Air intake kits
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,707
Likes: 897
From: CONCORD CA.
the majority of what I've heard and read is, that if you have a stock set-up ( engine / exhaust ), stay with the
stock air intake. not much gains to had with aftermarket pieces.
once you start upping the HP, then you realized the gains from a CAI.
you will also need to determine which set up is best for your situation ( i.e. cam, heads, headers / exhaust, chips ).
slippery slope. kind of why I'm staying stock. until the need for any major repairs, i'll stay with the stock set-up.
seems best the street anyways.
stock air intake. not much gains to had with aftermarket pieces.
once you start upping the HP, then you realized the gains from a CAI.
you will also need to determine which set up is best for your situation ( i.e. cam, heads, headers / exhaust, chips ).
slippery slope. kind of why I'm staying stock. until the need for any major repairs, i'll stay with the stock set-up.
seems best the street anyways.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 401
Likes: 79
From: Northeast PA
Z06 stock filters will allow better flow, hard to quantify though... you didn't mention your year, but LS2's benefit much more to intake improvements then LS3's, if that's a consideration. BUT those filters are like 50-60bucks, heck of a lot for some paper & rubber...
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
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From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
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Safety Car
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 4,676
Likes: 1,856
From: Erlanger, Kentucky
Add to that the gain is minimal (if any).
The best intake is the factory intake especially if it is a Grand Sport or Z06.
There is a gain to be had by installing an intake shroud which many intakes do come with. But there are shrouds you can get for stock intakes. The shroud will isolate the air intake so that it minimized ingestion of hot air from the engine compartment. This won't give a gain in power but it will keep the power more consistent.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 616
Likes: 193
From: Gilbert AZ
On my Grand Sport with a Lingenfelter cam, Brian Tooley Racing rockers, Kooks headers, high flow Kooks cats, NPP mufflers, Holley Diablosport tune, 100 octane fuel, we did back to back dyno pulls to see if a $500.00 Corsa carbon fiber cold air intake would make any difference. The car consistently made about 6 more horsepower with the Corsa kit. Definitely not something you'd feel in normal driving, and not a great horsepower per dollar ratio either.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 255
Likes: 41
From: Lake Charles LA
I have an Air Raid intake on my stock '06. I don't know if it helps much but it sure looks a helluva lot more macho than the chunky, stock air box. It was extremely easy to install in only a few minutes.
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There are dyno sheets that prove they do work, spend the time looking at the website of the CAI that you want, they typically have the dyno sheets there for you to look at
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,108
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Never trust a dyno for anything beyond tuning a car while still strapped on the dyno. You can even gain or lose 5 hp, simply by how tight the straps are cinched down.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,757
Likes: 267
I just added a shroud to my LS3 setup. Also opened up the fan shroud to assure plenty of fresh air reaches the intake. Inexpensive and probably as effective as some CAI setups, although I don't have data to prove it.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 22,755
Likes: 1,697
From: South Carolina
What he said and on top of the on a dyno the car isn't moving so that will further cloudy any real differences... Imo I would just use the z06 and then get the gm zr1 filter...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 1,030
Likes: 219
From: Fredericksburg VA
Worth the money? Not just no but hell no. Most aftermarket air intakes are in the $400 to $500 range which is just ridiculous. If intakes were more like $200, then they would maybe be worth it.
Add to that the gain is minimal (if any).
The best intake is the factory intake especially if it is a Grand Sport or Z06.
There is a gain to be had by installing an intake shroud which many intakes do come with. But there are shrouds you can get for stock intakes. The shroud will isolate the air intake so that it minimized ingestion of hot air from the engine compartment. This won't give a gain in power but it will keep the power more consistent.
Add to that the gain is minimal (if any).
The best intake is the factory intake especially if it is a Grand Sport or Z06.
There is a gain to be had by installing an intake shroud which many intakes do come with. But there are shrouds you can get for stock intakes. The shroud will isolate the air intake so that it minimized ingestion of hot air from the engine compartment. This won't give a gain in power but it will keep the power more consistent.
You mention the stock GS/Z06 intakes are the best. I guess for the added hood vent, or is there more to it than that. Also, what type of shroud are you talking about. Wouldn’t mind doing something like that on my GS if it would be beneficial.
What about the filter itself in the stock intake. Any of those aftermarket filters beneficial or are they just a gimmick? I am guessing the latter.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,108
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
yeah I always thought the intakes were way over priced. I agree if they were in the $200 range it would make more reasonable sense.
You mention the stock GS/Z06 intakes are the best. I guess for the added hood vent, or is there more to it than that. Also, what type of shroud are you talking about. Wouldn’t mind doing something like that on my GS if it would be beneficial.
What about the filter itself in the stock intake. Any of those aftermarket filters beneficial or are they just a gimmick? I am guessing the latter.
You mention the stock GS/Z06 intakes are the best. I guess for the added hood vent, or is there more to it than that. Also, what type of shroud are you talking about. Wouldn’t mind doing something like that on my GS if it would be beneficial.
What about the filter itself in the stock intake. Any of those aftermarket filters beneficial or are they just a gimmick? I am guessing the latter.
OEM filters (Donaldson) are the best filters. The early ones ('08-'10) filtered better than the later ones on a LS3, but any of them filter better than any aftermarket. The aftermarket favors performance, and not much of that, over filtration.
The simplest way to colder air and the subsequent power increase, while retaining good filtration, is the $2 propped shroud mod. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-question.html (post #16)