initial flow... and you'd think they would if the product was that miraculous. Here is an excerpt from the AIS PDF from Donaldson:

This retrofit air induction system kit is
ideal for truck owners who operate their
vehicle in dirty and dusty conditions and
want longer filter service life and
improved engine protection.
• Three times or more efficient compared to
average conventional pleated or reusable
wire mesh filters
• Straight-through airflow delivers powerful
performance
• Improved engine protection: no media movement,
expansion, contraction or bunching
• Improved contaminant encapsulation: during service,
the dust and dirt stay contained in the filter
• Installs in 30-45 minutes

That "straight-through air flow" implies the air has a laminar flow, making it better for a turbo to ingest. Nice, but the bends in the tube to the turbo pretty much rip any laminar flow.

 

Crap. It ain't quiet... not even close to the AIS. I just got up to 50 MPH on an errand today, and that bad boy sounds... er... turbo-ish at low boost. It's no a whine like I've heard on a stock turbo with a 6637, it's more like being a passenger in a 737 taxiing to the runway. I'll find out how it does in the real world (highway driving) tomorrow. I may have a problem to solve.

*EDIT* Noise being worked out later in thread.

 

Getting some foam and making a fender sleeve might help a lot. I'm interested in the outcome as I am against the same wall as you.

 

I'm looking hard at two mods for the housing: The foam against the fender was my first thought, it may contain the noise to the fender well. I'm also looking at putting a neoprene flap over the filter window - it's possible the Plexiglas is resonating like a speaker. I think the real issue is the pleated filter media is not a sound-abatement device like the Powercore media is. There may not be a real fix for this, but I have yet to listen to the truck in all modes and it might not be a disaster. I'll get a video of the sound and share it as soon as I can.

 

What I'm wondering is, do you have anymore haze on spirited runs?