AEM Brute ForceThe first kit we bolted on was the Brute Force cold-air unit supplied by AEM. It came complete with air filter, inlet tube, and throttle-body spacer. No modification was needed to install the kit, and it bolted on quite easily. The open-element filter was shielded from underneath and from the engine, unlike the stock filter, which is contained completely in the airbox. With the kit bolted on, we were set to let the Stang rip.
The first run was a touch quicker than the baseline runs as the car tripped the timers at 13.833 at 97.40. The second pass was within two-thousandths of a second of the first one, a 13.831, and the car picked up a tiny bit of speed as it was clocked at 97.62. The third pass fell off dramatically, as the Mustang ran only a 14.051 at 97.05. This was confusing because while the first two passes were two-hundredths of a second quicker than the previous baseline runs, respectively, the third run was more than a tenth of a second slower, and the speed was down. We popped the hood and had our answer. The air filter that was clamped to the inlet tube was, well, not attached. There was a slick film around the rubber mouth of the air filter, and the hose clamp that was meant to keep the filter attached to the inlet tube had slipped off the rubber, causing the filter to fall off. After cleaning off the film and reinstalling the filter, we made two more passes, knocking down a 13.916 at 97.79 mph, followed by a 13.880 at 97.96.
The DA for these runs was up to 1,640 feet, so the air was a bit worse. The A/F ratio stayed at 12.5:1, and the IAT dropped to 89 degrees. The lower inlet temperature showed that the AEM kit helped lower the incoming air by 4 degrees, and it showed in the trap speed as the car picked up almost half a mile per hour.
Steeda High VelocityThe Steeda High Velocity cold-air kit was next on our list. This kit is similar to the AEM except it uses the stock inlet tube. Additionally, the Steeda kit comes complete with an SCT XCalibrator tuner loaded with a tune-up specific for the kit. We learned that on kits that have an increased inlet size, a tune is required to keep the air/fuel ratio in the proper operating range. Without the tune, the engine will go dead lean. If the inlet size is not increased from stock, no tune is required. The Steeda kit was a direct bolt-on, though we did have to unbolt the stock inlet tube from the stock airbox that we removed earlier. When everything was bolted on and D'Amore loaded up the Steeda program, Round 2 of track testing began.
The DA went up another 300 feet, registering at 1,961 feet. In racer speak, this can equate to about 0.02-0.04 seconds in lost elapsed time from our baseline numbers. The first run down the track ended after 13.781 seconds at 97.65 mph. The second pass netted a 13.764 at 98.14, and the final run a 13.850 at 97.67. The A/F ratio for the first two passes came in at 12.7:1, while on the last pass, it was recorded at 11.5:1. In addition, D'Amore noticed that on the last pass, the car went into what he termed "catalyst protection," which prevents the cats from overheating during hard use.
The 60-foot times were similar to the ones recorded with the AEM kit, and with the vehicle temperatures remaining the same, the IAT was within a few degrees of the AEM kit's final readings. But the Steeda kit picked up a tiny bit of speed over the AEM kit, though not enough to be noticeable from inside the car. The interesting change was the Steeda's elapsed times. Even with the weather worsening, the Steeda kit was worth a bit more in the elapsed time department. With the Steeda getting the car closer to the century speed mark, would the final kit push the car over the threshold?
Western Motorsports High VelocityThe Western Motorsports High Velocity cold-air kit actually experienced a two-part test, as it is offered with two options. The first allows you to run the car with a stock-sized inlet tube, and the second is for running the car with a larger inlet tube that requires the computer to be flashed with the tune accompanying the kit in the form of the SCT XCalibrator. The installation of the WMS kit was more involved than the others. The stock radiator cover was replaced with the accompanying cover/airbox, and the coolant reservoir needed to be relocated to the left-front fenderwell. This involves draining and filling the system.
 The restrictive stock air...  The restrictive stock air inlet certainly hurt incoming airflow. The cold-air kits we tested not only freed airflow into the engine, but also helped keep the incoming air cool. |
 D'Amore used a Horiba air-fuel...  D'Amore used a Horiba air-fuel meter to monitor the A/F ratio throughout the test. Monitoring the A/F ratio during the test was critical to preventing a lean condition that would have damaged the engine or caused the computer to go into failsafe mode. |
 To keep track of the appropriate...  To keep track of the appropriate engine functions and temperatures, D'Amore used a NGS+ Scantool. The NGS+ is a dedicated Ford scan tool designed to work with the Ford ECM. |
 With the airbox and inlet...  With the airbox and inlet system removed, the throttle body is in plain view. Also, notice the amount of room available. The AEM and Steeda kits had no problem fitting into the space reserved for the air filter in the left-front fender area. |
 Included with the AEM kit...  Included with the AEM kit was this throttle body spacer, which required D'Amore to unbolt the throttle body and then reinstall it with the spacer. According to Lawson Mollica of AEM, the spacer was a prototype included with the kit in an attempt to improve plenum velocity. Mollica said most of the time the spacers do not make more power. |