Im wanting to put a air intake on my dodge truck and I dont want to waste money if it doesnt work. if someone haves one please share your opinion
It can improve the power *up to* 5% at full throttle and high rpm, but fuel economy always decreases. In the days of carburetors the reduced restriction could improve fuel economy by reducing the choking effect on the carburetor but electronic fuel injection does not care at all about intake restriction. Some intakes increase fuel consumption by producing turbulence in the area of the MAF sensor and all but the priciest increase fuel consumption on cold starts by delaying warm-up. Your truck, like virtually all cars made since the late 1980s, already has a cold air intake superior to any affordable intake on the market. 30 years ago there was value in aftermarket cold air intakes, but not any more.
No, the fuel air ratio is already optimized as well as the coldest duct work possible from the factory, unless you poke a giant hole in the hood or run the inlet under the vehicle. I have seen many of the ones installed that pick up cold air under the vehicle, pick up sufficient water to bend connecting rods in a mild rain storm. Don't mix up the idea of cold air with that of a turbo inter cooler or turbo diesel after cooler, what happens in these designs will never occur in a naturally aspirated vehicle (without getting into too much detail).
they usually don't more often than not, but it all depends on your engine's displacement and the overall design of the stock intake on the car/truck. for some shitty Civic, a CAI would probably give it a 1-2hp gain max. if your Dodge has a 5.7 or something similar, you might gain about 5-10hp if you're lucky. as for fuel economy, i doubt it will make any noticeable difference whatsoever. however, despite not creating any real power gains, a CAI will at least make your truck sound a lot meaner than before. if you decide to go through with it, avoid the expensive ones from KN that cost close to $200. it's simply not worth it considering you can piece together your own at the ricer section in Pep Boys for about $50-80.
