It's old news by now, but...
It's old news by now, but S&B will engrave anything you like on the clear plexi filter cover. The new filter draws air from the stock location in the fender as well as from below the filter. We noticed low end acceleration is slightly improved with the S&B filter, but not much top end difference. For sure, the intake is a complementary component that really needs a free-flowing exhaust to shine. Still, we're happy with our ability to hear the variable-geometry turbo sing, and with our better low end seat-of-the-pants performance.
Now, we won't go into arguing the Magnusson-Moss act and how the factory has to prove an aftermarket part contributed to a defect. The point is, they're gonna try-and sometimes you just gotta pick your battles. So, while the aftermarket is hard at work coming up with ways to get around the overly complicated 6.7L engine management system without tripping diagnostic trouble codes, we decided to focus our attention on some areas of our new truck that we knew no dealership in the country could waive the "warranty voided" flag at. These will be modifications that not only make the truck more livable, drivable, and functional, but that will hopefully deliver a hidden benefit of better mileage.
So to kick things off, we're installing an S&B cold-air intake to replace the factory airbox and filter assembly. A cold-air intake is usually one of the first modifications any performance-minded truck owner bolts on. And whether it's for additional power potential, or simply to eliminate the need to purchase a paper panel element every few months, it's always a worthwhile effort. Tune in next month when we'll be adding a SnugTop shell for some added convenience and hopefully some better aerodynamics.
The Mileage Report
Here's the running tally for each installment of this series. Mileage numbers are generated on the same 250-mile mixed freeway and city street circuit and are hand-calculated by noting miles driven and fuel used from the same pump at the same fuel station. Numbers are the average of at least two test circuits. DP
Stock: 15.55 mpg
S&B Cold-Air Intake: 16.31 mpg
Hidden Benefit: 0.76 mpg