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CAI Evaluation

316K views 644 replies 235 participants last post by  guy65 
#1 · (Edited)
I see a lot of posts and questions about CAI's, so I thought I'd do a little checking and do some comparisons. Everything is based on my Ram, 2010 with the Hemi. I'm sure there are other CAI's out there but these are the more common ones.

BFI $329.00 not enclosed and not out in the cold air.
K&N $322.00 partially enclosed and not in the cold air.
Airaid $365.00 partially enclosed and uses some cold air from fender connection, would use full cold air if it was fully enclosed

AFE Stage 1 $336.00 fully enclosed and uses cold air from the fender connection.
Volant $405.00 fully enclosed but has hole in bottom for scoop attachment which would be easy to block. Uses outside air connection on fender.

For my money were I to buy a CAI, I'd go for the fully enclosed CAI's hands down. CAI means "Cold" Air Intake. In my mind any CAI that does not get its air from outside the engine compartment is not a true CAI.
 
#435 ·
Had my oil changed the other day and the "ace" mechanic told me NOT to ever put a K&N or any aftermarket filter on there. The oil will clog the MAF and the Injectors.

Really? Dodge uses a MAF now? pfft. Oh, and just how does it "clog" the injectors?

ok, so for $30, I let him change the oil... but I did check it after I left.
 
#436 ·
lol...i guess he though he was working on a chevy motor..lol..no maf's here. not that i do agree but i have moved away from an oiled filter to a dry flow just so i didn't have to clean my tb as often...
 
#442 ·
I have the K&N 63cai would the vararam air gabber be a notisable gain over the K&N?
 
#443 ·
look at you! trying to squeeze every little bit outta the hemi!!! in my opinion..yes... like i've said before, the one hemi i could never beat at the track side by side was one equipped with a vararam. (all things considered, we have almost identical mods )
 
G
#453 · (Edited)
I have run K&N and Vararam. I monitored air intake temp sensor with superchip tuner data logging and compared with overhead outside temp. K&N ran 25 to 40 degrees hotter than outside temp. Vararam reads 5 to 10 degrees hotter than outside temp. I occasionally do 1/4 mile runs using superchip tuner to record times and with the K&N I usually got high 14 second results. Put on the Vararam and ran 14.69 first run and afterwards remembered I had 200 lbs of work material in the bed. Truck is actually quieter with the Vararam than the K&N which is fine with me. I sacrificed my fog lights for air intake entrance and routed the intake tubes in front of the fender wells which makes for a clean install, no running by the oil filter. I found a couple of 6" PVC drain fixtures with chrome ring/screw holes at Home Depot and painted them black, laid some window screen over the 6" intake tubing and pushed onto the drain fixture, clamped and bolted thru 1 of the holes that the fog light was attached to. Aims the ducts straight forward. I agree the Vararam feels kind of flimsy but I took my time and built my own mounting bracket that bolts to compressor bolt and goes to the large "hood latch with the clip" that keeps the Vararam lid shut and the whole setup is rock solid feeling and does not move or flop around.
 
#457 ·
only if there was some way to reserculate the A/C from the cab of the truck to the intake. Now that would be a true CAI.

Im still trying to figure something out
 
#459 · (Edited)
only if there was some way to reserculate the A/C from the cab of the truck to the intake. Now that would be a true CAI.

Im still trying to figure something out

I read someone tried something similar back in the late 90's. Moved the A/C evap into the intake system to act as a psudo intercooler. If I remember correctly the power gained from the cooler air was roughly equivalent to the power lost from running the A/C on the dyno. Ended up being a wash. I wish I could find where it was, it was a well written article. Curious to see if technology has caught up enough to make it a worthwhile mod (I doubt it).

I think this type of mod would fall along the lines of the tuners that used to spray liquid CO2 on their intercoolers during runs at the strip. Yes it dropped temps substantially and picked up a few HP, but then again the bottle, mount and plumbing equaled more than a few pounds that had to be pushed down the track as well.
 
#460 ·
Does anybody know how the Mopar CAI compares to these aftermarket brands. My truck is a lease and the dealership told me anything else would void the warranty on the motor. I know it's a bullshit excuse to get me to buy more of their products. I've had K&N of previous auto's and think they're great. They also told me I needed to stay with Mopar for my muffler, I didn't know Mopar offered Magna Flow type exhaust. Any comments appreciated.
 
#461 ·
AFE Stage 1 is the mopar CAI iirc. It's just painted a different color and has the mopar sticker on it.

As for exhaust iirc the Mopar kit for the Rams os the borla sport catback just with tips that have the mopar M on them.

I'd personally go there and ask them if an afe cai or a borla exhaust would void the warranty. Just to have some fun with them and then say "well the afe stage 1 IS the mopar cai and the borla sport IS the Exhaust" and see what they say to that lol.
 
#463 ·
I just read the entire thread, wow what a way to spend an hour and a half! I read of talk about just changing the the ribbed intake tube after the filter and then using a drop in filter. I found this product, is this the right type of product as a smooth intake tube? (it says custom fit to my truck)
 
#469 ·
It's one of those things that if you have 300 bucks to spend as you please, go for it. It's a very nice product.. I added a Green performance drop in air filter to my stock air box. It surprised me by increasing throttle response enough to notice vs the slightly dirty stock air filter. 60 bucks and I am done. My father who has a 2012 QC Express, added a drop in K&N air filter. Then later on he made a very nice 4" duct that runs from the factory hole in the air box all the way down to the front lower grill and has a wide scoop hidden behind a custom grill insert. You can't see it. Anyways point is, after all that work, he noticed no improvement in power or mpg's what so ever. It is purty to look at though. hehe
 
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