Upgrade 2: Cold Air Intake

In stark contrast to the exhaust, the cold air intake couldn’t have been simpler. It only took about 30 minutes, with very clear instructions showing us how to proceed. One thing we appreciated was how simple it was to change the mass air flow sensor from the old intake to the new one. Some manufacturers like to use Torx security bits—which are a hassle to remove—to hold them in place, but this one used simple star head screws. One neat feature of the aFe intake we used is a plug at the front of the box that you can take out when you want to really get a lot of air pumping through the engine, but then plug back up if you’re in a dusty or dirty environment that could throw debris into the box and filter.

“The coolest thing about the intake is now I can hear the turbo whistling,” Austin says. “It feels like a true diesel now. It’s got that little bit of groan, a little bit of whistle. That was purely unnoticeable before; I never could tell.”