S&B S197 Ford Mustang GT Cold Air Intake Kit

With Dr. Jamie Meyer's recent magnum-opus on cold-air-intake systems for new Mustang GTs still fresh on our minds, you'd think we'd be hesitant to feed our readers a report on yet another inlet system for Three-Valve 'Stangs. Sorry, gang, bringing you the lowdown on cool, new products for all late-model Mustangs-as soon as we hear about them-is what we're all about here at 5.0&SF. So, in the spirit of new information, we decided to take a close look at an '05-'06 Mustang GT CAI kit from S&B Filters (PN 75-5003; $209.87), and tell you about our findings.

S&B, in Ontario, California, has been making air filters for the last 30 years and has had a hand in improving intake airflow for 'Stangs (with filters and cold-air tubes for GTs and Cobras) since 1996. Prior to the introduction of modular-powered Mustangs, the company made its entrance into the 'Stang market with air-filter elements for '95 models.

Right now, however, the S197 is as hot as fire and it doesn't appear there will be any slowdown of new pieces for it. So read on as we tell you about our recent installation of S&B's new cold-air system, with before-and-after dyno numbers, on Dave Hynes' '06 Mustang Premium GT. Don't be fooled by the appearance-the Roush wing, graphics, and the side-window louvers were all added by the dealer. This kit is a true bolt-on, and it needs no additional tuning, folks. The dyno showed us it works and the following photos will show you how easily it goes on and how clean it looks under the hood of a new GT.

Thanks to Mustang & Fords Editor Mark Houlahan for finding us a great test candidate, and for taking a few hours of his day to relive his glory days as this magazine's tech guru by handling the installation for us. Mark also operates the brand new Mustang chassis dyno at 5.0's headquarters in Tampa, so that may well be the real reason he agreed to help. Besides, he got to use our fully outfitted shop with gear from Alltrade, Sauder, and UCoat It.

Disassembly of the OEM air intake tube and airbox is straightforward and accomplished in just a few minutes. When removing the intake tube, the breather hose between the tube and cam cover must be disconnected. After that, the intake tube simply pulls away from the throttle body after the clamp that secures it is loosened. The airbox is attached to the engine compartment by only one bolt and is taken out with ease. Do not discard the rubber grommets on the base of the airbox because they'll be used later on the S&B box.

Mark removes the stock mass air sensor from the tube that's incorporated in the factory airbox. Save the screws, as they'll be used again when it's time to set up the new intake tube for installation.