Taquache

Hi all, I usually frequent the Cummins Forum but I figured I'd share this info with anyone interested in upgrading their intake set up on their truck

I was recently approached by S&B to install a slew of their products and review them on my '07 5.9. I was very excited to have this opportunity and jumped at the chance

The parts shipped to me were:

75-5047 Cold Air Intake Kit (Cleanable Cotton Filter)
76-1004 CNC Intake Elbow, 100% Machine Cut & TIG Welded
76-1005 CNC Heater Block, 100% Machine Cut
KF-1035D Replacement Filter for S&B Cold Air Intake Kit (Disposable, Dry Media)
KF-1035 Oiled Filter Included in the intake kit
WF-1023 Filter Wrap for KF-1035
AS-5049 Scoop (Standard Bumper) for 75-5043 & 75-5047
88-0008 Precision II: Cleaning & Oil Kit (Red)
WF-1028 Water Protection Wrap for Scoop, Fits 75-5049



The Elbow I believe is a new product that they are offering. I really like the styling and machined look along with the TIG welds. The Grid Heater Delete also felt very nice and seemed to be lighter than my previous one. Just holding that piece made me smile. (weird I know)



The scoop exits (or starts) below the bumper and feeds the bottom of the filter.



I'm not going to go through step by step instruction on the install since the full color instructions with photographs and diagrams from S&B are more than helpful if you've never done this before. I'll be giving my pros and cost to each product along with a few pictures. So here we go:


I started off by removing my original GHD, Ice Box with Amsoil Nano Filter and Pre filter, DDP Cool Tube, and CFM+ Intake Elbow.



All of my parts were color matched EBP so I might have to throw some paint on some of the S&B parts in the future. I might keep the Elbow in is natural finish as I think its quite and attractive piece.

Here is the engine bay torn down, you can see I have a HTT Stainless Manifold, 66mm turbo, and a GDP Polished AirBoss. I had slight reservations as to the fitment of the S&B Products with the rest of these aftermarket pieces.





Please excuse the dirty engine compartment. This week is the first week I've been able to have my truck running in the last two months!!

First thing to install on the truck was the GHD:





It fit nicely and I really liked the synthetic gaskets that came with the kit.

They were cut for above and below the Block as to not interfere with air flow, causing turbulence.





Much easier to handle and deal with than the stiff coated factory gaskets.

Taquache

Next was the Intake Elbow:


I like the replacement boot between the elbow and the intercooler outlet pipe with the S&B logo printed on it, much much more durable than factory and it comes with one good clamp. Not a regular worm clamp. (The boot only has the logo printed on one side if you don’t want it to show, just rotate it 180°)
This thing is sweet! It fits well and looks fantastic (pictures just don't do it justice)
It comes with 8 ports for injectables or gauges that I will begin to utilize in the near future with first installing my Boost Gauge in the back side.

I’m not sure how I feel about the gap between the mounting plate and the elbow itself. It is seamless on the bottom side and is TIG welded in place but not all the way around. This might be due to the manufacturing process or what have you but I would like to see that gap filled so that it does not trap moisture or dirt and debris.

The first few issues arose with this Elbow.
#1:
One of the holes drilled on the top of the Elbow was not straight and this puts a lean in the plug or whatever else you might add on the top. Some people may not notice when its installed but I saw it immediately and reinstalled that plug for that port a couple times to see if I had gotten it cross threaded… I had not.
#2: My GDP AirBoss is taller than the factory plenum and even with the longer of the two studs included in the kit there is not enough thread to use the nyloc nuts correctly. NOTE: This is only an issue because of my plenum and if your truck is stock it’s a non issue. I’ll probably get some longer studs at some point. The Allen Head bolts for the valve cover side of the elbow could be a little longer in my situation however they were able to thread tightly.

Now we move to the pre turbo side of the motor. I liked the mass of all of the products even though they are plastic they look and feel durable. I believe being plastic will also help prevent heat soak. My old Ice Box was 100% metal and would get hot after long road trips. I’m looking forward to a long term review of this S&B box to see how it holds up.

I opted to immediately ditch the oiled filter for the Dry with the Filter Wrap. I have always been wary of oiled filters as I know my own maintenance routine and tend to forget about the air filter dept.
Both filters are nice and feel to be well constructed. Both are also large enough to provide plenty of filtering surface area without sacrificing performance. I did like the inset to the dry filter allowing more filter area as opposed to my Amsoil that was closed in flush on the outer end.

The Filter wrap is a great addition to any intake system S&B or not! Especially if you sometimes neglect your Air Filter. This product fit the filter nice and snug with no loose ends.

Here is the intake installed on my truck using all new hardware including new screws for the IAT sensor (a big plus over the tiny allen head bolts)

I like that the entire box does not need to me removed to change the filter and that the portion of the lid where the filter is attached comes out as a smaller section which makes servicing or changing filters very easy. No more wrestling filters onto the box and trying to get them properly aligned.
The acrylic section of the lid is calling out my name and requesting to be back lit, probably with some blue LEDs I’m not sure what it might cost to add this as an option from S&B directly but it might be popular.
I’d also like to get another piece cut and etched with my Taquache.

The clearance is hard to see here but there is a small gap between my HTT manifold and the down tube on the CAI. This was one of my primary concerns however after assembling the kit loosely I was able to tighten it all down and keep the plastic from contacting the manifold. I might do some heat wrap in the future if I notice a problem.

Here is the provided boot and clamps for mounting the tube onto the turbo. I would have liked to have seen better clamps instead of the worm type (might swap them out in the future) along with a wider piece of scilicone. It’s not quite enough to seat fully against the back of the inlet on the turbo AND feel solid on the tube.

Taquache

On to the scoop:
Provided to me was a pre filter that attached to the lower section of the scoop during the assembly process:

I like the location and the fact that it is reinforced, snug, and bolts in to place. If you’re looking at ordering the scoop I highly recommend getting the filter also.
The scoop also helped firm up the box as I no longer run a passenger batter, battery box, or inner fender. Some of which these product installs on or with.
The scoop presented another issue. It is stated in the directions that it will only fit a standard chrome bumper and not the Laramie. This is due to the Laramie being a deeper bumper. Its not much deeper but it is enough to make installation difficult. I ended up trimming out a piece of the lower valance to help clearance the bumper for the scoop and will be going back in the daylight some time and modifying another valance for a closer fit. No harm against S&B as the instructions state its not for my bumper but I can make it work just fine


Here are a few more pictures:

And I cant forget who I’m representing:


In summary:
Overall I’m very happy with the quality and finish of the products from S&B. They look to be durable and well engineered. I did notice a little decrease in the noise from my turbo but didn’t notice much difference in EGT or spool times, however I went from aftermarket to aftermarket and not stock to aftermarket. This set up would be a major improvement over a full factory system.
None of the issues I had effected install or the operation of the products. The instructions were very detailed and quite helpful. If you order all of the parts I installed there are lots of left over nuts, bolts, washers, gaskets, and loctite. The help I got from Ryan @ S&B was great and I was very happy with everything installed. I look forward to getting some better pictures, long term review, and maybe adding some paint/lights to this under hood candy! THANKS S&B!!!

Lost Lake

That's the only part I have a hard time swallowing.

It seams that guys that spend a lot of coin on CAI systems and exhaust systems like to THINK they are getting an improvement, but the dyno never shows it.

The grid delete may help a tad and the horn probably does, but the fancy intake filter and the scoop and all that other plumbing I ain't buying that it does anything more than a stock intake filter with a home depot air mod.

I'd love to see some real dynos before and after from real live people, not salesmen. So far nobody has ever produced one.

Taquache

Less than HP the improvements would be better/increased airflow thus improving effiency

Lost Lake

When efficiency goes up, horsepower goes up, or the opposite with the same net effect.

The key is we don't run out of air until we start putting out more than about 450 horses. Then you may need to increase airflow. Look at how much air your engine needs to run, then flow test the stock intake and see if you are choking it. You're not.

The salesmen can tell you a big shiny pipe is going to triple your horsepower and double your mileage and by God some guys swear it does! I've seen this often enough to make me puke.

I can show you tablets you drop in your fuel tank to increase power and mileage. I can show you magnets to put on your fuel line to increase power and mileage. I can show you an air spinner in the intake hose that does the same thing.

And all these gizmos have sworn testimony that they work! Hundreds of people swear fuel tablets work!!

And they do work.... In your head. You think you get a benefit. You can't show it on a machine, but you swear it's real. And it may be.... You can get better mileage running without a muffler because the exhaust is louder, you may drive more gently. Is the benefit from the muffler? Not really. Not directly anyway.

The human mind works in mysterious ways. I can't hit a pink golf club to save my life. Same golf club but sprayed pink, and I can't hit it. Does that make the silver club better? No. It's in my head.

My daughter couldn't get 50 mpg in her little car as hard as she tried. I drove it with her on a trip and got 54. Now she gets over 50 all the time.

To each his own. I'm in a funk today... Glad you used a paper element in the intake, those oil ones scare me and I own 6 machines that use them.

Taquache

Good thing my last dyno was 692 then

I agree that these products are hyped up quite a bit however I believe you will see gains across the board, though small. Alone none of these things will net much benefit however an intake tuner exhaust combo will be much better than just one of the afore mentioned modifications

Lost Lake

Yes if that is your hp number you need air.

There have been so many guys on here that have been good enough to test some of these claims... You can search and find a lot of them. One that really sticks in my head is running a stock intake and exhaust (the newer ones like my '06 with the 4" exhaust) on the dyno, then taking the intake off completely (before the turbo) and taking the exhaust off completely after the header and running the dyno again to see what the maximum gain could be..... Kind of a baseline pre-work test just to see what maximum gains would be....

And the results were zero.

So the conclusion was NO intake could do better than removing the intake completely, and NO exhaust could have less back pressure than removing the exhaust completely, so these claims that swapping out a filter or putting on a free flow muffler can make a difference are pretty shaky.

Except in your head. If you believe it, then it is so.

And when the power goes up to 450 and above... when you really need some airflow.

Taquache

Well I'm pretty happy with this set up so far, between the manifold and all of the intake parts.

I'm pulling less than 1100 EGTs on the hills between Midland and Dallas where it would previously hit 13 or so.

my GF drove the ol hooker at the track last night in Denton and won the brackets! EGTs were staying below 1200 in the 1/8th where previously it would easily hit 1400+

bonus

You removed a battery, did you relocate, or do you run a single?

Taquache

I'm running a single optima blue top. I've had it that way for about a year with no issues.

bonus

Thanks for the intel.

Taquache

No problemo. Be sure to use proper gauge wire from alternator to drivers side battery. I believe I ran 00

jhenson

Please tell me that in one of your photos I did not see a set of curb feelers? If so, I'd say you are definitely one of a kind my friend . The products dressed up the engine bay and look nice....really like the look of the intake horn....a bit pricey for me though.

Taquache

The truck sure did have curb feelers, I've ran them on two of my previous trucks. LOL

It's got Mexican blanket interior also.

Here is the whole truck for those who haven't seen it.