What is the best cold air intake?
 

I am thinking about starting to mod my silverado. Plans are this so far:
3.73's
3000-3200 stall
shift kit and corvette srevo
Electric fans
Cold air intake
magna flow mufflers, with probably a custom X pipe
Electric cut out
later a cam
After the cold air intake and exhaust I will hook up my NX nitrous system with probably a 100 shot.
Then I will hopefully be snagging 13 sec runs.
But for starters is a CAI so what would you guys recommend and what numbers could i be looking at as in price range, hp, and Tq?

By the way it is for the truck in my sig, with a 5.3!

The Volant CAI is a pricey but well-made piece if you want a 'closed' intake. You can buy just the intake box & tube with filter or you can add the ram-air tube to bring in air from the front air-dam. Don't know the current pricing, sorry. As for power, you'll probably get 60...maybe 75...no, more like 6 or 7 HP which will be barely noticeable, really. BUT, it'll sound killer and you'll have a hard time keeping a light foot on the gas!

You got the right idea on starting your mods. I would definitely throw some LT headers in there too.

Most CAI are personal preference. Some people make their own which you could do pretty cheap. If you don't want to do that, I would hit up E-bay for a used K&N or Volant. You will probably see 5-10 horsepower with an intake but once you put all your supporting mods together, the gains with be greater.

If your ultimate goal is a cammed, stalled, nitroused 5.3, you might want to look into upgrading your tranny to even a 4L80E so it can take all the abuse.

Engines today do not respond to intake/exhaust mods like they used to. The ECMs do not allow the engine to make large adjustments. They are only designed to change in altitude changes, which is very slight when it comes to causing lean/rich environments. IMO, the most you will see out of an intake on anything new or newer, is maybe 3-5hp, if that. The only way that makes an intake worth the effort is to enlarge and smooth out the entire intake. This means, larger diameter piping in some cases, larger MAF, smooth tubing and nice smooth turns in the pipe. All this, with a tune, you still may only see 10-14hp. Without a tune and all this and you will most likely lose horsepower.

Id say go Volant or make your own.

I just installed a Outlaw Intake system on my 06cc, I could tell a difference, and gas mileage got a little better, it is a very well designed setup, and DubSilverado on GMfullsize has them on sale for 199 shipped, for the complete kit. I have had a K&n, Volant and AEM, and this outlaw is by far the best one yet.

i talked to Powerhouse Performance and they said they have been seeing 10 hp at the ground with a K&N FIPK. I dont know if its true. Thats just what i heard.

Oop's I forgot the Pacesetter LT's, lol thanks. Yeah I was thinking the CAI won't do too much, so I was debating wethere i should do a CAI or exhaust system first?

dont forget a throttle body spacer1

ive seen gains of up to 30 horse and .5 decrease in e/t. not shit


lol j/k







But,You should definatly put a B&M Supercooler transmission cooler on that list.

You didnt mention any type of tune. What are your plans for that?