So, I was thinking about the intake track this week end. Regardless of the fuel used, cold air is denser air. Cold and dense air makes more power, and makes it more efficiently.

From what I'v read here, a cold air filter kit doesn't do anything for a stock truck. I can understand that. After the filter, it has a long way to go before it hits the intake manifold. The turbo can add a lot of heat, which makes for thin air. That huge cooler sheds the heat and condenses the air again. All of that is a good thing.

But, what happens to the air after it leaves the cooler? It's a long way to get to the cylinder. How much heat does that air pick up in that distance? I'm thinking of wrapping the entire intake track with exhaust wrap. Is it worth the trouble and expense to do that?

I'm considering experimenting with that come summer time. No point in doing that now. Wouldn't get an reliable data.

 

I can only speak for12 valves but have a temp sensor on my airhorn less than a foot from the manifold.
The temp is almost always 20F above the outside temp.
Indicates to me that the innercooler does a good job and doesn't really need any help.
Cummins says for maximum efficiency the intake temp should be 50-90°.
In the Montana winter I have hard time getting temps above 32°.
Trucks sound entirely different and noticeably lack in power when the intake is that cold.

 

This is intersting. I'm not sure if u would really gain anything or not. The charged air leaving the turbo is alot hotter then most people think due to the act of compressing the air. U might actually raise the temp a little because the air might still be cooling down by just traveling from the cooler to the engine. Just my theory.

 

Colder air is denser containing more oxygen per cubic measure. That translates to more combustion power, assuming fuel to burn. Cold air intakes are always a good idea. If the air is 10 degrees cooler entering the turbo, it will be 10 degrees cooler at the intake valve. Sure, the turbo adds heat and the intercooler cools it again. But both are working from a starting reference (at the intake), with any heat added or taken away relative to that starting point.

 

Well, that's the theory. It sounds good to me, anyway. Maybe in the summer I'll use a pyro and do some experimenting.

 

pretty soon we'll all have about 30 temperature gauges in our trucks

 

I have a scan tool that shows me IAT, as measured at the MAP. Normal driving on any given day the IAT is about 10* higher than the OAT. Normal hwy towing produces 20-30* above OAT, and a hot/heavy tow up a long hill can produce temps as high at 40* above OAT, but 30* is generally the most I see above OAT.

 

If you want to improve (cool) the temperature going into the intake, instead of wrapping the pipe from the inner cooler to the intake, put fins on the outside to expel more heat.

 

Fins are a heat transfer device - a heat exchanger. They can transfer heat into the air charge just as easily as transferring it away.

I have a bulley dog outlook monitor, But I didn't see IAT as one of the options. Maybe I'll have to get a scan tool.