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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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1/26/2005
10:16:13

Subject: RE: Cold-Air Intake - improves gas mileage?
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After reading all the above threads I'm not gonna
do any intence mods. So far I've replaced my air
filter with a K&N drop in. I plan to replace my
muffler with a Flow Master (Cat Back) when it
rots out. That's it!

Reading the above, I really see no need to do
anything else. I'm after mileage not more horse
power. My 4.7 was not factory built to be a
racing engine anyway. Treat it right and it will
last many years.




hybrid
Dodge Dakota
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1/26/2005
20:27:21

RE: Cold-Air Intake - improves gas mileage?
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Lurkin,
Do you mind elaborating on what you said?
From my understanding the headers play a role in scavenging. The runners are cut to certain lengths to time the exhaust pulses. Time the pulses right, you'll increase flow of the exhaust out of the header into the collector. It's when you have two exhaust pulses coming together into the collector at the same time that effects flow.Thats why some headers are so expensive (mostly race design), they spend the R&D time in the beginning to have a product that performs in the end. most headers on the market are not designed to take advantage of the scavenging effect, but to clear clearace issues(frame block etc), to look nice and increase flow by using smoother more flowing mandrel bends and collector designs that maximize the trnsition from the runners to the exhaust. They do very little to for scavenging.



hybrid
Dodge Dakota
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1/26/2005
20:32:38

RE: Cold-Air Intake - improves gas mileage?
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I know it's not for a dakota, but for my car I can get any off the self header for about $150- $300 depending on the name brand and if it's creamic coated or not. A true race oriented header designed for racing applications (not your average street car) costs anywhere from $900 for a cheap one to $1,500 for the best of the best. Thse ones take advantage of scavenging. The time has been invested in maximizing flow, thus the cost is being passed down to the consumer. Who inturn wins because they have a header that increases performance above and beyond the average run of the mill header.



ecdak
Dodge Dakota
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2/26/2005
03:51:20

RE: Cold-Air Intake - improves gas mileage?
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if everyone of you knows exactly what they are talking about we are all up a creek without that wad of cash to but all this useless sh*t we can't make a paddle out of. I did notice a slot in the hood of my 02 dak right above my airaid. If I had more balls than sense a tiny scoop could force air right in the box. crazy. I could probabaly sell that to and everyone would debate the merits of that also while i swim in money. I got my pipes and mods cause they do sound incredible together. we could get together and dyno each motor with a combo of mods and get the real scoop, without each retailer telling us what his products gain is. Cosumer reports fo mods. who's crazy. Other wise it is like viagra, personal results will vary



RICquad2000
Dodge Dakota
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2/28/2005
13:32:13

RE: Cold-Air Intake - improves gas mileage?
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Apparently they do vary because I've asked 5 people and gotten 5 different answers. Its seems like maximum money for minimal results. As automotively retarded as I am, these are the descisions I've heard are the best ones to decide on. lol
1. I've even heard that the drop in K&N filter is the way to go and that their intake is just a waste of money. But I just read that the "snorkel" intake on our dakotas work noticeably less efficient. Leading to my next thought...
2. That the throttle spacer works and spirals the air in where it needs to be done. But then again the factory accordian tube that runs from the air box seems like it would restrict air flow before it even gets there.
3. Logic would have it here that the intake and the spacer would compliment eachother for obvious reasons. But then the hundreds of dollars for whatever gains come out of it would have to be worth it. To some it is, and like yall said, to some it isn't.
4. Because at this point the exaust would make a difference, and will cost you some more. Now to me, all this is worth it if it'll run better and have more power and mileage because I want to keep my Dakota for a long time. I would like to find out what would be the best exaust for what setup, but thats another subject that everybody has a different soapbox on.
I'm just like a lot of people. I'm in search of some concrete truths on how to get it to run better. For people who have gone on ahead and done intakes and exaust, what approx gains are you actually seeing? I'd take an increase to 18mpg for a few hundered bucks. I've been eyeing K&N's intake for a minute now.



opie
Dodge Dakota
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2/28/2005
16:14:49

RE: Cold-Air Intake - improves gas mileage?
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Ditto '01Motorsport. Ditto.

As for intakes, the stock intake has over 6 90* turns in it. A well built CAI has 2, at the most. Imagine breathing through your kids' fun swirly straw versus one of those big Sonic Route 44 straws. The less work the engine has to do to breathe in, the more power it can put out at the crank. Test this by taking off your intake and putting your hand over the TB for about 30 seconds. If your engine is still running, it is probably smoking and putting out less HP than a hamster wheel. More restriction = less power. The same goes for the opposite. less restriction = more power.

Exhausts: Nobody ever supercharged their exhaust to "suck" air out of the block. That is just retarded and WILL burn valves. You don't want to pull still-burning fuel-air mixture out of the exhaust port. You lose power and tend to make things go boom.

The only instance I can see of someone PULLING air out of thier engine is with straight pipes out the back of a non-carb engine going over 160 MPH. The vacuum at the back of the vehicle sucks burning gasses out of the engine and hurts performance and the engine's life.

What the pros do is allow the hot air coming out of the engine to expand. The Snomobile guys do it and can use thier 'mobiles as jetski's over water. The more room an engine has to expel hot air, the better, as long as there is no vaccuum.

As for headers and pulses: it is up to the owner as to what he/she wants. They may be the key to an amazing award-winning vehicle, but I am not going to worry about it. With cats being as restrictive as they are, colliding exhaust pulses are the least of my worrys.

I have the true duals on my 4.7 4X4 CC and it makes a world of difference. I have heard everything from "the gases aren't moving fast enough" to "it's too loud" to "you are going to burn a valve like that." 25,000 miles, new HO cams, new TB, cold air K&N intake, and a new set of tires later, and my big BF Goodrich meats are the only things that burn.



01Motorsport
Dodge Dakota
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3/02/2005
13:02:56

RE: Cold-Air Intake - improves gas mileage?
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Thought provoking, opie. However, I would think that an engine with enough moxie to propel a vehicle to 160mph would be "blowing" way more than "pulling" exhaust LOL. My homebrew CAI makes 2 turns to the TB. After being gathered by the 6" Fernco into the stock airbox, one turn up through the K&N drop-in, then shoved down the smooth 3" alloy straight tube directly through to the matching 3" 90 degree mandrel-bent curve into the TB. The factory snorkel had to suck air more than accept it. Comparing the two Daks I've owned, I found it curious that the pipe diameter and cat converter diameter varied. On the '92 5.2, 2 1/4" pipes fed into a 3" converter, while on the '01 4.7, 2" feed into a 2 1/2" converter. I've got a Flowmaster 70 w/ 2 1/2" duals now, but plan on working on the "front end" with 2 1/4" after the pre-cats into a Magnaflow Y-pipe and 3" Magnaflow converter. My '01 has 106K, so I'll chalk it up to "justifiable maintenance".



ricardcapecod
Dodge Dakota
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3/14/2005
14:37:58

RE: Cold-Air Intake - improves gas mileage?
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Hi 01 motorsport. I`ve read your posts every where and i have a lotta respect for your oppinions and advices.
As to the CAI, or any other improvement, they all help. Not exactly on gas consumption, but producing a few more horses, wich translates to less gas pedal. Then, yes, it helps w/ mileage.
Just don`t do it to save money. Do it for the performance increase and in a few years they will pay for thanselves.




ricardcapecod
Dodge Dakota
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3/14/2005
14:39:46

RE: Cold-Air Intake - improves gas mileage?
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Hi 01 motorsport. I`ve read your posts every where and i have a lotta respect for your oppinions and advices.
As to the CAI, or any other improvement, they all help. Not exactly on gas consumption, but producing a few more horses, wich translates to less gas pedal. Then, yes, it helps w/ mileage.
Just don`t do it to save money. Do it for the performance increase and in a few years they will pay for thanselves.




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