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Gotts Intake (Air Intake Modification)

  • Do you feel your truck needs more air?
  • Are you not willing to pay $250 or more for a “cold” air intake for your ‘97-‘03 F-150?
  • Are you afraid of “cold air” intakes sucking in too much hot air from your engine bay?
  • Do you think drilling or cutting up your factory air filter assembly looks too tacky?
  • Are you afraid of permanent modifications to your truck?
  • Do you already have an aftermarket drop in filter?
  • Do you want to keep running paper filters?
  • Do you prefer the look of your factory intake?

If you answered YES to any of the questions above; then look no farther than this simple easy modification to your factory intake that will be 100% reversible at anytime if you are ever unhappy with the results.

Something to Consider: Troyer Performance (TP is the leader in F-150 performance and custom tuning) has data logged and has dyno tested all of the aftermarket intakes available for the F150 and has thoroughly documented the results. TP has found that the stock intake runs the second coolest only beaten by the Airforce-1 which TP lists for $239 on his website. With this modification you are getting a lot colder air into your engine than most of the aftermarket intake kits on the market today. It could potentially be colder as well but we wont know for certain until someone data logs the IAT with both intakes.

Original idea by: Gotts2BMe seconded and submitted by: tarajerame original thread link here: original thread photos submitted by Gotts and STOFFER aka (tarajerame)

Tools / Preparation

Tools and items needed to complete this modification:

  1. Straight screwdriver
  2. Sander, dremel tool, file, grinder or some kind of sanding device
  3. A 3-inch pipe flexible coupling (preferably black) inside diameter will be around 3 ½ inches to accommodate the outside diameter of the PCV pipe.
  4. 3 inch diameter PCV pipe (black is preferred but color doesn’t really matter)
  5. 2 hose clamps (the pipe coupler should come with 2)
  6. 8mm wrench or socket

Now you are ready to begin. First things first go lift your hood and look where your factory inlet tube meets your drivers’ side fender. Yes this tube right here:

Air intake tube (factory)

Tthis is the cause of your trucks lack of performance at higher RPMs because this factory piece is literally choking your truck. Look at the tape measure and see for yourself.

Stock opening - two inches!

As you can see this is why the factory piece has less than a 2-inch diameter inlet tube and you are about to give your truck a true 3-inch diameter inlet tube that doesn’t suck in hot air from the engine compartment. This intake modification still draws in ambient air temperature thru the fender well just like the factory designed.

three inch opening

1. Start by disconnecting your negative battery cable (to reset your computers strategy for the extra air coming soon from the modified intake) needs a 8mm wrench or socket.

Disconnect the battery - think safety!

2. Undo this clamp right here with a straight screwdriver:

Undo this clamp

Remove your entire air filter housing assembly (the large “bucket” where you change air filter all the way to the fender snorkel. (The snorkel will just pull out of the inlet hole)
*On my truck the Previous Owner has bent the metal clasp so I had to remove the entire assembly as I have to have the whole housing out of the truck in order to close it properly*

OR

Just take your air box apart like you are changing air filters and just remove the piece that goes into the fender

Big clamp

3. Use a straight screw driver to undo the snorkel cone:

air intake snorkel cone

There are 2 points inside the tube just press the ends with a screwdriver and they release

Remove

4. Cut off a 4-5 inch section of pipe:

Cut section of pipe

5. Use a sander or file to make the round pipe oblong since the hole in the fender is 3 ½ inches wide by 3 and 1/16 inches tall and the outside pipe diameter is 3 ½ inches and you will need to force the pipe at least 2 inches into the fender hole.

Fender opening

pvc pipe

6. Once your pipe will fit into the hole nice and snug attach the PCV pipe to the air filter housing via the 3-inch pipe flexible coupler. Like this

coupler

7. Insert the PCV pipe into the fender hole, Now that that is done reinstall the air filter assembly by slipping the soft coupling over the open end of the air filter housing and tighten down the last clamp after you push the legs into their carrying holes. And re install the tube going to the throttle body. There you are all done. Your truck will enjoy the increased ambient air (especially when passing) your finished product will look similar to this: As you can see no matter what color PCV pipe you use it will not be visible once you put your intake back together

coupler installed

this vehicle has piece of white pipe

white pipe

and this vehicle used a piece of black pipe

black pipe

8. Don’t forget to reconnect your battery before you try to restart your truck and enjoy.

Final thoughts. Remember you can go back to stock at anytime but I don’t think you will want to. This works for both 5.4 and 4.6 engines we both happen to have 5.4’s and would like to know how a 4.6 responds to this mod. Also if you remove the silencer from the intake tube your throttle response will also be improved.

“Gotts2Bme” and “tarajerame” are both willing to help anyone doing this modification either PM or email either one of us and we will be glad to help - Gotts2BMe: gottselc <at> uregina.ca - tarajerame: theporsche_guy911 <at> yahoo.com.

Related Air Intake Technical Articles

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Keywords: ford f150 air intake mod modification more power airflow kit horsepower torque throttle response cheap easy gotts

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User Comments

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Comment Ford Trucks 4 life
2008-03-15 at 11:42am

gotts intake modification
For $15 I have a very noticable increase in acceleration. Thanks for the great idea! I was thinking of installing a cold air box. Since I already have a K&N drop in filter, I don't need to after this modification.



2000 F-150 supercab 2wd ( 4.2L )
Comment Ridzy <ridzy2489@hotmail.com>
2008-03-26 at 7:59pm

i got a better idea
instead of doing all the B.S just take your air box cut it in half slap a k&n airfilter in the in place of your stock filter and leave it how it sits with the filter sittng half way out of the air box. works great and sounds great.. Did it on my 98 150 4.6l stepside..
Comment JohnnyR
2008-04-27 at 5:47pm
Excellent article and a simple effective mod that isn't $$$. I did this to my 99 4.6L scab 4x4 and the difference "seems" very noticeable both at the pedal and the gas pump. Time will tell! I used a bandsaw to cut the flat sides on the pipe and touched it up with a belt/disc sander for a snug fit into the fender. One change I made to the plan was to flare the inside of the ends of the pipe on the router table using a 1/4" round-over bit hoping for a bit smoother surface transition for the incoming air. Thanks for the brain-slap to prod a simple idea into becoming a simple job.

J.R.
Comment Dustin <dustin_clevenger@hotmail.com>
2008-05-26 at 5:31am

Did I do it wrong
I did this to my 2001 5.4 today and I have to say I am disappointed. Maybe I was expecting too much. There is a slight increase in throttle response but not in acceleration. I was hopping it might sound better to, it did change at that at all. Im going to remove the silencer and see if that helps.
Comment Jack <jawl@bellsouth.net>
2008-11-05 at 4:01pm
I used the large end of thinwalled PVC with the conector made on. Cut off the large end and pushed it into the hole in the finder wall. Since it was thin walled and would distort it fit perfectly and was the same size as the end of the filter compartment. Used a flexable 4 inch conector sleve, no clamps. Fits perfectly with no strain.


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