Which one to get? Pluses and minuses.

Here's what I've found from reading:

Seems most have the C&L Intake with tune.
But I've found the WMS Intake not only looks cooler but makes nearly as
much power by ITSELF (no tune needed) as the C&L Intake does with a tune (required).

So why don't more 05/06 GT owners have the WMS Intake??

 

Because most people come to realize that a tune may not be needed but should be used anyway. Also while it does make nearly the same power sitting still with the hood open and wind tunnels blowing air into the engine compartment during testing with the hood closed where is it supposed to pick up anything but hot air from right behind it?

I prefer the off-set kind like the one I have from Tunable Induction.

 

You should tune, no matter what intake you get, it helps alot. Also, with the WMS i think you have to relocate stuff. Anyway C&L, Steeda, and JLT seem to be most popular and produce the most power.

 

Pardon my language, but I think WMS's claims about "no tune needed" is bull****. Maybe you can get a small gain with no tune, but to get any real power gain you need to tune.

The whole point of an intake is to allow more air into the motor. Air by itself doesn't do any good though. The key is that more air ALLOWS you to burn more fuel. And the "more fuel" is where the extra power comes from. You don't magically get power out of nowhere.

The problem is that any intake (C&L, WMS, whatever) can't add any more fuel. That's why you need to tune. The Intake adds the air, the Tune adds the gas. You need both to get the power. Also, installing a CAI alone has the possibility of leaning out your fuel/air ratio. That can give you a little power. But it can also cause serious problems if it's bad enough.

5.0 Mustangs & Super Fords magazine did a review of many different CAIs. The article is here:

http://mustang50magazine.com/techart...old_air_intake

Here's how they rated the C&L:

C&L Performance TrueFlow Intake

Price: $749 (TrueFlow intake with Predator tuner)/ $389 (TrueFlow intake)
Peak Horsepower: 286 (25hp gain)
Peak Torque: 302 (20-lb-ft gain)

Subjective Evaluation

Ease of Installation: 43
Value: 35
Appearance: 41
Overall Quality: 42
Expected Durability: 44
Total: 205



..And here's the WMS:

Western Motorsports Cold Air

Price: $369 U.S./ $469 Canada
Peak Horsepower: 284.4 (23.4hp gain)
Peak Torque: 302.4 (20.4-lb-ft gain)

Subjective Evaluation

Ease of Installation: 14
Value: 30
Appearance: 38
Overall Quality: 37
Expected Durability: 38
Total: 157


As you can see, the C&L rates quite a bit higher by their review. The C&L is not alone in this. The WMS got quite a bit lower reviews than several of the other popular intakes, such as the JLT, which is another very popular one.


Keep in mind that a Tuner is a very useful thing to have around for other reasons. You can use it to clear and read engine trouble/diagnostic codes. You can use it to correct for gearing and tire size changes, as well as making other custom adjustments to the ECU. If you are going to be working on your car, a tuner is a vital piece of equipment.

 

Well, in all fairness, that old test they didn't have the Ram Air Shield on then so
the WMS unit did heat up quite a bit.

Take a look at the WMS unit with the Ram Air Heat Shield on.
There is no way it's sucking in hot air from the engine with this on.

http://www.wmsracing.com/wmsweb/05hvi.htm

Read what they say about not needing a tune.
Plus even in that magazine test the C&L was by far the most expensive
at $749 with the Predator and still it only improved power about the same as
many of the other intakes did by themselves...without a tune!

Am I missing something else?

 

I just installed my JLT CAI with SCT X-Cal II. I found that the tune made the car run smoother. Haven't done anything like race or dyno, yet... but it looks cool.



[IMG]local://upfiles/35168/C4EDFB434EF047229ADC71199CCF7FDA.jpg[/IMG]

 

Hi Driver72,

Nope, it's not true that most have C&L CAI's and tuner, many folks have Steeda CAI and Diablo tuners. Steeda is the largest aftermarket performance parts and vehicle maker by far, much larger than both Saleen and Roush. Steeda is also the source of almost all of the FRPP parts catalog for suspension and engine performance components. The difference is that Steeda owners are not posting on these forums as much as the many vocal C&L fanboys.

It sounds like you already like the WMS but if you had seen one you would know that the WMS is not quite up to the same quality of build or design as the C&L or Steeda CAI kits. Trust me, you'll NEED a tuner once you add any effective CAI kit in order to get the very best power and drivability out of your CAI.

If the C&L Racer CAI had been available a year ago I would have bought one. At the time the best CAI kits were the aluminum tubed C&L or Steeda 85mm CAI kits, I bought a Steeda CAI kit and the Steeda specific Diablo Predator hand held tuner. On an otherwise stock S197GT 5-speed using the canned Steeda 93 octane CAI tune we consistently saw 25+RWHP on a Mustang chassis dyno. That was with the old 85mm MAF housing and early version R12 firmware and stock 93 octane canned tunes. This was a fair tune out of the box as we cold only find about 3-4RWHP at the power peak but we did find 16RWHP in the mid-range. The current 90mm MAF housing with the latest R26 firmware and canned 93 octane CAI tune is worth 4-5 RWHP over the old 85mm/R12 tunes. This is as good or better than the best CAI kits available AND good tunes are already included with the Predator tuner unlike the usual XCal2 deal which comes empty and you get to pay a tuner for the tunes to put into your new tuner. Steeda's newest claim of up to 30RWHP are easy to believe based on my own dyno-tuning experience with the original 85mm MAF and very noticable improvements after the upgrade to the 90mm MAF and R26 firmware and tunes. I'm thinking that the Steeda CAI was the best a year ago and with the new 90mm MAF housing can easily match or better the new C&L Racer on a N/A motor.

I like the idea of the WMS I just don't think they did as good a job as could have been done. Most of the filter is actually covered up or blocked with the hood closed and there can be water intake and drainage issues with the ram-air pan in place. Personally I think you should look into the Steeda/Predator combination if you have any thoughts of installing Steeda CMCP plates. If there is NO WAY that you will be installing the Steeda CMCP plates the C&L Racer is an excellent setup. These CAI kits are the most bang for the buck when you realize that you need a hand held programer to make any CAI kit work as well as possible. These CAI kits are also going to be the most durable.


Cheers

 

Hey F1Fan, thanks for the informative and kind response.

By the way, what is the FRPP parts catalog and what is the
Steeda CMCP plates?
I'm new to the newer Mustangs (last Mustang I owned was
a 1989 Mustang GT back in 1990-91).

I guess I'll look past the cool looking WMS intake then for the C&L or Steeda you
suggested when I get my MGT.

 

yup, same here.
I'm running C&L with 87 tune and car runs a lot smoother. Much more responsive

[IMG]local://upfiles/33050/CF48C64E1FD44AF1892D8D64D881AA5D.jpg[/IMG]

 

Hi Driver72,

You're welcome! I like to help where I can. Let's see, FRPP is "Ford Racing Performance Parts", yes, THAT Ford. Click on >>> FRPP

Steeda CMCP plates are replacement parts that are designed to remove the big restriction in the intake tract that Ford says improves torque and drivability. They help the car make more power by offering less restriction in the intake. Ford is full of it all of the independent dyno testing shows no loss in torque anywhere and improved HP and torque everywhere. The hitch is that you need a special tune to take advantage of them and to prevent a warning light from coming on. Depending on the car and setup people have posted dyno charts showing anywhere from 10-17RWHP from switching out these parts and doing a little tuning. Click on >>> Steeda CMCP

That's O.K., the last Mustang I owned was a 1966 2+2 back in the day.

Here is the Steeda CAI page, CLICK >> Steeda CAI

Her is the C&L CAI page, CLICK>>C&L Racer

I hope this stuff helps!


Cheers