ProPickup How-to
Diesel Cold-Air Intake Kit Install
S&B Performance Intake Kit improves Duramax stock airflow by more then 40 percent at full power while lasting a million miles
by Bruce W. Smith
Anyone who works in the outdoor construction world knows dirt and dust are par for the course.
They also know air filters get hammered around jobsites.
One pickup upgrade worth considering for diesel pickup owners who spend a lot of time on dusty jobsites – or runs the backroads and trails where dirt is the common denominator – is a high-performance air filter system.
(High-performance just means the system is designed to flow more air than the factory air filter when the dust and grit start clogging the filter system.)
One such line of air intakes is made by S&B Filters, a company specializing in them for more than 37 years.
They design and build everything in the U.S., and offer some nice benefits to the buyer: S&B covers their cold-air filter kist with a 1 Million Mile Limited Warranty, and they offer an Upgrade Guarantee so you get a discount when an upgrade version of the kit is developed.
S&B also does comprehensive ISO testing and certification of their products.
For example, the Duramax LMM (’07-present) cold-air intake we watched Truck Supply & Outfitters install on a contractor’s 2010 Chevy Duramax had an airflow rating 40.8 percent better than stock and filtered 99.8 percent of dust out of the airstream during testing.
The system is also incorporates a cleanable filter, saving money if filter replacement is a part of your pickup’s regular maintenance schedule.
It’s also good to note installing a S&B Intake Kit ($260) will not void your vehicle’s warranty. “If a dealer does deny your warranty repair, S&B will quickly reimburse you for the repair and will pursue the dealer to recoup the cost,” says Berry Carter, CEO.
The upgrade, as shown below, takes about 30 minutes with normal hand tools.
