tmsbandman

Pardon me for starting another one. I know there is a lot of info, but I can't wade through it. I'll preface the rest by acknowledging that "we don't drive trucks for fuel economy" and "if you want mpg, buy a Prius." However, money is money. I'd always appreciate better, especially if it brings better performance along with it. Here's my info.

Truck-2004 SCrew, 5.4, 2WD, 285/60/20 tires, 3.55 gears

Mods-Gryphon, Gotts, Drop in K&N

QUESTIONS:

CAI- Any benefit in mpg, or only throttle response? I drive pretty conservatively, but more pickup WOULD be fun. Would require new tunes to avoid running lean, correct?

efan- any mpg gain, or just better cooling at idle? I spun my fan (cold engine) and was expecting it to "free wheel" much easier than it did. It wasn't HARD to turn, but had more resistance than I expected.

OPINIONS:

Which would you do first? Or is either really worth the cost? I did a little math, and a 1 mpg gain would save me $110/year. It would take years to reach a "break even" point. Thanks in advance for your advice and experiences

tmsbandman

Heh...may have answered my own question today. I pulled the tube off the Gotts for a few miles to simulate CAI pulling air from the hole in the hood (made for ram air). That sounds NICE. I'm sure a real CAI would sound even better.

Manuellabour247

CAI would not be enough return of investment for me. The e-fans would free up some HP and allow you to control your temp a lot better. Every CAI I've put on mainly just added noise. Used to do the same thing by flipping the filter top over on an old carbeurated engine. Sounds cool, but doesn't really add much for the cost.

tmsbandman

Thanks. I had about talked myself out of it anyway. $300 worth of looks cool/sounds cool is not worth it. The guy I emailed at PHP said the CAI is no more effective than Gotts, AND would require new tunes. I appreciate the input.