sooo.. I have been reading through alot of different threads about the things I am going to ask here in a second.. but alot of those threads end up off topic and I get lost in trying to decipher what is actually being talked about.. So I apologize if there are too many things in here that are double or tripled in threads...

I am not new to modding cars.. I used to have a 97 saturn sc2 that I did a short ram/bored throttle body/exhaust and short throw shifter into.. however after looking at the same parts on my truck I realize that almost 10 years of automaking and stuff is VERY different.. I have more sensors and junk to deal with now than I did in my car and so I have a few questions about them.


I was reading through the thread for cheap/free mpg and hp gains and I saw that some were removing the MAF screen... what is the gain in doing so? I saw alot of people asking specifically about how to do it but no where did I find a reason as to WHY do it.. in my saturn if I messed with that sensor it set off the idiot light on my dash and drove me nuts..

I also saw in that same thread that people will use a hole saw or other devices to cut holes into their stock airboxes for a "ram air" affect... Does this really work without destroying the air filter itself? I have the k/n reusable oiled filter and I am worried about it getting ruined with extra crap coming in through those drilled out holes.. If the chance of ruin is low.. then what would be better... 4 "large" holes with like a 1/4 hole or smaller 1/8 hole with 8 of them?

On the trucks is it better/cheaper/more reliable to space the throttle body or to bore it out? I read here somewhere that one person actually had it ported and polished.. cost effectiveness?

I ask all this for 1 reason.. I do not want to go crazy with mods on this truck. I do not tow or haul more than maybe a weekend or two every other month. The weight I haul differs from maybe our 500lb tent trailer to a 2,000lb machine for my dads shop.. but I would like a little more HP, maybe a bit better mpg and the rest is cosmetic.

I just did the antenna "shave" by hiding it in the hood over the passenger wheel well per another thread here... I plan on smoking my lights eventually.. but not sure what else I should do..

I have an '02 sierra 1500 5.3 v8 in what I believe is the gun metal gray... its a pretty popular color.. but I am colorblind and have a hard time imagining what I can do with it that will match and look good. Ill post pictures asap.. Thanks for any and all help : )

 

the maf screen has been debated several times since i've been here. some swear by it, others swear against it, some are in between. i'll just tell you my personal experience. i did it to my 02 and noticed no gains and no adverse affects. but also, last week i had to put a maf on a customer's truck who had removed his screen and the sensor went bad. so personally, i recommend against it.

as far as the "redneck ram air," what i did was completely cut the bottom half of the box, leaving only the lip that clamps the filter to the top half of the lid. i saw no damage to my k&n, other than cleaning it every two to three months.

 

I didnt really plan on messing with my MAF at all.. I was just curious to know what the supposed benefit was supposed to be.. a higher airflow because of less restriction or what?

As for the ram air.. I dont want to cut out my whole box because if I ever decide to go back to a stock air box (dont know why I would.. but who knows I have done crazier things) I want to have it avail.. I actually prefer to get a CAI when I have the money... or is a ram air as effective as CAI? I assumed because of colder air it would equate to better performance; but i have never seen dyno sheets or anything for the two compared side by side.

 

i think you'd still be better off with a cai, because of the tube's increased efficiency.

as far as the maf, yes i believe thats the idea, no screen=more flow.

 

I tried a descreened MAF. It was a spare that my buddy ended up with. The onlything I gained was a bit more throttle responce and decided to put my screened MAF back in for safety. My buddy used the descreened MAF and he claims he lost 50 miles to each tank of gas he ran. So he went back.
If you do not want to cut up your stock airbox then look on Ebay for a cheap CAI. I found 1 for like 60 dollars. Or you could use the tube and replace the stock air ducting connecting your stock box to your throttle body. That is were you seem to gain the most using a straight tube. S far as drilling holes in your airbox that is entirely up to you. I have seen it done many ways. We put a huge hole in the front of the box. We also put many small holes in the bottom. We also cut the whole bottom off. I think if I was to do it to mine I would just put a bunch of holes in the bottom.

 

im def gonna be hitting up ebay and craigs list over the next few months for the stuff that I want.. I am not proud, used stuff works as well as new stuff in most cases : ) I am most interested in a tuner because they seem to give the most control and bang for the buck for hp/mpg gains... are those easy enough to use? Brands/models that are better than others? I am REALLY trying to stay under 300 bucks if I can... I dont have a lot of cash so I dont need the cadilac of the tuners... just one to gain some hp and or fuel economy. Also are those safe enough to use on stock motors and what not assuming I dont try to go crazy with it? My buddy used on on his chevy s10 extreme and about blew it up.. but I think thats because he tried to go way to far one way or another.. but he is the only person I have actually seen using one.

For the throttle bodies is it more cost effective or better to bore it out bigger or to space it? or does one give on kind of affect and the other a different affect?

I am also looking at redoing my exhaust... I am trying to determine for power and hp if a true dual or a single is better? I have been talking with my friends who all drive ricers and they all swear one way and the other making it hard to determine if their is a benefit to one over the other.. also pipe size.. I know if I go to big I lose some benefits but staying to small is a waste of money.. any of you guys math wizzes who have found a good mix for size/performance?

again thank you for the extra input and my apologies for starting a new thread for a bunch of this that I know is elsewhere.. I just dont have hours to go weeding through all the off topic discussions that tend to come around in some of them.. Guess thats what happens when you get a bunch of people talking about something they love.. Haha..

 

SOO please tell me if I am wrong.. I have been on ebay/google for almost an hour looking at different CAI... they all look as if they are just a ram air with a heat shield... is that all the CAI for the silverado/sierra is? on my saturn I actually had a CAI that mounted my filter just inside my wheel well just out of reach of my tire fully turned inward (factory size rim/tire) I didnt realize that is all they were or am I missing something? If thats all they are then why not cut like a 2.5inch hole into the bottom of the air box and run flex from the air box to a place just inside the wheel well so that at least the air coming in is from outside the engine compartment?

 

most of them run in the stock filter location yes. but i believe (several people have them, so ill be corrected if im wrong) volant makes one that runs down to where your tow hook or fog light is?

oh and on a 5.3 its generally better not to run true dual, you lose a lot of bottom end power. these motors need backpressure unless you're making BIG power.

 

ahh.. gotcha.. again the car to truck differences are starting to show. Besides removing the headlamp is their any way of getting better airflow to that section of the hood? I know I could do a scoop or an aftermarket hood altogether but im not quite ready for that. I have a friend who has a small tube bender.. I think it maxes out at 2 inch.. or maybe just over.. would a 2inch pipe that runs down in the tow hook or wheel well areas make any kind of difference? Or because it adds more bending to the air on its way to the motor does it kinda defeat itself?

As for the exhaust... staying single is the better idea for me.. I want more tow power than top end power. is their a size range I should stay in? like more than 2 less than 4inch? I have seen some trucks with the same motor as me running like 4 inch straight pipe into a Y at the back that drops down to two different 2 inch pipes I have seen a straight 3 inch pipe that dumps just before or after the rear wheel. are any one of these ideas based on a performance gain or just personal preference?

 

Autozone has a CAI off the shelf for the 99-06 GM trucks for $149. I have had alot of set ups and a open cone filter under the hood is just as good. It only runs about 10-15 degress hotter under the hood, not much power loss there. Single in dual out muffler, Cherry Bomb Extreme for loud rumble and power, Flowmaster super 44 for a quieter ride. I have done all kinds of set ups on my truck and I can tell you what has worked and what hasnt.