AIRAID vs K&N

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. 

Don't get me wrong, it does change the part throttle response, but I don't like the potential problems that I'm seeing on my spark plugs after running it this way for awhile now.  I'll have to snap some pics when I pull my plugs next time for everyone to see.  The plugs on the front are showing signs of being rich (fine sooty black colored) and the rears are showing lean (white).  This makes sense if most of the EGR gases are being sucked into the front cylinders making for incomplete combustion.

Dont forget the EGR will cancel out any cold air mod attempts.  Ya got to get the EGR blocked. Along with the PCM hacked.
 
 I have the K&N FIPK. It just increases audible intake noise. I'ts been on 3 Blazers now! If I could do it again, I would get a True Flow. I put one in my Ranger after I tuned it up.

Between AirRaid and K&N, I'd defintely get the K&N with the heatshield.  It you decide to just add a regular K&N filter, then you should do the airbox mod....

Or an ebay intake (20 bucks) with a k&n cone filter. 

quote:

ORIGINAL: lastcoupe

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.

So I take it you have the FIPK? Also have you noticed any difference in mpg? Haha - I bet not! I already have the regular K&N filter in the housing.

quote:

ORIGINAL: 4lowlife

Dont forget the EGR will cancel out any cold air mod attempts.  Ya got to get the EGR blocked. Along with the PCM hacked.

I have the K&N FIPK. It just increases audible intake noise. I'ts been on 3 Blazers now! If I could do it again, I would get a True Flow. I put one in my Ranger after I tuned it up.

Im confused? If I do decide to go with the FIPK I have to get my EGR blockers and my PCM hacked?
Also what is a true flow? If you can please elaborate that'd be great! Any links would be appreciated as well.


-Kyle

I would not suggest defeating the EGR system.  If you were to block off the EGR valve, the PCM would need to be reprogrammed to ignore the checks that it does to ensure that the EGR valve is working properly.

True Flow is a type of intake filter. 

Thanks swartlkk.

What is this open mod box I keep hearing about? Hack up my orginal air filter box?

I think im just gonna go with the FIPK.. See how it goes.

Another thing I am curious about is throttle body spacers.. Curious if they do as they are advertised on the 4.3L.

Anyone have both CIA and TBS, and maybe just TBS and no CIA.. let me know.

Thanks alot, you guys are so much help. And keep the feedback coming, I love to hear about others experiences they have had with everything.

If I were you, I'd drill a larger hole in the front of the air box and install a larger tube in place of the stock snorkle.  But then again, I have a slightly used K&N cone filter sitting on a shelf in my basement to use in an intake of my own design.

As far as the TBS goes, they tend to work better on engines with a higher torque peak.  The 4.3L has great low rpm grunt.  The TBS serves to pull your torque peak down lower in the RPM range at the expense of torque up high in the rpm range.  With the torque peak already down low with a 4.3L, it really doesn't do a whole lot.

What bolt on's or other performance mods would you recommend to get a little more out of my 4.3?

Really depends on how much money you want to spend.  You can get a set of headers that will free up some hp.  Electric fans can free up some HP, but will increase the drag on the alternator when in use.  I'm sure there are others...