EDITED ON 09 AUGUST 2010
EDITED ON 29 JULY 2010

I've been doing research on CAI systems and trying to decide if I wanted to actually spend the money on one. If I were to get one it would be the Vararam or the Volant with the Ram Air tube that extends down to pull fresh air..... I would also go with any other system that actually pull Fresh Air but, those are the only two I found. I'm still not 100% convinced that it is worth the money since I'm only planning to a muffler replacement and a tune later on.

Since the intake is already a 3.5" tube (and from my experience, flow pretty decent) I decided to try and see if I could get some fresh air into the stock box and just change the filter.

I've looked at the spectra flex tubing but, can't find 3.5" or 4" anywhere but online. So..... Before spending almost 100 bucks on the amount of tubing I would need, I decided to experiment.... I went to home depot and just walked through isles trying to give myself ideas.... I ran across some 4" flexible aluminum duct tubing and a 10"x4" inch "funnel" thing that I was going to use to channel more air as well as some 4" 2 foot long piping and a 90* adjustable bend.

My plan was to run the tube from the bottom of the air box (I cut it out with a dremmel tool) down and then to the back of "slot" in the bumper below the radiator where the funnel would go.

I primed and painted all the pieces black. I cut the funnel down so that it is not so big and bulky. Cut several inches off the length of the 2' pipe. Ran it from bottom of air box. Attached 90* bend to flex pipe. Ran flex pipe between bottom of bumper valance and tow hook mount thing (which is holding nicely in place) to the back of bumper. Screwed everything together since I had forgotten hose clamps. Cut a hole in material, that is connected from bottom of radiator to lower half of bumper, big enough for flex pipe to fit through. Secured pipe and connected funnel piece after fitting it through the space between grill and radiator.

I replaced filter with an Airaid performance filter and took for a road test. Slightly more noise and I think a little on top end. I initially blocked off the hole in side of fender but noticed that the engine seemed to be "starving" for air down low... removed the sheet metal that I had used to block the hole and fixed problem. Because the box is so open, I don't really expect to get a full "ram air" effect but, i do feel that the air will stay much cooler.

If I can notice the "funnel piece" too much then, I will probably take it out and just run with the pipe there..... I doubt it is really making that much of a difference.

Finished the upper portion with 4" to 3.5" 90* elbow, 2 5" long 3.5" Exhaust pipe pieces (from local exhaust shop), 2 3.5" 45* Elbows. If I had to do it over, I would have gotten the pipe cut only 4" long..... they were just a hair long and almost touched inside the 45* elbow. Or I would have just gotten the Airaid tube... I spent close to the same amount once you factor shipping, clamps, and little filter for tube that goes to valve cover. As far as i'm concerned, damn near the same benefit as a $325 dollar system.

Total investment $166 : approx $30 in pipes (for "ram air" portion) and paint etc, little over $50 in filter after shipping, $55 on rubber elbows, $15 on intake tube pipe, $6 on clamps, $10 on extra little filter. Upper portion totaled $86 and an airaid tube I think cost right at $100....... I should have just bought the darn airaid tube and called it a day. I did enjoy putting everything together though.




After Preping




Before inserting funnel

 

and the intake itself?

will u change the filter?

 

Of course... once I decide if I want to buy a fill system or not. I don't want to spend $50 ish on a filter that I might only use for a month or so.

 

i did 4" 90* coupling into a 4" aluminun straight pipe into a 4" coupling into the MAF sensor into a 4" coupling into a 4" 90* aluminum tubing into a 4" coupling, into a 4" exhaust pipe with a 4" cone filter at the end.

 

Any pictures of your setup?

 

I have less than $200 in my setup, and thats with a volant box, and brand new filter.

 

no, i can get a few when i get home. i still need to wrap my radiator hose with a heat wrap of some sort. i dont have a 45* bend in the tube so it'll clear the radiator hose. i havent really worried about trying to figure it out. the truck runs to good for me to feel its a problem.

Atomic, i love that simple set up you have, but thats keeping the filter in the stock location. did you add a tube to help suck in cold air from under the truck? *the page stopped loading on my Idont, so i you have another pic im sorry i missed it*

 

The volant box has a hole on the bottom pointing down to fresh air, so a tube could easily be added to it.

 

Where did you order your pipe and rubber elbows from?

 

intakehoses.com