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hey guys i got a 99xlt with the 5.4 and im thinking about getting an air intake kit. actually looking at the k&n genII fipk air intake kit. i can get it at a real real good deal, so i was wondering if any of yall have it and what kind of difference it made, if any. thanks, Tom
The purpose of an air filter is to prevent particulates that could potentially damage the engine from entering the intake. Independent tests have shown K&N filters are very poor at this. Tests have also shown that by itself more flow potential does not necessarily mean more power.
K&N depends highly upon the oil to trap dirt. When they are new, the oil is sticky and can trap more dirt. As they collect dirt, the surface of the oil gets plugged up, till it stops attracting dirt. Once this happens, dirt can pas through the media, and only the largest of particles are caught in the fibers. Anything small enough to pass through the filter element can get into the engine. Also do a search on it, filters of this type have an established reputation of fouling MAF elements, which causes power loss, pinging, bad fuel economy, and often damages the MAF beyond cleaning.
If you are still set on getting an intake, try another brand that doesn't use an oiled filter element. I like AFE's kits. They make a line called ProDryS. It is a synthetic fiber media that will trap particles down to about 1 micron, but breathes very freely and it is washable.
You can get just the filter elements without getting a complete intake. Most aftermarket intakes are much louder than the stock ones. This added sound often creates a perception of increased performance. However, the stopwatch doesn't lie. Often there is little to no real world difference, except at high RPM.
Volant does make great kits, K&N is behind the curve, just about any other major brand name makes a better product. I use AFE myself, and get this, it cost less than a K&N. I just use the OE style filter, so it uses my stock airbox.
well guys i have owned this truck since 2002. it already had the k&n filter in it. i have 138,000 miles on it and it still runs great. the reason i asked about this kit is because we are going to buy a newer vehicle in the near future and i want to drag race this truck. after having read all of yall's response to this subject i am NOT going to buy this kit and i am going to go back with a regular oem style flilter for now. thankyou all for the info.