Ford 6.7 Powerstroke Intake Upgrade Guide
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Jake is a founder of 8020 Media and one of the lead writers at DieselIQ. He has over 10 years of experience in the automotive industry and is the proud owner of a 2002 F-350 7.3 PowerStroke. When Jake isn’t working, he’s usually wrenching on his PowerStroke, single turbo BMW, or Miata track build. Jake delivers tons of knowledge and hands-on experience and is a valuable asset for those looking to take their diesel to the next level. He is highly knowledgeable on Powerstroke and Duramax diesels.
Intake upgrades are a great simple mod to free up power, sounds, and efficiency on the 6.7L Powerstroke engine. In addition to power gains you will also get a 1-2mpg fuel economy improvement alongside improved turbo efficiency.
With years of modifying Powerstroke engines under my belt, an intake is always one of the first modifications I recommend, alongside ECM tuning. Here I’m going to discuss the benefits of intake upgrades and mention my favorite brands on the market.
6.7 Powerstroke Intake Benefits
- 5-10whp and 20-30wtq power gains
- 1-2mpg improvement in fuel economy
- Faster turbo spool
- Improved turbo efficiency and air density
- Cool turbo sounds
Performance benefits are likely the main reason most look to upgrade their 6.7 intake. However, a tune should be run alongside the intake for the best results. Torque is where the real gains are made as the engine can pick up about 20-30 torque in addition to about 5-10whp. Performance intakes can also help the turbo spool a little faster.
1-2mpg Fuel Economy Improvements
Furthermore, one of the best added benefits is an increase in fuel economy. Intakes are known to add around 1-2mpg of gas mileage improvements. Now, these improvements will be best seen driving on the highway, where you will get closer to 2mpg, with gains during city driving likely being closer to 0.5-1.0mpg.
Open vs Closed Intakes
An open intake is as it sounds – it’s open to the engine bay. A closed intake, on the other hand, has a box that shelters the actual air filter from the engine bay. As such, if you measure intake temperatures at the filter an open system will pull in warmer air. It’s a bad idea on a naturally aspirated engine. However, again, on a turbo engine this has minimal impact on the intercoolers ability to cool the air.
An open intake will generally flow a little better since there is no box restricting airflow. Open intakes are typically louder and will allow you to hear more induction and turbo spool sounds. We run open intakes on several of our diesels and prefer the open intake design.
Best 6.7 Powerstroke Intake Upgrades
Overall, my preference is for an open air intake. There are a lot of options out there that will run you $400+. But an open intake is really just some aluminum piping with a filter on it so I prefer to stick with more budget friendly options. As long as the filter is high-quality then there difference from one open intake to the next is minimal.
Please note that 2011-2016, 2017-2019, and 2020+ 6.7L engines use slightly different aftermarket intakes.
1) Boosted Performance 4″ Open Intake
The Boosted Performance 6.7 Powerstroke intake upgrade offers an excellent balance of price, quality, fitment, and performance. The open-design ensures maximum performance and power gains. It features 4″ mandrel bent, aluminum piping with a wrinkle black finish for clean looks and less heat transfer. Boosted Performance also uses large, high-quality S&B filters on the 6.7 Powerstroke intake.
With a price of $299 – and free shipping – it’s hard to beat the combination of price and quality. If you’re looking for a top-tier 6.7L diesel intake upgrade for a fair price then look no further. The only downside is the Boosted Performance intake is currently only available for the 2011-2016 6.7L diesel.
Price: $299 with free shipping
Buy Here: Boosted Performance 6.7L Diesel Intake Upgrade (2011-2016) & 2017-2019 Intake Upgrade
2) S&B Filters Cold Air Intake
S&B Filters is among the most popular options for closed intakes. S&B is who makes the filters used by Boosted Performance above, but they also make their own intake systems too. In terms of closed box intakes S&B is the best value on the market and who we would recommend.
We still prefer the open intake above as it will outflow the S&B intake therefore offering better power gains with $50 of savings too.
Price: $349.00
Buy Here: S&B Closed Box Intakes for Powerstroke Engines
Summary
Performance cold air intakes are an essential modification for the 6.7 Powerstroke. Alongside solid power gains you are getting better turbo spool, more fuel economy, and improved turbo efficiency.
An intake is extremely important for additional modifications, like tuning. Bringing more air into the engine will help improve air density, reducing stress on the turbo and creating a more efficient engine – resulting in better power gains from other mods and better reliability.
We prefer the open intake from Boosted Performance – it is the best bang for the buck on the market at $299 and the open intake design will outflow the closed box designs from the likes of S&B and others.
