zielritter
Been here awhile...
All-
As some of you know, I had a custom intake on my previous 2012 V6. After purchasing a V8 a couple weeks back I built something similar out of 3.5" piping for the 4.6l (pic attached). I fashioned it after other intakes I've seen people use for the Tau.
Driving around the past week I couldn't help but notice two things:
1) With the custom intake, the engine feels like it's lugging often at low RPMs. One can feel and hear the engine act as if it's struggling breath- almost like a dieseling sound when going up an incline in a higher gear. I checked several times and there are absolutely not vacuum leaks in my system.
2) Slight hesitation, following by a period of what I perceived as sluggish acceleration compared to stock. This was the first thing that jumped out at me when I pulled out of my cul-de-sac after installing it.
Now, before you say something about it, I did reset the ECU after installing the intake to compensate for any confusion it may be experiencing with the sudden change in airflow (although the merits of this are dubious).
Anyways, tonight I went back to the OEM set up (sans two resonators
), and voila- much less delay off the line (sprint booster was set at red for both intakes) and a more linear "feel" of acceleration.
Thoughts:
The Lambda V6 is a rev monster to begin with, especially in the 12-14 guise. The lofty peak HP and torque numbers to begin with may have partially disguised the loss of torque that accompanied installing a custom intake.
The 4.6l V8 on the other hand makes its peak torque at a much lower 3500 rpms. Therefore, eliminating the magnetic flap along with the rest of the stock system caused a much more pronounced loss of low end torque.
Am I still getting a decent gain up top with a less restrictive custom intake? Perhaps, but with a torquey V8 is the accompanying loss of low end worth it for a daily driver? Right now, I'm not sure it is. I'm thinking, maybe, with the dyamic intake profiles that come with a V8 that uses CVVT, this engine needs a well engineered intake like OEM that allows it suck air through a small straw and then two small straws as it opens up.
Your thoughts? Any others experienced what I'm talking about? Disclaimer that IANAE and could just be talking out my ass here.
As some of you know, I had a custom intake on my previous 2012 V6. After purchasing a V8 a couple weeks back I built something similar out of 3.5" piping for the 4.6l (pic attached). I fashioned it after other intakes I've seen people use for the Tau.
Driving around the past week I couldn't help but notice two things:
1) With the custom intake, the engine feels like it's lugging often at low RPMs. One can feel and hear the engine act as if it's struggling breath- almost like a dieseling sound when going up an incline in a higher gear. I checked several times and there are absolutely not vacuum leaks in my system.
2) Slight hesitation, following by a period of what I perceived as sluggish acceleration compared to stock. This was the first thing that jumped out at me when I pulled out of my cul-de-sac after installing it.
Now, before you say something about it, I did reset the ECU after installing the intake to compensate for any confusion it may be experiencing with the sudden change in airflow (although the merits of this are dubious).
Anyways, tonight I went back to the OEM set up (sans two resonators

Thoughts:
The Lambda V6 is a rev monster to begin with, especially in the 12-14 guise. The lofty peak HP and torque numbers to begin with may have partially disguised the loss of torque that accompanied installing a custom intake.
The 4.6l V8 on the other hand makes its peak torque at a much lower 3500 rpms. Therefore, eliminating the magnetic flap along with the rest of the stock system caused a much more pronounced loss of low end torque.
Am I still getting a decent gain up top with a less restrictive custom intake? Perhaps, but with a torquey V8 is the accompanying loss of low end worth it for a daily driver? Right now, I'm not sure it is. I'm thinking, maybe, with the dyamic intake profiles that come with a V8 that uses CVVT, this engine needs a well engineered intake like OEM that allows it suck air through a small straw and then two small straws as it opens up.
Your thoughts? Any others experienced what I'm talking about? Disclaimer that IANAE and could just be talking out my ass here.