Cold Air Intake & exhaust
 

Hello everyone... i have a 2010 silverado 5.3 v8 and im looking for a cold air intake system. any ideas ... ive looked around and cant seem to find anything less the $200 and i didnt plan on spending all that. Also any ideas about exhaust. ive also looked around on that and im thnking some type of flomaster maybe a 40 but not completly sure, again didnt want to break the bank on that either. any other set ups or ideas that anyone has done that might help me in these areas, i love reading ideas that everyone has done or is planning to do . thanks for the help in advanced

Just me, maybe, but I think the benefits of cold air intake systems are a bit overblown. If they were really so wonderful then how come my vehicles don't run like bats out of hell in January? Besides, a bit pricey just to gather air from a different spot other than the engine compartment. Seems like I could do the same thing with a $7 dryer vent hose from Lowe's. Hood scoops of the 60's turn hi-tech....whatever.

Exhaust upgrades - a better investment in my mind. Flowmaster mufflers - ~$120. Choose your flow and volume. Shadetree install.

I agree 110% - cold air intakes are WAY overblown! I have personally experimented with different cold air kits from high end K&N to homemade dryer hose routed to the front grill. I couldn't tell any difference at all. In my opinion the HP gains these companies claim are when removing a dirty stock filter and replacing it with a new filter which happens to be attached to some fancy tube that replaces the stock tube. I really laugh when I see the lower end "cold air kits" that are just a cone filter under the hood sucking air about a foot away from the hot exhaust. I could go on and on, but save your money and just make sure the filter that is in your stock location is clean (doesn't even have to be a fancy K&N).
Bang for the buck (again in my opinion) on your 5.3 would be a simply muffler change and a computer tune. Most muffler shops will throw a performance muffler on a truck for around $150 and a tune will run the same. So for $300 (the cost of some of the higher end cold air kits alone) you will actually feel the difference in your truck.

They hit the nail on the head with CAI. HP/TQ gains will probably not be noticeable from the butt dyno. Generally what you feel is off throttle reaction. If you want a CAI look on ebay, a shiny aluminum pipe works the same whether it says KN, AEM, BD, ETC. I think the one for my 02 was $75 shipped with a cheapo filter, the you can upgrade the filter if you want.

Exhaust don't by a cat back system. You are paying for their bending machine and a hassle free install. Pick up what ever mufflers you want and do it yourself if you have access to a welder, if not I'm sure there is a custom exhaust shop near you that will do for less than a kit.

For comparion the turbo back kit for my SRT ranges from 700-1200 depending no company. I bought the exact same down pipe and resonator that comes with a kit for about 900. Went to the local exhaust shop and they bent the pipe, attached hangers, and installed for 150. So I had about 400 to match their 900 kit.

Better throttle response is what you get out of it. The air will flow smoother. Some have gotten a lean code from the addition of a CAI. But its really a matter of what else is done. I needed one cuz of the bigger cam I have, so it needed more air. For a stock set up, just a clean filter and throttle body with a tune would be what you are lookin for.

thanks for all the input everyone... so im leaning towards what everyone is saying and the cai is not on the list anymore but the exhaust still makes me think. im not exactly sure what to get here ... i want it a little deeper sound , and woundnt mind some more hp- but not to worried about the power really just the sound.. any suggestions about that , and do i need to do the whole exhaust or can i get away w just the muffler , or from the cat back? - ive seen the pipes come out the side before the tire - is that something that is pipe bending or orderd that way. im going to be installing this myself so is that something that isnt to hard ... any ideas or input that people have seen or done im curious in seeing or hearing about - hey thats y were all here right? thanks everyone

It's all personal taste. i personally would do a simple Magnaflow swap. To me Magnaflow mufflers give a nice deep tone without the in cab resonance of the Flowmaster (non insulated) type mufflers.

I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon with Shamrock on this one. I too love Magnaflow exhaust. They really do give a great sound all the way through the powerband without the drone often associated with a lot of the Flowmaster line.

thanks again for the input - ill keep you posted on what i decide

I feel CAI & cat back exhausts, are over rated. I bought a used F250 5.4 with k&n CAI and Flowmaster cat back allready installed, The tone the truck put out when pulling in tow mode was unbearable, (maybe I'm getting old ?) so I switched the intake back to stock, (with k&n filter). I notice no change in performance, and I am now looking for exhaust options.