Air Intake Systems allow for more engine power: quick tips for performance |
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Andrew Bernhardt
March 30, 2006
Want to squeeze every bit of power out of your vehicle's engine? Grabbing a high-performance air intake is the quick and easy route to several benefits, including:
• An instant increase in horsepower
• A noticeable boost to your throttle response
• Improved fuel economy
• A long-life, washable performance air filter
• Specialized engineering that's fine-tuned to your specific vehicle
• Straightforward, simple installation virtually anyone can complete
Horsepower increase from a performance air intake
As your new performance intake draws in a higher volume of air which may be much cooler, your engine can breathe easier than with a limiting stock system. With your combustion chamber filled by cooler, oxygen-rich air, fuel burns at a more efficient mixture. You get more power out of every drop of fuel when it's combined with the right amount of air.
With more air in the chamber, you can also burn more fuel than before. That's how a performance intake puts power at the pedal for you: reducing air temperatures, balancing fuel mixtures and providing more air for combustion.
Performance air intakes and boosted throttle response
With more air and cooler air ready and waiting for combustion, your engine's response at stoplights and freeway onramps quickens. Stock intakes often deliver warmer, fuel-rich combustion mixtures that cause your engine to lose power and responsiveness while running hotter and more sluggishly.
The difference in responsiveness isn't just noticeable; you can literally feel it in the seat of your pants. With a free-breathing intake system attached to your throttle body, your engine is literally inviting you to punch it.
Fuel economy with a performance air intake
You're probably guessing that extra power, cooler temperatures and improved gas mileage can't all come from the same product. Guess again! Performance air intakes can help your fuel economy in this wallet-gouging, price-per-gallon era by helping your air to fuel ratio get in line. Because you're getting more power from every drop by burning more efficiently, your engine uses less fuel at all times - city or highway. On average, drivers will see a 1-2mpg improvement.
There's a catch, though. Many drivers trade their limiting air intake for a performance air intake and can't resist using every bit of the horsepower and throttle gains. They'll drive like mad to the grocery store. They might peel-out at stoplights. Or even race the cops. It's called hard driving, and it's the fastest way to burn-up the gas mileage improvements provided by a performance air intake. Your best bet is to keep your driving habits relatively unchanged, enjoy the extra power at the pedal, and collect on the gas mileage savings.
Expert engineering of an air intake system
This isn't a piece of drainage pipe with a filter on the end. Air intake systems employ specially-shaped intake tubes designed to straighten airflow as much as possible while looking great in your engine compartment. These pipes are typically mandrel-bent, a process that doesn't crimp the pipe diameter at the bend.
Special care is given to locating the intake tube, air box and filter in the position that best fosters maximum performance. The materials used are also selected with optimum engine conditions in mind.
The fundamentals of installing a performance air intake on your vehicle
Not only is a performance air intake one of the most essential upgrades to your vehicle, it happens to be one of the easiest additions to install. With little more than a common socket set, a couple of screwdrivers and half an hour's time, you can have your new air intake in place and ready to roar.
Detailed instructions are included with every intake kit. These instructions go through the simple process of removing your stock intake system (including the tube and air box), and installing the new air intake in just a few minutes to stock mounting positions. No cutting, drilling or other modifications are required. What you do with your limiting stock intake next is, well, up to you.
Andrew Bernhardt researches performance products and writes copy for AutoAnything.com. Visit their site for air intakes and various brands like K&N air intakes and AEM air intakes.