INSTANT GAINS

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS FREE POWER, BUT THERE IS SUCH A THING AS EASY POWER. K&N’S PERFORMANCE AIR INTAKE KITS PUT THE ‘INSTANT’ IN INSTANT POWER GAINS

Think K&N air filter, and you’ll probably think of a big 14-inch chrome air-cleaner assembly sitting on top of a four-barrel carb. Some of you might think of a red-tinted pod filter. A handful of you might even think of a complete bolt-in-and-go factory replacement intake set-up, the likes of which are becoming more common these days. Having seen a number of local performance retailers advertising these replacement kits, we decided to take a look and find out more. The kit of choice is for a Chrysler 6.4-litre Hemi, or, more specifically, one found in a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 manufactured from 2012 to now. The skinny of it all basically comes down to efficiency. Not only does the mandrel-bent aluminium intake pipe offer no restriction, but also the highflow K&N pod filter and replacement cold air-box work to provide the big Hemi with greater quantities of cooler intake air. As this is designed as a direct factory replacement; it isn’t a bunch of cheap mismatched pieces off the shelf of your local parts store. In this case, the K&N intake pipe includes provisions for the factory inlet-air-temperature (IAT) sensor and crank breather hose. What this means is an installation that can be completed with basic hand tools, in a short period, with no cutting, welding, or beating required. All you need is a screwdriver, a ratchet set, and some spanners. While what we show you here is for a Cherokee SRT8, K&N now offers kits such as this for most late-model vehicles, so gone are the days of hacking bits up to fit or drilling holes in your factory air-box for that all-important induction sound.