So you wanna to buy a Cold Air Intake for your 5.3L...

50751 Views 62 Replies 32 Participants Last post by BackInBlack, Dec 23, 2018

rshadd

Discussion Starter · Dec 2, 2011 (Edited)

6

So I thought that I'd put a buying guide together that we could sticky for those that are shopping for a custom cool air intake (CAI) for their 5.3L truck.
Let me know if I missed any and I'll update this post.

All prices listed are MSRP, you'll be able to find them at a lower cost if you search.

These are all the available CAI that are available for the 5.3L Colorado/Canyon...

Volant Cool Air Intake ($307)

Product #: 15753
Application: 09+ Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon LH8 V8s

Volant Cool Air Intake
10285 Indiana Ct.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
Techical Support: 909-481-3888 x 232
Customer Service: 909-481-3888 x 225

AirDoc Cold Air Intake ($169.99 Plus shipping)

AirDoc Cold Air Intake
Part # H3A:
Application: 09+ Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon LH8 V8s
[email protected]

Photo credit: JakeF150

Tony Tube (These are no longer available, but... you can build one yourself)

Build it yourself for about $75...

Parts Source: (thanks onelow1ton)
Intercooler Pipe Fabrication - Silicone Intake Systems Auto Parts

Products:
1x T-Bolt Clamp for 3.5" Silicone Parts $2.60
2x T-Bolt Clamp for 3.75" Silicone Parts $5.20
1x Silicone Reducer, 3.75" to 3.5" - Black $11.99
1x T-Bolt Clamp for 4.0" Silicone Parts $2.60
1x 1' Straight Aluminum Pipe, 3.5" $14.99
1x Silicone Reducer, 90° bend - 4.0" to 3.5" - Black $19.99
1x Barbed fitting for the Vent Tube
1x (length, dimensions, etc) Hose for Vent

K&N ($59.99)

K&N Engineering, Inc.
PO Box 1329
Riverside, California 92502
(800) 858-3333
[email protected]

K&N Drop Air Filter
Part #33-2408

See less See more

1 - 20 of 63 Posts

onelow1ton

· #2 · Dec 2, 2011

Nice rich I was thinking about making a write up for this, looks good much better than what I would have done

kerad11

· #3 · Dec 2, 2011

Damn i wish i had that tony tube part list a year ago....woulda saved me alot of headache.

PureNoSideHate

· #4 · Feb 25, 2012

Sooo what's worth doing? Going all out and spending $307 for the Volant? Lol What does any of these improve?

Colorado Kowalski

· #5 · Feb 25, 2012

PureNoSideHate said:
Sooo what's worth doing? Going all out and spending $307 for the Volant? Lol What does any of these improve?

HP/Air induction, honestly, IMO, you won't net enough HP to justify spending 300 dollars on an intake, you can make one (like that tony tube) for 75 and you won't get AS much gains, but the gains will be more worth the money spent

PureNoSideHate

· #6 · Feb 25, 2012

Well, I already have the filter. That's the first thing I bought. Haha

Axmurders

· #7 · Feb 25, 2012 (Edited)

There is also this little mod to the stock airbox that helps with air volume. Did it on mine, made a small but noticeable difference.
2009 GMC Canyon V8 - AirDoc Intake install

1BADI5

· #8 · Feb 26, 2012

Well done Rich!

Goes to show that you don't have to spend big bucks to get the same result!

Dizz

· #9 · Oct 12, 2012

I guess I'm confused with how the 1x Barbed fitting for the Vent Tube goes in the aluminum pipe... Requires drilling? What size Hose for Vent is used? Is there a tutorial for custom lh8 cais?

ss396si

· #10 · Dec 1, 2012

Axmurders said:
There is also this little mod to the stock airbox that helps with air volume. Did it on mine, made a small but noticeable difference.
2009 GMC Canyon V8 - AirDoc Intake install

I agree with you on the stock air box mod,there is a small but noticeable difference. And awsome avatar!

OrangeBeast88

· #11 · Jan 11, 2013

so i am in the process of ordering all the parts to make my Tony Tube but im a little confused on what exactly these parts are and what sizes i need...

1x Barbed fitting for the Vent Tube
1x (length, dimensions, etc) Hose for Vent

...any help would be greatly appriciated...

onelow1ton

· #12 · Jan 11, 2013

OrangeBeast88 said:
so i am in the process of ordering all the parts to make my Tony Tube but im a little confused on what exactly these parts are and what sizes i need...

1x Barbed fitting for the Vent Tube
1x (length, dimensions, etc) Hose for Vent

...any help would be greatly appriciated...

Sorry when I gave the info I could not remember the size of the vent tube but ill try to get it for you , but you van just go measure yours , I got mine from work , so I just grabbed scrap that fit and for the barbed fitting I found one that matched the tube size and drilled a hole in the tube and threaded it in but coated the threads with rtv and put rtv around the base to insure it was sealed and let it dry before I did the instal

Ill try and get these measurements today and post them and ill subscribe to this so I don't miss more questions

onelow1ton

· #13 · Jan 11, 2013

5

Ok well I did not have something to mesure the tube exactly but I still had a scrap of it in my tool box and using a drill bit to check the size a 5/16 bit is loose but a 3/8 bit is tight so I'm guessing the barbed fitting I used was 3/8 and looking at it my tube is about 10-12" long here are some pix from right now

Keep in mind the 90* going to the TB will have to be trimmed so it will not hit the fan , do a little at a time but I think mine was like 1/4" off the bottom and between 1/2-3/4" on top to get it to twist up its the same thing that tony was doing on his and same thing air doc does to there's but don't quote my measurements as I did this over a year ago just do as I did trim to fit , I can fit my fingers between the fan blade and the 90*

See less See more

OrangeBeast88

· #14 · Jan 11, 2013

thankyou for all the pics n measurements, they were very helpful! ordering right now

onelow1ton

· #15 · Jan 11, 2013

Glad I could help , when you do yours take lots of pic and do a how to or I can help you with the how to

OrangeBeast88

· #16 · Jan 11, 2013

onelow1ton said:
Glad I could help , when you do yours take lots of pic and do a how to or I can help you with the how to

thankyou for all your help the parts are on order :th_woot: great idea im deffinately going to make one! gotta help out my fellow V8 355's :salute:

2littletime

· #17 · Jan 11, 2013

I had the Air Doc set up on mine for my dyno tune after cam install. I now have the Volant set up. I would suggest modding your box also bc the stock air box still causes restiction. Maybe cut a bigger breathing hole from the box into the fender opening. With the Air Docs setup and stock box my truck was pulling a vacume at WOT at higher RPM. Gonna be back on the dyno again soon, but won't have a good reference between the stock box and Volant as I will also have the LSXRT 102 on for this tune also.

Low_S-10

· #18 · Jan 11, 2013

I have a airdoc tube i will sell for $75 shipped i have the steel tube that came with it, a aluminum tube i made, and both couplers and clamps.

2littletime

· #19 · Jan 11, 2013

Low_S-10 said:
I have a airdoc tube i will sell for $75 shipped i have the steel tube that came with it, a aluminum tube i made, and both couplers and clamps.

I'll second that.. Have one laying around myself.

OrangeBeast88

· #20 · Jan 12, 2013

Ohhh damn guys I already bought everything

Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com App

1 - 20 of 63 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.