Hey everyone,

I'm new to the Mustang Source. So, I hope I posted to the correct forum and please bear with me.

A number of years ago, I installed a JLT Cold Air Intake and SCT Torque Tune onto my 2005 Mustang GT. I love the combination and have put tens of thousands of miles on the car since these modifications. However, no smog tech is willing to pass me on the visual inspection since the JLT Intake is lacking a serial number.

My questions are, are there any California authorized cold air intakes or tunes that I could use to swap out my old equipment and still get comparable performance? Also, I am open to any other suggestions you fine people might have. Anything helps. Thanks kindly.

 

Please search the sub-forums by selecting the search function menu prior to submitting a new thread. Once you type in cold air intakes, you'll come across plenty of threads which address that topic. In regards to your question, unless the air intake has a certified C.A.R.B number sticker? it's illegal in the communist state of California and will therefore NOT pass visual inspection!

 

BBK makes a CARB legal CAI.

https://lmr.com/item/BBK-1736/2005-0...Air-Intake-Kit

 

Also just an FYI: Any non-tuned air intake system, such as the BBK CAI won't provide any worthwhile performance gains over the "OEM" airbox and stock tune. As most of the performance gains come from re-flashing the stock calibration by remapping the spark, air/fuel and timing curves with a performance tune, such as your JLT CAI and SCT Torque Tune provides. Unless you just consider the BBK CAI for just eye candy purposes? You would be far better off using the SCT X-3 or X-4 hand-held programming device and re-flash your ECM by uploading the SCT custom pre-loaded tune for your stock airbox rather than waste your hard earned money on a CAI in which your only going to end up being disappointed with. Anyhow, just saying

 

If I was in the OP's shoes, I would probably get the BBK CAI because it has a CARB E.O. number and use it with the SCT Torque Tune if I wanted something that flows a little better than stock.

 

With having the same MAF size as stock, I don't see how the BBK CAI will flow even just a bit better than the stock airbox with the OP's SCT Torque Tune, when the stock airbox flows enough cfm to support up to 500rwhp on a stock 3v motor with bolt-ons, such as cams, 62mm throttle body, intake manifold and LT headers along with proper tuning. Therefore rather than spend more money towards a CAI which isn't going to provide much of an improvement in airflow over using his existing SCT Torque Tune with the stock airbox, the OP at least IMO would be far better off saving that money towards some of the bolt-on mods as suggested over purchasing the BBK CAI. Anyhow, just saying

 

it can flow more if it has:
> more filter area -- reducing the restriction and pressure drop through the filter
> open air box -- removing the restriction of the inlet and reducing the pressure drop
> smoother tube with more gentle bends -- reducing the restriction and pressure loss through the tube

A bigger tube could help too, but it is not the only thing -- roughly one out of four things. If the tube is bigger then the tune MUST be adjusted or the Mass Air Flow readings will be wrong.

Objective is to reduce pressure drop through the intake, so that more pressure reaches the intake valves, and more air/fuel mix gets pushed into the cylinders, increasing "volumetric efficiency"

When they do those CFM tests, there is a standard pressure drop associated with the CFM. An intake that flows the same CFM with less pressure drop, theoretically will get more air/fuel into the cylinders.

All that said, the gains to be had are fairly small for just an intake change, since the original intake was pretty good.

 

Agreed! An aftermarket air intake can flow more IF? it has more filter area for reducing the restriction and pressure drop via the filter media and also IF? the open air box does in fact reduce any substantial restriction of the inlet along with reducing the pressure drop, would appear to make sense. However, when it comes to a stock 3v application, the stock air intake system is actually pretty decent as far as airflow is concerned. Therefore, IMHO, I really don't think the OP would notice any real improvement over the stock air box by upgrading to something like the BBK CAI for his particular application, providing of course, the stock calibration has been in fact, re-flashed with the SCT performance tune for the stock air box