I thought the S&B was the savior to my problems but I was wrong.

I've been running a 6637 forever (8 years or so). Works great but was exposed to the elements and hot underhood air (noise doesn't bother me).

3 years ago I rebuilt the turbo and put a RR billet 4/4 wheel in there. Works great and cured my surge.

Last year I installed new injectors: stage 2 160cc/80% single shots. I also installed my S&B (Gen 2) with a dry filter. I can set off my filterminder dash light pretty easily now. If I'm easy on the pedal and walk the boost up I can get to 23-25 psi before the light comes on. If I romp on it the light comes in around 20 psi. If I walk it up after 15 psi and keep the boost less than 22 psi then the light won't come on. But if I get out and check the filterminder it is hovering around 67% and close to setting off the dash light.

Is anyone using an intake/filter with bigger sticks that flows enough air without setting off the filterminder?

Was I completely out in left field thinking that I could adequately supply filtered air to my Stage 2's without dancing around the filterminder?

Before you ask I called S&B and the dry and oiled filters have nearly identical cfm.

Thanks for any experiences, insight, or admonishment.

 

 

I have the S&B and no filter minder to pay mind to

The S&B is made well but is a pain in the *** to install/remove.

 

I've done the zoodad mod. I'm thinking about the secret zoodad as well...

It won't make much difference as the box sucks from the front and the fender. I have also taken the plexiglass cover off the top for more airflow. It's not as bad (with the cover on the light was coming on all the time) but the filter is still choking to supply air.

Agreed. There's not a lot of wiggle room to get it in/out. I see that Riffraff sells a metal battery tray. I wonder if I remove the plastic piece on the S&B if it will fit around the metal battery tray. Hmmmm...

Battery Tray - Driver Side (F81Z10732AB)

Unfortunately I have to have the minder (CA smog rules). I might be able to delete it but I'm already passing by the skin of my teeth and don't want to stir the pot any more than I already have.

 

I don't have that problem with the early trucks, but are you running your stock filter minder, or the one that came with it? People have always said to run the stock one because of that reason. Am I wrong?

 

I'm running the stock filterminder and temp sensor. The S&B did not come with either. It has a grommit for the temp sensor in the box and you have to drill a hole in the intake tube "if" you have a filterminder.

I could have not drilled the hole but I'm not going to risk it for the smog check. It's not like it has a performance effect. Plus this way I can see when I'm choking the turbo...like now at higher boost levels with the stock turbo.

Although the fact that I can hit 30 psi without wastegate actuation is probably contributing to the issue.

Curse you PMS!

 

You know, I was probably thinking AIS filter anyway. Sorry for that one. Is the sensor electric or vacuum? You know what I'm thinking here.

 

Vacuum. Yes I can defeat it and sovle the symptom by drilling some small holes in the canister.

I'm interested in solving the problem where the turbo wants more air than I'm supplying. If I can't supply air now I definitely won't down the line if I bump up to a 38R or beef up the stocker.

 

Part of the problem is the way the sensor is installed. It gets a venturi effect. The air rushing past the sensor is causing a suction on the sensor in the same way a paint gun draws paint.

 

 

Not trying to convince you to go back to the 6637 (I'd prefer the S&B myself for the cleaner look, less noise, and being able to wash the engine bay with one less thing to cover) but some have tested and showed no performance gains with the S&B over the Donaldson and Baldwin versions of the 6637. I am seeing where vendors are now advising against the Napa part, claiming it doesn't flow sufficiently and isn't water resistant. The hot air theory has been negated with anything other than idle and even then, negligible with temps post turbo.

That all goes to digress towards beating a dead horse and doesn't aide in your filter minder restriction, but I am thinking HD Rider may have it. I can't imagine the S&B being a weak link in air flow. I have heard of some having issues with the way the minder was installed in an aftermarket intake set up due to the venturi effect. Surely, someone from CA or anyone elsewhere, who desired to keep the minder, has figured out a good place for it in the popular S&B.

 

I'd just plug the vacuum line. Use a BB or something. Really, don't hear much about what your saying. If it never did it on the stock set up, it has to be the way it's in the system.

 

Just so's I'm clear - the filterminder goes off at 20 PSI (which I have never seen before on any clean filter... ever... not even stock), and you're implying you like the 6637 better... which has no filterminder. I say you either have a bad filterminder, or you didn't unwrap your new filter.

I looked into this before I swapped from the AIS. The S&B is a bigger breather than the AIS (which doesn't trip the filterminder before 30 PSI), and the S&B dry flows a little better than the oiled version. The S&B dry filter with 160/100s and a 38R lasts half as long as the AIS did on the stock injectors and turbo with 60 HP tuning. I used to get 20K miles on the AIS, now I get 10K miles on the S&B.

 

So I've played around with it some more and it's more like 25 psi. I'm pretty sure there's excessive pre-load on my wastegate controller as it's not hard to hit 30psi. I think the 20psi was the boost gage catching up with the actual pressure when the filterminder went off (I was really on the go pedal ). Taking the plexiglass cover off has helped some but the minder reads about 2/3 when I have the motivation to check its status under the hood. I've had the S&B sitting in my garage (wrapped) for close to 3 years (did I say that out loud?) as every time I go to install it I'm pulling everything apart for another oil leak. The filter has been in the plastic wrapping for the entire time until I installed it this year. While I did unwrap it I did put a filter wrap/mesh cover over it. I'm not sure which "wrapping" you are referring to (original packaging or filter wrap/cover) but I've taken a break from wrenching on it (just did that for 9+ months) to have some family time as well as enjoy just driving it so I haven't tackled this or my leaking coolant issue as of yet.

I am in no way implying that the 6637 is better. While there is convenience in simplicity (and price) the S&B unit is well thought out. I'm not a fan of the battery tray and hold-down bolt but it is a very well engineered piece that uses all of the available room including the quarter panel. This is just bearing the brunt of my frustrations with trying to dial the truck in with the new parts. I will say S&B has great customer service and has really tried to help me out so kudos to them. I cannot say about some of the other vendors I've been dealing with.

I did, however, contact S&B about the fitment. I can't align the tube correctly when the plexiglass cover is installed and I can't take my power steering cap reservoir cap off. They told me that there's an updated intake tube that will solve the reservoir cap issue and probably my alignment issue and that they would gladly send it to me for the cost of shipping so I am ordering it today. When that gets here I will have to remove my filter (and maybe the box) to replace the tube. I'll also remove the filter wrap and see if that makes a difference. It's just a form fitted mesh cover but maybe that might be a difference maker. I've seen stranger things happen so we'll see how that goes.

If the tube replacement and filter wrap removal don't make a difference I'll probably get a new filter to try out. The filter I have now (along with the spare in the garage) were purchased circa 2015.

 

I would bet if you put the filter minder in the end of the filter like you do with a 6637, your problem would be solved.