air intake tube?

[kontinu1]

Would an aluminum air intake tube retain heat coming off of the engine or not? Wouldn't wanna spend money for extra horsepower and then have it robbed away! Do throttle body spacers really work? i have exhaust work done already and thinking of an air intake.

 

[Doug]

I know throttle body spacers dont work out our trucks. I dont think alumium intakes are good, im pretty sure they absorb heat but im sure some one else would know better.

 

[94expo]

I wrapped my stock tube in a Blanket used in aircraft ducting to keep the heat off. works great. you could use piping wrap blanket they sell in hardwear stores to get the same effect. Looks like silver bubble wrap. I never liked the idea of laying the intake tube right on top of the radiator.

 

[jimbo74]

aluminum disipates heat well, but will still get very hot... the chrome ones are garbage...... either get one made of aluminum and wrap it for real performance... or get the chrome one that wont do anything for show....

 

[Rhett]

Would plastic (like OEM) be better than aluminum?

 

[Rhett]

I think polystyrene (?) plastic is better than aluminum.

 

[hrbib21]

My theory: the intake is taking in fresh, cooler air and, therefore, is cooling the tube at the same time. All I can tell you is, my throttle response is much better than it was before. My mpg is better, too.

 

[jimbo74]

Originally posted by hrbib21
My theory: the intake is taking in fresh, cooler air and, therefore, is cooling the tube at the same time. All I can tell you is, my throttle response is much better than it was before. My mpg is better, too.

yes, but the underhood temps of the air your truck is now taking in as opposed to the cold air it was being fed and the warm environment the chrome tube is in will retain hotter than the small amount of cold taken in... just like an ice cube in a glass of warm water.... you drop it in, and it gets engulfed in warmth as the water is a much larger area.... then the ice cube melts.... DUH!

 

[Rhett]

Man, they didn't have any ice cubes in Switzerland. You order a coke at McDonalds there and it's all coke, no ice!!!!

 

[Black Magic]

But with the intake tube we are constantly adding ice cubes! Also the water does not ever get any cooler or warmer just stays the same temp.

Simple point is that anything is better than stock.

 

[kontinu1]

Did it improve anyones gas milage?

 

[Rhett]

I am probably gonna do some sort of air tube mod this spring or summer. I already have an air tube insulated with Cool Tape (see other threads). But now I like this pipe insulation idea, if it will all fit.

1) get 95-00 Explorer OHV air tube and breather hose
2) attach existing KKM to it
3) insulate air tube with pipe insulation or Cool Tape
4) re-locate battery to driver's side front area
5) build an airbox out of some type of plastic; insulate it;
6) run a dryer hose from the airbox to somewhere

and no, building an airbox around the kkm won't slow it down if it's done right. See prior threads on that. Besides, it wouldn't really be an airbox rather I would section off that whole pass. side front corner of the engine compartment from the rest of the compartment. In short you'll have all the surface area of a KKM, but a KKM that's sucking cooler air from inside the compartment which is fed via vaccuum from the tube.

Conceivably, all the advantages of an open-element air filter with the bonus of cooler intake charge.

 

[rocklaurence]

Is an "After Market" tube better than the original? SURE is! Is it ideal? No. However, it does flow better with less restrictions and I doubt that insultating 30" of tubing is going to make a difference in temp. unless the air is being pulled in from outside the engine compartment. I removed my cold air intake tube a long time ago so that the engine wouldnt injest water while Wheel-n. I also cut holes in the old box to increase air flow. So during all this time I was pulling in hot air to the engine. Now I have an Aluminum intake tube and large cone filter--I think that its better.