I just recieved issue 21(no month) of "MCT trucks".

They had an interesting article. They compared 5 air intake kits on a 5.3L Silverado. (AEM, K&N, VOLANT, AIRAID, AFE)

The results were:
AEM= 9hp
K&N= 11.5hp
Volant= -2hp (buahahahahah. one more time. buahahahahaha)
Airaid= 5.6hp
AFE= (couldnt be tested, because intake tube contacted the fan shroud.)

Anyways. I was a bit rude about the volant only because i remember many discussions of how that nut sack thing in the middle of the tube is suppost to be better. I have no clue if thats what caused it or what not( read further for an explanation on why it lost power). It just cought me off guard to see it lossed 2 hp.
But, dont be feared. They called Volant up and asked what was goin on. Here is what Tony Quezada said from Volant:
"Most dyno tests are done with the hood open and a cold fan blowing air into the engine, since you tested our sealed system last, the computer did not have an appropriate amount of driving time to recalibrate from the effects of the open element filters. The computer has gotten used to a lot of air from an open filter and once you stick a sealed system on it, the computer doesn't know what to do.

Well i haven't read the whole article, but i think i covered the main parts, Horsepower!

 

Should be interesting to see what the Vararam Ram Air does when its available.
Although dyno testing may prove nothing.

I think Vararams numbers, and claims are based on tests while at speed.

raisin

 

haha... isnt volant what everyone likes to use? hahahahhaha that IS funny.

 

i wish more mag companies would test products like that.

 

That is an interesting comparison...and the explanation for the Volant results makes sense. It has me very curious to see what the results for the Volant would have been if they were to test that system first--being that the factory system is also sealed. I was just comparing the Volant and ProCold systems this morning and may puchase the Volant anyway then fab up a ram air intake to pick up at the foglight opening on my valance.

 

i couldn't really tell too much of a difference between stock and FIPK as far as performance goes, but my exhaust DID get louder (when stock) and i picked up 1-2 MPG on the highway (went from 18 or so to about 20). Once I added a 3" Flowmaster 40, i could feel the difference. It's loud but I get good mileage for a truck with some added power on top of it.

 

I dont know which makes more power N/A, but I do know that I gained something near 35 rwhp by switching from an open airaid to a stock airbox with ram air tube. Now they were different days, and it was cooler outside and the truck was cooler. I also have a non intercooled blower. Driving around town my truck is MUCH stronger with the airbox and ram air tube and stays cooler as well. That is just my experience. I do know that alot of S/C guys are running Volant boxes.

 

Was this a homemade ram air tube? Do you have pictures of your setup?

 

this was funny to me...

 

Ya, it is homemade. I'll try to get some pics tomorrow if I remember. It is made with 3 of those 4' aluminum 90* elbows. Each elbow is made of 4 pieces of angled aluminum that can be rotated to go around whatever obstructions or rotated to make a 90* elbow that connects to a big dryer vent that is behind the openings in the airdam. It dosnt sound all that impressive, but it made a huge difference. Since they are solid pieces of aluminum I dont think they move like the plastic dryer tubing that probably gets blown all over the place when driving creating alot more turbulence or even restriction. Ya, I need pics. It was very easy though.