Cold Air Intake for the most power??

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

tooleyondeck

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2022
Posts
404
Reaction score
786
Location
Northwest FL
$58 Amazon special. Purely for sound and aesthetics.

The TB, manifold, and heads are where you'll find gains, not the tube.

intake denali.jpeg
 

EddieC

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2014
Posts
672
Reaction score
532
Put one on our C5 Corvette. It claimed 40 hp gain.
My seat of the pants dyno didn't feel it. The primary noticible change was a slight change in intake noise. It's funny how we assimilate noise with power. I remember Cherry Bombs and Thrush in high school; Silly boys.
That was on a 3200 pound vehicle. I would expect even less on a vehicle the weight of our suvs.
 
Last edited:

j91z28d1

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2022
Posts
3,223
Reaction score
4,005
Put one on our C5 Corvette. It claimed 40 hp gain.
My seat of the pants dyno didn't feel it. The primary noticible change was a slight change in intake noise. It's funny how we assimilate noise with power. I remember Cherry Bombs and Thrush in high school.
That was on a 3200 pound vehicle. I would expect even less on a vehicle the weight of our suvs.


what brand did you put on the c5? the ram air one is said to actually pick up time at the drag strip over stock
 

EddieC

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2014
Posts
672
Reaction score
532
what brand did you put on the c5? the ram air one is said to actually pick up time at the drag strip over stock
Sorry I can't tell you the brand. It was a brand name though. I sold the car after 4 years in 2004 to get money out before the C6 design change. That always seemed to be a big value killer.

I just shared my experience to pass on that it might not be all of what some might be expecting, but then again my seat of the pants dyno has a high threshold number. Performance gain wasn't there either though.
 
Last edited:

swathdiver

Full Access Member
Joined
May 18, 2017
Posts
19,751
Reaction score
26,641
Location
Treasure Coast, Florida
The factory setup is a damned good design as it isolates the intake air from the engine bay heat. It just looks boring and the duct has Hemholtz resonators to quiet down the intake air sound. It is NOT choking the engine of air. To improve the looks and sound, throw on an MIT. The one weak point to the factory design is the seal between the filter box and fender. That thin foam seal and the adhesive securing it degrades with time. It falls in or rots away, allowing a little engine bay heat to be sucked in. It's still a very small amount of hot air compared to the pretty chrome tube and giant cone filter setup.

My solution for the seal starts here:



Checking it after three years- Sealing great!

View attachment 427172
22844822

20230629_182919.jpg20230629_184513.jpg

A stock Gen III (5.3 or 6.0) or Gen IV (5.3) LS doesn't see any real gains from an aftermarket intake system. 6.2s do benefit from one. The Volant or Corsa system was tested by BlackBear among others and came out on top. Volant used to offer a scoop for theirs for the SUVs but now only offer it for the pickups.

After the tune I'll get the Volant for my 6.2 pickup along with the scoop but doubt I'll leave it on in case my daughter drives through deep water as she is apt to do. Folks who know me know that I don't do butt dynos, we make the effort to use our VC-2000s or take the trucks to the 1/4 mile track to measure performance.
 

EddieC

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2014
Posts
672
Reaction score
532
Swathdiver,
What type of foam and adhesive was used for your airbox seals?
Critters got to mine.

 

j91z28d1

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2022
Posts
3,223
Reaction score
4,005
volant is what I'll probably pick up one day but I gotta admit, if mine didn't mount the coolent Reservoir right where the air box goes, I'd probably try that VARARAM. looks promising and air intakes are higher to avoid high water.


coolent res being a dual tank and has electric pumps hanging off it. probably be a hassle to move where the air box is now. but I guess anything is possible with enough hose and wire haha
 

j91z28d1

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2022
Posts
3,223
Reaction score
4,005
Sorry I can't tell you the brand. It was a brand name though.
I just shared my experience to pass on that it might not be all of what some might be expecting, but then again my seat of the pants dyno has a high threashold number. Performance gain wasn't there either though.


while that's a bit odd lol. if you want one that will make a difference, VARARAM is the one for you c5. it as a bit of mixed reviews on the quality for the cost. it ain't cheap and like all ram air, you can suck water into it if you tried. but no one argues it doesn't run the faster at the track with it than stock or other intakes that aren't ram air.

the c5 maf doesn't have the same issues with turbulent air that the c6 has. so no issues in tuning it to drive nicely.
 

RET423

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2017
Posts
134
Reaction score
156
If you like the look then that is what you will get with a modded intake, your not going to get a power increase on these engines.

The factory air intake does not starve the engine for air, it is more than adequate for any HP level under 500.

The advantage to cooler air is the ability to run more timing advance without detonation, the factory plumbing is already somewhat of a cold system so you stand nothing to gain there either.

There are some factory air inntake setups that choke off the engines ability to breath but not the Vortec/LS systems; they are very well designed by GM.
 

iamdub

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Posts
20,821
Reaction score
44,950
Location
Li'l Weezyana
22844822

View attachment 427389View attachment 427390

A stock Gen III (5.3 or 6.0) or Gen IV (5.3) LS doesn't see any real gains from an aftermarket intake system. 6.2s do benefit from one. The Volant or Corsa system was tested by BlackBear among others and came out on top. Volant used to offer a scoop for theirs for the SUVs but now only offer it for the pickups.

After the tune I'll get the Volant for my 6.2 pickup along with the scoop but doubt I'll leave it on in case my daughter drives through deep water as she is apt to do. Folks who know me know that I don't do butt dynos, we make the effort to use our VC-2000s or take the trucks to the 1/4 mile track to measure performance.


I forgot there was a snap-in factory replacement! I still prefer the super tight and firm seal I made, though. Although that new one looks to be wider and more dense than the original.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,728
Posts
1,873,275
Members
97,558
Latest member
BurbyRST

Latest posts

Top