Cold air intakes and the amount of power they do or don’t make have been the subject of many arguments. Some people swear they add horsepower, and others say they are modern-day snake oil.
I have never been a massive fan of most cold air intakes. They often have exposed filters that aren’t that great at actually filtering dirt. The open-air element is a danger for water crossings, and the added intake noise can be a real drag on a daily driver. Not too mention dealing with an oil filter is a giant PITA.
Holley Performance iNTECH features.
iNTECH is a brand under the greater Holley Performance umbrella. With 12 available intake models, they don’t have a vast portfolio but cover some of the most popular performance vehicles.
There are several things right out of the box I liked about the iNTECH parts. The plastic is thick and rigid but not overly bulky. The air-box is a fully closed unit and uses the factory air scoop. That means no loss of fording capability. Quite a big deal when off-road.
The fittings are all metal with brass inserts for threaded parts. Nothing is going to pop out, and they are built to last. These are a very nice feature when you want to keep your vehicle for many years and not have to replace parts all the time.
The filter is massive, and the inlet pipe fits directly into it to create a tight seal. Plenty of uninterrupted air flows through a smoothed out, and larger intake pipe can’t hurt. The filter is also washable and reusable without the oiling mentioned above that I can’t stand.
Did it add performance?
The claim from Holley Performance is 24+HP and 22+FT/LB of torque on the dyno. I didn’t test on a dyno. I used a G-Tech Pro, tested on the same stretch of road on the same day with a before and after run.
Before I talk numbers, I want to point out that regardless of the outcome, the fuel mileage did improve around 2MPG overall. This is impressive considering I have driven the Jeep a bit harder because there does seem to be more acceleration.
Numbers don’t lie. That’s a universally accepted truth. (Statistics notwithstanding.) With that in mind, did we make more power?
The short answer is yes, it did add power. It wasn’t as big of a number as the dyno charts from Holley show. If Holley used a stock JL, the parasitic losses are quite a bit different. The 4WAAM JL has a 3.5-inch lift running 37 inch MT tires, a winch, and several other items. We also were driving on the road, so our measurement was also affected by vehicle weight and aerodynamics.
Getting a clear HP number on the G-Tech can be a bit of a pain. So here are some other performance numbers before we talk HP. 0-60 dropped from 9.1 to 7.96, 1/8 mile time was .5 seconds faster, and even the 60foot time was .06 quicker.
OK let’s talk numbers. HP on the first run measured at 160 HP and on the run after the intake install was just a tick over 165 HP. Tq went from 173 to 180 LB/FT. Given that 160HP is about a 45% loss from the factory HP rating, you can see where some of that dyno gain got lost in translation.
Final thoughts on the iNTECH cold air intake.
Priced at $349 (Part number 223-16) direct from Holley. (This part number also fits the JT Gladiator.) I rate the intake as a buy. The power numbers aren’t amazing by themselves. Combine that bit of extra oomph with the increase in fuel economy however and that money pays for itself the more miles you drive. A reusable washable air filter and a simple install just add to the benefit.
