Wondering if anyone can help me choose between one of these 2...

I am sure that the K&N is much better as it seems like its a whole unit.. It would be great to hear people opinions on both of them and whether or not the extra 100 is worth it or not for the K&N

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cst/0051.asp


Thanks guys

Kyle

 

One of the biggest benefits I can see just by looking at the pictures is that the K&N will replaced the ribbed hosing to the intake whereas the air raid will not. So I would go for the K&N

 

The rushing air will heat up the metal "ar raid" which takes away from the "cold air intake" as the k&n which is like a plastic wont as fast. I've had both and I love the k&n, although i converted my air raid one to fit on my 2.2l sonoma.

 

I've never driven or even seen a truck with the air raid set-up, so I can't comment on it. I do have the K&N system on my blazer and have had it for about 2 years, it's ok...but I personally wouldn't spend that much for it (I bought mine used with the heat shield and a filter cleaning/recharging kit for $100.00). I did notice a very slight pickup in performance IIRC, but nothing near the 10% (@20HP) that they claim is "possible". If I were to ever buy anything like this off the shelf, I'd just buy a new K&N REPLACEMENT filter and that's because over time in replacement cost alone it will pay for itself. For the $260.00 difference between a K&N filter and a K&N FIPK you WILL NOT gain much more than just adding the filter alone if anything IMO.

 

Well, here's my take on the ribbed section in the stock intake pipe. That section has a lot larger flow area than the 3 smallest sections in the intake path already (the snorkle on the front of the stock air box, the MAF sensor, and the TB). I do not believe this ribbed section to be as big of a 'restriction' as so many others. It is best to keep the air moving in one direction though seeing as we aren't getting into air velocities that are inherently turbulent anyway.

If it were me and I had money to burn, I'd get the K&N, simply because it includes a heat sheild even though I'd probably modify it to seal it off completely. And to that point, I'd probably build my own intake rather than spend that kind of coin on a premade that I'd end up tailor fitting anyway. Heck, I've got an old K&N cone filter in my basement right now that is just sitting there... LOL. Maybe I'll have to look into that.

And as far as the air raid being worse because it is metal... While it may transfer more heat through the pipe, it is such a minute amount of heat transfer that you would never even see it on the IAT sensor in a side by side comparison all things else being equal. The air doesn't stay in the pipe long enough to pickup that much heat. And the fact that their pipe is coated reduces this transfer of heat even further. Is plastic better than metals for an intake, sure, but not by much. Where it gets its huge plus is that pastics can be easily manufactured to a wide variety of shapes with complex and perfectly uniform interior details.

 

Thanks for the reply's guys.

Lastcoupe, do you have just the K&N Filter, or do you have the K&N FIPK? If you have the FIPK; does it sound any different? I have heard other reviews that it changes your rpm's to 5500 and you don't get so much bogdown when reving down.

And I am wanting to add throttle body spacers along with my cia, will I see any improvements with these?

 

Yes it definitely sounds different, you can hear the engine sucking air. Much like flipping the air cleaner lid on an older engine.
I don't know if it changes anything at 5500 rpm's......lol I would never rev my daily driver that high, it's much too important to me to keep the rods IN that engine.....lol And yes it does rev quicker, but I experienced the same result just from adding a K&N filter to my Caprice, that's why I'd just put a filter on if It were me.

 

Yea, i didn't mean that the heat is a big problem just pointing out the differences. My friend and I friend noticed a big difference because we cut out the restricter baffle on the throttle plate.

 

Meh... I have the 'restrictor' off of my throttle plate as well and am looking for a replacement stock blade to put back in. I have shown absolutely no increase in WOT 0-60 performance as per my scans with my scan tool before and after on the same day. However, after running with it like that for close to a year, I am seeing signs of uneven AFR around my engine, which I attribute to the uneven distribution of the EGR gases because the baffle is no longer there. It does serve a purpose and my scans have shown that it doesn't increase WOT performance on an otherwise stock vehicle. Gains may be higher with headers and a larger y-pipe, but even then I wouldn't attempt it with the signs my spark plugs are showing me.

 

Yea i'm having some acceleration problems myself probably going to go stock. The only thing i've noticed is it not reving so much.