Ordered a Rough Country CAI; need to vent the hood.

I ordered the Rough Country Cold Air Intake kit for $150.

Now, I have been around the block a time or two and have been modifying, customizing, and making vehicles faster for 40 years.

I know all the pros and cons of CAI systems and I noticed that Rough Country's kit really didn't bring in any more cooler air.

It creates a nice sealed area under the hood for the open element filter, but no way to get more air into the filter. My plan is to find a small functional scoop that will fit over the sealed area and allow cooler air to be drawn directly into the filter.

The factory system draws in air from the fender. I'm hoping that cutting a hole into the hood and adding a cowl induction style scoop will draw cooler air into the intake and in greater amounts.

I am fully aware that the most HP gains I could get from all this trouble is maybe 3-7 hp. But, it will sound cool when accelerating, and being an old hot rodder, there is the satisfaction in making it my own.

Tried finding a carbon fiber small scoop on Amazon and no luck. Anyone run across a scoop around 6" wide, a foot long, and 2" high with carbon fiber finish?

 

Bought this little thing for under $20. Will be interesting to see if it works out.

 

https://www.drivenbystyle.com/2014-2019-toyota-tundra-ssk-style-functional-ram-air-hood-58211.html

 

Depending on the year model you have, there are model years that have larger air boxes than others which still fit and bolt right in.

 

You could add the stillen pipe to your box. I just did this with my Prospeed box and it made a significant difference in IAT temps.

 

This has potential to be the best thread in a while. For me.

 

Are those secondary air injection filters I'm seeing? I have bought a set of filters already, but haven't got around to investigating what inside diameter size the stock connection is. Do you by chance know or have a memory of the connectors you used?

 

Yes I’ll pm you

 

This and SABM...all the air flows...lol

 

Yes exactly lol I also have the sabm. Just for reference in data.
Stock prospeed box- 60*+ above ambient
Sealed prospeed box- 30* above ambient
Sealed prospeed box and stillen tube- 10*-14* above ambient

 

Have you checked the iat vs. ambient temperature? If your highway cruising iat is ambient or close probably not gaining much, slow/stop and go driving heat soaks the sensor and tube between the filter and throttle body skewing the reading, so need to consider that. Recommend checking iat vs. ambient before starting while cold to check for a delta first. Was able to reduce or at least delay my iat temp from 10-15, down to 5-10 degrees above ambient during slow/stop and go by copying @reywcms heat mitigation tape on the intake tube. Cruising iat is ambient. Please post/share whatever you come up with when finished.

 

The tape definitely helps especially in delaying heat soak like you mentioned. I'd also recommend a few layers.

 

Gooooooold....and silver too! Ha! Fashion WITH function!

 

Sounds high for sealed box. Extra heat from supercharger?
My fully stock air box I typically see 2*-5* difference while moving. While stopped or slow, I've seen at most about 40* difference on hot summer day (>90* outside).

 

It’s not nearly as sealed as the factory box. Sealed meaning more sealed than it was but there’s still gaps etc. Sealed with foam etc. Also the filter is cone style which definitely doesn’t suck pure sealed air like the factory box from the fender

 

I thought the RC box sealed against the hood. If not, then putting a fresh air scoop over the intake will likely just cause all the hot air under the hood to be drawn to that area for venting, which is the exact opposite of what you want.

The thermal tape is a great idea and I'll definitely use that. I've used it before on an F250 system.

 

Looking at getting some tape, about how much did you use on the intake? And would you recommend 1.5” or 2” wide?

 

I really like this piece. I see it incorporating nicely with my k&n cold air.
Where did you order it? It’s not listed on stillen, if it is, I do not see it.

 

I believe he said that you have to email them to buy it

 

skimming through. Must have missed that part. Thank you.

 

I did 2” but you’ll need to cut it down to fit the curves etc. There’s a few videos on YouTube on how todo it so it’s clean.

The stillen tube is not listed but they’ll sell it separate when you contact them.

 

The boxes are bigger but the air input from the fender is what it is and that is where "more" air will result. Getting a larger opening into the air box is the key not the size of the box

 

Until your filter begins to become filled with filtered debris. Then does the size of the filter not matter and allow for more air to flow longer? Pretty sure there is a reason to upsize.

 

Got the CAI installed. Heat tape hadn't arrived, and was on a tight schedule, so just installed it stock. The scoop is a joke. Put it on the hood with the supplied tape, and after about an hour on a dark gray hood at 98 degrees, it warped and wouldn't sit flush on the hood.

CAI sounds awesome, but no noticeable increase in performance or mileage so far. Will have to get the tape installed next week and get back to my normal commuting schedule and see if the mileage increased.

Install was easy and straightforward.

 

If you get that much shit in your air box then you have other problems

 

No, you seem to be missing the point. The greater the surface area, the more distribution of the debris. Which means that more air volume can flow through the bigger filter compared to the smaller one if they both have collected the same amount of debris. Basically meaning the larger filter could be changed less often. Is it worth the money? Depends on many individual factors and for me I believe so if I can get one for the right price. Time will tell.

 

Understood and yes I missed that

 

Worked on the CAI some more tonight. Took the tube out and applied some decent heat tape to it. When opening the hood after it's been running a while, that CAI tube was HOT. Hopefully the tape helps things a bit.

After a few hundred miles on it, gas mileage average actually decreased. Probably due to the increased air intake temp. Or the fact that when you stomp on it, it makes an impressive and almost obnoxiously loud sucking sound. Kinda' fun to stomp on it. I've ran CAI kits on many other vehicles, and have never had one be this loud. Luckily, it is only insanely loud when it is at WOT. Under moderate acceleration, it sounds good and turns heads. At WOT, dogs start to howl and children cry.

 

Ram air hood scoops is a great idea for forcing more air into the air filter/air box. I hope you see significant increases in power, and performance.