do any of the the cold air intakes work?

[df2x4]

Got a point there, all just a marketing gimmick, easy enough to make up dyno charts and so called gains, I like the K&N setup just don't like how the filter isn't in a box, when the hoods down its supposed to seal with that gasket but overtime that can get worn and leak

On mine the hood gasket actually works pretty well, but the issue is that the box doesn't even come close to making a good seal on the fender. There's about a 3" gap on either side where it can pull air from the engine compartment at all times. Not the best design, IMHO.

 

[TerryD]

The dyno pulls are generally done with an open hood and multiple BIG fans pushing air at the front of the vehicle. There may well be some gains due to the improved intake tract but in practice, with the hood closed, the losses due to the increase in intake air temperature would easily negate them.

I have the factory box on mine with a K&N.

 

[1998K1500]

To be honest I'm not sure if any of them are better than the factory system. If I knew that a few years ago I never would have bought my K&N. The best aftermarket system would definitely be Volant, they have a closed box that draws air from the hole in the fender just like the factory system. A lot of the other ones (like my K&N) draw air from inside the engine compartment which is less than ideal. Also, keep in mind that the oiled filters (again, like the K&N) don't really filter all that well. They will let a lot more air through, but they also let a lot more crap into your engine that you don't want there. In addition, if you ever over oil them they can bleed oil onto your MAF sensor which is a pain to clean. I replaced my K&N filter with an Amsoil Ea series and that's what I would personally recommend as an air filter for anyone who asks. They're pricy, but they filter extremely well and are cleanable and reusable. They don't use any oil, you can just blast them out with shop air.

this

What is it about the Volant design that makes it superior to the oem style breather system?

I'm not doubting performance increase just curious.

Well, they both draw the air from about the same spot, so not much there. Better filtration I'm sure they'd advertise, and they probably claim increased airflow. Honestly, I don't have much to complain about when it comes to the stock system on these trucks. That's why mine's still stock... Personally would rather spend the money elsewhere, cause those systems aren't always cheap.

 

[SwampHound]

Just gonna put my 2 cents in here. I put the K&N on my '97 Yukon. Noticed an immediate improvement in throttle response, and the engine does better at high RPMs because it's not fighting for air. Also picked up 1 MPG.

 

[TerryD]

We went to town yesterday and on our way home I needed to buy gas so I put on torque and started monitoring IATs. A reminder here, torque deals in digital information so you don't get a true analog measurement, but evenly divided steps between readings. This is my new phone so I have not gotten around to taking the decimals out of the readings because they are fairly irrelevant.

It was ~25°F (-3.8°C) ambient according to the weather app on my phone. My outdoor thermometer said 24°F when we got home so I'm going with it.

With the lid on the factory air box, IAT was 30.2°F after a good 30 min driving at a sustained highway speed. The engine was running at 188.6°F which it usually runs at 194°F on a warmer day.

When we stopped for gas, I checked my oil, pulled the air box lid off and left the hood open to minimize heat sink while we were sitting there. I paid for my gas, closed the hood and headed out.

After a few minutes driving, the IAT was up to 32.0°F with the engine still reading 188.6°F. After a little pull, the engine temperature finally went up to 192.2°F and the thermostat opened, causing the IAT to rise to 35.6°F. But it all dropped back in short order once the engine cooled back down to 188.6°F and the thermostat closed. This temperature rise never happened with the air box lid on.

Again, this was a 25°F day with the heat on and the thermostat not having to do a lot to control engine temperature. When we got home I could keep my hand on the top hose (generally indicating around 100°F) and the cool side of the radiator was cool to the touch.

The IAT did rise to 41°F when we got to the little town before home and dropped to 25 mph.

On a hotter day, when the cooling system was actually having to work I would imagine that these increases would be much higher. On the 60°F day I tried this on before I saw an almost 25°F rise. Imagine a 80°F day towing 6klbs through the country side where the cooling system is really *******.

I have screen shots but it won't let me load them for some reason...

 

[PETEHOLMES]

I tried the K&N FIPK intake on my '97 Silverado with 5.7l, and gave up trying to keep it attached to the throttle body with those lame screw clamps. Add to that the open box, under hood, and I seriously doubt that I achieved anything more than louder sound. I could have saved $250 and just taken the cover off the airbox to achieve the same effect. I replaced the stock filter with a dry, high volume AEM filter, and that seems to work well--at least I'm back to the stock, cold air intake through the fender well.
Because I have a dual-CAT dual exhaust, I'm considering the Volant 150576 unit with the dry (non-oiled) Thompson filter. It costs just a little more than the K&N; I wish I'd gone with that one first. Frankly, the K&N FIPK is just crap. If you have one, please take a close look at the throttle body connection and see if it hasn't slipped off--allowing hot, unfiltered air directly into your engine.
But hey, it sounds awesome, right?

 

[Steve's Chevy]

I ditched my k&n for the volant....

And i'm VERY happy I did........

 

[slowburb]

These airboxes or "intakes" are funny. They don't really "do" anything to increase performance. About the only improvement (and this itself is up for argument) that can be made to the stock air intake tract is to replace the accordion 90° tube with a smooth elbow to decrease turbulence into the "intake hat". The stock system is engineered very well. Even removal of the silencer box decreases power on the L31.

 

[GMRedline]

The other thing to note about Vortec trucks is the maf. No matter how well the filter and air box flow, everything still has to go through the maf housing...