olddude

My 2006 4.6 F150 had an aftermarket air intake on it when I bought it. I never paid it much attention until someone on here mentioned something about oiling these filters.

The system has a sticker on it that says AEM Brute force air intake system and when I went to their site to check on how to maintain this thing and I found out that they come with the K&N filters that don't need oiling. Well mine has a blue spectre filter and when I went to their site they say you need to oil their filters. I don't have any idea why it even has a spectre filter on it if it in deed a real AEM system and not something someone has just put one of their stickers on it.

Does anyone here know anything about the AEM air intake system? Can you get one with either filter or have I got something that is mismatched or jack legged like I normally end up with when I buy something used?

650NutKase

Look up the part on AEM's site and see if yours looks the same. About the filter. AEM has their own line of filters and wound NOT use another manufactures filter on their intake system. What most likely happened is that the original owner probably replaced the filter with the spectre. AEM has 2 lines of filters, oiled and dry. Their dryflow ones are usually a blue color, while their oiled filters are red. Typically.

LariatDude

Wait so K&N isn't the one with the blue colored filter?

Jamieat

I cant say much about your current dilemma but, I have ran a Spectra CAI on my 2005 for over 8 years now. When I clean it I use only a minimal amount of the oil to try and keep my components from gumming up from the residue. Good system overall.

Good luck

SCORGE

Same, I have a spectre filter. It's red

olddude

This filter kinda looks blue but it has the Spectre logo on it. But Then the actual intake system has the AEM logo on it so I don't know what I have going on. I looked on both sites and from what I see they don't even list one for the 2006 4.6L. The ones I have seen pics of look something like the one I have all accept the actual air box where the filter sits. This one just has a single plate facing the fender that the filter goes through. I'm going to look at it closer today and see if I can find any numbers on it to get a better feel for what I have.

650NutKase

The typical k&n filters are red.


If you have a spectre filter, it is a oiled, cotton gauze filter (regardless of the color). You can recharge it using the k&n kit.


Some pics would also help us ID what you have going on.

olddude

Thanks, I'm going to look at it today a little closer and I'll snap a couple pics of the setup then. I probably wont get back until tomorrow though.

olddude

After a closer look it looks like someone has put an AEM intake system on this truck that was for an older model. Since there were no kits listed for a 2006 4.6L engine I went forward and back in model years until I found something that looked simular.

It looks like I have one that was for trucks around 97 or 98 years. It has ports for both IAC and IAT sensors. The IAC port is blocked off but there is a hole with a gromet where the IAT sensor went into and that hole is not plugged. I guess I need to find something to plug off that hole because it bypasses the filter element.

The MAF sensor on this one was supposed to be plugged into the intake on the front just before it went into the so called filter box but the wiring on my 06 was not long enough so they turned the MAF sensor adapter around 180 degrees so that the 06 wiring would reach.

It seems to work alright, I mean I have put about 3000 miles on the truck since I've had it and it runs good. It has a lot of power and it sounds really good compared to my buddy's truck that has the same engine. The only thing that bothers me is if the MAF adapter being flipped around like that will cause any problems down the road. I love the system I just want to fix the bugs and be able to service the thing like I should.