AFE CAI - Just in time!

[Dygital]

Hey gang! So it all started with a number of members of this board installing CAI's on their trucks and reporting back, so I've began to look into it, too. Shortly thereafter this thread was born, and I added myself to the list of 30 ppl necessary to get the group buy price. Two weeks into it, I realized we are getting nowhere fast as the magic number 30 committed wasn't in sight, and I really wanted to get my AFE CAI on or before Xmas. Then one day someone had posted that there is an online retailer who sells the very same item for $283 incl shipping and no tax! I did some research and indeed found them - it's Auto Parts Warehouse. "Sweet deal" I thought and placed an order having removed myself from the list of potential buyers on the forum. A few days later I get an email from Auto Parts Warehouse letting me know that the part is out of stock and I will get it between 10-15 business days. Boy was I bummed! I called them and gave them my $0.02 about how they should let people know on their website that the item is OOS and the ETA. They apologized profusely and said they will try and expedite. Come Friday afternoon, I get a knock on the door by UPS. "Strange," I thought, "by now I had received everything I ordered online, what else can it be?" Lo and behold, it was this box:


Let's open it and see what's inside!


And here is a pic of its contents:


Honestly, I thought the installation is going to be a piece of cake. The instructions included weren't that clear and I decided not to risk it and took the truck in to my buddy's shop who is a mechanic. It took us ~20 min to do the install from start to finish, including some time figuring out what some of the steps on the install instructions meant. But finally, when it was all done and done, this is what it looked like:



And I cannot begin to describe what it feels and sounds like. At 2-3 rpm, the sound is almost identical to the pre-install yet smoother acceleration. Come 3-5 rpm the truck sounds revvier and feels torqier. And at 5+ the beast growls and foams at the mouth. Definitely louder, I'd say 10-15% louder than with stock intake. A lot torqier at higher RPM, and noticeably throatier and louder. In other words, I am loving it!

As far as gas mileage, it's hard to tell whether it's gotten better or worse. Prior to the install, I was getting an average of 12.5 MPG (99% of my driving is in the city). I will reset and watch what it says now. My rating - 4.5 out of 5.