Holy air intakes, Batman!

Its here. I didn't expect it until next week. BUT ITS HERE.

The install took some creativeness, as the truck ate one of my supplied grommets. Stupid OE installed Black Hole sucks up EVERYTHING. Still never have found the missing headlight clips from 2 yrs ago.

Any way. OLD filter assy:

Removed:

I bought the filter wrap for "extreemly dry, dusty conditions". If that doesn't apply to West Texas... uhm yeah. It was worth it. Already had lots of crud on it after I fired the engine up. (Wind is blowing bad today.)

The final product:

Okay, I don't know what my long-term thoughts will be, and I don't know what it will do to my MPG, but HOLY COW just running it 5 miles down the interstate to get some fuel impressed the hell out of me. I still have some bog from too much back pressure (yay, OEM downpipe and exhaust), but the overall performance change was... very noticable.

My mother had to help (Its a mighty bitch getting that rubber hose from the end of the airbox pipe onto the turbo intake), and she asked me if it would change Young's voice. I said "Nah, not noticeably at least."

Uhm. I was wrong.

Turned him over, checked for leaks, and then revved to 2800 RPM. A huge cloud of nasty, stinking smoke bellowed out of the tailpipe, and the truck's voice dropped way into the bass end. No smoke since. Took him out on the highway, and the great thing about where I live is I'm right down the road from the interstate. That same interstate is now 75 mph. :-D I eared Young back, and there is MAJOR low-end boost improvement. That is to say, I don't believe there is any INCREASE in boost, but it definatly spools up faster. Also, lots more high-end HP responsiveness, 2500 RPM, 75 MPH, and you can put your foot in it, and it JUMPS.

Oh, and it SCREAMS. Loud. Very loud.

The S&B box said "Air in. Power out." I was like "oh, haha." but... they mean it. I've driven K&N and AFE and honestly? I'm glad I bought the S&B. I'm way impressed with it. Aside from the major cool factor.

I can't wait to get my exhaust. But, I have to behave until I get some extra spending cash.

~Diesel or Die~

Treating the Sickness

Diesel Fever

• Its highly contagious, deadly to budgets and Prius's.

• Symptoms include face-splitting smiles, acute hearing adjustment allowing for identification of all makes and models of diesel engine by sound alone, posturing to other drivers, sensitive ego, leaving clouds of sulfurous smoke in one's wake, crude stereotyping by vehicle, snobbish better-than-you attitude toward all non-diesel burning motors, and generally voids warranties, where applicable. It also can cause impulse, big-ticket purchases, evasive behavior, and exaggerated story telling. Over-protective behavior toward the subject's truck is usually the first sign, followed shortly by giving inanimate objects names and personalities.
• Currently there is no known cure, though the disease does not appear to be terminal. It is manageable through sound-therapy, as well as providing the subject with access to lots of open road, heavy equipment to haul and a large truck-related shopping spree. It is advised, however, to limit the shopping to one project at a time, as some subjects have suffered fatal reactions to diesel related stimuli overload.

I have it. I try to keep it under control. Admitting you have a problem is the first step, right?

I bought an S&B Intake for my '97 7.3l Powerstroke, Young, today. It won't be here for about two weeks, but... well I'm already drooling over exhaust systems. I'm having a hard time choosing between the 5" and the 4" DiamondEye systems. I can't seem to find the 5" without a cat, which is somewhat frustrating. I am however, leaning toward the 4" and replace the DiamondEye muffler with an AeroTurbine Resonated muffler. Price range, I can get the 4" kit for $267, plus spend $179 on the muffler... comes out to about the same price for a 5" system, sans AeroTurbine.

Any ways, just wrestling with myself on it. Don't have the slack money to spend right now any ways, seeing as I just coughed up $300 for the S&B kit. I can't wait for that to get here.

Meantime, I cleaned the engine compartments up on the trucks today. Used Simple Green. Great stuff that, except I need to get after Young again. He's freaking filthy. Beastin wasn't too bad to start with, and cleaned up rather nice. Haven't touched Peppy. I'll have to get some more Simple Green before I do that, though I don't think he's too filthy to start with.


In other news, Leonidas won the 3D Saturday with an 18.171. $119 check, and man, oh, man was it a nice, clean run. If we can keep making them like that, and just add the speed... He's going to be untouchable.