6.9 intake
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 765
Likes: 4
From: Fairmount, Georgia
6.9 intake
I've seen where people talk about putting a cold air intake on these trucks but isn't the stock intake actually a cold air intake? The opening is behind the headlight which, if I'm not mistaken, is the general area for any other cold air intake?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,105
Likes: 78
i never put much thought into it but yea pretty much ..
it's a high pressure area and draws cold air from outside of the engine compartment ..
i think it flows just fine and i run the stock tube .. could it be better - yes probably .. and i myself will likely make some upgrade eventually to the intake .. but the stock location works good if you ask me ..
it just requires to be unhooked if fording deep water .. also there is a 'restrictor plate' bolted on the front side of the rad core support .. covering a good bit of the opening on the front side ..
i guess this is to prevent sucking in a bird or some larger object - i suppose that could be removed to increase flow but i'm not sure it would make it as fast as a race car ..
maybe as fast as a honda civic handy down with the 'real cold air system / high output glass pack / rear spoiler / blue headlights / race car ..
it's a high pressure area and draws cold air from outside of the engine compartment ..
i think it flows just fine and i run the stock tube .. could it be better - yes probably .. and i myself will likely make some upgrade eventually to the intake .. but the stock location works good if you ask me ..
it just requires to be unhooked if fording deep water .. also there is a 'restrictor plate' bolted on the front side of the rad core support .. covering a good bit of the opening on the front side ..
i guess this is to prevent sucking in a bird or some larger object - i suppose that could be removed to increase flow but i'm not sure it would make it as fast as a race car ..
maybe as fast as a honda civic handy down with the 'real cold air system / high output glass pack / rear spoiler / blue headlights / race car ..
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 765
Likes: 4
From: Fairmount, Georgia
Can the restrictor plate be removed and a piece of screen wire be put in its place? Might free up some air. I doubt I'll have to worry about fording any rivers. This is a 2wd farm truck. My biggest concern is getting a little better MPG. I plan to go to a 3 1/2" exhaust at some point but this seems like something I can do while I save for the exhaust.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,298
Likes: 27
From: NJ
Leroy, you forgot stickers... Worth at least a few HP.
In any event, the factory 6.9 appears to have a greater intake area than the 7.3 setup but is lower and as such water intake is a concern as was mentioned. I have seen a noticeable difference in EGT with and without the cold air intake hose connected. 50*-100* IIRC.
Hypermax makes a cowl indution setup, basically you cut a hole in the cowl and cover it with their box which adapts it to a 4" tube for the intake. Greater cross section than factory intake, shorter, fewer (but possibly sharper or more total degrees) bends, higher air intake level, positive airflow through cowl. I may go that route at some point but am concerned intake/turbo noise will be greater in the cab. Maybe some better insulation will block some of it, but it'll probably just carry through the floor vents.
In any event, the factory 6.9 appears to have a greater intake area than the 7.3 setup but is lower and as such water intake is a concern as was mentioned. I have seen a noticeable difference in EGT with and without the cold air intake hose connected. 50*-100* IIRC.
Hypermax makes a cowl indution setup, basically you cut a hole in the cowl and cover it with their box which adapts it to a 4" tube for the intake. Greater cross section than factory intake, shorter, fewer (but possibly sharper or more total degrees) bends, higher air intake level, positive airflow through cowl. I may go that route at some point but am concerned intake/turbo noise will be greater in the cab. Maybe some better insulation will block some of it, but it'll probably just carry through the floor vents.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 765
Likes: 4
From: Fairmount, Georgia
What's the chances of enough water getting through the intake without the restrictions to hurt the engine? I actually thought about seeing if I could move the intake out from behind the headlight and next to the radiator. Haven't looked but I've seen pictures so I'm pretty sure it would fit.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,105
Likes: 78
ahh yes .. polyplastic sticker = less wind resistance
yep .. if it's a bullnose u can take out the grille and the plate is right there on the right .. if i recall correctly it's just 2 large sheet metal zip bolts .. removable with a wrench is you'r so inclined to try it .
yep .. if it's a bullnose u can take out the grille and the plate is right there on the right .. if i recall correctly it's just 2 large sheet metal zip bolts .. removable with a wrench is you'r so inclined to try it .
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 765
Likes: 4
From: Fairmount, Georgia
It is a bull nose. I looked for just a minute today and I don't know that there's room to move it by the radiator. I'll investigate further when I get a chance
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 765
Likes: 4
From: Fairmount, Georgia
ahh yes .. polyplastic sticker = less wind resistance
yep .. if it's a bullnose u can take out the grille and the plate is right there on the right .. if i recall correctly it's just 2 large sheet metal zip bolts .. removable with a wrench is you'r so inclined to try it .
yep .. if it's a bullnose u can take out the grille and the plate is right there on the right .. if i recall correctly it's just 2 large sheet metal zip bolts .. removable with a wrench is you'r so inclined to try it .
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,105
Likes: 78
no i wouldn't worry about water unless fording a river .. it would have to get past the headlamp and grille and travel up that currogated tube ..
no danger there .. i don't know the reason for it .. i was just guessing it's a bird blocker .. i have no clue .. i left mine on there but i don't think taking it off could possibly hurt anything .
no danger there .. i don't know the reason for it .. i was just guessing it's a bird blocker .. i have no clue .. i left mine on there but i don't think taking it off could possibly hurt anything .
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,860
Likes: 7
As long as you don't get more than about a garden hose's worth into the engine at idle, you'll be OK.
(ask me how I know this <_<)
It's when you drown the truck that it becomes a problem.
As far as fuel economy goes, about the only things that will make a difference are:
1. Timing. Optimal timing will definitely increase power and economy.
2. Slowing down. NA IDIs become less efficient above around 2K-ish RPM. Basically, once you hit 60MPH, the faster you go, you become less efficient due to the engine having to work harder to get air into it.
3. For high-speed highway use and towing, a turbo. If you go 45MPH everywhere, it will be neutral or a very slight negative. If you go 70, it'll help with both power and economy.
(ask me how I know this <_<)
It's when you drown the truck that it becomes a problem.
As far as fuel economy goes, about the only things that will make a difference are:
1. Timing. Optimal timing will definitely increase power and economy.
2. Slowing down. NA IDIs become less efficient above around 2K-ish RPM. Basically, once you hit 60MPH, the faster you go, you become less efficient due to the engine having to work harder to get air into it.
3. For high-speed highway use and towing, a turbo. If you go 45MPH everywhere, it will be neutral or a very slight negative. If you go 70, it'll help with both power and economy.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 765
Likes: 4
From: Fairmount, Georgia
Thanks. If this truck ever gets a turbo it will be a while yet. At the very least I have to sell another truck that nobody seems to want (84 gmc 3500 flatbed with 3sp) and then convince the wife it needs a turbo (probably going to be tougher then selling the gmc). This truck shouldn't be seeing any water. It's going to be used as a farm truck on our chicken farm (4 broiler houses 75000 chickens) and to pull a trailer in the hay field.
I would kinda like to hear the water hose story though. That's an interesting one
I would kinda like to hear the water hose story though. That's an interesting one
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,860
Likes: 7
So I had the truck idling with the air cleaner off. Get out the garden hose, and first just open the valve a little so I just got a thin spray.
Truck... didn't notice it at all. No change.
Well, I kept adding more water until I ended up with the hose wide open. At that, the RPM bogged down a little, but it kept running just fine.
I finally gave up, what with it not seeming to do much of anything.
We ended up driving that truck for another year or two, until I tried to replace a failing injector and the thing came apart on me. I could not get the bottom half out, so the truck sat. It ended up getting water into the intake and rusted solid.
That... was 10 years ago. These days, an injector coming apart wouldn't faze me(Just grind the threads off the top half, re-thread it into the bottom half, and yank).
I ended up using the heads recently on my tan truck build after head issues; despite some pitting from the rust on the underside they ran just fine..
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 765
Likes: 4
From: Fairmount, Georgia
Yup. Sounds like the mistakes we all make around that age. Several years ago a neighbor of ours was working a couple of hours away and went "playing" one evening and got his Tahoe stuck. Called his dad and his dad said "change the oil in the truck and when I get home we'll go get it". Well.......he drained the transmission and then poured 5 quarts in the engine and never checked. Needless to say they didn't make it far before the transmission started giving a few problems.
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