[baller1015]

So I am looking to get a big bully CAI for my 2.7. I have been looking into different CAIs and I keep finding people who say that they do nothing, or they lose HP and all they do is give your car a look or a sound. Is this true? What have you all found about getting a CAI in your chargers? What about brand?

Thanks!

 

[xkm121]

It helps, although the effect will be minimal. If possible always get a tuner first.

 

[DodgeGuy]

What have you all found about getting a CAI in your chargers? What about brand?

Can not say nothing about power gain / lost.
Immediate changes after Mopar CAI for V6 has been installed:
Sound like growl
Gain in 1liter/100km in gas (average 10.3L/100km instead of 11.3L/100km)

 

[Shots]

Having had many different brands, on many different engines, I would say that you can easily over pay for one. I've have never experienced, nor personally talked to anyone who has had, a loss of hp by adding one. As noted by xkm121 the gain is minimal.
You'll notice the biggest gain when used in conjunction with an exhaust and/or tune. However even with those don't expect a huge gain. Generally speaking you will notice an improved sound, and a slight gain in power. The power gain is usually minimal enough that you're not likely to feel it, but you should be able to measure it if you dyno before and after.
About the sound. Depending on the car and the exhaust system you may hear a change in the exhaust note. Also depending on the intake, engine noise, exhaust volume, etc you will sometimes hear the air rushing through the intake too.
And of course there's the visual aspect. Whether it's an improvement or not is subjective, and of course which one looks better is also a matter of preference.

As for brand, this is why I initially mentioned being able to overpay for a system. I've had many different systems from a cheap home made kit, to my current Mopar kit. Comparing the Mopar kit to the cheaper aftermarket kit my friend has on his Charger, I see no real difference in performance. Really, how much can you do with a tube, and filter? I would recommend a decent aftermarket kit, or even fabricating your own duct work with a quality filter. I like my Mopar intake, but I got a great deal on it from a friend who works at a dealership (well below retail price). I don't think it's worth any more than a cheaper kit like the Spectre that sells for 1/2 the price of the Mopar system, but I won't tell my friend that, and of course I'd have to argue that mine looks cooler. Seriously though anything more than about $200 is just marketing. We put a Spectre on my friend's car and I don't really see/hear any difference between his and mine aside from the look of them.

FWIW, if you're interested in the Spectre, yes the kit marketed for the '06-'10 will fit the '11+ (at least it does on the 5.7L). My friend's car is the same year as mine, and we put a $150 Spectre kit on his car. His filter does look a little smaller than the Mopar filter, and his is also a cone, whereas mine is more like a trapezoid. But I digress. The point being, do a little research before buying. Some brands simply don't advertise fitment for a specific year, because they haven't tested it to verify fit.

 

[Shots]

.....Immediate changes after Mopar CAI for V6 has been installed:
Sound like growl......

Interesting that you say that. We just put a K&N on my neighbor's V6 Camaro, and it made a very noticeable change in the sound of the exhaust. I have no idea if it helped his power or mileage, but I find it interesting that you describe it as a growl, because his car certainly seems to have one now too.

 

[Yuro]

It seems to free up the availability of torque. It also allows your car to breathe better, influencing fuel economy and cruising ability.
Overall, a simple drop in high flow filter will be the cheapest most effective option, anything else you are going for looks and sound. True Cold Air Kits will be even better for performance.
You have a 2.7, and I am not trying to rip on your car, but dont expect it to become anything above 170hp(I think is what they are rated)
Get one that you think looks good, dont get it for performance, you will be disappointed
gl and let us know what u decide, pix!

 

[baller1015]

Thank you to everyone for the responses, especially shots for the big write up! I'm thinking of going big bully but I'll let you guys know and post some pics

 

[Bake74]

So I am looking to get a big bully CAI for my 2.7. I have been looking into different CAIs and I keep finding people who say that they do nothing, or they lose HP and all they do is give your car a look or a sound. Is this true? What have you all found about getting a CAI in your chargers? What about brand?

Thanks!

Those are some good questions, I do not feel like you have been given an explainable answer as to why yet.

As shots has said, I have added CAI's to about 8 different vehicles. What was not said was the difference between the vehicles.

I have done V6 and V8 vehicles, while the V8 vehicles you can really tell the sound difference and the growl effect, not so much on the V6 vehicles. All the other vehicles except my Charger you could tell the difference in torque especially as yuro stated, which to a lot of people when they step on the gas pedal and it moves quicker/faster they assume a big increase in HP.

Which leads me to my Charger. As you can see in my sig I have a 2010 SXT which has the 3.5L V6 H.O. engine. Which leads me to my very first statement about an explainable answer. All the other vehicles have had a M.A.F. Sensor (mass air flow), which in our Dodge Charger they use a A.I.T. Sensor (air intake temperature). The first measures air flow, the second measures temperatures. So you can see the differences.

Back to my Charger (I am getting a dyno this Monday again and then I will be posting all my dyno's and results which will all be in about 3 months worth of time). I dnyo'd my Charger when I first got it (around 74,000 miles on a resistance dyno not an inertia dyno) when it was stock, (I am looking at my dyno sheets as I type this) the best it could do was 183.9 RWHP @ 82.4 MPH, (the top speed was 114.9 but was not producing rwhp compared to at 82 mph).

First and only thing I did was add a AEM true CAI. (There is a difference in CAI, some have the filter in the engine bay sucking up the hot air, which is ok on a MAF controlled vehicle because they do not care about temp's. But on the Charger they see temp's, so mine is routed down under the front fascia area to behind the drivers side fog light, so it can suck in outside air, not pre-heated engine bay air). Back to my point, I re-dyno'd my Charger and this is the results. The best was 171.6 @ 111.4 mph (top speed it hit was 114.7).

So as you can see my rwhp went from 183.9 to 171.6 by just adding a CAI to my vehicle. (It also was running sluggish enough that I noticed a difference in performance, it turned out that by adding the CAI it messed up the A/F ratio enough that my exhaust tips were sooting up). So Shots you can now say you know somebody now that has had a decrease in HP by just adding a CAI. :bigthumb:

Jump forward to now, I added a Diablo tuner (running a custom 89 tune by the tuner at the dyno shop to correct my A/F ratio with a 1.5 throttle setting), a Dynomax VT muffler (mine was actually rattling inside from coming apart) and a Blastin Bob's 14db reso kit to my car. Had it re-dyno'd and now it is at 201.8 RWHP @ 139.3 MPH (top speed was 145.6 MPH). Not too bad for a car that has 75,000 miles now, an0 engine that produces 250 HP and has 201 at the rear wheels.

I am getting it re-dyno'd Monday because I changed my oil & filter over to Brian's (BND) quantum blue series and started running Aces IV in my car. I want to know if it increased just from those 2 since, again, that is all I have done at this stage. Also I need to get it re-tuned because I had to throw the stock tune in because it started throwing codes (which is a subject I will cover in my thread when I post all the mod's and dyno results), and it just isn't as fun to drive on the stock tune. :slap: :bowdown:

 

[Part Deux]

Most CAI do absolutely nothing, or actually decrease HP. LXF did a huge CAI shootout a few years back.

 

[baller1015]

Those are some good questions, I do not feel like you have been given an explainable answer as to why yet.

As shots has said, I have added CAI's to about 8 different vehicles. What was not said was the difference between the vehicles.

I have done V6 and V8 vehicles, while the V8 vehicles you can really tell the sound difference and the growl effect, not so much on the V6 vehicles. All the other vehicles except my Charger you could tell the difference in torque especially as yuro stated, which to a lot of people when they step on the gas pedal and it moves quicker/faster they assume a big increase in HP.

Which leads me to my Charger. As you can see in my sig I have a 2010 SXT which has the 3.5L V6 H.O. engine. Which leads me to my very first statement about an explainable answer. All the other vehicles have had a M.A.F. Sensor (mass air flow), which in our Dodge Charger they use a A.I.T. Sensor (air intake temperature). The first measures air flow, the second measures temperatures. So you can see the differences.

Back to my Charger (I am getting a dyno this Monday again and then I will be posting all my dyno's and results which will all be in about 3 months worth of time). I dnyo'd my Charger when I first got it (around 74,000 miles on a resistance dyno not an inertia dyno) when it was stock, (I am looking at my dyno sheets as I type this) the best it could do was 183.9 RWHP @ 82.4 MPH, (the top speed was 114.9 but was not producing rwhp compared to at 82 mph).

First and only thing I did was add a AEM true CAI. (There is a difference in CAI, some have the filter in the engine bay sucking up the hot air, which is ok on a MAF controlled vehicle because they do not care about temp's. But on the Charger they see temp's, so mine is routed down under the front fascia area to behind the drivers side fog light, so it can suck in outside air, not pre-heated engine bay air). Back to my point, I re-dyno'd my Charger and this is the results. The best was 171.6 @ 111.4 mph (top speed it hit was 114.7).

So as you can see my rwhp went from 183.9 to 171.6 by just adding a CAI to my vehicle. (It also was running sluggish enough that I noticed a difference in performance, it turned out that by adding the CAI it messed up the A/F ratio enough that my exhaust tips were sooting up). So Shots you can now say you know somebody now that has had a decrease in HP by just adding a CAI. :bigthumb:

Jump forward to now, I added a Diablo tuner (running a custom 89 tune by the tuner at the dyno shop to correct my A/F ratio with a 1.5 throttle setting), a Dynomax VT muffler (mine was actually rattling inside from coming apart) and a Blastin Bob's 14db reso kit to my car. Had it re-dyno'd and now it is at 201.8 RWHP @ 139.3 MPH (top speed was 145.6 MPH). Not too bad for a car that has 75,000 miles now, an0 engine that produces 250 HP and has 201 at the rear wheels.

I am getting it re-dyno'd Monday because I changed my oil & filter over to Brian's (BND) quantum blue series and started running Aces IV in my car. I want to know if it increased just from those 2 since, again, that is all I have done at this stage. Also I need to get it re-tuned because I had to throw the stock tune in because it started throwing codes (which is a subject I will cover in my thread when I post all the mod's and dyno results), and it just isn't as fun to drive on the stock tune. :slap: :bowdown:

So would you recommend no CAI?

 

[Bake74]

So would you recommend no CAI?

Installed with a tuner and exhaust and other mods you will gain hp, just by itself it doesn't do much good.

 

[baller1015]

Installed with a tuner and exhaust and other mods you will gain hp, just by itself it doesn't do much good.

Good to know, thanks a ton. In the future I'm looking to get a flow master super 44 with blastin bobs pipes, so I will probably hold off on the intake until then as well. What do I need to do to install a tuner?

 

[Bake74]

Good to know, thanks a ton. In the future I'm looking to get a flow master super 44 with blastin bobs pipes, so I will probably hold off on the intake until then as well. What do I need to do to install a tuner?

Depending on the one you get, read the instructions and plug it in. If you want anything other than a canned tune, see a shop tuner at a dyno shop.

 

[baller1015]

Depending on the one you get, read the instructions and plug it in. If you want anything other than a canned tune, see a shop tuner at a dyno shop.

Great, Thanks again for the info!

 

[Yuro]

The enclosed box that you have from the factory is a Cold Air Intake, all you need to do is reduce the restriction in it.
i dont know if your 2.7 uses the same size as the others of those years, but look into a 23 dollar Spectre drop in filter if it does. Keeps the cold air coming in from the outside and allows for more to come in faster. Just doesnt produce the sound a cone would.

 

[baller1015]

The enclosed box that you have from the factory is a Cold Air Intake, all you need to do is reduce the restriction in it.
i dont know if your 2.7 uses the same size as the others of those years, but look into a 23 dollar Spectre drop in filter if it does. Keeps the cold air coming in from the outside and allows for more to come in faster. Just doesnt produce the sound a cone would.

One of the reasons I was looking into getting a cai is that my sick one is broken in a couple of spots. Would you revoked
recommend replacing the stock with another stock? Or going the cai route with the tuner and exhaust?

 

[Yuro]

Find a stocker cheap or free(if not then true cold air intake), make the tube nice and smooth, drop in filter if stock boxxed, dual exhaust and if they have a tuner for 2.7 then tune it.

 

[Shots]

........Overall, a simple drop in high flow filter will be the cheapest most effective option........

I've done this too, and it is certainly the cheapest method. Not a bad way to go either, depending on the configuration of the stock intake.

......As shots has said, I have added CAI's to about 8 different vehicles. What was not said was the difference between the vehicles......

Much like yours they varied from V6, to V8, and were mostly dodges (including trucks), but not all of them. A good point you also bring up is that some of mine were also MAF, instead of IAT. No doubt that plays a roll in the effectiveness of an aftermarket intake.

.....I dnyo'd my Charger when I first got it...... / ........I re-dyno'd my Charger.....

THIS is the kind of information we need. Real test results, not jut the butt dyno. To many people assume that just because it sounds good, means it performs better. Clearly not always the case.

..... So Shots you can now say you know somebody now that has had a decrease in HP by just adding a CAI. :bigthumb:....

Ha ha, that I can. :beerchug:

The enclosed box that you have from the factory is a Cold Air Intake, all you need to do is reduce the restriction in it.....

Yeah I was surprised to see the stock intake plumbed to the fender well. Clearly Dodge is trying to get the coldest air they can into the engine. A quality filter in the stock box ins't bad, though IIRC the '10 had a baffle chamber on the intake tube, which theoretically reduces flow. On a carborated engine something like that would matter, but I'd like to see some unbiased tests on a fuel injected, heavily computer controlled car to see if something like that makes a difference anymore.

 

[baller1015]

Thanks to everyone for all the great info:clap:

 

[Hecht55]

Good to know, thanks a ton. In the future I'm looking to get a flow master super 44 with blastin bobs pipes, so I will probably hold off on the intake until then as well. What do I need to do to install a tuner?

Just get the CAI and take the tiny bump in fuel economy. I wouldn't bother putting loud pipes on a slow car it just draws negative attention and tickets..