I have a 2003 F-250 with a banks kit mod done to it, but it only has the standard flat K&N filter. I want to upgrade it with a new filter box and filter, but there are too many choices out there. I could stick with the Banks kit to keep the truck consistent with the other mods, but i want to maximize the airflow and gains the best i can.

Please let me know what your recommendations are - i basically use it to pull my 2015 Outback 36ft 5th wheel (11K lbs).

Thanks

 

I love my Ford AIS but it flows barely, if any, better than stock. The reason I love it is because it seals and filters great, and it's cheap. Also I'm going on a year and a half on the same filter about 18,000 miles.

My second choice just by reviews I've read is the S&B intake.

 

What he said...

Although, I would state that the AIS does flow much better than the stock, especially if you have the foam insert, but the S&B can handle much more air. Although, you have to pay to play. For my application, I will never need anything more than the AIS, so that is what I went for and spent the money I saved on something else.

So, AIS or S&B are the top two choices normally around here. There is an open filter design, something like a 6637 or something like that that too for much cheaper, but that is not what I wanted at all.

 

I have the S&B on my 2000, and it's amazing. Flows much much better than stock.

I have an SCT X4 programmer, and added the S&B after I had run the programmer with the stock intake. It really gives the motor some extra pep in its step, and it looks good under the hood. I can't stand for something to look cobbled together.

The only problem I have with the S&B is that it didn't have a hole for the intake air temp sensor to plug in to, so I just placed mine under the air box where it couldn't be seen but is still hooked to the wiring so I can avoid throwing a code.

 

The 6637 is a good, and very common intake modification - but it is also a bit noisy. You are pulling air in directly under the hood, because there is no housing to divert the outside air in, or the noise out. What it is, is a viable inexpensive solution to the stock airbox disaster.

The Motorcraft AIS is well... OEM-plus. The housing draws air in from the nose, and the fender mod will increase the housing flow from outside the hood. The filter element is the same material used in Iraq and in all Powerstroke intakes following our era of Superduty. The filter lasted me 20,000 miles on a chipped truck in a dusty environment, and the old stock filter minder was installed to let me know when it was time. Oh... and it is absolutely the quietest intake modification - with the housing and filter media combination. Saying all of that, I had to swap it for a S&B when I installed bigger injectors - but I sure miss the quiet of my old AIS.

In case you think you want that turbo noise coming out the nose - remember, that tinnitus sound never stops on the long hauls across the state or the country. There is also a bit of engine drone that makes it through the open-element filters.

The S&B is a big breather, but it has a housing - so it's not as loud as the open-element 6637. I'm still working out how many miles I get out of the element (no filter minder port on mine)... but it's not as far as 20,000 miles. I would say if you have bigger sane injectors in your crystal ball (like Stage 1s or 2s), I like this option.

All of these options (and replacement filters) are available at Riffraff Diesel.

Here is a video of my S&B cruising and decelerating uphill (on my "quietized" Superduty):

 

I love my 6637, but i love the whistle too.

 

^^^^^^^^
X 2 on that sentiment.

 

I've got a cone K&N-style intake on my '01 Excursion, installed by prior owner. Would be glad to trade that for a more-stock AIS to reduce the noise and need to clean the filter.

Dunno why the guy installed this, he had no mods on the truck except for a tuner. AIS is perfectly fine for that.

 

I have seen many people go to great lengths to "save money". You can't clean the AIS element... so the PO either didn't know about the AIS at the time, or he didn't want the expense.

My time has value to me, so cost savings have to be balanced with time savings. One two-minute swap per year vs. how many cleanings?

 

Thanks for the feedback - is sounds like the S&B would be the best option for me. I did some quick research and I can find some data for the Banks air filter mod, but nothing about the other options (AIS, S&B, 6637) as to how they perform. The Banks mod seems the same price as the S&B mod, so the cost is not a factor at this point. I would like to see some data to back up the S&B is better before putting out $300 on a mod. Anyone have a link I can check out?


Thanks

 

 

Driving up my in-laws long driveway the MIL said it sounded like a jet was taking off.

 

Not a fan of the 6637 mod. Too noisy and I didn't like the fact it is an open air filter as I'm in a wet area. I didn't realize at the time there is a Baldwin you can get that is water resistant but is much more $$$. Went with the AIS and very happy with the performance and lack of noise. Opened up the grill area where the snorkle butts up.

 

Clay at Riffraff Diesel has a lot of flow numbers on these filters.

 

I run an AIS but I think the filter minder is basically worthless. If I step on mine a little bit, the filter minder gets sucked over about 1/2 to 3/4 of the scale so every time I open the hood, I just push the button to reset it. The filter minder has done this from the day I put on the AIS. Maybe I should get something that lets in a little more air. I usually run my truck with the 80hp tune. I ran a Airaid before this but it was an open filter and too loud.