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Air intake and snorkel

3K views 18 replies 8 participants last post by  Tball 
#1 ·
The performance air intake kits are advertised to provide more horsepower and better mpg, is this true??

Can you put a snorkel in a performance air intake??

Thanks
 
#5 ·
^^^ding ding ding ding ding^^^

There you have it. Don't fall for the snake oil.

Regearing or a supercharger are the only practical ways to get a significant boost in hp out of the 3.8 engine.

For lower cost (and more modest results), a superchip or a sprint booster are worth considering.

Save your money on the air/exhaust mods unless you're going to forced induction.
 
#4 ·
Don't Buy One in My Opinion

The performance air intake kits are advertised to provide more horsepower and better mpg, is this true??

Can you put a snorkel in a performance air intake??

Thanks
I know someone that runs a parts store. I was able to run an AEM cold air intake system and test it out. I drove 300 miles. My test included going to the same place and back, driving as close to the same mph, and mostly highway driving. I ran both the normal air cleaner one week and the AEM cold air intake system the next. The temperature outside was about the same. I did not notice any difference in HP or better mileage. I have a 2013 JKU. I immediately gave the cold air intake system back and installed a lifetime AEM air cleaner filter. Others may have different experiences with them or different makers of the cold air intake systems but this one test was enough for me since the cost is significant.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Not really. The s2000 has an airbox very similar to the Wrangler (filter inside a plastic box with a cover.)

A lot of guys used to remove the cover because they liked the noise, but since the box is located under the hood, the engine would heatsoak and they actually LOST power (dyno proven.) Having a current market cold air intake on a wrangler would negate any power gains, since the air is still sucked from under the hood, and is extremely hot. A cold air intake needs just that to work...cold air. On a wrangler, you would have two options....have the intake really low, or really high. Obviously really low would be a really bad idea on a Wrangler, so you are left with one choice...really high...and that would be a snorkel. That would be the only true cold air intake for a JK. Now, some argue that the extra distance the air must travel with sap power, but coupled with the cooler air the power should be even. Many report a 1-2 MPG increase with a snorkel (cold air is more dense than hot air) which means they actually gained a few ponies. From everything I have seen over the years with intakes, race cars, etc, I would say that the snorkel would be the best bet for a tiny power increase (or none) and no power loss, plus the benefits of protection.


Some food for thought (since there aren't too many dyno's for JK mods...) The s2000 OEM instake is much like the wrangler...probably 1' or so of piping to the throttle body. The aftermarket cold air intakes (real cold air intakes that snake all the way into the bumper to a vent) are 3-5' in total piping, including all the bends. There is definitely an INCREASE in power (dyno proven, although not a ton)....this proves the theory that longer travel+cold air is still superior (power wise) to shorter travel+hot air.
 
#9 ·
Not really. The s2000 has an airbox very similar to the Wrangler (filter inside a plastic box with a cover.)

A lot of guys used to remove the cover because they liked the noise, but since the box is located under the hood, the engine would heatsoak and they actually LOST power (dyno proven.) Having a current market cold air intake on a wrangler would negate any power gains, since the air is still sucked from under the hood, and is extremely hot. A cold air intake needs just that to work...cold air. On a wrangler, you would have two options....have the intake really low, or really high. Obviously really low would be a really bad idea on a Wrangler, so you are left with one choice...really high...and that would be a snorkel. That would be the only true cold air intake for a JK. Now, some argue that the extra distance the air must travel with sap power, but coupled with the cooler air the power should be even. Many report a 1-2 MPG increase with a snorkel (cold air is more dense than hot air) which means they actually gained a few ponies. From everything I have seen over the years with intakes, race cars, etc, I would say that the snorkel would be the best bet for a tiny power increase (or none) and no power loss, plus the benefits of protection.


Some food for thought (since there aren't too many dyno's for JK mods...) The s2000 OEM instake is much like the wrangler...probably 1' or so of piping to the throttle body. The aftermarket cold air intakes (real cold air intakes that snake all the way into the bumper to a vent) are 3-5' in total piping, including all the bends. There is definitely an INCREASE in power (dyno proven, although not a ton)....this proves the theory that longer travel+cold air is still superior (power wise) to shorter travel+hot air.
Have you seen Ripp's snorkel option?

My recollection is they offer a snorkel kit that dovetails with their supercharger, but the interesting thing is that dyno runs show the snorkel actually reduces the power gained from the supercharger. The net effect is still a large boost of course, but basically the horsepower goes: "Stock" < "SC + Snorkel" < "SC".

So in light of that, is it that forced induction changes the analysis you laid out above, or are Ripp's results simply contrary to your experience?
 
#11 ·
I read somewhere awhile ago, that at speed, the downdraft, or whatever the effect is under the jeep, sucks out the hot air, and also the front air dam is there to increase that and suck down the hood as well. Either way, is it correct at speed, there are forces sucking out the hot air from underneath the engine bay? Any vehicle?
 
#14 ·
My 2 cents is this: colder air is denser air, and therefore needs more fuel to keep the mixture stoiciometric (the right mixture). At low speeds this should slightly reduce mileage, since increased power isn't needed to turn the wheels. The slight gain in engine vacuum due to more power usually won't offset the extra fuel that is being added to compensate for extra oxygen in the "thicker" air. Additionally, the colder air mixes with fuel less effectively. (In a fuel injected vehicle this is less noticeable, compared to carburetors of days gone by.)

Ram air usually requires traveling at quite high speeds to be effective/noticeable. Certainly above 50 mph. And again colder, denser air means more fuel added to compensate, which is almost always bad for mileage, except in very specific circumstances. (IE: need 4 more HP or ft/lbs of torque to keep from lugging/downshifting at a specific highway speed). Not to mention that air buffeting from poorly designed ram air set-ups causes erratic air density conditions that the computer will have a hard time with, resulting in lean-rich surges that are not only bad for mileage, but for the catalytic convertor, plugs, EGR, ect., also. Large air boxes, well-designed filters, and ducting are required to stabilize that air for a daily driver.

It takes a lot of work and testing to make a functioning cold/ram air system that makes more improvements than "un-improvements". Most of these air intake mods are racing-bred mods that have little to offer the average street or light trail-driven vehicle.

I just pulled off the little snout on the factory (2011) airbox so the air cleaner has more access to air that isn't directly off the base of the hood, where it is likely the hottest. It sounds slightly better....
 
#17 ·
You left out one CRITICAL point....denser air means more oxygen. More oxygen=a more efficient burn of fuel, resulting in better gas mileage. Oftentimes, the OEM computers will actually back off the fuel a bit because it senses it's achieving optimal burn with less.

Obviously the above is for OEM systems, not 1100HP modded monsters.
 
#15 ·
I should also add that I think a high quality snorkel system may keep the air filter cleaner longer if it is above the majority of dust created around the Jeep. A snorkel collects generally cooler air, and somewhat stabilizes the incoming air by virtue of its length, which may offer some mild improvement in specific cases.

I have no suggestions as to which snorkel system might qualify as a high quality one, however.

MP
 
#18 ·
Respectfully, the trick is putting that extra power due to increased oxygen (and therefore extra fuel to compensate) in the power range where it actually helps something. Otherwise it results in worse mileage. True, if the engine becomes more efficient, then the throttle opening will be less at a given speed, which may result in improved mileage, but often will have no effect, since the same volume of air and fuel are required to make the same amount of horsepower required to move a vehicle at a given speed. You will push the gas pedal slightly less, but the same volume of air and fuel will be used to maintain a constant speed. Since the intake manifold is under a vacuum at normal driving conditions, ram air and cold air have little effect. Only at wide open throttle does denser air or colder air have a real, measurable effect, since this is when additional cylinder filling will actually occur.
 
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