Whats the first thing everyone does to the new car or truck? For me its change out the intake and filter for a cold air intake. Its like a habit or instinct. I cant help it. This 2013 F-150 came with the 3.5L Ecoboost V6. Those twin turbos are trying to suck in as much air as they can so might as well help them out. We chose a Cold Air Intake from S&B for this project. Heres a link to the part I used S&B COLD AIR INTAKE FOR 2011-2014 FORD F-150 3.5L ECOBOOST – Strapt Performance Diesel And Offroad, if you dont have an 11-14 Ecobbost then use the vehicle selector on our webpage The molded plastic intake tubes dont get heat soaked from the heat of the engine which helps keep the air charge temperature down. The intake tubes are larger and more free flowing than the stock tubes. And the new Dry-Flow filter is massive and reusable.
So here is the obligatory before picture. Boring. But atleast its clean and shiney.
First step was remove the airbox lid and intake tubes. This is easy. Just needed a flathead screwdriver.
Next I Unboxed the kit made sure it had all the parts and hardware. This should probably be step 1 but we like to be risky.
The S&B intake dont come with paper instructions. They come with a card that has a QR code that will take you right to the online instructions for your kit so you can follow along on your phone while doing the installation. This is pretty handy. Nothing worse then chasing your instructions down the street after a gust of wind blows it off the fender.
Next I assembled the intake and filter assembly. I wanted to have this completed before putting it in the truck for the purpose of taking pictures so I didnt exactly follow the instructions in order, but they were a good reference.
Now with the S&B Cold Air Intake assembled I could compare it to the stock assembly. With the increase in tube size and smooth bends how can this not make more horspower than stock?
The hardest part of this particular kit was unbolting the lower air box to remove the stock inlet and install the new S&B one. This is the part that draws the air in to the airbox from the fendwell. The S&B inlet is larger and less restrictive. Here you can see the old inlet and the new one already in the box.
After dropping the assembled intake in and tightening the clamps thats it. Oh dont forget to plug back in your intake temp sensor.
First thing I noticed is a slight inrease in the intake noise as I rev the engine. The most notable sound is the blow off valve seems to be a little louder. I have done the exhaust system or installed the SCT BDX tuner yet so Im not taking full advantage of this system just yet. But this is just step 1. More to come on this build.