Are Cold Air Intakes Worth it?
 

Does anyone have a cold air intake on their truck and did you notice any gains in hp and gas mileage and what kind do you have?Are they worth the money?

No, they are not worth the money. Unless you just want one for looks and noise don't bother.

+1

The OEM intake is a cold air intake! Stay with the OEM paper filter, and you will get the best performance, and engine longevity.

Here are some givens with a CAI:

• CAI will boost your performance, only if you have a dirty MAF.
• The CAI will increase the engine noise to a deeper growl, but more noise doesn't make for better performance.
• The newer vehicles already have intakes drawing air from exterior of the engine compartment and are CAI.
• CAI look good on some rigs.
• The performance felt after installing a CAI is from the 'Butt Dyno' response - because you think it will works, therefore it feels like it is working.
• CAI will drain your wallet.

I bought one for my truck when I got it. The whistling noise got old really fast, so I sold it for what I paid for it. Taking it off made my exhaust a little quieter too

Actually, a CAI will make your performance worse with a dirty MAF. The reduced air velocity across the MAF sensor (due to the larger intake diameter) will cause it to measure even less air.

thanks everyone you helped me make my decision

CAI's have larger diameter and straighter intake tubes which allows more air by volume (flow), which is what the sensors are measuring - not velocity. It's all about the CFM and air density.

This is the first sentence in your link:

A hot wire mass airflow sensor determines the mass of air flowing into the engine’s air intake system. The theory of operation of the hot wire mass airflow sensor is similar to that of the hot wire anemometer (which determines air velocity).

Ford uses a hot wire airflow sensor. There will not be any more air volume with the larger diameter, and this is why the air velocity will drop. This is because the smaller diameter OEM intake tube isn't the limiter for the volume of air flow. Same volume of air with larger diameter = lower velocity. With the lower air velocity across the HOT MAF sensor, the change in resistance will be less, measuring lower air flow.

I know what the first sentence in my link is....you aren't reading it right. This is what that sentence is saying....

A hot wire anemometer measures Air Velocity. A hot wire mass airflow sensor has a theory of operation that is similar to a hot wire anemometer. It's mass not velocity.

Here's more info on the theory of CAI and MAF