j-red-lee

For Hp and fuel efficiency gain, I want to add an air intake system, most likely a K&N. Unfortunately, K&N does not offer one for the 2010 year. Has anyone been successful using an air intake from a previous year Impala?

csawyer

I thought about the same thing for my 2010 LTZ. You can search the forum and there are a few threads on here about guys that built their own CAI's. With the setup under our hoods, you really can't get a true CAI without cutting holes in the front end of your car and running hoses to route the air. I checked with a motor guy I know here in town and he basically said that the only real advantage to putting a CAI on my car would be a very slight gas mileage increase if I do a lot of highway driving. There are really no noticeable gains in HP and you might actually decrease a little bit of your bottom end and that might work against your efficiency in city driving. I changed the filter out, but not the whole intake. I'm thinking I'll put a throttle body spacer in it and change the exhaust so that I'm getting the most intake velocity and efficient exhaust elimination without trying to go overboard on the intake. I've had a CAI on every vehicle I've ever owned, but based on what I've read and what I've been told by people more knowledgeable than me, CAI's aren't worth the money on our V6 Impalas.

__________________
Sawyer
"Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly!"

C.E.Divine

You wont see much improvement in horsepower or fuel economy with an aftermarket intake. For the amount of power these cars make, the stock intake is more than sufficient. Take you money you would spend on the intake and instead call will at overkill motorsports an engine tune instead. They are 150 bucks after he refunds you your core charge for the stock PCM. That will get you a much bigger increase in horsepower and economy for the same money. He also changes the transmission settings, so you feel a much firmer, quicker shift, which can extend the life of the transmission. Another thing he can do is tune out those annoying oxygen sensor codes that trip even if something is just a touch out of spec. The computer is so sensitive to those things that even when they are still fine, it will trip them.

kingnutin

Also, throttle body spacers will not change your airflow, the only purpose they can ever serve, is offering a place to inject NOS.

__________________
1978 Caprice Classic Landau
350 2-bolt, stock 4bbl
Stock rebuilt TH350
Edelbrock performer cam + intake
Dual 2 1/2" Flowmaster exhuast (waiting to be installed)
Edelbrock IAS Classic shocks
95 9C1 3.08 posi
4 wheel disc brakes!
16x8 American Racing Baja's with 225/60/16 Pirelli P4's

csawyer

If you get the right throttle body spacer with the helical bore in it, it actually spins the air as it goes into the throttle body and adds some velocity. Granted, it's not much, but extra air velocity will charge better and works to "force feed" the air into the motor. The new exhaust pulls more air out at higher velocity. More air in + more air out = better efficiency and hopefully more power. I realize we're talking small amounts here, but for the difference in cost between these upgrades and a CAI, it's worth it. Also, the computer tune will help maximize those. If a CAI was a $40 part, I'd say always go for it, but for $200-$400, it ain't worth it on our V6 cars. Maybe on the V8's...

__________________
Sawyer
"Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly!"

j-red-lee

Thank you everyone for your input; this is why I joined such a prestigious community! Now I need to find where I can get an engine tune around Maryland!

C.E.Divine

You don't have to have it done around maryland. Overkill is mail order. He doesn't need your car to make you a tune. He sends you a new PCM with the tune on it, and you pay him a core charge. Then you send him your old computer once you get the new one, and he refunds your core charge.

adamg38671

Sounds awesome devine

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2009 Impala LT
Vent Visors
K&N Air Filter
20% Tint All Around
Plasti Dip OEM Rims
Plasti Dip Bowties
Debadged
Carbon Fiber Pillars
Black Pin Stripe
HID Kit
Black Tail Lights
Engine Bay Paintings
More soon to come!

kingnutin

Sounds just like the ads for those stupid "tornado" things, its not gonna make a difference.

__________________
1978 Caprice Classic Landau
350 2-bolt, stock 4bbl
Stock rebuilt TH350
Edelbrock performer cam + intake
Dual 2 1/2" Flowmaster exhuast (waiting to be installed)
Edelbrock IAS Classic shocks
95 9C1 3.08 posi
4 wheel disc brakes!
16x8 American Racing Baja's with 225/60/16 Pirelli P4's

csawyer

For vehicles like yours with the old-school technology, you're right. When your talking about a newer vehicle with a computer system that can actually self-adjust to changing conditions, you're wrong. If you make minor changes that the computer can adapt to during driving, it will make more efficiency. The original post didn't ask how to add 50 HP or anything like that. He simply inquired about a HP gain and a gain in efficiency. Nobody is promising 50 HP and 10% efficiency gain, just that for less money than the product he originally asked about, he can improve power and efficiency.

__________________
Sawyer
"Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly!"