Ticeman
Newbie
There are several intake kits available thru the aftermarket that are note worthy.
Of the Plug-and-Play versions, there is only one that works all through the rev range, that is the Fuel Customs Intake or FCI.
Let me first say that the stock intake is an awesome design for driveability, it makes the best bottom end power of all current intake kits available but severely limits the top power.
The 2 available Ron Woods intakes promote one or the other, top or bottom power but are unable to do both. The ESR intake in it's raw form is a pathetic performer at the bottom of the rev range but makes up for it by performing at the top. One Ron Woods intake requires the use of the air box, the other does not. The ESR does not use the air box. The FCI can be run either way.
Both of the Woods, and the ESR intake, fight angles and shaping of the runners that cause power to be placed at one point or another in the rpm range. The ESR is an awesome piece if all you want is top end. The opposite of the Woods in-box design. The ESR loses power at the bottom but what it loses it gains back at the top. Just the opposite for the Woods. All the while, the stock intake with a ProFlow adapter and a (poor) K&N filter with Outerwears makes more average power.
The FCI on the otherhand is a correctly designed kit that can be run with or w/o the airbox. With an outwears over the filter it can be run without the box with little fear of sucking water into the motor, it'd have to be submerged in water for this to happen. The intake runner is litterally a velocity stack design turned on it's side with a bend in it for the shock. It has a constant 7 deg taper built into the design, the proper shaping for high velocity intake air, which means more consistent, linear power delivery.
The FCI makes as much torque and power as the stock intake at bottom of the rev range and more power on top than the ESR. It does not make as much power on the bottom as the Ron Woods but it doesn't fall off like the RW does on top either. The difference between the Woods and the FCI on top is as much as 5 hp from the peak to as much as 7 hp at the limiter. The ESR is 20% less than the stock and FCI at the bottom and usually around 2 hp at the top with the FCI coming out on top, again the FCI has less fall off after the peak.
Now. The ESR intake can be fixed to a degree. It can be made to deliver almost as much power as the stock and FCI at the bottom, and more power at the top but, the cost in time is fairly significant and you HAVE to know what you're doing or it won't work. The power at the top is measureable but, not very significant. The reason I mention this is because the cost of the ESR is half that of the FCI. So, if you're the type of guy that doesn't mind spending time fixing things and KNOW what you are doing, you can save some money. You'll also have to spend the money and replace the fake K&N with a better filter.
Sorry for the length here. Discussion?
Of the Plug-and-Play versions, there is only one that works all through the rev range, that is the Fuel Customs Intake or FCI.
Let me first say that the stock intake is an awesome design for driveability, it makes the best bottom end power of all current intake kits available but severely limits the top power.
The 2 available Ron Woods intakes promote one or the other, top or bottom power but are unable to do both. The ESR intake in it's raw form is a pathetic performer at the bottom of the rev range but makes up for it by performing at the top. One Ron Woods intake requires the use of the air box, the other does not. The ESR does not use the air box. The FCI can be run either way.
Both of the Woods, and the ESR intake, fight angles and shaping of the runners that cause power to be placed at one point or another in the rpm range. The ESR is an awesome piece if all you want is top end. The opposite of the Woods in-box design. The ESR loses power at the bottom but what it loses it gains back at the top. Just the opposite for the Woods. All the while, the stock intake with a ProFlow adapter and a (poor) K&N filter with Outerwears makes more average power.
The FCI on the otherhand is a correctly designed kit that can be run with or w/o the airbox. With an outwears over the filter it can be run without the box with little fear of sucking water into the motor, it'd have to be submerged in water for this to happen. The intake runner is litterally a velocity stack design turned on it's side with a bend in it for the shock. It has a constant 7 deg taper built into the design, the proper shaping for high velocity intake air, which means more consistent, linear power delivery.
The FCI makes as much torque and power as the stock intake at bottom of the rev range and more power on top than the ESR. It does not make as much power on the bottom as the Ron Woods but it doesn't fall off like the RW does on top either. The difference between the Woods and the FCI on top is as much as 5 hp from the peak to as much as 7 hp at the limiter. The ESR is 20% less than the stock and FCI at the bottom and usually around 2 hp at the top with the FCI coming out on top, again the FCI has less fall off after the peak.
Now. The ESR intake can be fixed to a degree. It can be made to deliver almost as much power as the stock and FCI at the bottom, and more power at the top but, the cost in time is fairly significant and you HAVE to know what you're doing or it won't work. The power at the top is measureable but, not very significant. The reason I mention this is because the cost of the ESR is half that of the FCI. So, if you're the type of guy that doesn't mind spending time fixing things and KNOW what you are doing, you can save some money. You'll also have to spend the money and replace the fake K&N with a better filter.
Sorry for the length here. Discussion?
