K&N is the big name but AEM and Volant are also up there.
Which in your guys opinion is the one to go with, and why? I have been looking at K&N and the cheapest I have seen them is for 285 with the AEM a few dollars less.
Gas savings? Increased HP? Adds to the exhaust tone? Noticeable difference with one?
Well Judge – you the drill, if they a bought a K&N, K&N is the best, bought a Volant, that’s the best one and on and on. I think you will see HP gains of about 7 to 10+ from any CAI you purchase.
I chose the AEM because (if I recall) it had the largest diameter intake tube, 4”. The silver aluminum is supposed to dissipate intake air heat better and does not have the potential to “heat crack” as do the plastic tubes. Also the AEM just looks cool, had to through that one in the mix. One sure benefit is the dry filter, no oil residue getting into your intake TB and better flow, no oil to clog things up. When you clean the AEM filter you soak it in water and use a special dry filter cleaning solution. Blow dry - cold air to dry. Also have Install instructions if you want to look at them.
I also went with a stainless steel filter by SpectraPerformance.com My tuner through it on a 06 vet and put it on the Dyno; 4 more HP. Not a good filter if you are in the least bit dusty driving conditions, not the case with me.
If you like I can post some Pics. of my CAI and filter.
AEM Brute Force Air Intake(silver heat reflective)
I have had K & N Cai's for different vehicles...sounded great engine and exhaust notes, hear the air sucking in, and looked nice...
I had the Volant on a truck..didnt like the fitment and the air sucking in was as noticeable...
S & B intake with clear fiberglass lid on my 04 GTP...looked great, sounded great, could hear more aggresiveness in engine and exhaust notes..
Air Raid..nice fit, could hear air being sucked in, engine seemed to breathe better...
AEM...nice look, pretty good fit, awesome sound of air sucking in, sound of engine awesome,engine seems to come alive along with exhaust sounding louder/more aggressive, silver painted tube heat reflective, larger intake tube, oil free filter which I heard several times and co-worker expeirenced MAF problems occurring with the oily filters like k/n. I paid $242.oo at performancecenter.com.
Good Luck Judge...If the goat sells I'll sell you mine
You've been on this forum since May of 05 and are asking this question now? If you think you need one get the one you think looks best.
Yeah I'm askin' it now, I never thought I'd get one so I never researched it with intent to buy. I know the fundamentals of them and how they operate what I am seeking is opinions of guys who have them which ones they recommend and why. Buying one cause it "looks best" isn't a reason to get one. I don't care how "perddy" it looks, nor does the mechanic working under the hood.
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Last edited by GTO JUDGE : 05-30-2008 at 07:25 AM.
K&N is the big name but AEM and Volant are also up there.
Which in your guys opinion is the one to go with, and why? I have been looking at K&N and the cheapest I have seen them is for 285 with the AEM a few dollars less.
Gas savings? Increased HP? Adds to the exhaust tone? Noticeable difference with one?
Give me the scoop please.
As far as HP and Torque increases go , they will vary slightly from car to car, but all of them are very close to each other. I now use a AEM Brute Force . I had a K&N system but I removed it when I started to notice that some dust and dirt particals on the inside of the intake tube. Ever since switching to the Brute Force there has been ZERO evidence of dust in the tube. I also went with AEM because of the larger diameter tube and the fact that they have more experience with Dry Filters then K & N does. No matter which CAI you pick it is a good idea to insulate the intake tube to help keep some of the radiator heat off of it,
As said before, which one you choose should be based on which one you think will cosmetically compliment your engine bay. Other than that there is no big power gains that one has over the other. I have the LPE CAI so that's the only one I can speak on. With JBA ceramic shorties, MagnaFlow catback, LPE CAI and tune I dyno'd at 360/360 to the wheels. Insulating the intake tube, for me, isn't necessary because the air is moving so fast that it doesn't have time to heat up... PERIOD! You can't go wrong with either one but I think you'll be better off holding on to your cash and just doing a K & N drop in and calling it a day.
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