Anyone Install Mopar Cold Air Intake Yet?

[dcmdon]

LOL - yeah, I find it interesting that - well, no, based on past experiences, I wasn't surprised by someone believing those crazy claims of 10 or 11.
I can provide anecdotal information or "evidence" of extremely minor gains compared to cold air intake vs. intake from directly under the hood of a 401 v8 but then you can't compare that either because the Jeep Gladiator to begin with doesn't pull air from the hottest area of the engine bay. A friend raced a 401 powered Ambassador - a boat of a car. He made a cold air intake and took air from the very front of the car by converting the headlight buckets into air scoops and ducted it to the carburetor. He saw a gain - of a couple of tenths of a second in the quarter mile. Are you going to feel that? Naw, and we're talking 401 cubic inches on a carbureted engine running much of the time at WOT.
Since these trucks pull air from the right front corner where the air isn't exactly its hottest already, you aren't changing that much.
Any gains also won't be instant as Dave and Kurt and others have said over and over - it takes time for things to adapt - long term fuel trim, etc. So you can't say "I put it on and felt instant power" and any "dyno tests" by the company selling such things isn't going to take that into account.
Many things can impact economy - those who claim a gain - at what mileage did they install the CAI? If at say 5,000 miles, then any gain is most likely due to the natural gain we all see as our trucks wear and learn. Only if you installed one at 10,000 miles or more can you all but discount the gain as being from wearing in and the natural processes. Mine took a fair jump after 7,000 miles on the odometer - no changes to anything.

I've also noted after having this thing for over 2 years now - mine gets WORSE mpg when the air is under 50 degrees ambient temp. Our temperatures here can swing from 20 degrees to 60 degrees in a matter of a morning. Heck, we went from freezing to 70 the other day in a matter of a few hours. I could tell the truck was actually doing better as the day went on and the air warmed up. That's counter to my experiences with carbureted, non-computer-controlled engines.
The fly in that ointment is that my 4.0 does a lot better with air between about 40 to 50 degrees and you can actually truly feel it run nicer.

Because of the need to get all of the power and mpg they can possibly squeeze out of these things right out of the gate, meaning every fraction of a mpg, and every additional HP is not just good marketing, but also good for the EPA's eyes, it's hard to imagine they'd leave 10 hp on the table with such a simple change. YES, there's the noise and vibration and harmonics stuff, but still.... most trucks are actually more loud than the Jeep Gladiator, IMO. I can hear other trucks at the stop light over my own truck noise and the intake on these is crazy quiet - they could add some muscle to the intake sound and not lose buyers or violate any municipal codes.

Anyway, marketing dyno tests, IMO, are at least part BS.
Any true dyno testing for determining small gains have to include time - for the system to learn and adjust, be done at the exact same engine temperatures, coolant temperatures, humidity levels, barometric pressures, and more. That's my opinion, obviously those who have bought these will say I'm full of crap and some will say that just because it's me.

A CAI makes a lot of sense for a race car. Because race cars spend a lot of time at full throttle and at high rpms. And every tenth counts.

The fact that the diesel gladiator feels faster with less actual HP is a perfect example of why a CAI is pointless. If you could give me an add on doodad that gave me an extra 40 ft-lbs of torque at partial throttle at 3000 RPM, I'd buy it in a second.

Re poorer fuel economy in cold weather, its not because of your engine. Its because of aerodynamic drag. The air is noticeably thicker at low temps than it is at higher temps.

I never realized how much it changed until I became a private pilot.

Using a take off distance chart I have in an old Cessna 172 pilot operating handbook (POH) the takeoff distance at -15C is 575 ft. At 90 deg (32 deg C) its 767 ft.

This is directly related to how much resistance the air puts on they airframe and the propeller.

The same kind of difference can be seen when looking at external ballistics tables for long range rifle shots. Bullets slow down much more quickly in cold weather.

In short, it takes more HP to push any vehicle through cold air than it does to push it through warm air. (assuming same barometric pressure, altitude, and relative humidity)

More HP means more fuel.

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[dcmdon]

I’d honestly only get one for better sound with an aftermarket exhaust. I don’t think it’s a 6,000, think it’s 4800 but regardless you’re right, none of the time are any of us gonna be on the throttle like that on a consistent basis to see any real gains.

And that's fine. I put an aftermarket exhaust on a motorcycle I own primary because I like how it sounds. All the power gains are from 8000 rpm on up. Where I spend very little time and also where the bike is already frighteningly fast.

But people shouldn't delude themselves into thinking that a CAI will make their car faster or more fuel efficient.

One that I really get a kick out of is when people say that adding a (fill in your gadget here) makes the power "smoother". ha. It always makes me laugh. (if you ever say the power is "smoother" you are just revealing that you dont' know anything)

 

[ShadowsPapa]

A CAI makes a lot of sense for a race car. Because race cars spend a lot of time at full throttle and at high rpms. And every tenth counts.

The fact that the diesel gladiator feels faster with less actual HP is a perfect example of why a CAI is pointless. If you could give me an add on doodad that gave me an extra 40 ft-lbs of torque at partial throttle at 3000 RPM, I'd buy it in a second.

Re poorer fuel economy in cold weather, its not because of your engine. Its because of aerodynamic drag. The air is noticeably thicker at low temps than it is at higher temps.

I never realized how much it changed until I became a private pilot.

Using a take off distance chart I have in an old Cessna 172 pilot operating handbook (POH) the takeoff distance at -15C is 575 ft. At 90 deg (32 deg C) its 767 ft.

This is directly related to how much resistance the air puts on they airframe and the propeller.

The same kind of difference can be seen when looking at external ballistics tables for long range rifle shots. Bullets slow down much more quickly in cold weather.

In short, it takes more HP to push any vehicle through cold air than it does to push it through warm air. (assuming same barometric pressure, altitude, and relative humidity)

More HP means more fuel.

And I'm talking differences at speeds of only 40-45 mph where my truck spends most of it's time some days because we live so far away from anything and you have to go through miles of backroads and 2 lane rural highways through the woods and hills to get anywhere. So my mpg differences usually count mostly lower rpm and lower mph.
We are in that time of year where humidity can be 100%, pavement soaked and puddles from condensation, then it gets cold and you have freezing fog, then dense fog where you can't see the car ahead of you and it's only 3 feet away. It's interesting to note the changes in performance and mpg as you can watch your averages and currents change with the changing weather, all in a single day.

When I rigged the intake for my 4.0 I used an air box from a MOPAR and put it in the very far front left corner and aimed the opening to take the air coming in through the headlight area, to the left of the radiator. It's not real quiet, and I'm taking air from the coolest part of the engine bay, basically what blows in past the headlights and grill area to the side of the radiator. I wanted to avoid taking air that had gone through the radiator. It's similar to where AMC took the air originally as they had a flexible duct that connected to a scoop just behind the left headlights.

 

[dcmdon]

And I'm talking differences at speeds of only 40-45 mph where my truck spends most of it's time some days because we live so far away from anything and you have to go through miles of backroads and 2 lane rural highways through the woods and hills to get anywhere. So my mpg differences usually count mostly lower rpm and lower mph.
We are in that time of year where humidity can be 100%, pavement soaked and puddles from condensation, then it gets cold and you have freezing fog, then dense fog where you can't see the car ahead of you and it's only 3 feet away. It's interesting to note the changes in performance and mpg as you can watch your averages and currents change with the changing weather, all in a single day.

When I rigged the intake for my 4.0 I used an air box from a MOPAR and put it in the very far front left corner and aimed the opening to take the air coming in through the headlight area, to the left of the radiator. It's not real quiet, and I'm taking air from the coolest part of the engine bay, basically what blows in past the headlights and grill area to the side of the radiator. I wanted to avoid taking air that had gone through the radiator. It's similar to where AMC took the air originally as they had a flexible duct that connected to a scoop just behind the left headlights.

On these old engines cold air vs warm air can be the difference between having detonation and not. I've got a type of cold air air cleaner on my '66 chevy. I don't know if it does anything. But its nice to hear the secondary venturis open up. And that car is so slow that I get to floor it all the time. So the sound is fun.

I mentioned in another thread that I was at a freestyle competition a couple of weeks ago. It was 10 deg in the morning and something like 50 deg in the afternoon. On the way to the comp I averaged about 14.5 mpg. On the way home it was almost 17.

Crazy.

One other interesting thing. In every car I've owned, there has been a large difference in fuel economy in the city, where I am during the week, and in rural NH where I am on weekends and for a few weeks a year. The auto start stop is very effective in reducing fuel use when I'm in the city and the brick like aerodynamics really drag in the country. So I only get about a 1 mpg difference banging around in the city with an average speed of under 30 mph vs on the highway or state roads with a speed limit of 55 mph.

 

[NJMAX]

@NJMAXX Sorry 5:45am here so these pictures are not great but I am hoping they help. The hood cutout has a hard plastic flange for lack of better words on the inside. You will then see the air intake portion of the kit that is mounted to the inside of the passenger fender well. The hood cut out also comes with a cover (not shown in the picture) so if you are worried about rain/water you can cover the intake hole. If/when you do this it would obviously be like not cutting the hole in your hood at all.

As for performance. IMO I did not gain nor lose any performance by installing this CAI kit. That means nothing for you as my setup is most likely completely different and the beauty of owning these damn things. My Rubi is a 6-speed manual, I am running heavy 37" rubber on 18" wheels, I have gone from 4:10 to 4:88 gears, I have installed the Mopar performance exhaust and I could go on and on. Back to my point....I do not think I see any performance difference with this installed. Power feels about the same (could be me being hopeful but I may have felt a little gain in low gear, high RPM ranges), gas mileage still sucks (I avg around 14.5mpg). I like how it looks as I have not seen another one in my area and coupled with the performance exhaust I like how it sounds.

More than happy to crank up a quick facetime/video call and let you see/hear it if that will help. Shoot me a PM and I will send you my number.

@Russler This is very helpful. The photos help it to finally make sense to me. And all the posts info has helped my understanding and expectations a lot. Once my order arrives and i can see what was installed and what extra parts they left me I might have more questions for you Thanks!

 

[Timoleon]

Overland better fuel economy - taller gears, less weight, street tires.

Rubicon more "pep" - 4.11 gears. More intake noise gives the perception of power.

Thats kinda what I figured. Thanks for that dcmdon.

 

[NateKY]

This is not possible. A better flowing filter won't improve fuel economy. Remember that 99% of the time you have a throttle plate actively blocking most of your intake. The only time any kind of flow improvement makes any difference is at full throttle, when the throttle plate isn't blocking the intake anymore.

If your filter flows better then you will just need less throttle angle to make a given amount of power. Fuel is metered based on the actual air in the system.

The manifold pressure at the intake valve is what it is. It doesn't matter to the engine whether that pressure is achieved with a wide open throttle and a poor flowing filter or a great flowing filter at partial throttle.

I don’t know what to tell you other than I drove the truck for 19,000 miles and averaged 16-18 MPG for all driving conditions. I changed the filter and the last 1,500 miles has averaged 18-20 MPG. That is the only change that I made. If I’m lying, I’m dying. The Jeep engineer on here in some thread said to only use WIX filters so that is what I changed to.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Did the ambient/outside air temperature change?

 

[KurtP]

Hey guys I have a 2022 Wrangler Rubicon on order and added the Mopar CAI to my build. I am trying to figure out how the side vent if cut into the hood helps. Is there a port/tube that runs from the hood vent to the air filter box? Or does the vent just add extra air to the engine compartment? Do you get any benefit if you do not cut out the side hood vent? Did you use the air filter that came with the Mopar CAI or get a different one? I apologize up front for my ignorance but I’m trying to learn. Thanks for your help!

Not sure if you are still active on here but reaching out.
@Russler @KurtP @Mr._Bill @Jeepmonster @El_Zorro

not on much. The vent will open to the fender duct at the airbox. I didnt do it to mine so cant really comment.

 

[tcolt45]

my gladiator came from the factory with the Mopar CAI as an option. I have not noticed any difference in performance or mileage compared to another Gladiator that is in the family. I do notice a little more growl in the higher RPM range though.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

my gladiator came from the factory with the Mopar CAI as an option. I have not noticed any difference in performance or mileage compared to another Gladiator that is in the family. I do noticed a little more growl in the higher RPM range though.

I like the growl - that would be my reasoning for one. But I can't justify the $$ for the sound of heavy breathing.

 

[mark walk]

There is nothing like a "Cold Air Intake" to make the buyer want to tell others about how, "seat-of-the-pants" it's improved performance of his _____ vehicle.

Other than that, the risks of a CEL (Check Engine Light) or MAF (Mass Air Flow Sensor issue) or water ingestion or, or, or will make most spend their money in other ways especially on off road vehicles that are more likely to see a lot more water than other vehicles.

Been there, done that - won't do it again

i done the same never again waste of money

 

[NJMAX]

I have come across a part called Mopar Drop In Pre-Filter. It goes in the air box before the air filter. Anybody seen this? Is it useful or a waste of money scam?
Mopar part. 82216440AA

https://www.moparonlineparts.com/sk...MI3ZfE4Nvp9gIVg97ICh1wegmDEAQYASABEgJImPD_BwE

Thanks.
@Russler

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have come across a part called Mopar Drop In Pre-Filter. It goes in the air box before the air filter. Anybody seen this? Is it useful or a waste of money scam?
Mopar part. 82216440AA

https://www.moparonlineparts.com/sk...MI3ZfE4Nvp9gIVg97ICh1wegmDEAQYASABEgJImPD_BwE

Thanks.
@Russler

IMO it depends on at least two things -
How long will you keep the truck
Where do you drive

If you plan on keeping it a while it will save on the expensive air filters by catching the bugs, sand and other larger stuff and now and then you simply remove it and shake it out and/or wash it off and put it back. It keeps the larger stuff out of the main filter.
It could save you over the lift of the truck because your main filters will last longer - depending on where you drive.
I've had filters filled up with bugs and larger stuff at times (in the past) so that's what it prevents.
I guess I compare it to the pre-filters on our air cleaners in the house - the main filters are crazy expensive but I can take the pre-filters out and clean them and put them back because they catch the larger things.

So you'll get as many answers as there are people responding - some will see it as a total waste, others who drive in conditions that fill their main filter with stuff that could be caught with this may like it.
But if you won't be keeping the truck more than 2 or 3 air filters worth of time, likely not worth it.
There is no right or wrong answer - obviously there's been a call for it - it takes at least some money to engineer, test, package and market these things.

 

[Jaxmax]

Never saw the prefilter but I would not say Mopar is doing a scam, might be a good idea to catch larger debris before the paper filter. Is it worth 106 bucks, I don't know, but I bought a Mopar CAI, so I assume I'll have to get it! Ha.......Jack

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