Everything your engine does, even pulling in air, requires energy. Anything you can do to make that easier for your engine will result in better fuel economy. The high-flow performance filters that come with todays intake kits are washable & reusable, enhance air flow, and last much longer than the OEM filter. Performance diesel intake systems are designed with heat shields or are fully enclosed to keep hot air out of the intake stream. They also take advantage of technology like mandrel-bent intake tubes, powder coating, and high quality hardware designed to reduce air restrictions and intake temperatures. Some cold air intake systems even take inlet air from outside of the engine compartment where the inlet air is cooler. Cooler inlet air temperatures translate into more power during the combustion process because cool air is denser than warm air.
Intakes can be complimented by the installation of an intake manifold elbow. Your stock manifold absorbs and gives off heat and has a very high heat transfer rate. The materials in aftermarket diesel intake manifolds have a much lower heat transfer rate. Your diesel engine operates more efficiently with cool air, not warm or hot air… but your turbo heats the outside air as it compresses it for delivery to your engine. An inter-cooler can be effective at delivering cooled air – however – this cooled air then passes through a cast aluminum intake on its way into the engine, and that cast intake is hot from under-the-hood engine heat. This heat transfers back into the air flow and into your engine. Performance manifolds transfer much less heat which means your cooled intercooler air stays cool as it passes through and into your engine. Cooler air means more power and lower exhaust gas temperatures.
Increased airflow is the other benefit to consider when installing an intake manifold. The large center section of your stock cast-aluminum manifold may look impressive but it is very bad for airflow. The inlet to the manifold from the intercooler, and the outlet from the intake manifold to the engine are very similar in cross-sectional area, so when the center section is over three times larger than the inlet & outlet – the air flow slows dramatically through this center section. The air flow then is forced to speed up to exit. This causes turbulence in the flow, leading to pressure drop or pumping losses. A high quality diesel performance intake from aFe, Gale Banks Engineering, or S&B Filters will alleviate all those issues.
If you’re serious about diesel performance, you’ll want to dramatically increase the air cooling capacity of your diesel by installing a performance intercooler. An Intercooler will give you greater airflow and cooler, denser air. This cooler, denser air has more oxygen, which will lead to improved combustion and engine efficiency. Whether towing or racing your diesel, a performance intercooler will give you the ability to run higher continuous power and achieve better fuel economy and lower Exhaust Gas Temperatures. If you’re looking to reduce your boost air temperature while minimizing loss of boost pressure, get an intercooler for your diesel from Parley’s Diesel Performance today!
