Finally got around to doing one of the mods I had the toughest part making a decision on: CAI and tune. Here's a rundown on the experience.

Which brand?
There were 4 brands I was considering - Steeda, C&L, JLT and Airaid. Did a lot of reading and found different people using a different intakes, and all seem happy with them. While everybody thinks the one they bought is the best one, a few dyno charts out there (one from Steeda Gus and one from American Muscle) seemed to show that they all post similar performance gains. So I didn't think I could go wrong no matter which intake I decided on. Nobody had bad words about any of the four I was considering.

Originally I had planned on going with Steeda, and contacted Modshack about getting part of it powdercoated. However after some more reading I really started to like the looks, fit, and finish of the Airaid.

Where to buy?
Now where to buy it from? I wanted to buy from American Muscle, since they have the Bama "Free Tunes for Life" which would come in handy if/when I mod other items on my car. I PM'd Chris Rose with a couple of questions but unfortunately did not hear back from him (which I was disappointed with, as he seemed friendly and approachable from his forum posts). I was having second thoughts about American Muscle, but in the end I decided to go with them for the Bama Tunes.

Airaid CAI
I am NOT mechanically inclined, and wasn't sure about installing it myself. A buddy of mine did a CAI on his 05 GT and said I could definitely handle it. I read the instructions thoroughly, watched a YouTube video on the install, and read a magazine article showing a CAI install on an '11 GT. Decided I could handle it.

It was EXTREMELY EASY to install. There was only one difficult part - installing a blind grommet in one of the holes (a tube connects if you have an AT, but for a 6SPD a grommet is needed). It took me 30 minutes and still couldn't put the stupid grommet in. Finally part of the grommet broke off in my needle nose pliers and I got it on the intake.

If you aren't sure you can install a CAI, trust me = IF I CAN DO IT THEN YOU CAN DO IT.

A plus on the Airaid = there is a choice to remove the resonator tube that heads to the cabin. I decided to remove this tube, since it cleans up the engine bay. Also my Roush exhaust are loud enough that I don't need extra engine noise in the cabin.

Another plus = if one chooses, you can install the included venturi tube insert, and then it does not require a tune so you could run the stock tune if you preferred.

SCT Tuner
A couple things weren't clear to me. Does the device download the stock tune (to put it back to stock if needed) BEFORE uploading the new custom tune? Or does it do that automatically when I upload the custom tune? I figured it must backup automatically, as I couldn't find any instructions to download the stock tune. So I hooked it up and uploaded the 87 Street tune. It took a LOT longer than I anticipated, but the tune successfully installed and - much to my relief - the car started.

Bama Tune
I drove the car at WOT a few days before the CAI/tune install so I could get used to what it felt like. Took a friend of mine in the car so he could feel WOT.

After the tune was installed, and I headed on the road, I could tell small differences already. The shifting seemed smoother than normal. I immediately loved the skip shift delete; I now always know which gear it will go into - the one that I CHOOSE. The throttle response was much more responsive (if that makes sense).

I decided to punch it at WOT, and then I REALLY could tell the difference. The engine sounded different, and the power seemed to not stop. In the past I would notice when I get near the redline and shift, the next gear wouldn't pull as much as the previous. Now when I shift, the engine tells me that it'll give me whatever I want from it and more, anytime I want it.

The next day I told my friend something was wrong with my car, and I'm going to go WOT like I did the other day and see if he noticed. I pulled out of the parking lot and punched it to the next light (business area with no cars). Right away he said "something's wrong with it?? It seems way faster than the other day, and your exhaust sounds better than I remember!"

Conclusion
I've seen the claims on manufacturer's sites. Some claim 30 or 40hp gain with a CAI and tune. I was skeptical. And while ~$700 isn't a fortune, it isn't chump change either.

Not only was I skeptical about the performance claims, but I was skeptical about getting a tune period. I've read some people who have had problems they have attributed to a tune, and some that have run tunes for years without issue. In my personal opinion, I am extremely happy with my purchase. Not only did I see a very noticeable power gain, but my overall driving experience - shifting, throttle, etc - has been greatly enhanced. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend an Airaid+Bama tune (or other CAI+tune) to anybody!

PS. A couple of things I forgot to mention:
- This is with the 87 STREET tune. I'm planning on running this for a month and them trying out the 91 PERFORMANCE tune. And with the high price of gas, knowing I'm happy with the 87 STREET gives me a fallback I know I'll be happy with.
- I can't stress enough how easy it was to install for a complete novice like me.

 

The 87 tune is worthless. Read the owners manual and it says to use 91 for the best performance. The best gains will be from the 93 tune.

 

The 87 tune still improves throttle response, gets rid of skip shift, as well as ups the hp/tq.... I wouldn't quite say its useless. Might not be as big of gains as the 93 tune, but not everyone needs or wants much more.

 

Great info and review. I agree that most all the intakes are similar in power gains. I really think that the bigger gains are in the tune itself.

 

Thanks for sharing with us. This is a definite mod for me also and as you i'm debating between brands and tunes. One thing though.... I would not go with anything less than 91 octane just like Ford says to use. If you end up going with the 91 performance tune, give us an update. I like to hear about it. Thanks.

 

Ummmm... What?

 

Very awesome review. Can't go wrong with AM and bama. enjoy the ride!

 

I agree, great review.

I also have Bama tunes. Initially installed a 91 performance tune but it felt flat in the mid-range. I'm running the 91 "race" tune and it's very drivable. I don't get to drive my car much but I do notice it wheel hops now where before the tune it didn't. The extra revs available up top make a difference, spinning into the next gear when the tach goes red as opposed to running into a wall.

As far as the "pull" goes, my butt dyno can't tell the difference, but some of my passengers with more sensative calibrations say it is noticeably quicker.

I don't have a HAI, ahem, I mean CAI. Not convinced they do anything positive on a mostly stock car anywhere but the dyno. The Airaid does seem to seal off underhood better than the rest, but it still has to pull from the stock opening behind the grill...

Thanks for sharing.

 

Great read and great review. This is probably the best CAI+tune review I've seen. Kudos!

 

Great review and same setup I am using. I noticed the driving difference from the get-go and as you said also noticed a different pitch change with my Roush exhaust (also same comment from a buddy).

You mentioned the time to load, that's because it was doing the backup. I played with the other tunes I got (87 performance and 91 performance) and the load time is only minutes to swap.

I have stuck with the 87 street tune as this car when I am home is my daily driver, the cost of regular compared to 91 or 93 in Canada, the drivability doesn't chnage that much and it still has the pull / power I want without big $$ through the gas tank!!

And agreed, the look, fit, quality and ease of fitting the Airaid not to mention the cost and Bama tunes made it well worth it. I have had the venturi in and returned it to stock for dealer visits and they commented on the look of it also.

 

Great review.

This might be a dumb question, but has anyone got their car inspected with the Bama tunes(specifically the 87 street)? Does it pass emissions?

 

What don't you understand?

 

Regarding the HAI, er CAI, I had the same speculation about where it pulls air from. I use a datalogging app that I have on my phone, connects to a bluetooth obdII dongle, and I'm able to monitor everything about the engine from my phone. The intake ait temp is typically, at cruising speeds, only a couple of degrees warmer than the ambient air temp reaing that the car has built in. The engine is definitely getting "cold" air.

 

Ford said to use 91 octane on what?

 

not a dumb question at all, and I'm glad I asked Bama that same question BEFORE I went to the inspection station . . .

The standard street tune that I got from Bama would not pass inspection . . . they said that they turn off some switches that affect how it tracks and displays fault codes (apparently every time you load a tune the "check engine" light will come on for a while, so they turn that off in the tune?) and the car will not pass emmissions here in Massachusetts with those switches turned off.

If you ask, they will write you a tune that will pass emmissions; but you have to drive the car through a "cycle" after loading the tune, and before you go to inspection, to clear the codes.

I might not have that all exactly clear, but it's something like that.

I reloaded my factory tune, drove the car a couple days, then went to inspection and it passed no problem; then when I got home I reloaded the original Bama tune, and all is well.

 

yeah I'm a little confused on that too, I'm pretty sure Ford says 87 is fine

 

Straight from the handbook:

Octane recommendations

Your vehicle is designed to use “Regular” unleaded gasoline with a
pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87.

Some stations offer fuels posted as “Regular” with an octane rating
below 87, particularly in high altitude areas. Fuels with octane levels
below 87 are not recommended.

Do not be concerned if your engine sometimes knocks lightly. However, if
it knocks heavily under most driving conditions while you are using fuel
with the recommended octane rating, see your authorized dealer to

prevent any engine damage.

 

Thanks! I recently got Bama tunes and had asked that they made sure the 87 Street would pass PA Inspection through their form. However, there was no acknowledgment in the emails or anything saying it had been done so I'm still unsure if it will definitely pass or not.

But going off what you've said definitely gives me a boost of confidence.

 

You must have "recommended" and "designed for" confused. Yes, it is designed to run on 87 octane but 91 octane was used and recommended to achieve the 412 hp. I never said that you or others could not use 87 octane. Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the CAI and tune.

 

Straight from the next page of the handbook:

Octane recommendations (5.0L V8 engine)
Your vehicle will run normally on 87 octane regular fuel without damaging the engine, but premium fuel with an octane rating of 91 (R+M)/2 or higher is recommended for best overall performance.


I'll take their advice and go with the premium 91 or 93.