K&N cold air intake = less power?

[chad1140]

Just put in the K&N cold air intake on my 2011 SHO PP and here it is:

PROS:
VERY easy to install
Looks AWESOME
SOUNDS FLIPPING AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONS:
They shipped it without the sensor gromment so I had to go to a parts store to get a substitute.
I can almost swear that my calibrated a$$ dyno tells me that it is slower.

I did disconnect the negative battery cable as instructions state, and only have about 20 miles on it testing. Could it be that the computer has to "relearn" certain parameters before better performance is obtained? I know I really need a tune to pull it all together but I have extended warranty and Ford service for 5 more years. Then comes the ripping and the tearing.

Thoughts?

 

[jdeprato]

Just get it tuned and it won't matter what intake you have lol... :biggrin:

 

[RedRocket327]

The calibrated but dyno lies all the time, thats not to say you aren't slower.  iirc I thought the K&N intake was a short ram, not a CAI, which could make a big difference.

+1 for the rippin' and the tearing!!!

 

[jdeprato]

The calibrated but dyno lies all the time, thats not to say you aren't slower.  iirc I thought the K&N intake was a short ram, not a CAI, which could make a big difference.

+1 for the rippin' and the tearing!!!

AFAIK nobody makes a CAI for this car. They are all using the air from the little scoop to push air to the intake. Either way a tune is the way to go. The intake is a negligible upgrade at best on most cars, not just the SHO.

 

[mjhpadi]

If you don't get a tune, and wait that long, you will kick yourself for not doing it sooner.  I think with all the miles and cars that have been tuned, and really without any warranty problems or any tune failures, they have proven themselves to be safe.  I'm telling ya, it's amazing how much more fun the car is to drive and how much better it performs...don't wait, it's really worth it!

 

[darreli]

I agree...you need a tune. Dont expect to have any kind of power gain from that K&N alone. I've also said recently I believe a flat panel K&N is the way to go. Especially if you could replace the piping to the turbo. It would keep the temps down, everything i've seen for these cars is actually a HAI (Hot air intake)

 

[DJE624]

I'm with Darrell.

 

[jomc111]

Someone correct me if im wrong but as I have seen on many other platforms the gains from intakes  on turbo vehicles is negligible if any. The only thing I've seen make a difference is if the intake has smoother path less bends and larger diameter. But gains were only prominite with large turbos pushing alot of volume at high psi considerably higher then ive seen anyone with one of our motors run.
I know an argument can be made for bats. I would go aux Iinjection with e85, meth system,  or even intercooler mist system ( which can be made cheep ) will be much more effective

 

[crash712us]

Check this video out.
Cold Air Intakes Mythbusted

 

[chad1140]

They send a dyno sheet of pre and post HP and TQ with the K&N HAI , and it shows power increase of all most 10 HP across the RPM band. How is it that they are able to manipulate these numbers and not get sued?

 

[SoCalSHO]

I wonder if they say "Up to XX HP", and then in the best conditions possible, test a car and use that dyno. Is the sheet they send vehicle specific? Like it is an SHO dyno sheet?

 

[thewrubelator]

Ford does good with their Airboxes, especially on the Ecos, idk about the SHOs box, but on the F150, the Eco has the same size Intake box as the 6.2L, and it is HUGE. I would just put the stock filter back in.

 

[darreli]

They send a dyno sheet of pre and post HP and TQ with the K&N HAI , and it shows power increase of all most 10 HP across the RPM band. How is it that they are able to manipulate these numbers and not get sued?

You can make dynos read whatever you want really..that's the problem with it. Suing someone over that would cost more than it's worth..and they could easily claim that on their dyno in those specific conditions it picked up 10 hp

 

[jayskycj]

Just put in the K&N cold air intake on my 2011 SHO PP and here it is:

PROS:
VERY easy to install
Looks AWESOME
SOUNDS FLIPPING AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONS:
They shipped it without the sensor gromment so I had to go to a parts store to get a substitute.


Thoughts?

I can't believe it!! They shipped mine without the grommet too!  I called and complained and they mailed a new one.  I love the sound of mine, the only real difference I feel is maybe throttle response but its minimal.  More sound and looks for me and that is what I expected.  Also, I got a yellow filter cover which really sets it off.

 

[chad1140]

Just put in the K&N cold air intake on my 2011 SHO PP and here it is:

PROS:
VERY easy to install
Looks AWESOME
SOUNDS FLIPPING AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONS:
They shipped it without the sensor gromment so I had to go to a parts store to get a substitute.


Thoughts?

I can't believe it!! They shipped mine without the grommet too!  I called and complained and they mailed a new one.  I love the sound of mine, the only real difference I feel is maybe throttle response but its minimal.  More sound and looks for me and that is what I expected.  Also, I got a yellow filter cover which really sets it off.

Where did you get the yellow cover, I was thinking about Ford Blue if available.

I wonder if they say "Up to XX HP", and then in the best conditions possible, test a car and use that dyno. Is the sheet they send vehicle specific? Like it is an SHO dyno sheet?

It does for a 2011 SHO vehicle specific, I'm still happy, but just don't understand why they don't market it as what it is a good sounding intake that looks good as well.

 

[black99lightning]

I currently have a K&N on the Taurus and the Airade on the Explorer Sport.  When I originally put the Airade on the Taurus, I did it as scientific as possible.  I went to the track. 

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=118724


short of it, I picked up .05 and .3 mph.  Could've been just the drop in temps.  But I didn't lose anything, except a few $$.  I did pick up the K&N and had it on the ES for a few weeks.  I liked the "sound" of it.  You can hear the air whooshing as it is being sucked into the filter, then the whoosh when you let off the gas.  I switched it to the Taurus and put the Airade on the ES.  Went to the track last weekend and ran a best of 13.17 @ 104.9.  About my average in good, not great weather.  I've seen as much as 105.7 mph with the K&N which is faster than I've ever seen out of the Airade.  Car just ecliped 68K miles and has been dealer maintaned, including the transmission serviced twice.

 

[68_GT]

I'd get one just for the added sound but not at the possible cost of loosing any performance.

I wonder if the butt dyno he says felt slower becasue of the added noise ? Sometime louder feels slower to me ? Not sure why it just does ???

 

[steve142857]

This summer I went to the track with one of our fellow member Bigpelo (Frank). He has a 2013 LMS tuned with K&N «CAI». It sounds amazing. Actually, I thought the Airaid was too quiet after I heard his car. He was nice enough to let me drive his car for a 1/4 mile run. I don't remember the exact number, but I believe it was around 13.3 seconds. As much as I loved the sound of his car (and the overall look for that matter), it felt sluggish, slow. I know I have been driving my SHO with methanol for a while now and it is a full second faster, but I truly felt that something was not right. Could it be the tune, his car or the K&N? Who knows. Until I see great numbers by someone using a K&N «CAI», I will wait. I too want the noise, but not want to lose performance.

 

[DJE624]

I really would like the sound and appearance the K&N offers.

 

[panther427]

I haven't got to look to closely at things underhood yet. But to me the worst part of the pre turbo intake is where it y's off to go too the two turbos. Seems oddly shaped and bad angles. And if the k and n style intakes are worthless why has ford and others put them into factory cars.