One of the first things you probably did when you bought your new Silverado is to find a little open road and rev it up to hear that engine roar. If you love to hear that sound and feel your truck respond with lots of horsepower, you really should consider a cold air intake. When you install a cold air intake on a Chevy Silverado, you can immediately hear and feel the difference it makes, plus you’ll notice additional benefits as you drive it longer. In this blog, we’re turning to lmfscrew on YouTube to see what he thinks of a Cold Air Inductions cold air intake for his 2021 Chevy Silverado Z71 Trail Boss (with a 6.2L engine). Check it out below.
Why Replace Factory Filter?
As he mentions in the video above, why should you replace your factory air filter and install a cold air intake on a Chevy Silverado? For the Chevy Silverado Trail Boss, it’s not like it’s an ugly factory unit to begin with and it certainly does work fine. So why bother?
- First, a cold air intake increases the volume of air entering your engine and ensures it is cooler air, both of which increase your engine’s power. Whether your truck is a few years old or brand new, it’s nice to get a little more power out of your engine when you can. Using our 6.2L cold air intake kit, you can expect gains of 12-14 horsepower. This kit can also be used on 2019, 2020, or 2021 Silverados or GMC Sierras, in addition to several popular 2021 SUVs.
- If you drive a truck, your top priority probably isn’t gas mileage (or you’d be driving a Prius instead). But if you can improve it with a simple tweak, why wouldn’t you? Swapping out a stock air filter with a cold air intake system can increase your fuel efficiency by a few miles per gallon, which is always a plus when you regularly drive a larger truck, like the Trail Boss.
- It’s also very simple to install a cold air intake on a Chevy Silverado. If you’re interested in optimizing your truck’s power and fuel efficiency, you’re probably already more than capable of installing a cold air intake within 30 minutes.
How to Install Cold Air Intake on a Chevy Silverado Trail Boss
As we mentioned above, replacing a factory air filter with a cold air intake system is relatively simple. You can see the process in the video above. But here’s a quick breakdown of how to install a cold air intake on a Chevy Silverado.
- Disconnect the negative terminal of your battery – for safety’s sake.
- Disconnect and remove the factory PCV hose and snip all connecting zip ties.
- Disconnect your mass air flow (MAF) sensor.
- Pull the top/lid of the factory air box (the bottom is retained in place) out, as well as the factory air filter.
- Remove the MAF sensor from your existing air tube, being careful to not damage it. Replace it in the new air tube.
- Install the inlet elbow onto the throttle body and attach the PCV hose.
- Insert the air filter into the top of the filter box housing, after removing the protective sticker from the plexiglass window.
- Install the intake tube onto the filter and loosely tighten the hose clamp.
- Install the top of the air box and tube and tighten bolts, hose clamps, etc.
- Connect your MAF sensor and snug all bolts throughout.
- Reconnect the negative terminal of the battery.