[jhamms66]

The one thing is common is most people would agree the stock airbox actually quite good. Even to the point where people prefer it over cold air intakes. I still can't figure out if I want to keep the stock box or cold air intake. Do people prefer CAI with a tune, stock without a tune? I'm going to run a custom tune and would love any input of what people run and their opinions of things.

 

[TheIronFist]

The CAI (filter in wheel well) was my first upgrade. The car ran fine without a tune. Couldn't tell much on the butt dyno but it opened up the turbo sound slightly and made a lot of sucking and swooshing sounds. I eventually upgraded the exhaust, BOV, intercooler, spark plugs and added the Cobb AP stage 3 OTS tune. The tune provided the most noticeable power gains. If I could go back I would consider keeping the stock airbox and buying a nice drop in filter instead. It's an efficient design and I've heard some custom tuners prefer the stock airbox for tuning. From what I've seen neither provides a dramatic increase in power. Most dyno results from aftermarket intakes (Cobb/Mishimoto/Air Raid) and drop-in filters for the ecoboost usually provide around 4-8 whp and 4-8 wtq gains without tuning. I find the CAI piping under the hood more aesthetically pleasing to the eye than the stock box. Depends on your goals/preferences. Perhaps you should reach out to your potential custom tuners to ask if either one provides a noticeable difference for a custom tune.

 

[dgc333]

I have had the stock intake with stock filter, stock intake with K&N filter, JLT CAI which has a very large diameter intake tube and the GT350 CAI with the stock intake tube. None of them made enough difference in power to be felt by the butt dyno.

I run the GT350 intake because it looks factory, which of course it is. It takes in air through the core support like the stock box. It seals to the bottom side of the hood so it is sealed like the stock box but gives you the bling factor when the hood is open.

Dave

 

[Go Further]

I went with the Roush open lid CAI.
In my opinion, the best, most aggressive looking CAI for the EB Mustang.
It seals well against the hood liner, does not need oiling, and makes your Stang sound like a jet engine under the hood.

 

[16Fasback]

Added lid from 18+ to my 2016 Roush CAI

 

[TurboTigger604]

Any open lid "cold" air intake is going to adversely effect performance in any daily driving situation. None of the open box ones will ever seal against the hood well enough to stop hot air under the hood from getting in and heating up your IAT's. Multiple dyno graphs have shown the stock box with a drop in to be the most consistent in terms of IAT's and the power you can make.

I say most consistent because im sure that open box intakes can put down a few more HP on the dyno, but thats in a shop with an open hood and giant fans blowing toward the front of the car. In real world driving your open box will heat soak much faster and will also take longer to get back to ambient temps than the stock box drawing air from the grill.

Another thing most people don't think about is no matter how big of an intake tube you have, the turbo inlet is still only 2.25". So it will always be the limiting factor in how much air you can pull into the turbo. The stock intake can see some improvement with the Airaid tube by help with turbulence, but still wont allow the car to suck in more air than the turbo inlet allows.

Think about it like this, if you try to suck in air through a straw you can only suck in the amount of air that the straw will allow you too. Even if you cut the straw in half and put a funnel with a giant opening on the end, you will still only be able to suck in the same amount of air as before.

Now for bling and sound factor yes an open box intake will always look and give you more noises. But for everyday driving and consistent performance the stock box will always be your best bet. Save the moolah for other mods IMO.

 

[dgc333]

Any open lid "cold" air intake is going to adversely effect performance in any daily driving situation. None of the open box ones will ever seal against the hood well enough to stop hot air under the hood from getting in and heating up your IAT's.

That's not true at all. I have tracked IAT temps on both the stock air box and my GT350 CAI and they both rise the same amount sitting in traffic and they both drop back to near ambient in the same amount of time once moving. The air demand going into the engine at idle is very low and that air is going to come from the path of least resistance. Even though the seal to the bottom side of the hood may not be perfect it still pretty good and presents more resistance than air coming in through the snorkel attached to the core support.

I am quite sure Ford would not have supplied the GT350 with an open top CAI if it was going to adversely impact performance.

I would say that the hot air blowing across the intake tube from the radiator is going to have more of an impact but without a temp sensor near the turbo inlet we won't know for sure.


Dave

 

[FreedomPenguin]

Sealed CAI. (there's a little bit of openings between welds etc, that some noise does flow through) and maybe a small leak noise from the plexiglass to engine bay. So its like 97% sealed, but I do hear the SOOOOOOK on WOT. I know people have seen this photo, but here's the CAI.

 

[TurboTigger604]

That's not true at all. I have tracked IAT temps on both the stock air box and my GT350 CAI and they both rise the same amount sitting in traffic and they both drop back to near ambient in the same amount of time once moving. The air demand going into the engine at idle is very low and that air is going to come from the path of least resistance. Even though the seal to the bottom side of the hood may not be perfect it still pretty good and presents more resistance than air coming in through the snorkel attached to the core support.

I am quite sure Ford would not have supplied the GT350 with an open top CAI if it was going to adversely impact performance.

I would say that the hot air blowing across the intake tube from the radiator is going to have more of an impact but without a temp sensor near the turbo inlet we won't know for sure.


Dave

Well we will have to agree to disagree, i used to run a JLT open intake and IAT's were much higher and would heat up much faster for me in traffic and at slower speeds around town. Yes once moving on the highway it would return back to ambient, but around town i would see consistently higher temps with the open top intake. Even with the gasket sealing to the hood hot air still gets in easier than the stock or a closed box intake.

Ford gave the GT 350 an open top intake because its a track car, air is always flowing into the engine bay at track speeds and the hood has a heat extractor to keep under the hood temps down. Also revving to 8250 the GT350 is going to need as much air flow as possible to breath.

I'm sure that the ambient air moving through the intake at speed will cool down IAT's much faster the the air coming across the radiator will heat them up.

 

[dgc333]

I have a JLT CAI sitting in the garage thst was on my 15 Ecoboost and i will agree that the IATs would rise quicker and to a higher temp sitting in traffic compared to the stock air box and as you stated they would drop back to ambient as soon as you are moving.

This is not the case with the GT350 CAI, it seals to the bottom of the hood and acts just like the standard air box.

FWIW, while the GT350 is much more track focused than an Ecoboost or GT the vast majority sold will never see a track. Ford knows this and is not going to hamper the car in a daily driving situation, hence the fact that the CAI seals to the hood.

Dave

 

[Go Further]

In terms of an open lid CAI sealing or not sealing against the hood liner...
It's very easy to test how well your own open lid CAI seals.
Simply smear a thin layer of shaving cream around the top rubber gasket of the airbox.
Then close the hood and open it.
If you see the shaving cream on the hood liner, then it is touching and sealing.

If it is not, then simply add another layer of rubber sealing (self adhesive type) on to the top of the existing rubber seal.

If you are really concerned about your open lid air box not being as efficient as a closed one, you can always cut to shape a piece of clear transparent Perspex or acrylic sheet of about 5mm thickness, and attach it to the top, so you can still see your nice pod filter.

Where people have issues, is when they remove the insulating under hood liner, creating a large air gap between the top of the air box and metal hood.
Also, removing the headliner, means less heat insulation for the box itself, with just a thin sheet of metal above it.

The other thing people forget in the open lid air box equation is this...

An open lid box that does not seal, will not retain as much heat once you start moving, as cooler air comes in through the main front grille opening, any hot air in the box will rise to the top and vent into the engine bay, being displaced by cooler air.
The temperature of the air box plastic construction will also cool quicker than a sealed box.

 

[DRSave]

I went with the Roush open lid CAI.
In my opinion, the best, most aggressive looking CAI for the EB Mustang.
It seals well against the hood liner, does not need oiling, and makes your Stang sound like a jet engine under the hood.

View attachment 36391

I went with the Roush as well. It keeps the direct cold air feed entering through the grill like the stock one, and it has a larger air intake tube. I personally love it, but I can't say it really gave me much (if any) HP. Looks sick and sounds awesome though.

 

[LightningBlue17]

Stock box and tube with a K&N drop in filter for me.

 

[ECOSTNG]

I went with the Roush open lid CAI.
In my opinion, the best, most aggressive looking CAI for the EB Mustang.
It seals well against the hood liner, does not need oiling, and makes your Stang sound like a jet engine under the hood.

View attachment 36391

 

[mgrimes554]

I got the Airaid Intake Tube and AEM Dryflow filter. jhamms66 is right, unless you're making over 450 HP, the factory airbox is amazing.

 

[HeightsLife]

the factory airbox is amazing.

... sans the Helmholtz resonator

 

[mgrimes554]

... sans the Helmholtz resonator

I have a video about the Velossa Tech Resonator Delete coming later this week.

MustangsbyMatt

This is the Mustangs By Matt YouTube channel. We do more than just Mustangs but I hope you enjoy your visit here. Visit me on Instagram @mustangsbymatt or on...

www.youtube.com

 

[FLA_2015Eco]

I have a Roush open CAI, like it so far. I had to plug some leaks. I first sealed around the tube that slides into the intake. Then I drove with a group a couple weeks ago, guy had s550 5.0 with a 350 open CAI but had an adaptor piece that he added to reduce sucking air from engine compartment. I cut a piece of rubber from the shutters I removed and made a v1 of my attempt.
Here r a few pics of both. The seal was first try in sealing around filter, will improve later. It sesls on top and bottom.

 

[Go Further]

I have a Roush open CAI, like it so far. I had to plug some leaks. I first sealed around the tube that slides into the intake. Then I drove with a group a couple weeks ago, guy had s550 5.0 with a 350 open CAI but had an adaptor piece that he added to reduce sucking air from engine compartment. I cut a piece of rubber from the shutters I removed and made a v1 of my attempt.
Here r a few pics of both. The seal was first try in sealing around filter, will improve later. It sesls on top and bottom.

I also did a similar thing around the adaptor to air box, sealed the gap with rubber moulding.
I am also thinking of making a perspex lid for mine.

 

[mgrimes554]

... sans the Helmholtz resonator