I'm just got my first diesel and with all the absurd "advice" out there, a video like this that brings science and experience to the table is unmatched and highly valued when trying to effectively get the most out of your investment. Thank you!
Nice seeing a video with some hard data rather than just another video of someone riding around in there truck before and after saying oh man it makes a difference and you can’t tell any difference in the video. Thank you for putting out some informative info with recorded results
My friend is the service department manager at Chrysler, I asked him exactly what this baffle was for and he pulled up a diagram for their parts department and showed me that it is listed as a sound diffuser, said strictly to dampen the turbo sound. I asked if I could remove it and he said no problem at all, would not affect my warranty. Great channel, hope this helps some.
Thank you mr Blair, I've just removed this foam from my 2012 and, despite the age , it was intact. Love listening to the turbo whistling . Greetings from Brazil!
Was about to pull the baffle out until I stumbled on this awesome video. Love the use of banks data monster, makes for a real professional experience. Guess I'll leave it alone, thank you!
My guess is it was installed strictly for sound control. You probably should run another test with the baffle installed minus the foam. There may very well be increased resistance as the air moves around the empty space where the foam was installed. If the designer did not make room for the foam, there would not be that shoulder just before the turbo or possibly even the runner that directs the air at the bend. Just my thoughts. Great video and information as always. Thank you Marion!
Yea, Dennis, the more I've thought about it, I think you are right because the after market ducts don't have all that air disturbance before hitting the blades and I do think the sound is a little louder the more I drive without the foam. I'm probably going to get an after market just to find out how it does. thanks.
This is awesome. You just changed my mind about so many things. One of the few videos I haven't sped up to get through in quite some time. Everything you talked about is relevant and I wanted to make sure that I captured all of it.
Well Done! I'm not a cummins guy and even less a dodge/ram guy, but am an engineer and appreciate your case study and sharing of the data. Keep up the great work with the videos
I did keep the insert inside without foam in my 2008, it hit about 110k and broke, sending a couple small pieces of plastic into the impeller. When I bought my 2012 new, i took the entire thing out immediately to avoid any potential issues. I'd be interested in seeing the closed box kits like S&B do compated to stock, particularly due their price. Fine work!
I used some bulk Uni Filter on my dirtbike that looks like the same filter foam. Thanks for the video Marion, without a repeated test on a dyno under similar conditions there isn’t anyone proving those “cold air kits” do anything. They probably work on a modified engine, but Ram spent a lot of money designing the baffle, it’s there for a reason. I’m leaving mine stock with the paper filter. My dirtbikes use dual layer oil soaked foam and they get cleaned after every ride!
I have been waiting a long time to find out what this filter is! I removed mine when I put in my K&N filter. well the only difference I could notice was the sound of the turbo. Now I can hear the turbo spool up. I was never able to hear it before. now mine sits in a box in my attic . I think after watching this I'll be putting mine back in without the foam silencer. Thanks for the informative video
I took mine out 2 years ago and definitely get better fuel mileage and can hear the turbo more in the cab and I like that. However I hot shot for a living and need all the power I can get so I’ll most likely be putting it back in after watching this.
I’ve tried to research this on forums and UA-cam and all I could find were theories and opinions. This was a great video with practical and factual information. Well done sir! Thank you!
Excellent video! This just goes to show how complex these engines are and everything is designed to work together. Don't know if the foam is a maintenance replaceable item.
Great data and explanation. Not the typical these suck and yank them out vids that are pretty normal. I was impressed that you actually looked up the patents and read the explanations. The turbo is really no different than a jet turbine found in fighter jets in function, suck, squeeze and blow the air with exhaust driving the assembly. In jets they try to get a common face of air to hit the turbine face to prevent uneven pressure on the blades with with our trucks and the space allocated under the hood this just isn't possible. The duck tail would help to solve that issue and I wonder about reusing some of the OEM assembly to help straighten the air but cut some of the extra plastic out.
Thanks Jeremy, appreciate your comments. I am also wondering how to cut the space down. I actually thinking about buying an after market assembly to test it but I'd like to keep the OEM air box and I haven't found where you can buy the air duct without buying the entire air cleaner with it. Your explanation on the jet engine reinforces the data and outcome of my test. Thank you.
Maximum Steel is the BEST and ONLY color. I was flying for Continental during 9/11. Houston to Lafayette, Biloxi, Lake Charles, Little Rock. Air density was important for flying too. Hot and Humid and fully loaded = bad. :) My gut told me the baffle was an air modifier to reduce cavitation into the turbo. You proved that. Well done! The foam is probably just a noise reducer as you said. Thanks!
Thanks, You've had my dream job. I got my commercial license when I was 20 with the intention of making that my career. I was building hours flying sky divers and anything I could get when I got drafted. I flew some when I got out the Marines but quickly got married, family and flying was on the back burner. I only continued to fly for fun but I always wished I could have stuck with that. When I'm not working on video's, I live on the youtube Air Clips, ATC etc.. channels. Anyway, yea, Density Altitude, big deal to pilots.
This has got to be the best video on this subject. Thank you for putting all the time into this informative video. I've been running without the baffle since I had 36,000 miles and I've never seen any oil consumption without it. Now that i've had my fill of the beautiful turbo sound I will be putting the unit back in without the foam to see how it runs. I hope that I see some improvement spooling the turbo up or at least still hear that sweet sound of the turbo. Thank you for all your work.
So it's been just over 1,300 miles since I put it back in but I put it in as is with the foam. I didn't feel any difference for the first tank of fuel but after that I started to notice that my MPG went up! Normally cruising at highway speeds here in Florida (70+) she's hovering around 23 MPG but never over that... Now I'm seeing 25+ on flat road's when driving uploaded. I had gotten to use to the way it drove without it that now that I installed it back in and it's had some time for the computer to relearn the new condition I'm amazed at how well the throttle response is! And now the Ram Air is working back to its full potential. I will never take it back out again. I'm sure that Ram has spent quite a bit of money in R&D on that intake system and I'm sure it was money well spent so for those of you who think that you can modify it or go with an aftermarket air intake I think it's a big mistake! Thank you again for all your research and hard work on this video.
@@bradmorris5409 Almost the same. You can hear a little turbo whine without the foam which I like. It's not loud enough to really appreciate however. Seems louder on colder days????
@@bradmorris5409 so far I have noticed that there is a slight difference running it with and without the the foam and I might add that this observation has been long-term. I find it there is no advantage to taking out the insert or the foam in fact my mileage has dropped 3 miles per gallon over the course of 30,000 miles. I have reinstalled the unit back to OEM specs with the foam and I have found that the mileage has returned back to normal over the course of the computer relearning the air density to fuel ratio and although it's my opinion that it is not worth removing just so that you can hear the slight whistle of a turbo.... so it really was not worth wasting my time doing the modification and returning it back to the stock. the only improvement I saw was replacing the stock air filter with a k&n high-flow air filter.
While I understand the data you collected what I don't understand is why the baffle, what made RAM's engineers design and add this thing. The differences in the collected data between with the baffle and without it do not seem all that important or cost justified. I can't help but think there is more to the baffle story. Awesome job, thanks so much for collecting and publishing this info.
@@dillonh321 yes I agree except for the duckbill scoop where it goes into the intake. that's not for sound. that's for efficiency of the turbo. But yes the baffle itself is for sound
@@dillonh321 it's probably not that noticeable since when I was running the test I was running the turbine wide open at about a hundred and ten thousand RPM. normally you not going to be boosting anywhere close to that. Over half of that thanks.
That baffle is there to re-direct the airflow so the compressor blades are evenly loaded with airflow. Otherwise as you stated in the video, the airflow will be biased to one side of the compressor blade and it won't be as efficient as it could be. This is all caused by the sharp bends in the duct work leading to the entry of the turbo.
What a great video Marion !!!! Just my opinion !!! Yourself and Gale Banks both explain things that anybody can understand witch is a pleasure to watch !!! As you showed the numbers don't lie !!! Awesome video !!!
I have removed my baffle and installed a K & N filter in the stock air box. Of course I think it has helped but never really knew for sure. It does make it sound much better in my opinion. I get a pronounced turbo whine inside the Cabernet Sauvignon but its not really too loud. Thanks for this video.
I think the foam is there to help direct the airflow into that desired path the duck bill is trying to facilitate. Removing it probably creates vortices along the path and as it’s directed through by the duck bill isn’t as stable. As you pointed out it is designed to improve the efficiency of the turbo and minor tweaks such as that has helped create more power for the engine we love. Each year minor tweaks result in more power and torque in the 6.7 family. Great video!
Factual data is always helpful..! IMHO, the baffle is there from the factory to correct for the turbulence created as air flows past the flexible accordian section just passed the filter outlet and to correct for the opposite direction 90 degree turns the air has to make on its way to reach the turbocharger inlet. Thanks to your efforts, the data confirms the air is tumbling/turbulent without the baffle installed, turbo efficiency is down, air temp is up..
I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this and the objective point of view you used. This information is extremely well done and presented well. I appreciate your opinion.
Awesome video and great to see someone doing actual testing rather than just claiming it helps to remove it with no proof. Amazes me how many videos there are on removing this baffle, even to this day where people claim you get better performance by removing it; and have absolutely no data or proof other than the other UA-cam master mechanic videos they’ve seen telling them so.
I checked mine on my 2016 when I bought it in 2016 and noticed a piece of plastic on the "duck bill" about to break off into the turbo, all I noticed was it was louder, mpg about the same. Im glad you did the testing though so we all know that it actually is a functional piece. I have left mine out though.
I’ve had mine in and out a few times based on everyone’s opinion. I think I’m putting it back in minus the foam. I see about 2 pounds less boost in my very mildly tuned 2017 during my highly unscientific testing.
I found some information on the baffle and insert once, and I can’t remember where. I read that the baffle with veins was installed into the intake to put a spin to the incoming air and increase the velocity improving performance. In doing so, they noticed condensation forming in the intake tube and the foam was the solution to that. As a rule of thumb I would inspect and replace the foam when degraded. Probably at 100k or so, but who knows for sure
With my experience I think the opposite is true and that it's to keep the air going in straight to the blades instead of doing a tornado up to the air filter
I agree with this video %100. I did considerable testing on an emmisons intact 2016 & 2020. All conditions were near max tow capacity for 3,000 miles. 3-5 psi boost pressure differential and mileage gain, Both in favor or the factory setup. Also same testing with TS Stryker duration modules for warranty purposes.TS Stryker > Stealth factory intake with baffle better than no baffle or complete S&B
Outstanding video and presentation! I can't believe you don't have more subscribers. Based on your data I'm not sure I would believe the people who say they gain fuel economy by removing the baffle. Turbochargers absolutely make a diesel engine more fuel efficient, not just more powerful. All of your data indicates better compressor efficiency with the baffle installed. Fuel flow is higher not because of decreased efficiency but because the ECM is putting out as much power as possible because you have the throttle floored. And it can burn more fuel because there is cooler, higher pressure intake manifold air, or more oxygen entering the engine. But given the same load on the engine, rather than 100% throttle, it would burn less fuel. Thank you Marion, this is awesome stuff!
Thanks for all your videos sir. You have helped me complete not only this mod, but the diff changes, transfer guild change and ccv change. Very grateful to you for these videos. Please consider adding a PayPal beer/coffee fund. I would gladly contribute. Regards
My truck is over 7 years old. The baffle foam is fine. That baffle is for noise reduction. All you have to do is look at it and it’s function is obvious. Remove it and hear how much louder the exhaust brake is; one can even hear some whistle. I data log too. Removing that air intake baffled pipe completely and replace with the K&N’s smooth air-intake pipe. There is no increase in cfm with replacing just the whole baffle; no notable increase in boost. My manifold densites INCREASED near 4.5% (changing just the air intake) used together w/ my Banks intercooler also cools more (data logging comparing only the effects of removing the pipe with the K&N straight intake. I already know the changes from each prior modification. My cfm increased from 400 to 422 when replacing just the filter. That change did not increase density. My density increases occurred with just removing the whole factory air intake piple from CAI to turbo and replcing w/ just K&Ns air intake pipe. The stock intake creates turbulence.
Replaced mine with a complete S&B unit (has "active air") with a washable filter and never looked back. It's been installed for about three years now. I did replace the filter with a new one about six months ago. Would I do it again? Yup! Great video...thanks!
Nicely done sir. I was actually starting to research this myself and found it difficult to get any answers from the manufacturer. Much appreciated. By the way I wonder what the comparison might be with this and an aftermarket cold air intake setup. Would be cool to see that breakdown too but it’s not as cheap to get the data!
I'll have to pull the one out of my 2014 to see how it's doing. My buddy's 2014 service truck had a piece not of the foam, but the plastic cracked off and was swallowed by the turbo. Through the turbo off balance and puked oil into the DPF. He pulled the one out on his coworkers and found the plastic was cracking on it as well.
I've heard of that also, we may have to live with the foam or go after market. Did he have the foam on it when the plastic broke? I'm wondering if the lack of cushion from not having the foam cause a problem? thanks. Appreciate if you let me know how your looks.
Thanks for taking the to look into this for us Marion. I think that I may have actually learned something from this and that alone is the worth the price of admission. I look forward to your next educational video.
Great video, I had always wondered about the baffle. I have ran mine with and without the baffle. Mine is a 2015 Ram that is fully deleted. My truck performs better with the baffle in and the foam removed.
Awesome video!!! I've been debating with myself about whether to remove this or not... and this has been the best video about it so far... as you're also the only one to show scientific quality data with the data monster. So removing the foam but keeping the baffle it is. Now... hopefully you have more videos just like this about the CCV filter... EGR and DPF and anything else that is recommended to be deleted off these trucks for reliability. Of not... i hope you to consider making them.
My dodge truck diesel cumins begins to send me messages about exhaust systems see dealers now" I starter to do this (using the exhaust brake) and I stop seeing the warning again more than a year since a begin to use the exhaust break system...
Very compelling case, Analytics do not lie, I initially removed the baffle assembly and after review of this video (of which provided detailed analysis) I've elected to reinstall it less the foam insert. I would be remiss not to mention many out there feel the OEM air box is as optimal as many aftermarket CAI's. This may now be suspect considering the 90 degree angle and the shape of the inlet to turbo pipe connector on the OEM. One thing I contemplated is the ram engineers may have deduced a featured back pressure of air at the turbo inlet provided air into the turbo faster due to a reduction in pipe size. Just a thought. Thanks for your analysis.
I have 2010 just cleaned egr cooler, valve and intake horn. When I took off this intake baffle the foam had black residue on it maybe from the crankcase vent. The foam was good I washed it out it back in.
Restricting air flow in and out of engine is a deterrent, I removed mine a long time ago and barely notice sound change but I certainly noticed the better fuel mileage.
Another great video. Thanks for doing the research. I removed mine and noticed the sound but no real performance difference. The sound is most noticeable driving by a concrete barrier or through a tunnel. Base on your number I will put mine back in less the foam. Just FYI, my truck is also a ‘14 but has 91k it looks the same as yours.
Thanks Ben, It's probably not noticeable without a dyno. Without the baffle, the boost eventually comes within 1/2 psi of the with baffle but gets there a couple mph later. Also, this was extreme, wide open full boost which we rarely do. But in a drag race the baffle wins. ha.
I had an lml duramax and it had a baffle in the top of the motor that quiets the turbo it’s a big box the air travels through to dampen the sound. From what I gathered from this video is this duck bill and foam is the same dampener as the box on my lml. I took it off and put a blocker plate in its place. Never had a problem on my temperamental dmax.
Great video Marion up till now I’ve been running my 2012 w/out the baffle! However I think I will reinstall w/out foam for any additional performance enhancement! I’m currently at 106K miles and no DEF!
Not sure if anyone else noticed or had this but in the fender is a tube, call it a cardboard if you will. This connects to the air box. Mine recently came apart and pulled into my stock air box. Threw a code to change air filter. Just FYI.
Took the foam off. Slight discoloring at 10,000 miles. I wonder if it’s catching what little blow by is still present after CCV filter. Not sure why it would be discolored. Have been looking at catch cans to put inline.
Took the foam out and left the baffle installed, from my perspective the foam is just a silencer for the baffle..keeps it from rattling around plastic on plastic.
This is fantastic. Amazingly done good sir!!!! I have 17 3500 6-speed manual trans all stock except a pedal booster to help with the “dead pedal” and turbo lag. I removed my baffle a few moths back and put in a K&N filter. I found/felt I got a lil more kick/power but loss on my fuel economy according to my computer . From watching this i wonder if changes are all in my head; I will try putting the baffle back without the foam. I do have a new stock filter as well i was going to put back in and see if I get better fuel economy. Either way great video. Very well laid out.
The K&N will dust your engine. Look through it up at the sky and see the pinholes in it. Project Farm tested all aftermarket air filters and K&N was the worst for dust removal.
@@richardm875 My friend had the S&B. It filters great. He just likes the quiet of the stock filter. I would choose that if I went that route. He and I returned to the OEM muffler too. No difference in my lie-o-meter from a freer flowing one I had.
The internal combustion engine is a giant air pump. More air in and out means more efficient operation. The government mandates make diesel engines run hotter than they should to "help" emissions. You will use WAY less fuel if you can make it breathe better. We stripped off the egr crap from a 15L cat. This includes removing 2 turbos and installing one large one. Went from 5mpg to 7.4mpg. Over the course of a year at 120k miles or more, that's a huge savings at the pump. Not to mention went from 550hp to over 700hp and the torque went from 2k to 2400. Priometer stayed about the same unless you lug it. If you're pulling a huge mountain out west grossing 80k lbs and you lug the motor, pull around 1350 to 1500 rpms, your exhaust temp will get up around 1100f, if you just drop even a half of a gear it stays around 900f.
It just makes the turbo quieter. I took mine out the first week I bought my truck. Though they are not very restrictive, they still restrict air flow a little bit. I slapped an S&B cold Air Intake in it anyway.
Amazing video! I’d imagine disrupting the flow has an effect on the discharge side of the compressor wheel as well, and probably causes less dispersed flow trough the CAC, leading to less heat exchanger, and higher IAT’s.
Your info is awesome!!! The info shows with the baffle is better... BUT, you should show with filer on or removed since baffle installed is better based in your numbers.
I don’t know much about air intake systems but I can’t help but think that baffle acts like a Venturi if you will. Similar to an air hose with a small fitting at the end. If that fitting is removed the air does not jet in or out but travels out without much force. Just my thoughts.
Great information! It would be worth noting that they have since changed the design (mine is a 2021). The new ones do not have the foam, and the plastic veins are shorter and made into the housing. The intake tube has also been altered and no longer has the 90° shelf at the transition, so this mod is not necessary on the new ones for concerns with the degrading foam, and there is no sound benefit for those wanting more turbo noise. I'm not sure what year they made this change, but one way to tell is if you look at the turbo, the newer designs have the ccv hose going into the turbo flange, rather than the intake tube. Keep trucking!
Ive ran my truck with out that baffle for over a year before and after I deleted and tuned it and it absolutely does nothing but sound, take it out if you want a little bit more whistle
Marion, fantastic video. Thanks for doing the whole community a favor and conducting this research.
Thank you.
I'm just got my first diesel and with all the absurd "advice" out there, a video like this that brings science and experience to the table is unmatched and highly valued when trying to effectively get the most out of your investment. Thank you!
Nice seeing a video with some hard data rather than just another video of someone riding around in there truck before and after saying oh man it makes a difference and you can’t tell any difference in the video. Thank you for putting out some informative info with recorded results
I’ve seen and read a lot about this topic. This was the most scientific and factual attempt to answer the question. I appreciate it.
Thank you very much I appreciate that
My friend is the service department manager at Chrysler, I asked him exactly what this baffle was for and he pulled up a diagram for their parts department and showed me that it is listed as a sound diffuser, said strictly to dampen the turbo sound. I asked if I could remove it and he said no problem at all, would not affect my warranty. Great channel, hope this helps some.
watch @ 1.5x = Baffle in and foam out. It looks like many hours of research and I Thank you Mr Blair.
You are correct!
Thank you mr Blair, I've just removed this foam from my 2012 and, despite the age , it was intact. Love listening to the turbo whistling . Greetings from Brazil!
Good thing I have a beer - I would of fallen asleep watching this Marion. You are AMAZING!
Sumner Kinney
He does have a soothing voice doesn’t he. 😂
Was about to pull the baffle out until I stumbled on this awesome video. Love the use of banks data monster, makes for a real professional experience. Guess I'll leave it alone, thank you!
Marion, You and Banks are the man! Thanks for all your info and answering my questions in the video. Am removing the foam and keeping the insert!
My guess is it was installed strictly for sound control. You probably should run another test with the baffle installed minus the foam. There may very well be increased resistance as the air moves around the empty space where the foam was installed. If the designer did not make room for the foam, there would not be that shoulder just before the turbo or possibly even the runner that directs the air at the bend. Just my thoughts. Great video and information as always. Thank you Marion!
Yea, Dennis, the more I've thought about it, I think you are right because the after market ducts don't have all that air disturbance before hitting the blades and I do think the sound is a little louder the more I drive without the foam. I'm probably going to get an after market just to find out how it does. thanks.
This is awesome. You just changed my mind about so many things. One of the few videos I haven't sped up to get through in quite some time. Everything you talked about is relevant and I wanted to make sure that I captured all of it.
Thank you very much. It makes the time that I spent on that thing worthwhile
Well Done! I'm not a cummins guy and even less a dodge/ram guy, but am an engineer and appreciate your case study and sharing of the data. Keep up the great work with the videos
I did keep the insert inside without foam in my 2008, it hit about 110k and broke, sending a couple small pieces of plastic into the impeller. When I bought my 2012 new, i took the entire thing out immediately to avoid any potential issues. I'd be interested in seeing the closed box kits like S&B do compated to stock, particularly due their price. Fine work!
Good info thanks. Yeah I may eventually do that aftermarket test
I used some bulk Uni Filter on my dirtbike that looks like the same filter foam. Thanks for the video Marion, without a repeated test on a dyno under similar conditions there isn’t anyone proving those “cold air kits” do anything. They probably work on a modified engine, but Ram spent a lot of money designing the baffle, it’s there for a reason. I’m leaving mine stock with the paper filter. My dirtbikes use dual layer oil soaked foam and they get cleaned after every ride!
yes I agree
I have been waiting a long time to find out what this filter is! I removed mine when I put in my K&N filter. well the only difference I could notice was the sound of the turbo. Now I can hear the turbo spool up. I was never able to hear it before. now mine sits in a box in my attic . I think after watching this I'll be putting mine back in without the foam silencer.
Thanks for the informative video
You are probably OK . I think it's the square shoulder that I mentioned in the video that's causing the air to get turbulent right at the turbo.
It would be interesting to see you run these same tests with an after market air intake.
I took mine out 2 years ago and definitely get better fuel mileage and can hear the turbo more in the cab and I like that. However I hot shot for a living and need all the power I can get so I’ll most likely be putting it back in after watching this.
Marion Blair, he is the Cummins gift that keeps giving !!
You fixed the problem with aged foam , it's just a muffler for the intake on the turbo , thanks a lot .
I’ve tried to research this on forums and UA-cam and all I could find were theories and opinions. This was a great video with practical and factual information. Well done sir! Thank you!
Excellent video Marion!! Thank you for the effort you put into your videos!! Keep making videos my friend!!
Appreciate that
Excellent video! This just goes to show how complex these engines are and everything is designed to work together. Don't know if the foam is a maintenance replaceable item.
Thank you. The foam is not replaceable without changing the entire assembly which cost a couple hundred dollars
Amazing video! Thank you for this info and also putting the time in to getting all the data. I will be putting mine back in tomorrow.
Thank you very much
Great data and explanation. Not the typical these suck and yank them out vids that are pretty normal. I was impressed that you actually looked up the patents and read the explanations. The turbo is really no different than a jet turbine found in fighter jets in function, suck, squeeze and blow the air with exhaust driving the assembly. In jets they try to get a common face of air to hit the turbine face to prevent uneven pressure on the blades with with our trucks and the space allocated under the hood this just isn't possible. The duck tail would help to solve that issue and I wonder about reusing some of the OEM assembly to help straighten the air but cut some of the extra plastic out.
Thanks Jeremy, appreciate your comments. I am also wondering how to cut the space down. I actually thinking about buying an after market assembly to test it but I'd like to keep the OEM air box and I haven't found where you can buy the air duct without buying the entire air cleaner with it. Your explanation on the jet engine reinforces the data and outcome of my test. Thank you.
Maximum Steel is the BEST and ONLY color. I was flying for Continental during 9/11. Houston to Lafayette, Biloxi, Lake Charles, Little Rock. Air density was important for flying too. Hot and Humid and fully loaded = bad. :) My gut told me the baffle was an air modifier to reduce cavitation into the turbo. You proved that. Well done! The foam is probably just a noise reducer as you said. Thanks!
Thanks, You've had my dream job. I got my commercial license when I was 20 with the intention of making that my career. I was building hours flying sky divers and anything I could get when I got drafted. I flew some when I got out the Marines but quickly got married, family and flying was on the back burner. I only continued to fly for fun but I always wished I could have stuck with that. When I'm not working on video's, I live on the youtube Air Clips, ATC etc.. channels. Anyway, yea, Density Altitude, big deal to pilots.
This has got to be the best video on this subject. Thank you for putting all the time into this informative video.
I've been running without the baffle since I had 36,000 miles and I've never seen any oil consumption without it. Now that i've had my fill of the beautiful turbo sound I will be putting the unit back in without the foam to see how it runs.
I hope that I see some improvement spooling the turbo up or at least still hear that sweet sound of the turbo.
Thank you for all your work.
So it's been just over 1,300 miles since I put it back in but I put it in as is with the foam. I didn't feel any difference for the first tank of fuel but after that I started to notice that my MPG went up! Normally cruising at highway speeds here in Florida (70+) she's hovering around 23 MPG but never over that... Now I'm seeing 25+ on flat road's when driving uploaded. I had gotten to use to the way it drove without it that now that I installed it back in and it's had some time for the computer to relearn the new condition I'm amazed at how well the throttle response is! And now the Ram Air is working back to its full potential. I will never take it back out again. I'm sure that Ram has spent quite a bit of money in R&D on that intake system and I'm sure it was money well spent so for those of you who think that you can modify it or go with an aftermarket air intake I think it's a big mistake! Thank you again for all your research and hard work on this video.
I agree.
How’d it sound without the foam vs totally removed?
@@bradmorris5409 Almost the same. You can hear a little turbo whine without the foam which I like. It's not loud enough to really appreciate however. Seems louder on colder days????
@@bradmorris5409 so far I have noticed that there is a slight difference running it with and without the the foam and I might add that this observation has been long-term. I find it there is no advantage to taking out the insert or the foam in fact my mileage has dropped 3 miles per gallon over the course of 30,000 miles. I have reinstalled the unit back to OEM specs with the foam and I have found that the mileage has returned back to normal over the course of the computer relearning the air density to fuel ratio and although it's my opinion that it is not worth removing just so that you can hear the slight whistle of a turbo.... so it really was not worth wasting my time doing the modification and returning it back to the stock. the only improvement I saw was replacing the stock air filter with a k&n high-flow air filter.
While I understand the data you collected what I don't understand is why the baffle, what made RAM's engineers design and add this thing. The differences in the collected data between with the baffle and without it do not seem all that important or cost justified. I can't help but think there is more to the baffle story.
Awesome job, thanks so much for collecting and publishing this info.
Yea, I agree. Would it be nice to talk to the person that designed it.
i think it is just to muffle the turbo.
@@dillonh321 yes I agree except for the duckbill scoop where it goes into the intake. that's not for sound. that's for efficiency of the turbo. But yes the baffle itself is for sound
@@MarionBlair
Do you think it is a big enough difference to leave it in? The numbers you show doesn't seem to have a large difference.
@@dillonh321 it's probably not that noticeable since when I was running the test I was running the turbine wide open at about a hundred and ten thousand RPM. normally you not going to be boosting anywhere close to that. Over half of that thanks.
That baffle is there to re-direct the airflow so the compressor blades are evenly loaded with airflow. Otherwise as you stated in the video, the airflow will be biased to one side of the compressor blade and it won't be as efficient as it could be.
This is all caused by the sharp bends in the duct work leading to the entry of the turbo.
Yea I think it might also keep the air flow going straight into the wheel instead of tornadoing
What a great video Marion !!!! Just my opinion !!! Yourself and Gale Banks both explain things that anybody can understand witch is a pleasure to watch !!! As you showed the numbers don't lie !!! Awesome video !!!
I have removed my baffle and installed a K & N filter in the stock air box. Of course I think it has helped but never really knew for sure. It does make it sound much better in my opinion. I get a pronounced turbo whine inside the Cabernet Sauvignon but its not really too loud. Thanks for this video.
Go pull up videos of how much dust a K&N lets through.
I think the foam is there to help direct the airflow into that desired path the duck bill is trying to facilitate. Removing it probably creates vortices along the path and as it’s directed through by the duck bill isn’t as stable. As you pointed out it is designed to improve the efficiency of the turbo and minor tweaks such as that has helped create more power for the engine we love. Each year minor tweaks result in more power and torque in the 6.7 family. Great video!
My 5.9 had one
Thanks Marion. Appreciate the effort you go to, to be concise and accurate. Thanks for sharing. From Australia
great video. Nothing beats hard data. Thank you for your time.
Factual data is always helpful..!
IMHO, the baffle is there from the factory to correct for the turbulence created as air flows past the flexible accordian section just passed the filter outlet and to correct for the opposite direction 90 degree turns the air has to make on its way to reach the turbocharger inlet.
Thanks to your efforts, the data confirms the air is tumbling/turbulent without the baffle installed, turbo efficiency is down, air temp is up..
That was my conclusion thanks
I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this and the objective point of view you used. This information is extremely well done and presented well. I appreciate your opinion.
Awesome video and great to see someone doing actual testing rather than just claiming it helps to remove it with no proof. Amazes me how many videos there are on removing this baffle, even to this day where people claim you get better performance by removing it; and have absolutely no data or proof other than the other UA-cam master mechanic videos they’ve seen telling them so.
Thank you!
Great video! Thanks for gathering and sharing a ton of actual data on the change instead of just shooting from the hip.
I checked mine on my 2016 when I bought it in 2016 and noticed a piece of plastic on the "duck bill" about to break off into the turbo, all I noticed was it was louder, mpg about the same. Im glad you did the testing though so we all know that it actually is a functional piece. I have left mine out though.
I’ve had mine in and out a few times based on everyone’s opinion. I think I’m putting it back in minus the foam. I see about 2 pounds less boost in my very mildly tuned 2017 during my highly unscientific testing.
I found some information on the baffle and insert once, and I can’t remember where. I read that the baffle with veins was installed into the intake to put a spin to the incoming air and increase the velocity improving performance. In doing so, they noticed condensation forming in the intake tube and the foam was the solution to that. As a rule of thumb I would inspect and replace the foam when degraded. Probably at 100k or so, but who knows for sure
With my experience I think the opposite is true and that it's to keep the air going in straight to the blades instead of doing a tornado up to the air filter
So glad Ifound your channel, great resources, facts not fiction.
I agree with this video %100. I did considerable testing on an emmisons intact 2016 & 2020. All conditions were near max tow capacity for 3,000 miles. 3-5 psi boost pressure differential and mileage gain, Both in favor or the factory setup. Also same testing with TS Stryker duration modules for warranty purposes.TS Stryker > Stealth factory intake with baffle better than no baffle or complete S&B
Outstanding video and presentation! I can't believe you don't have more subscribers. Based on your data I'm not sure I would believe the people who say they gain fuel economy by removing the baffle. Turbochargers absolutely make a diesel engine more fuel efficient, not just more powerful. All of your data indicates better compressor efficiency with the baffle installed. Fuel flow is higher not because of decreased efficiency but because the ECM is putting out as much power as possible because you have the throttle floored. And it can burn more fuel because there is cooler, higher pressure intake manifold air, or more oxygen entering the engine. But given the same load on the engine, rather than 100% throttle, it would burn less fuel. Thank you Marion, this is awesome stuff!
Thanks, yes, that's was my conclusion. Marion
Man, I love the seriousness of this man- really enjoy it and love it ! lol
Thanks for all your videos sir. You have helped me complete not only this mod, but the diff changes, transfer guild change and ccv change. Very grateful to you for these videos. Please consider adding a PayPal beer/coffee fund. I would gladly contribute. Regards
Thank you very much. Appreciate the comments.
Great video if you are having problems sleeping at night!
Xanax works better
My truck is over 7 years old. The baffle foam is fine. That baffle is for noise reduction. All you have to do is look at it and it’s function is obvious. Remove it and hear how much louder the exhaust brake is; one can even hear some whistle. I data log too. Removing that air intake baffled pipe completely and replace with the K&N’s smooth air-intake pipe. There is no increase in cfm with replacing just the whole baffle; no notable increase in boost. My manifold densites INCREASED near 4.5% (changing just the air intake) used together w/ my Banks intercooler also cools more (data logging comparing only the effects of removing the pipe with the K&N straight intake. I already know the changes from each prior modification. My cfm increased from 400 to 422 when replacing just the filter. That change did not increase density. My density increases occurred with just removing the whole factory air intake piple from CAI to turbo and replcing w/ just K&Ns air intake pipe. The stock intake creates turbulence.
Better fuel economy for the win. Thanks for sharing this data.
Appreciate your time on this sir - Thank you!
Replaced mine with a complete S&B unit (has "active air") with a washable filter and never looked back. It's been installed for about three years now. I did replace the filter with a new one about six months ago. Would I do it again? Yup! Great video...thanks!
Thanks for that information, great job. I was running mine without the baffle but I put it back on after watching your video it makes sense.
Thanks, the test answered a lot of questions I had.
Nicely done sir. I was actually starting to research this myself and found it difficult to get any answers from the manufacturer. Much appreciated. By the way I wonder what the comparison might be with this and an aftermarket cold air intake setup. Would be cool to see that breakdown too but it’s not as cheap to get the data!
You’re awesome man! Appreciate your attention to detail. Cheers
Thank you very much
Finally, a review of this that involves actual facts! Thank you very much
Thank you for doing all the research. I'm picking up my used 2012 ram this week and that's the first thing I will check on my ram 2500.
I'll have to pull the one out of my 2014 to see how it's doing. My buddy's 2014 service truck had a piece not of the foam, but the plastic cracked off and was swallowed by the turbo. Through the turbo off balance and puked oil into the DPF. He pulled the one out on his coworkers and found the plastic was cracking on it as well.
I've heard of that also, we may have to live with the foam or go after market. Did he have the foam on it when the plastic broke? I'm wondering if the lack of cushion from not having the foam cause a problem? thanks. Appreciate if you let me know how your looks.
Thanks for taking the to look into this for us Marion. I think that I may have actually learned something from this and that alone is the worth the price of admission. I look forward to your next educational video.
Thanks, I appreciate that.
Great video, I had always wondered about the baffle. I have ran mine with and without the baffle. Mine is a 2015 Ram that is fully deleted. My truck performs better with the baffle in and the foam removed.
Awesome video!!! I've been debating with myself about whether to remove this or not... and this has been the best video about it so far... as you're also the only one to show scientific quality data with the data monster.
So removing the foam but keeping the baffle it is.
Now... hopefully you have more videos just like this about the CCV filter... EGR and DPF and anything else that is recommended to be deleted off these trucks for reliability.
Of not... i hope you to consider making them.
Sure will, I'm always looking for video material.
My dodge truck diesel cumins begins to send me messages about exhaust systems see dealers now" I starter to do this (using the exhaust brake) and I stop seeing the warning again more than a year since a begin to use the exhaust break system...
Very compelling case, Analytics do not lie, I initially removed the baffle assembly and after review of this video (of which provided detailed analysis) I've elected to reinstall it less the foam insert. I would be remiss not to mention many out there feel the OEM air box is as optimal as many aftermarket CAI's. This may now be suspect considering the 90 degree angle and the shape of the inlet to turbo pipe connector on the OEM. One thing I contemplated is the ram engineers may have deduced a featured back pressure of air at the turbo inlet provided air into the turbo faster due to a reduction in pipe size. Just a thought. Thanks for your analysis.
It's an ugly Contraption they have there and I think there is room for improvement and still have efficiency
@@MarionBlair what's your opinion on removing the silencer on the 4th gen cummins? Or drill holes in it...
@@THEDODGE59 I remove the foam but I would not remove the baffle.
It's already full of holes if I understand you correctly
Thank you Jonathan, yes I agree with you
I have 2010 just cleaned egr cooler, valve and intake horn. When I took off this intake baffle the foam had black residue on it maybe from the crankcase vent. The foam was good I washed it out it back in.
MCMUSICH
EGR DELETE
Restricting air flow in and out of engine is a deterrent, I removed mine a long time ago and barely notice sound change but I certainly noticed the better fuel mileage.
Where's your data?
@@800PooDragon Plug your air intake or plug your tailpipe and see what happens, and there's your data !
Brilliant
@@800PooDragon Something simple that a moron like might understand.
Great video! A lot of good info you have gathered and plotted.
Once again, excellent review on a good topic.
I am sure you did a great job for Exxon when you worked for them.
Another great video. Thanks for doing the research. I removed mine and noticed the sound but no real performance difference. The sound is most noticeable driving by a concrete barrier or through a tunnel. Base on your number I will put mine back in less the foam. Just FYI, my truck is also a ‘14 but has 91k it looks the same as yours.
Thanks Ben, It's probably not noticeable without a dyno. Without the baffle, the boost eventually comes within 1/2 psi of the with baffle but gets there a couple mph later. Also, this was extreme, wide open full boost which we rarely do. But in a drag race the baffle wins. ha.
Quite thorough and an excellent presentation!
Thank you. I appreciate that.
I had an lml duramax and it had a baffle in the top of the motor that quiets the turbo it’s a big box the air travels through to dampen the sound. From what I gathered from this video is this duck bill and foam is the same dampener as the box on my lml. I took it off and put a blocker plate in its place. Never had a problem on my temperamental dmax.
Great video Marion up till now I’ve been running my 2012 w/out the baffle! However I think I will reinstall w/out foam for any additional performance enhancement! I’m currently at 106K miles and no DEF!
Thanks i envy you
Oh oh retraction I must have thrown away my baffle! Wishing I had another so if some kind benevolent wants to get rid of one I’d love it!!
Not sure if anyone else noticed or had this but in the fender is a tube, call it a cardboard if you will. This connects to the air box. Mine recently came apart and pulled into my stock air box. Threw a code to change air filter. Just FYI.
Took the foam off. Slight discoloring at 10,000 miles. I wonder if it’s catching what little blow by is still present after CCV filter. Not sure why it would be discolored. Have been looking at catch cans to put inline.
Yea, I'm pretty sure the light brown color is not oil. It would be black. It only on the upstream side of the baffle also.
@@MarionBlair
So has anyone come up with possible cause of discoloration.
Took the foam out and left the baffle installed, from my perspective the foam is just a silencer for the baffle..keeps it from rattling around plastic on plastic.
hi sir very nice explanation and analysis, blessings
Thanks very much for the effort. Good job and excellent information. I’m going to put mine back in.
thanks
This is fantastic. Amazingly done good sir!!!!
I have 17 3500 6-speed manual trans all stock except a pedal booster to help with the “dead pedal” and turbo lag. I removed my baffle a few moths back and put in a K&N filter. I found/felt I got a lil more kick/power but loss on my fuel economy according to my computer . From watching this i wonder if changes are all in my head; I will try putting the baffle back without the foam. I do have a new stock filter as well i was going to put back in and see if I get better fuel economy. Either way great video. Very well laid out.
The K&N will dust your engine. Look through it up at the sky and see the pinholes in it. Project Farm tested all aftermarket air filters and K&N was the worst for dust removal.
@@davidanderson8469 I upgraded to a S&B CIA a long time ago. But I thank you for your concern
@@richardm875 My friend had the S&B. It filters great. He just likes the quiet of the stock filter. I would choose that if I went that route. He and I returned to the OEM muffler too. No difference in my lie-o-meter from a freer flowing one I had.
Thanks for the great data. Love this type of information.
The internal combustion engine is a giant air pump. More air in and out means more efficient operation. The government mandates make diesel engines run hotter than they should to "help" emissions. You will use WAY less fuel if you can make it breathe better. We stripped off the egr crap from a 15L cat. This includes removing 2 turbos and installing one large one. Went from 5mpg to 7.4mpg. Over the course of a year at 120k miles or more, that's a huge savings at the pump. Not to mention went from 550hp to over 700hp and the torque went from 2k to 2400. Priometer stayed about the same unless you lug it. If you're pulling a huge mountain out west grossing 80k lbs and you lug the motor, pull around 1350 to 1500 rpms, your exhaust temp will get up around 1100f, if you just drop even a half of a gear it stays around 900f.
Marion, What an awesome video ! I love your videos , so informational and detailed, please keep up the great work!!
Thank you for that
Great in-depth video my friend , thank you sir.
Great video, thanks for putting all the data together!!
It just makes the turbo quieter. I took mine out the first week I bought my truck. Though they are not very restrictive, they still restrict air flow a little bit. I slapped an S&B cold Air Intake in it anyway.
You had me at "Louisiana". Hello from Monroe. Gunroe**
Thanks man. Great video. I’m gonna remove the foam tomorrow. I was thinking about getting one of those Data Monsters too. 👍
I am literally about to remove the foam from mine how did it work out ? Can you hear the sounds a little more ?
Again, great informative video POP!
Well done Sr.
It's like an episode of mythbusters.
Amazing video!
I’d imagine disrupting the flow has an effect on the discharge side of the compressor wheel as well, and probably causes less dispersed flow trough the CAC, leading to less heat exchanger, and higher IAT’s.
Great informative video. Keep up the great work 👍🏾.
Your info is awesome!!! The info shows with the baffle is better... BUT, you should show with filer on or removed since baffle installed is better based in your numbers.
I don’t know much about air intake systems but I can’t help but think that baffle acts like a Venturi if you will.
Similar to an air hose with a small fitting at the end. If that fitting is removed the air does not jet in or out but travels out without much force.
Just my thoughts.
Great information! It would be worth noting that they have since changed the design (mine is a 2021). The new ones do not have the foam, and the plastic veins are shorter and made into the housing. The intake tube has also been altered and no longer has the 90° shelf at the transition, so this mod is not necessary on the new ones for concerns with the degrading foam, and there is no sound benefit for those wanting more turbo noise. I'm not sure what year they made this change, but one way to tell is if you look at the turbo, the newer designs have the ccv hose going into the turbo flange, rather than the intake tube. Keep trucking!
Thanks, I'll be anxious to see that if we ever see a new truck on the RAM lot again, ha
Ive ran my truck with out that baffle for over a year before and after I deleted and tuned it and it absolutely does nothing but sound, take it out if you want a little bit more whistle
what kit you use to delete your truck?
Esteban Vega the sinister diesel egr delete kit and than bought turbo back flo pro exhaust and than also a bully dog gt tuner
Again, thanks for your thorough research!
Sweet video, thanks. At about 15:02 you say "you're getting better performance without, with the baffle..." So with or with out I'm confused.
No, Better performance with the baffle. The data also bears that out.
Chucking mine back in. Great video!
Awesome job Marion!
Great video! Thank you for collecting the data!
Nice in depth clip, keep-em cummins.
Great video. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Another great video! thank you Marion.👍
Thank you!