This site is the greatest because I always seem to get great answers. My 05 F250 Superduty with the 5.4 engine is in need of a K&N cold air intake. Here is my problem, I have been looking on the internet for the best price but what I am running into is two different intakes for my truck. One is k&n part 57-2570 and the other is 63-2570. Can anyone tell me what the difference is and if one is better than the other? As always thanks for any help you can give. Any suggestions on a site that sells k&n pretty reasonable? Thanks again.

 

The 57 series is the FIPK/Gen 2 cold air kit. The 63 series is the air charger system. Both will come with a cone filter and most likely a new tube. However the 57 series FIPK will come with a heat shield. Think of it like this, the 57 series is second generation and the 63 is first generation.

 

Just consider your purchase. Although the K&N is a nice package and will make the 5.4 "look" nicer, it will only give you very small noticeable (or unnoticeable) power gains. Depending on your mileage consider any tune-up items you may not have done yet.

 

Also remember these trucks come with stock CAI.
You will not see much gains. Just because it makes a lot of noise dosen't mean power. These truck come stock with very good intakes already.
Numerous people on this site talk about about how awsome K&N filters are, because they do great advertising.

Search the testing and K&N is one of the worst filters in the industry. It lets more dirt particles in that almost any filter, plus the oil can be hell on your MAF.

If you need a new filter replace it with a stock replacement from ford. Spending 300 buck on a filter that lets more dirt in than the original filter makes no sense to me.

I will get off my soap box now.

 

The 63 series also had a heat shield, the difference is that the 63-2570 was put to market before they had their carb exempt status and wasn't legal in certain states. The 57 series is the standard Gen 2 FIPK and is virtually identical to the 63 seies except the 57 series has carb exempt status (which takes longer to get) and is street legal in all 50 states.

So there really are no differences in them and the 63 series aircharger is no longer available. The 57-2570 is the one you want to get, it is basically the final design that is approved for use with our trucks in all states.

I'm not even going to wade into the debate on the K&N CAI and more dirt getting through, when properly maintained you will experience exactly 0 issues with these intake kits.

And if a diesel guy shows up and makes another negative comment about some study on the replacement air filter and not a complete CAI, I'll be back to give them a *****slap.

 

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate the reply's. Would a filter cover be a benefit or would it take away from the k&n itself? Thanks again everyone, just now have to find the best deal.

 

I do have a complaint that transcends rather it's just a replacement or a true CAI, but this is directly applicable to the 6.0 and the 6.4, so it wouldn't do the OP any good, so I won't go any further into then that. I just didn't much care for that last comment, so I had to bring something into it, otherwise I would have left it alone.

 

I'm not even going to go in to the placement of the filter and CAI, I'll stick to the filter media and still get a point across. I still can't figure out why people want these things to work so badly and spend so much money on them. Before you plunk down the money, search around everywhere about K&N filters. I'm not going to advise one way or the other, it's up to you. But you might just find the K&N filter does a poor job at, well, actually filtering the air. I prefer my air filters to do a good job at filtering the air, an interesting concept I know... When you can see daylight through filter media, then stuff's going to go through there.
It's easy to drink the Koolaid and get swept up in hype and advertising. Good luck.

 

If you would like to check out our selection we have the stock replacement K&N filters and also the intake kit with the tube.

If you have any questions,I'd be glad to help.

Ford Truck K&N Air Filters

 

myonlytruck05,

Take this for what it's worth, but I purchased a K&N FIPK Gen2 cold air intake for my last pickup, and decided I would never do it again. Just to be forewarned, I'm pretty OCD about my trucks. All "quality of filtration" issues aside, in my opinion they are more hassle than they are worth. It's hard to know when to clean them, and then when you clean them I was constantly left questioning the proper oil level on the filter, and if it was too much, too little, or if it would kill my MAF.

Secondly, I used my last pickup off road in muddy/wet conditions. I was always concerned that I was more susceptible to hydro locking the engine given that the filter element was exposed outside of an airbox.

I also felt that the "bang for the buck" factor was lacking with the K&N FIPK Gen2 system. What it really netted for me was a louder intake, louder exhaust, no gain in MPG, and no seat of the pants increase in horsepower.

With my new V10, I've enjoyed the ability to just throw in a new paper filter, know it's good, and be done with it. I'm done with paying $300 for a hassle with no real seat of the pants gain.

 

It looks like you are in Mississippi? If so, I believe your dirt is made up of relatively "soft" minerals and you may be OK using oiled gauze filters.

In NoCal, our dirt is mostly decomposing granite and extremely hard and abrasive. I wouldn't use a gauze filter if I was paid to....

 

Since others are on the sop box with me about how bad K&N is, I would like to also state that, people don't know how to read information. When Newbies read "10-15 increased Hp" they think woundeful. But they don't read the part that says this increase is in 4000-5000 rpm range.

I have owned my truck for 4 years now and never once had my rpm that high. In the rpm rang you drive you get 1-2 increases Hp. Thats not much for a $300 filter that lets in crap loads of dirt.

 

mwsF250
I got a truck similar to yours but with a V-8. I was woundering how you liked your 4.30 gears? Did you notice a big difference when you switched from the 3.73's. I am seriously thinking of switching to 4.30's since I put on my 315's. It is getting a little sluggish.

Sorry for the hijack.

 

I'll throw in my .02 since I ran a K&N in my V10 when I lived in MS. I had one in my Mustang and put one in my truck. After about 10K miles my truck started missing and the engine light came on. I took it to the dealer and the whole PCV system was clogged and my mass air sensor was all gued up. I knew how to service the filter and know my misuse wasn't the problem. That dealer told me that Ford put out a TSB about the K&N and recommended it not be used. I removed it and have run over 100K miles on Ford filters with 0 problems. Not to mention, I noticed 0 improvement with the K&N in power or MPG. I would save my money and spend it on something usuable.

 

Reading the responses on this topic always make me laugh.

Sounds like you don't tow anything you need a SD for then. When towing heavy the 5.4l and 6.8l can easily see 4k-5k rpm.