from your expirience....what air filter/intake kit gives you the best gas milage and power benefits?

 

The best is relative. Volant with a vacume formed box has the most parts and if they make a ram for your app may provide the coolest intake air. FIPKs are good middle ground, and airaid are on the less expensive side, but are very nice kits. My choice is K&N, somewhat insolated from the engine compartment and redoes most all of your induction tract.

 

i just read that k&n actually reduces milage?
is there any truth behind this?

 

Possibly. However if K&N does, I'd expect the same for all of the others.

Any of the popular intakes are "performance adding devices." I have only noticed Performance and fuel mileage gains in turbo diesels.

 

I read before that when you increase the air entering the engine the truck will increases the fuel to compensate, so it would consume more fuel. I imagine it this is true. I noticed a differance in how much better my 06 F150 supercrew 5.4 ran with a drop in replacement K&N filter. I was very surprised and believe that Ford had a reason for using the more restrictive filter and most likely it is because the K&N will make it consume more fuel. What do you guys think?

 

When running proper, the air intake is improved and gas mileage improves. This is the breakdown for how intakes work:

Your engine relies on a balanced mixture of fuel and air for combustion. Currently, your vehicle draws air through the original manufacturer's intake tube and air box, which is typically loaded with a disposable paper air filter. Automakers design your vehicle's intake tube to be the quietest possible unit that can fit in your engine compartment.
While reduced engine noise is of benefit to you, it comes from an intake tube with multiple turns and bends. The result is a drop in the volume of air delivered to the combustion chamber. And, because your stock intake system completely confines the air box in your engine compartment, the air is usually hot when taken in. This combination of limited and warmer air causes fuel-rich combustion mixtures that don't burn at maximum power efficiency.

Performance intakes solve a few of these problems in one impressive unit. First, a performance air intake replaces your stock intake tube with a wider pipe that has fewer bends. The result is a higher volume of air that flows more freely, filling your combustion chamber with more oxygen molecules for igniting fuel at balanced, efficient mixtures that maximize power.

The K&N FIPK is a great one, check out our user reviews:
http://motorhaven.autoanything.com/air-intakes/61A1914A0A0.aspx?kc=MOTORH

We support the forum's parts and accessories shop and have lots of intakes here: http://motorhaven.autoanything.com/air-intakes/20A50096A1.aspx?kc=MOTORH

 

A major thing to keep in mind.....if you lead foot when accelerating, this takes more gas....you don't need to be as heavy on the foot with an improved intake. And then you will be achieving an improved MPG as well.

 

QUOTE And, because your stock intake system completely confines the air box in your engine compartment, the air is usually hot when taken in. This combination of limited and warmer air causes fuel-rich combustion mixtures that don't burn at maximum power efficiency.

The stock air intake draws in cooler air from the fenderwell, not heated air from under the hood like 99% of the aftermarket ones do.

 

That is what I was thinking. It looks like the 06 F150 stock air intake pulls air from the fender and not from the engine area like most other trucks.

 

You're both correct about the stock drawing from the fender, we just installed an AEM brute force into an F150 and the main problem with the stock intake was the maze that air flows through, again benefitting a new intake. It's breathing clear now.

 

Yeah, I would like a replacement tube from the filter to the TB and still use the outside air. I believe that the hole in the end of the stock air cleaner should be at least as large as the TB. It looks a bit smaller to me.

 

drive slower for better gas mileage...or sell the truck and buy a fous. An air filter or intake is not going to make a noticable difference in MPS because you never drive EXACTLEY the same...in order to notice a difference you will need to see atleat a 1 mph difference and for me thats 38 miles per tank...that is not going to happen with a drop in let alone a intake...the intakes give you a nice sucking sound when slamming the gas so you will loose MPG's because you will want to hear the "cool" sucking sound...save you money from the intake kit and put it in you tank!!! i drove easy one week and got 13.4 mpg and drove hard the next and got 11.2...i have a 2006 f250 sc 5.4 8 ft bed...if i wanted better mpg i would have gotten a focus or a honda but you cant haul very much in the trunk of a car

 

Jimmy that brings up an intersting point. Here's the numbers I have taken or found, just for comparison.

Stock TB - 68mm (~2 2/3"), apparently 66 at the mouth and 70 internally, if that makes any sense.
Smallest point in silencer - ~2 5/8"
Stock MAF - 80mm at the ends, but 66mm internally (don't have an inside mic, this is from another site)
Stock air inlet from fenderwell - ~2"

The restriction would appear to be that tube at the fenderwell.

I removed all these parts parts, except the stock rubber piece between the silencer and TB when I made my homemade kit. Without that piece, I have no where to plug the existing lines.

Here's the new measurements -
BBK TB - 75mm (~3")
New intake tube - 3" mandrel bent 90.
L MAF - 90mm (~3 1/2")
fenderwell opening without stock insert - ~2 1/2"

Even with the stock rubber joint at the TB, assumed to be 2 5/8" at its smallest point, the fenderwell opening is still the restriction.

I removed the stock piece at the fenderwell and have a well insulated piece of cardboard, appropriately sized and placed to act as part of my CAI...

I have heard of people taking hole saws to open the existing fenderwell location, but I don't feel comfortable recommending this - Hole saws walk when you don't have material to place a pilot bit on.

Also unless the stock intake, plenum, and heads have changed, we're limited with what we have anyhow.

-Kerry

 

I just purchased a volant cold air intake that completly replaces the stock air intake system to the throttle body. I can tell you from what I've experienced is that I have definitly gained gas mileage (roughly 1.5-1.9 mpg.) And this is around town. Traffic around here is so stop and go on the highway that I really can't get an accurate improvment on the highway. Power gain at most is maybe 7-9 horses, but just noticable when gas pedal is to the floor. I think in the long run with the way gas prices are and will be I think it's a sound investment. Plus if you have an aftermarket exhaust it does make it a little louder.

 

Thanks for the info Kerry.
My TB measures 68mm with my calipers as well. I've mever measured the MAF.
I guess what we really need is a functional shaker hood