Though I thought of the curse several times during the install, I'm happy to
report that I have found a well designed air hat that fits under the hood of
MY truck. I say that because the fit is close enough that I recommend anyone
wanting to try this part measure how much clearance they have very
carefully. I have about 1/8" of space between the hold down nut and the
bottom of my hood pad. Granted the pad hangs down a small amount, but if you
have a TB spacer installed, I don't think this piece will fit under the hood
of a 3rd Gen Dak.
The hat is available from http://www.superiorairflow.com Click on the link
at the top of the page titled "CLEARANCE: Composite Extreme Velocity 5140
Systems now $100 off". Don't worry about them running out in the very near
future as they had about 150 boxed and ready to go early last week. I
personally didn't even read any of the dyno sheets or claims for more power
and better mileage. My stock air hat was crushed from tightening down the
cold air intake hose clamp too much and I needed a replacement hat that
wouldn't cost $200.00. This one fit the bill and is $58.00 shipped! One of
the nice things about this hat is that there is a divider plate that runs
the length of the part to guide air into the TB. The two halves have a
tongue and groove fitment, which combined with the recommended RTV sealant
after fitting the part to your intake, should prevent any air leakage even
for those of you with forced induction. I'm not sure how much boost it will
handle, but the owner of the shop, Gordon, will be able to tell you. I spoke
to him for a short while when I ordered the hat and he seemed to know what
he was talking about. It was also nice to hear him talk about the various
Dodge trucks he and other members of his family own/owned. For those wanting
an aluminum hat, they have those two, but they aren't cheap. You will need
to fabricate an S bolt or install a longer hold down bolt into the stock
bracket to mount the hat to the TB. You will also need to trim the divider
plate a little at the TB to clear the hold down bolt but this is talked
about in the instructions.
I have a few pictures of the install and old vs. new comparison at:
http://jndneff.home.texas.net/dakota/air_hat
I still need to install a barbed fitting for the valve cover breather, but
otherwise the install is finished. I'll have that finished tomorrow night
and have it back on the road to see if there is any difference in the butt
dyno.
John
http://jndneff.home.texas.net/dakota/dakota.html
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