Sound and performance of K&N intake?

Well I just threw down on AFE intakes and hot charge pipes so tbd...

 

I didn’t hate the AFE kit just preferred the sound of the k&n. I have done a lot to my tundra but hadn’t changed the hot charge pipes yet. Maybe on my next to do list.

 

Oh sure it wasn't in response to your posts... More just a continuation of the discussion with pending updates

 

That’s funny, I was just about to post about those hot charge pipes and wondering if they’re worth it or not.

 

The hate for this design (K&N) is because it’s inefficient, bad for performance, and marketed as a power add part. Nothing wrong with a cone filter but the placement for this particular one is terrible for performance. If you want to spend $500 for induction noise, that’s your prerogative. Again, the question was “how is performance.”

Let me guess, you ran 6.3~6.6 0-60 and 14.7~15.1 1/4 mile.

 

AFE doesn't claim any gains....doubt they're worth any gains in stock boost/turbo configuration

 

This^^^^

 

i was running those numbers on a completely stock Tundra when I first got it. Like I have said in the past, these trucks won’t be taking any TRX or RaptorR in any races without larger turbos one day (don’t condone any street racing btw!!)(trying not to get banned again). I already have a 10second and high 9sec vehicles and not why I bought this truck. Btw, so what do you drive and what performance upgrades do you have on it? Assume no k&n open air kit

 

Nice !! Let me know how ya like em!

 

why do you say that? Its sealed to the hood and the air flow actually comes from a scoop below the front bumper.

 

Why is everyone saying the placement is bad?

There are heat shields that seal off the intakes from the engine bay. The air flow is actually coming from below the bumper. I don’t have a bumper because i have flared fenders and can see the direct cold air path. Im also running a JB4 with 5.5 extra psi and have it straight piped. HP will be well over 500.

 

Maybe / maybe not I just went for it. At least I'll know.

 

Well, I personally like to use this forum to discuss what mods work and don't work and determine what is worth spending money on. It’s not all about being hunky dory and just coming on here to give and receive compliments. Some of us want to get down to brass tacks with discussion of the effectiveness of mods, partly because they are so expensive. Those interested in learning if it’s worth spending their money on it will appreciate the candor.

Even if the heat shields were as effective at sealing off the hot engine bay air as sealed boxes ducted to ambient air, that system also uses metal intake pipes which transfer heat to the incoming air at a higher rate than plastic. Its paying money for a warmer intake air charge IMO. That said, it’s everyone’s money to spend however you like even if it’s just for the extra intake noise. That’s fine! I will say I’ve seen the supercharged V8 trucks make 530+whp on a totally stock intake box, and that’s just a single 3.5” tube with the stock airbox that pulls air from the fenderwell. That’s over 600 crank hp from just one small intake tube and a factory airbox. I think the TTV6 with two intake tubes is already getting plenty of air that it won’t benefit from an aftermarket CAI, unless you’re upgrading to bigger turbos or something.

 

The thing about metal is that it also cools down quicker than plastic. Youre really giving up one thing for another. I have the charge pipes waiting to go on...just havent had the time. From the 2 people I have talked to, it affected low speed/coming to a stop drivability characteristics. I'd be very interested to hear your guy's feedback

 

I think after all the reading and researching, I feel like just sticking with the TRD air filters and leaving it alone and keeping my $500. I will recognize that part of me just wants to get CAIs for the coolness factor.

 

There is a HUGE difference between being “hunky dory” vs just being down out negative about everything. I loathe the negative Nannie’s! Sure if a product doesn’t work let us know your experience, but i guarantee you that a large portion of the negative Nannie’s don’t even own a Tundra or any of the products they bash yet here they are posting crap! You can prove it by asking them to post pics of their truck and the product and you won’t hear back from them! Those are the people I am referring to. If you have a Tundra and tried a product and didn’t like it, PLEASE post about it. I have ZERO issues with that.

 

I also have ZERO issues with this post. You read what you could about a product and made a decision. Each vehicle owner should do the same. I absolutely love the sound it makes now with mine installed and yes in the future I plan on larger turbos so hopefully the open kit already installed will only help that out. I also just have too much monthly disposable incomes and want to buy every thing for each of my vehicles, yea that’s a curse for another thread!

 

1. Tuning
2. Turbos
3. Whatever bolt on parts you want to throw money at.

You will gain nothing without tuning on these engines.

Your ultimate power limiter on a tuned stock truck is going to be the turbos and MAYBE the intercooler, but I have not seen evidence either way on how well the factory intercooler works.

Take the stock 3.5L Ecoboost for example. They can gain ~120 whp just from a tune, no other mods. But then if you take that tuned truck and throw an intake and exhaust on it you might only gain another 10 hp from the slight turbo efficiency gains you get. If you truly wanted to make more power, you can slap a set of Garrett Powermax turbos on it and pick up another 100 hp without even stressing the turbos out, all on the stock intake an exhaust.

Nobody does this of course, because if they are that far down the rabbit hole then they are going for peak power and are spending boat loads of money anyways.

 

I didnt actually read the ford patent but their tunes have a pretty expansive set of polynomial inputs for estimating compressor efficiency and temperature.

 

these new Tundras appear will be a pain in the arse for slapping on new turbos and why I have not went that route yet. I have two local speed/performance shops were I live that work on several of my other vehicles, but neither shop want to touch this Tundra yet in terms of new turbos (they have done some other minor things so far). Since the turbos are in back of the engine seems like most shops agree the best way to get at them is having to take off the whole dang cab. That sounds crazy to me but if you Google it that is the thought. Think most of these shops are waiting for someone else to actually do it and let them be the Guinea pig so to speak. I don’t think no one knows yet how strong the eternals are on these new TTV6 tundras either so not certain how much power they can take. Guess time will tell.

 

It always will boil down the internals of the engine in the end…. And with spun bearings popping up on this engine, who knows. Not saying they all will, I think it’s just a bad batch.

 

You also need tuning available to gain anything from Turbos.

It also remains to be seen how big the factory turbos are. They could be puny and have minimal gains like the original 3.5L Ecoboost(35.5mm compressor) only able to flow about 42 lb/min of air, or they could be fairly large like the current Ecoboost with a 41mm compressor that can flow >60 lbs/min of air. If they are fairly large then there could be some significant gains to be had with nothing more than tuning. Thats how the Ecoboosts are able to throw down 450 whp tune only, the compressors have an extra 50% more air flow available over what the truck needs on the stock tune.

 

these stock frame turbo-fold combos are not an easy upgrade. You start running into issues with bearings, exhaust port size, effective AR and obviously heat. Hopefully someone puts something together once real tuning is available.

 

Other than louder turbo sound I'm not sure what to expect with AFE parts I bought. However I'll report back.

I have also ordered a dirty deeds muffler. I think that will show up first - will do my best to distinguish in a review.

 

I have a platinum D-cab with no upgrades. I use it to tow mostly but I’ve gone to the drag strip a couple of times. I used to tune Subarus when I was younger and got pretty tired of chasing performance.

They list up many parameters. Ideally, turbocharging is an adiabatic process so it makes sense that the modeling of that process employs polynomial fitting.

 

I think in this case many have proven open air intakes are junk and have done testing to prove it. I’ve personally tested IAT from hot engine vs cold air from the fender well and it’s well over 60* difference easily. Happy to share a pic of my test bucket tundra lol

 

disagree completely. I spend a lot of time at race tracks lately in my now early retirement days and almost every single vehicle there runs open air intakes. Sure there will be one or two here or there with their stock air intakes but even those usually take off the top or open up the “box” before running it but from my personal experience most run open air intakes. Yes there are MANY factors for both (open vs closed), but to come on a forum and say “open air intakes are junk” is not accurate. I have 4 vehicles right now running open air kits from this 2022 tundra to a 89 mustang Gt build for q/m racing, 1969 bronco with a nice warmed over 302 and my fav (sorry everyone) a 2021 bmw m5 competition. Now my other vehicles do not for various reasons, so I guess I just wasted all that money on those open air kits (different brands btw except for 2 of em). Do you not think your stock closed box is getting heat inside it? It is also not all about the dyno/performance, me personally it’s half about the sound and I much prefer the open air element sound vs the stock closed boxes and I have tried the TRD race red filters before trying the AFE and now k&n kits and much prefer the k&n. I just don’t think anyone can make an open statement calling all of one product junk across the board. I have the same issue and problem with people calling rough country lifts crap. Compared to BDS or kelderman (other high end lifts) then yea even I agree they don’t compare. But on my truck I love it. Rides smooth, no rubbing, no issues to date, and I have zero problems telling someone else to buy their kit. I have said this so many times I feel like a broken record, any product can be picked apart by someone. There is no perfect anything, we’ll maybe except the movie “The Last of the Mohicans” (1992 film version, come on now!!). Not hear to argue but I will state my disagreement with someone. Btw, I am not always right I have been told…..

 

I think you need to consider heat soak. On the drag strip, it’s easy to pull down IATs with a single WOT pull. But like @reywcms said, I’ve seen IATs at 100~120 F on an 80 degree day. And IATs gets worse with towing, like there’s no way to get the temps back down. The stock intake location is decent for keeping hot air out but an open filter sitting in the engine bay is definitely worse. The K&N doesn’t look like it seals that well but I’d be curious to see what temps look like under hard towing.

 

I have towed my 89 mustang to the track couple times now with the k&n kit on my Tundra and no overheat issues at all. Again y’all both keep talking about hot air saturation, but it’s not all about that. Some people like me also just prefer the sound an open air kit makes. You say tomato and I say tamato…..appears neither will be changing the others mind on the subject, but I will leave you with one thought. If the open air kits are so bad & don’t work, how come there are so many companies that make them for all these different vehicles and keep selling out of them at times? Also check with your local speed/performance shops (I deal with two on a regular basis) and just about every single vehicle they work on has an open air kit in the engine bay (almost every single one). guess there are a lot of suckers born every minute like they say…..I’ll be the sucker here take my money…

 

Idk about that logic. People make them and they keep selling them. QVC, HSN, as seen on TV sell slot of stuff, does that make it good? A flaccid accessory that “looks” good. debunking videos are all over the internet. Pro ‘valid’ videos are all over the internet. Sell numbers don’t make a good variable as an upgrade ~ pedal commander