A chat with a mechanic in Austin made me reconsider my cold air intake

I was at a shop getting some tires put on my 2018 5.0, and the guy working on it pointed out my intake setup. He said, 'You know, that open-element filter is probably pulling in more hot engine air than cool air from the fender, especially sitting in traffic.' He showed me how the stock airbox is actually designed to pull from a sealed, cooler spot. It made me think I might have been losing a few horsepower this whole Texas summer. Has anyone else switched back to a stock-style intake with a high-flow filter and felt a difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

piper_williams1mo ago

My buddy dyno'd his Coyote with a JLT intake and actually picked up power, even in the heat. The stock box is good, but a well-designed open intake can still get cooler air from the wheel well area.

zarakim1mo ago

Nice. @piper_williams, what were the actual numbers?

quinn_barnes61mo ago

I always figured the open filter was better until my car felt slower on a hot day. That mechanic has a point about heat soak ruining the whole idea. I put the stock box back on and it just feels more consistent now.