Went back to stock

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I recently purchased an 04 Chevy Avalanche z71 4wd, previous owner had a K&N fipk installed. I asked if he still had the stock air box and ducts and he looked at me funny but he still had it buried in his garage. I drove the truck for 3 weeks w the fipk and it felt sluggish on the low end. Today I installed the factory air intake w a new champion air filter and now the low end feels a ton better, more power. I did clean the MAF and throttle body since I had it exposed, wasn't too dirty. I would never recommend a K&N fipk unless you spend a lot of time in the high rev range but even then...

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Now you are getting true "colder" air than with the open, inside the hot engine compartment. A stock engine doesn't need anything better than the stock air box / air filter from the factory.
 
Originally Posted by oldhp
Now you are getting true "colder" air than with the open, inside the hot engine compartment. A stock engine doesn't need anything better than the stock air box / air filter from the factory.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - stock components are always a compromise and are developed to find the balance between performance and efficiency while also considering noise and ease of serviceability.

It is entirely feasible to shift the balance toward your preferences with aftermarket parts. Just based on the size of the factory resonator, the K&N should give the engine some nice intake noise, at a minimum.

Something else not many take into consideration - that mass of black plastic certainly retains a lot of heat - and is sitting in the engine bay the same as the K&N.
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW


... I've said it before and I'll say it again - stock components are always a compromise and are developed to find the balance between performance and efficiency while also considering noise and ease of serviceability.



You missed the key attribute - COST. When cost is not an issue, you end up with $ 400 000 Bentleys. Everything else is built to a price.
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by oldhp
Now you are getting true "colder" air than with the open, inside the hot engine compartment. A stock engine doesn't need anything better than the stock air box / air filter from the factory.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - stock components are always a compromise and are developed to find the balance between performance and efficiency while also considering noise and ease of serviceability.

It is entirely feasible to shift the balance toward your preferences with aftermarket parts. Just based on the size of the factory resonator, the K&N should give the engine some nice intake noise, at a minimum.

Something else not many take into consideration - that mass of black plastic certainly retains a lot of heat - and is sitting in the engine bay the same as the K&N.


BUT!!!!!!!!!!! The stock air system is sucking in outside the engine compartment air!!!!!!!!! NOT...The inside engine compartment HOT air!!!!! NO BACKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Originally Posted by Chris142
That stock lid has the restriction gauge. No reason to open the lid until it shows a restriction.


If you are waiting until you experience restriction to replace an air filter, you're waiting too long IMO.
 
The metal absorbs more heat energy per cubic cm/inch of material and retains it longer then plastic. As with red painted brakes, wheel spacers, odd tints, LED's and plastidip... I'd like to know how many tq and hp those nice intake noises are worth exactly? Aftermarket intakes can potentially be a ticket in Cali though, which is less nice. Add to that the OP's climate with the sand, wildfires ect, and it's just not the place to run a high flow aftermarket filter.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by 92saturnsl2
If you are waiting until you experience restriction to replace an air filter, you're waiting too long IMO.

Some restriction is inevitable even with a new filter. It's rational to wait until it begins to increase significantly.
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
oldhp said:
- stock components are always a compromise and are developed to find the balance between performance and efficiency while also considering noise and ease of serviceability.

That is not true


ask scotty kilmer
 
My 05 Silverado I sold had an AEM intake on it with the Dryflow filter. Ran extremely clean. One full mpg gain over the stock airbox.

But the noise eventually drove me back to stock. Could not stand that low moan all the time!
 
Originally Posted by 92saturnsl2
Originally Posted by Chris142
That stock lid has the restriction gauge. No reason to open the lid until it shows a restriction.


If you are waiting until you experience restriction to replace an air filter, you're waiting too long IMO.


Why?
 
Back when the K&N filter was invented stock air cleaners were not well engineered for the most part. Significant horsepower gains could be had simply by bolting on a K and K filter and housing.
Significant gains could also be had just by reducing the restriction of the air cleaner housing and keeping the better paper element. they have been living off that reputation since.
The true genius of K&N was and is marketing.

I have worked with people that drove thru deep puddles and ended up bending a rod. It would never have happened with a stock airbox.
I have seen dirty maf and dust in the intake tract.
Any gain these days is slight. Often they are a tiny bit slower. The ET don't lie. The sound is better though, it must be faster.

Rod
 
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