•  F150 Cold Air Intakes, understanding how and why they work.

• How long has this idea been around.
• What's the concept behind it.
• Why doesn't the manufactures use them.
• Will it damage my engine.
• Can I get any power gains.
• Is it going to get me better mileage.

Intakes today are the direct result of years of gathered knowledge about combustion.  Intake of years past were no more than pipes to get air/ fuel to the combustion chambers. Back then there was little concern about efficiency as long as the engine ran. Some where down the line, intakes and how they affected performance began to develop. Mechanics and owners became aware that when an engine was run at higher attitude it had less power than lower levels. As research continued and engines developed so did intakes and the knowledge of air flow and combustion.

  Combustion and airflow are directly related to each other when it comes to an air intake. Here is why. When it comes to air flow, air is like water and electricity and just about any thing else. Air that travels the shortest and straightest path to its destination has the least resistance and turbulence. And here is the rest of the story. The mechanics and probably an intake geek or two, realized that the denser the air or the lower the altitude the better performance they got from their engines (there's a whole other story here)  the reason for that is this. cooler air is more dense, air an intake today is designed for this. Dense cooler air will carry more fuel or gas because there is more oxygen in dense or cooler air than warm or less dense air. Today's air intakes are designed around these concepts and the intake will do a fair job of this. Taking into account of certain air intake quirks.

All but the top of the line air intakes in production vehicles have very poor designs. These intakes have several problems. A production intake today is made from rubber, nylon, abs plastics or other cost effective materials, not the best to make intakes from. Intakes have to contend with tight radius turns and rough inner surfaces. I don't think that the average person is willing put up with the intake noise, that deep growl intakes make every time the peddle is slammed. So the intakes have been designed with an intake air box to muffle the air intakes noise. needless to say it effects the way air intakes works not good. The after market  Air Intakes built today are designed for maximum cold air flow, the economic intakes are built from abs plastics or other polymers. The more effective intakes are built from materials such as carbon fiber or air craft 6060T6 aluminum which the intakes are mandrel bent. Some intakes are hydro formed to insure a smooth inner intakes surface. The intakes are designed with as few bends as possible to insure the air intakes good flow. The air intakes are routed to the closest cool air supply and this is what makes the intakes work so well. There are two types of cold air intakes. The standard or long air intakes that gets air from the front area grill or bumper or the short air intakes that get air from an inner fender or similar area. There is some debate over which air intakes are better, more on that later. But any after market air intakes are way better then OEM.

There has been ton of research on intakes. One of the leading manufactures of intakes K&N filters spent millions on intakes research and after market reusable air filters. After market air intakes will improve your performance. Dyno tests on these intakes have shown an average 10 to 20 hp gain and this is because of the more dense air charge. Installing after market intakes lets your engine run better and cooler.  Better running engines wear less because of better air/fuel ratios Although I did not find any credible information regarding fuel mileage I would imagine the MPG would be in direct relation to the lead foot syndrome for these intakes. Intakes and all the accessories for Cold Air Intakesis available here at F150Mania with some great customer service thank you DEAN