Ruger
FRF Addict
The reason I became interested in an aftermarket intake system is because I learned from poking around on the Ford Parts internet site that all of the intake components for all Ford trucks are the same part numbers regardless of engine displacement. Our big high performance 6.2L power plants are trying to suck air through the same components used on the mid-sized V6 powered trucks. Tube, airbox, airbox cover, filter, and snorkel are all the same part numbers. That may be convenient for Ford, but it's very definitely a compromise system for Raptor owners.
I carefully considered all of the aftermarket intakes available for the 6.2L Raptor (K&N, Volant, aFe, and AIRAID) and also considered Spectre's design-your-own system. I was particularly interested in non-oiled filters because I know that they can cause air flow sensor problems, and I experienced that myself on a previously owned vehicle.
I settled on AIRAID. They make only very reasonable performance claims, and are adamant about developing systems that are completely compatible with the factory tune. I really quizzed them on how they do that, and in the process exceeded the knowledge of the customer service rep. So I got to talk to one of their engineers, and that was very illuminating. They put the factory intake system on a flow bench, put power to the air sensor, and record readings across the power band. Then they put their system on the same flow bench and make modifications to it so that it emulates the readings they got from the airflow sensor on the factory system. That way their intake works perfectly with no further modifications to the vehicle or software. The kicker was the dyno sheet the engineer sent to me. In addition to the usual HP and torque curves, it also had air/fuel ratio curves - which proved to me that their system does not cause lean mixture problems. In fact, the air/fuel ratios for the AIRAID system were a little closer to the stoichiometric ideal than the factory system. That's what convinced me. Both customer service and engineering personnel were exceptionally patient with my questions and very forthcoming.
Installation is outstandingly simple. It's a matter of dismounting the airflow sensor from the factory tube, and then removing the factory tube, airbox cover and filter. Additional height for the airbox is provided via a two-piece metal box that is assembled with four nuts and bolts. It fits into the top of the factory airbox the same way that the factory airbox cover does. Then you mount the airflow sensor on the AIRAID tube and mount the tube (two hose clamps and two screws). Install the air filter (one hose clamp) and fit the gasket to the top of the airbox extension, and you're done. It's a 30 minute job. I'll upload photos shortly.
From the above you will note that the factory air plenum is retained. I like "intake honk" as much as anyone, but you can have too much of a good thing. There is a modest increase in sound, particularly at the shift from 1st to 2nd gears. It's not obtrusive in the least, and I attribute it to a non-restrictive intake system. The AIRAID filter (I bought the non-oiled SynthaMax version, though an oiled version remains available) has 72 deep pleats compared to the drop-in K&N filter's 32 pleats. Just visually, the difference in size is striking.
I filled up the tank immediately upon installation to provide a baseline for fuel economy comparisons. I keep track of mpg from fill up to fill up, and for my normal commuting/city driving I've been getting 15.1 mpg on 100% gasoline, 87 octane (no alcohol). Thus far the dash is telling me that the truck is now getting roughly 16.1 mpg for the same kind of driving with the same fuel. I will provide further mpg information as it develops.
Installation photos to follow.
I carefully considered all of the aftermarket intakes available for the 6.2L Raptor (K&N, Volant, aFe, and AIRAID) and also considered Spectre's design-your-own system. I was particularly interested in non-oiled filters because I know that they can cause air flow sensor problems, and I experienced that myself on a previously owned vehicle.
I settled on AIRAID. They make only very reasonable performance claims, and are adamant about developing systems that are completely compatible with the factory tune. I really quizzed them on how they do that, and in the process exceeded the knowledge of the customer service rep. So I got to talk to one of their engineers, and that was very illuminating. They put the factory intake system on a flow bench, put power to the air sensor, and record readings across the power band. Then they put their system on the same flow bench and make modifications to it so that it emulates the readings they got from the airflow sensor on the factory system. That way their intake works perfectly with no further modifications to the vehicle or software. The kicker was the dyno sheet the engineer sent to me. In addition to the usual HP and torque curves, it also had air/fuel ratio curves - which proved to me that their system does not cause lean mixture problems. In fact, the air/fuel ratios for the AIRAID system were a little closer to the stoichiometric ideal than the factory system. That's what convinced me. Both customer service and engineering personnel were exceptionally patient with my questions and very forthcoming.
Installation is outstandingly simple. It's a matter of dismounting the airflow sensor from the factory tube, and then removing the factory tube, airbox cover and filter. Additional height for the airbox is provided via a two-piece metal box that is assembled with four nuts and bolts. It fits into the top of the factory airbox the same way that the factory airbox cover does. Then you mount the airflow sensor on the AIRAID tube and mount the tube (two hose clamps and two screws). Install the air filter (one hose clamp) and fit the gasket to the top of the airbox extension, and you're done. It's a 30 minute job. I'll upload photos shortly.
From the above you will note that the factory air plenum is retained. I like "intake honk" as much as anyone, but you can have too much of a good thing. There is a modest increase in sound, particularly at the shift from 1st to 2nd gears. It's not obtrusive in the least, and I attribute it to a non-restrictive intake system. The AIRAID filter (I bought the non-oiled SynthaMax version, though an oiled version remains available) has 72 deep pleats compared to the drop-in K&N filter's 32 pleats. Just visually, the difference in size is striking.
I filled up the tank immediately upon installation to provide a baseline for fuel economy comparisons. I keep track of mpg from fill up to fill up, and for my normal commuting/city driving I've been getting 15.1 mpg on 100% gasoline, 87 octane (no alcohol). Thus far the dash is telling me that the truck is now getting roughly 16.1 mpg for the same kind of driving with the same fuel. I will provide further mpg information as it develops.
Installation photos to follow.
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