Cold Air Intake for 5.0 Explorer

[King$nake]

Can somebody explain why we can not use the 94-95 Mustang 5.0 Cold Air Intake on our 5.0 Explorers? They seem like they are easily available, but not so much for the 5.0 explorer intake.

I've attempted to order the MAC CAI 5.0 Explorer Intake 4 different times now, and each time it ends up being backordered or just out of stock, cant seem to find it anywhere. Now I am motivated to use a Mustang 5.0 intake or something similar and just tweak it to make it work. Anybody have input on this?

Thanks

 

[Spdrcer34]

Other than the angle, and it's not the right length in either direction....

I've seen a 5.0L Explorer MAC intake listed on eBay this last week....you might try looking there.

Ryan

 

[King$nake]

Other than the angle, and it's not the right length in either direction....

I've seen a 5.0L Explorer MAC intake listed on eBay this last week....you might try looking there.

Ryan

Ya man 2 of my purchases were through eBay but the seller notified me after I won the auction that he was backordered

 

[shadowless127]

MAC Intakes have been backordered for months; found this out when I wanted to get one about a month and a half ago.

Buy an MAF adapter, a cone filter, and call it a day. That's what I did, now I just gotta find some time to install it.

 

[narleydude]

you probably have, but have you checked out explorerexpress.com they dont say anything on the site about it not being in stock.

 

[King$nake]

hey narleydude,

Thats funny you bring them up because I actually came across them today and called them. Looks like they will have the MAC CAI in stock early next week (hopefully) so I may just purchase through them.

However, shadowless brings up a good point. It would be much cheaper to just buy a filter cone and adapter - but I wonder from a functionality standpoint how different this setup would be from a dedicated CAI?

 

[Kirkules]

Maybe I'm missing something, but aren't the stock intakes Cold Air Intakes on our 5.0s? They seem pretty smooth and pull air from behind the headlights. Same deal on my girlfriends F-150, stock intake pulls from the fender. I'm thinking a K&N or similar stock replacement filter would be just about as good as a whole CAI. Except maybe for the sound.

 

[gavin]

Maybe I'm missing something, but aren't the stock intakes Cold Air Intakes on our 5.0s? They seem pretty smooth and pull air from behind the headlights. Same deal on my girlfriends F-150, stock intake pulls from the fender. I'm thinking a K&N or similar stock replacement filter would be just about as good as a whole CAI. Except maybe for the sound.

stock airbox restricts flow.
swiss-cheese airbox is another possibility.

but it also depends on whether or not a modified intake will allow you to pass emissions inspection if it's necessary in your area.

I had to spend big bucks for the K&N kit, because it came with a CARB sticker, and that was before MAC's were CARB approved I believe.

 

[shadowless127]

Maybe I'm missing something, but aren't the stock intakes Cold Air Intakes on our 5.0s? They seem pretty smooth and pull air from behind the headlights. Same deal on my girlfriends F-150, stock intake pulls from the fender. I'm thinking a K&N or similar stock replacement filter would be just about as good as a whole CAI. Except maybe for the sound.

my 97, 98, and 01 all have the same restrictive square box. iirc some of the 96's had the same setup they used on the Triton engines in the F-150.

 

[gavin]

my 97, 98, and 01 all have the same restrictive square box. iirc some of the 96's had the same setup they used on the Triton engines in the F-150.

I believe they changed from the conical filter to the airbox at the same time they changed from GT40 to GT40P heads. Which would have been mid-97 model year.

 

[Kirkules]

Ah - that does help. Mine is a conical filter on a 97 that feeds cold air from behind the headlights. A square box would restrict flow. I'm thinking the conical one woudl flow better.

 

[dreddog47]

So you guys are saying that this seller doesn't have them in stock either?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MAC-...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a5d5532b3

 

[King$nake]

So you guys are saying that this seller doesn't have them in stock either?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MAC-...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a5d5532b3

He does not. If you make a purchase he will message you saying he is backordered

 

[dreddog47]

He does not. If you make a purchase he will message you saying he is backordered

thats a load of crap, I didn't even think you could do something like that on ebay....

 

[gavin]

thats a load of crap, I didn't even think you could do something like that on ebay....

is that the guy that has both the 4.0 and 5.0's in the same listing? can't access ebay from work.

if so, that's how he gets away with it, since the 4.0 MAC intakes are available.

 

[Curtisb]

I ordered a MAC intake for my 5.0 '98, got an email saying that it was backordered, but they didn't charge my card. They called me a few months later, confirmed that I still wanted it (I did), charged my card and I got it a few days later. It took about 20 mins to install (biggest issue was pulling out the old airbox, I thought I was going to break something, but the rubber fasteners were just really tight after 13 years), and it works, looks and sounds great. Now to sort out the exhaust...

 

[King$nake]

MAC Intakes have been backordered for months; found this out when I wanted to get one about a month and a half ago.

Buy an MAF adapter, a cone filter, and call it a day. That's what I did, now I just gotta find some time to install it.

By installing the filter and adapter, is this pretty much the same CAI that MAC uses?

I wonder if the sound and (small) performance gains are similar? I might just go this route, much cheaper!

 

[taker]

One of the major drawbacks to stock setups is not only the restrictive airbox but the ribbed intake tubing, For max performance you want better airflow but you also want smoother airflow that is flowing smoothly into the intake rather than tubling around like it does in the stock airtube. So IMO yes an adapter and cone filter is better than stock airbox but no its not nearly as good as a dedicated CAI setup with smooth pipe!!!

 

[Kycaveman65]

New to the club, but here is what I came up with -
I have installed a K&N Cold Air intake on my 01 Mercury Mountaineer, I used a Mustang 5.0 set up (98) and had to do some modifications to get the right angles. I pulled the original air box, flipped and trimmed the K&N mounting plate, added a 2 45 degree adaptors and it looks pretty good, runs a lot better and I have actually gained 1.5 mph in town and highway and the passing lane flies by a lot better.

 

[5.0EDDIEROCKET]

Best cold air intake idea imo

From what I've seen because no one makes a cai for 5.0 explorers any more the I believe the best way to get a cai would be buy a cone filter and maf adaptor and then to solve the issue of the stock restrictive intake boots order a 3-3.25" and 3.25-3.5" silicone boots from these guys http://www.intakehoses.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=FTBHE use your stock intake pipe then build a custom heat shield