I need help on deciding what I should do???

Back in march I took my new truck to K&N for some R&D testing, in exchange I would get a free intake kit of my choice for my truck.

So I finally got the call from K&N to come pick up my kit yesterday. But when I got there they had the 63 series for me, instead of the 77 series I was expecting

I've really had my heart set on a brand new shiny 77 series, because I just love the way it looks under the hood.



So the good folks at K&N told me that I could have my choice of the 63 or the 77 series. I could take the 63 home but if I wanted a 77 I would have to wait because they did not have any currently in stock, there were none in production, and a back log of about 200 orders - although I would be put on priority.

We talked for awhile about the different kits, and the bottom line is that the 63 series consistently produces better results through the entire RPM range:

The 63 series produces better results at 11.92 hp increase over stock
http://www.kandn.com/dynocharts/63-3050.pdf

The 77 series only produces at 8.44 hp over stock.
http://www.kandn.com/dynocharts/77-3050.pdf

So, I went home with the 63 series because there were only 2 left on site with an even larger back log than the 77 series. But I have the opportunity to "sleep on it", and if I really really want the 77 I can wait for it.

So on the drive home I really started thinking about performance and that nearly 4hp increase that the 63 series offers.... it's starting to grow on me .



So, whatever should I do

 

63, more power and it matches everything under your hood

 

MAC Performance still looks better. IMO

 

Since the K&N is free, and these are basically the only 2 choices for my 05, I have to pick one of these. Plus, now the extra cash can go towards a new tune!

 

if the 77-3021kp would fit your truck i would be willing to trade for the composite tube intake.

 

what year truck is this for, I assume a new one because that doesnt look at all like mine on my 99. Why does the composite make more power? the chrome one adds some bling, I mean you already have a HUGE filter under there, not like your trying to hide that.

 

the more power thing may be heat related. my tube is aluminum and gets pretty warm sometimes, whereas the composite tube isn't supposed to conduct heat like the metal tube and should allow a cooler air charge. other than that i can't think of any reason why the composite tube has a bigger hp gain.

 

I think it has something to do with the tube being metal so it heats up the air coming in more. Cuz cold air= more power.

 

My truck is a 2005, and has the e-fans, which is why K&N had to do a bit of redesign for the new kits. Plus, starting in 2005 model years, the light trucks and suv's are sharing the same setup with the e-fans, so K&N's 63 &77 series will run across the whole chevy/gm lineup. So basically K&N only needs to produce 2 kits, which has really put a drain on their resources at the moment for the 05's and above.

As for the difference between the plastic and aluminum, the folks at K&N said that the plastic tube can be molded perfectly to spec, everytime - producing very consistent results. However, on the aluminum tube (which has a completely different shape) when it goes through production there tends to be greater variation from the specs - the bends are not always perfect. So some aluminum tubes will perform better than others, its a crapshoot. As far as heat considerations, it wasn't mentioned. Plus, the time it takes the air from the fender to hit the engine is so short, it probably makes very little difference overall, if any.

Take a look at the dyno links I posted in the first post, the graph of each really tells the whole story - the plastic tube tends to be perfectly smooth, allowing for better air flow.

Wow, I think I just sold myself on the 63

 

when they ran the 63 series it was 5 degrees colder , and when they ran the 77 it was 2 degrees hotter . and it was on two different trucks , even though same motor . but doesnt temp make a differece . just throwin tha out there . anyways doesnt the aem brute force put down 16 horse on a 5.3 and is cheaper then k and n . so what would be the best intake to buy