Flashpaq/Exhaust/CAI?

[Dr. Evil]

New member here. 2010 JK 6 speed manual with 3.21 gears. It is strictly a local daily driver. 1.5" RK springs (about 2.5" lift) with 33x12.50 Duratrac's, as well as some other suspension pieces. I just received a Superchips Flashpaq and aFe exhaust http://www.4wd.com/Jeep-Engine-Perfo...pn=AFE49-46208. I am just looking to get a bit better throttle response and maybe some hp and mpg increase. Currently getting in the mid 16's local and 17+ on the small amount of highway driving I do. I understand not to expect miracles. For my usage, didn't want to spend $1500 - $2000 (parts+install) on gears. I was thinking about this CAI http://www.4wd.com/Jeep-Engine-Perfo...pn=AFE51-76203. On the forums I am on, most basically HATE CAI's on the JK. Since I don't off road, I am not concerned about water, dust, etc. The general consensus is that they are a waste of money, can damage the engine over time and one should remain stock when it comes to the air box. Most vendors as well as aFe think otherwise but I hope it is not just because they stand to profit off of them. Finally, if this gets installed, is there any benefit to this throttle body spacer http://www.4wd.com/Jeep-Engine-Perfo...pn=AFE46-35002? Can you folks please give me your perspective on the CAI and spacer? Thanks ahead of time.

[Pznivy]

I'll get my shot in before the experts arrive.

With 3.21s, your plan should be weight. You'll suffer from piggy gears if you add too much weight to this Jeep. The first of these mods your talking about should be the intake. AFE's is good. you'll get better sound and throttle response.

People who say they do nothing are wrong. For the 300 bucks, your Jeep will sound better, and feel better. The exhaust I care for less. If you only buy one, do the intake.

[Dr. Evil]

People who say they do nothing are wrong. For the 300 bucks, your Jeep will sound better, and feel better. The exhaust I care for less. If you only buy one, do the intake.

Actually, $252.99. Already bought the exhaust, just deciding on the CAI.

edit: just purchased it.

[JeepLab]

Actually, $252.99. Already bought the exhaust, just deciding on the CAI.

edit: just purchased it.

How do you like the way your jeep drives now? before changing it around? Does it feel slow?

Is sluggish performance whats making you look to engine mods to get back some power you've lost?

[Dr. Evil]

How do you like the way your jeep drives now? before changing it around? Does it feel slow?

Is sluggish performance whats making you look to engine mods to get back some power you've lost?

I would say there is a bit of a lag, if you want to call it sluggish. It is hard to say exactly because I do local daily driving and forgot what it was like when it was stock. Sluggish on lower gears and low end I would say. Not terrible, but I figured it was worth a shot to get some more pep and response. I suppose if I did a side by side comparison to a stock one or the 2012 and up I would probably be a bit disappointed in mine but hopefully I will get what I am hoping for from these mods.

[JeepLab]

I would say there is a bit of a lag, if you want to call it sluggish. It is hard to say exactly because I do local daily driving and forgot what it was like when it was stock. Sluggish on lower gears and low end I would say. Not terrible, but I figured ir was worth a shot to get some more pep and response.

what makes you hate the idea of gearing it?

[Yoinkers]

Welcome New Guy!

I like a throttle body spacer and intake also. Exhaust is more of a personal choice. Remember chrysler spent millions developing the JK's exhaust with the pentastar. I doubt these aftermarket companies have improved it.

If you gonna do an exhaust, make sure its one that barks when you floor it, but can be quiet also. I've been looking for one that works like the corvette dual mode, but have not found it.

[JeepLab]

X2 on Pznivy's focus on WEIGHT.

If you don't want to gear, you should stick with keeping the weight down. These air flow mods will make your stock jeep nicer to drive, but will not save you from the performance decrease you should expect if you do steel bumpers, flares, etc.

If you were asking me about what sort of overall plan you should try for and NOT change those 3.21s, Id say your pretty much there. 33s. Stock bumpers, no winch. A stock jeep looks beautiful, and without the extra weight, yours will perform better than stock with the air flow pieces your talking about.

Intake first is the rule, if you can, drive it like that for a week. THEN do the exhaust. I like listening to the engine better than listening to the exhaust. Keep the stock exhaust on and do the intake and you will see what I mean. Then do the exhaust after, and keep the option in your pocket to go back to stock if you feel like it.

[Dr. Evil]

Welcome New Guy!

I like a throttle body spacer and intake also. Exhaust is more of a personal choice. Remember chrysler spent millions developing the JK's exhaust with the pentastar. I doubt these aftermarket companies have improved it.

If you gonna do an exhaust, make sure its one that barks when you floor it, but can be quiet also. I've been looking for one that works like the corvette dual mode, but have not found it.

Thanks for the welcome. I don't have the Pentastar engine since my JK is a 2010. Most folks that comment base their opinions on the 2012 and up engines. I believe it is different for my 3.8. The exhaust I linked in my OP has a nice sound but not too loud, which is one of the reasons I bought it.

X2 on Pznivy's focus on WEIGHT.

If you don't want to gear, you should stick with keeping the weight down. These air flow mods will make your stock jeep nicer to drive, but will not save you from the performance decrease you should expect if you do steel bumpers, flares, etc.

If you were asking me about what sort of overall plan you should try for and NOT change those 3.21s, Id say your pretty much there. 33s. Stock bumpers, no winch. A stock jeep looks beautiful, and without the extra weight, yours will perform better than stock with the air flow pieces your talking about.

Intake first is the rule, if you can, drive it like that for a week. THEN do the exhaust. I like listening to the engine better than listening to the exhaust. Keep the stock exhaust on and do the intake and you will see what I mean. Then do the exhaust after, and keep the option in your pocket to go back to stock if you feel like it.

I don't have stock bumpers. I have front and rear Or-Fab bumpers with no winch. I have the tuner and am picking up the exhaust tomorrow. I haven't decided on the CAI yet which is why I started this thread. Your post is interesting since most people have recommended if it was between the exhaust or CAI, they would do the exhaust (along with the tuner). I am not that picky that I care about where I hear the sound from, whether it is the engine or exhaust. The exhaust has a nice sound, could provide a better feel and is lighter than stock which based on your comments is definitely a plus. Now I just need to decide if I should go for the CAI. I don't see a down side to it even if there isn't a huge performance plus. I'll take anything I can get I guess.

[gbaumann]

Welcome Dr. Evil.

X3 on WEIGHT. Cutting weight is like adding horsepower. I love the mods on my jeep but if I could shave several hundred pounds off my truck it would be great (Ross you should start a weight saving thread. Let's have a JL weight loss contest!!). Save the cost of exhaust. Unless you can open up breathing from the heads back there aren't big gains to be had. I have an AFE CAI on my 3.6 pentastar. I didn't install it for HP or throttle response. I did it for sound.

The motor can only burn what it breathes. Like all of us you're at part throttle most of the time. In our case the tune will determine air/fuel and the TB will meter air flow which together create a charge for the cylinders and dictate horsepower. It's the same air flow wither you have a CAI or TB spacer or not. There's no getting around the throttle plate (if you do, then there's no getting around intake/exhaust valve size, which if you do there's no getting around bore & stroke, and so on and you can see where we're headed until there's no getting out of the doghouse when our wives figure out what we've spent).

Response can be improved with the CAI and TB spacer if that's the goal. The flashpaq program, if it has an aggressive timing table and air/fuel table, coupled with 93 octane fuel can certainly make a change. It can make a different mix of fuel for a given volume of air and adjust timing to ignite it a more efficient time.