Hot Rod Forum banner

K&N Intake for my truck..worth it?

2K views 16 replies 13 participants last post by  T-bucket23 
#1 ·
Hello All !! i have a question for all of you guys, i have a 94 chevy k1500 with the 5.7L 350 V8 engine, the exhaust is a Y pipe setup coming off the stock cat, but i gutted the cat after it became clogged/blocked....but to get to my question, i was looking at getting a K&N intake system for my truck. it costs around 300 bucks, and im deciding wether or not to get it...the K&N website says it gives you a gain of about 10 HP at like 4200 rpm, but what i want to know is will i be able to notice ANYTHING? im always trying to make my truck louder and faster...and want to know if this would be putting money into making it either of those 2.
Thanks for the time and responses/suggestion !!!
( any suggestions are appreciated!!!) ;)
 
#2 · (Edited)
Just to help you out a little here on dollars per horsepower cost. The K & N will deliver 10 horsepower for $300. That's $30.00 per horsepower. Now, let's say you installed a nitrous kit for $629.95 which delivered 125 horsepower. That's $5.03 per horsepower. See the difference? You would never feel 10 hp, but 125 hp would push you back in the seat.
http://store.summitracing.com/partd...840140+4294889107+4294908014+115&autoview=sku

But there is also something else you have to understand. When you start rodding your ride, dependability decreases in most cases. 125 hp might start breaking stuff in the drivetrain. Transmissions, torque converters and differentials are expensive and time-consuming to fix and that means your ride will be down.

My best advice: Leave you K1500 alone and dependable as a daily driver. Find a small, lightweight body. Do an engine swap with the biggest engine you can shoehorn into it. Cheap and way faster than your K1500. A fairly inexpensive example would be a mid-70's Dart/Demon with a 440. There are dozens more examples like this that can be found out there.
 
#3 ·
In '02 when I bought my F-250 Powerstroke I installed just the K&N air filter, along with a 4" exhaust and a 60 hp "tow chip" to help pull my big horse trailer. All three made a BIG difference.

I was still working and living in So. Cal. so I went to Superior Auto and ran the truck on their chassis dyno. We base lined it and then installed the K&N filter, I picked up 12 hp @ 3150 rpm. Now I don't make a habit of driving my diesel around at 3150 rpm!! BUT.....it cost me $47 then and I still have it, I wash it and re-oil it twice a year.......so yea the $47 was worth it just for that reason, wouldn't spend $300 on the kit though.
 
#4 ·
My 2 cents... the TBI is a low-po engine; 200 hp in that year if I recall correctly.

The intake isn't a restriction. Don't expect any power from it. Most of what is holding you back is internal; heads, compression, cam, TBI. External stuff will do nice things on bigger stuff, but the TBI is limited by internal restrictions.

Your truck already has a cold-air induction from the passenger side fenderwell, and its not restrictive. Focus on other things first.
 
#6 ·
A K&N filter DOES NOT add horsepower to a computer controlled engine. What it does do is ruin MAF sensors really well. It adds a level of maintenance and if you don't constantly clean and re-oil the "filter" it will allow dirt in to wear out the engine.

The plain fact is that like certain other advertising campaigns, what happens and what is claimed are two different things.
 
#7 ·
Unless your engine is seriously modified and sees only track use I would steer clear of the K&N. Its well documented that they pass about 4 times more dirt thought your engine. Quite often you can make a cold air intake system yourself for $50-$60 at any rate just make sure you use a good paper filter.

Jordon
 
#9 · (Edited)
it is simple arithmetic....
200HP/4500lb truck=.0444HP per lb of weight
210HP/4500lbs=.04666HP per lb of weight with the $300 K&N

no you can't "feel" a .00222 (2 tenths of 1%) power to weight increase/gain!

the extra 10HP is because they are more porous so they do allow more dirt to pass thru....

best bang for the buck on a heavy vehicle is deeper rear gears which mulitiples the flywheel TQ for alot more acceleration force....
but more rpms is less mpg unless you can learn to control the go pedal....
deeper gears means less motor load so less gas pedal is needed due to higher Hg...
it's not going to snap your neck but you will feel the difference over the whole rpm range,,,(not just top end as with a K&N)

smartest move is sell the truck and buy something alot lighter for better power to weight ratio acceleration
 
#10 ·
bluesman2333 said:
A K&N filter DOES NOT add horsepower to a computer controlled engine. What it does do is ruin MAF sensors really well. It adds a level of maintenance and if you don't constantly clean and re-oil the "filter" it will allow dirt in to wear out the engine.

The plain fact is that like certain other advertising campaigns, what happens and what is claimed are two different things.

DITTO!


but what i want to know is will i be able to notice ANYTHING?
Yes!!!

You will be able to sit more level because there will be less money in your wallet. :p




R :thumbup:
 
#11 ·
wow, you guys are ALOT of help. alot of you guys say that they allow more air, thus more dirt, is there a specific brand of air filters or should you just keep stock filters? but, ive decided not to get it, becasue after what i read it would be really stupid of me :)
 
#14 ·
$20 for the Jegs snorkle is cheap enough but the same piece is $5 at a boneyard....

it's worth the trip to the yard because there are 100's of sizes and shapes to choose from...

at the first yard I found a piece that is a exact rectangle snorkle shape match to the rad support oem hole, which links to a slip fit straight piece for easy on/off for the air cleaner...$10 for both

yup, pic' is for a chuckle,,,took it before painting lid
 

Attachments

#15 ·
forgot to post:
very easy to test "is" your present air cleaner setup plenty good on a carbed motor...
the carb wants basically/usually 1.0 to 1.5Hg (up to 3Hg) at WOT and lower rpms...
hook up a vacuum guage with a long piece of hose so you can read it while driving....
if it is showing 0 Hg than try taping/blocking off some of the element to see if it is does run stronger....
0Hg means no force on the venturis liquid gas to atomize it....

like anything else: alot more gooder isn't necessarily more good!!!

Rob,
thanks, your comment did crack me up big time....
"sit more level!!!!"
 
#16 ·
$300!!!! WHAT!?!?!?!

I had a '93 1500 w/ 350 and the K&N filter was $30. Of course, I only got it to save $$$ over replacing paper filters over time. 4-5 oil changes and it pays for itself.
You should just be able to get a stock replacement K&N filter for your '94. You really don't have a need for a new, full intake system on a stock motor.

I also added a 3" dryer duct to the air cleaner housing and routed it down to an unused fog light opening after rebuilding the TB. I did notice a small difference in its' breathing...but I initially got the K&N to save $$$, not for any power gains.

If you're looking to spend that much, I'd go for something else first. Only get a new cold air intake if your motor needs it. (which a stock motor doesn't) Otherwise just pick up the stock replacement K&N filter to save money over time.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top