Baffle

[PMcCall]

I saw on another forum that folks were removing the plastic baffle in the air intake tube , just before the turbo. Other than extra noise, is there any reason to do/not do this?

Also, I have to say the quality of the replies and info here is WAY better than others I have checked out

 

[DonFitzwater]

If my memory served me correctly, all the removal of the baffle did was make noise as well as lose a small amount of horsepower. The engine will roar louder.

 

[PMcCall]

My take on this stuff is that the MFG put it in there and spent time engineering it so it it must serve a purpose. I'll leave mine in

 

[Jim W]

I saw on another forum that folks were removing the plastic baffle in the air intake tube , just before the turbo. Other than extra noise, is there any reason to do/not do this?

Also, I have to say the quality of the replies and info here is WAY better than others I have checked out

My reasoning on why some have removed the baffle; is that they are looking for the sound of the old 5.9L trucks use to make. In most cases the new 6.7L trucks do not even sound like a diesel truck any more. The other reason is monkey; see monkey do. Some of the posters on Cummins Turbo Diesel claim that the baffle hinders air flow to the turbo no proof but once an idea is floated on the inter-net it takes on a life of its own.

Jim W.

 

[RustyJC]

Is it a baffle, or is it a set of turning vanes or a flow straightener? If one of the latter, then their primary purpose is to reduce turbulence in the intake air before entering the compressor impeller of the turbocharger. Yes, this reduces noise, but noise is just wasted energy that's not being used to compress air; the turning vanes are there to increase the compressor efficiency of the turbocharger. The compressor impeller wants to see laminar, not turbulent, airflow at its inlet for maximum efficiency.

Rusty

 

[Doubleclutch]

I took mine off of my 2004.5... and the whistle drove me crazy until my ears lost that frequency too. Never dyno'ed before/after.

 

[slingshot383]

They are silencers, to quieten the intake noise.

 

[jus2shy]

It seems like the unit serves two purposes. Silencing using the foam and holes similar to a straight flow muffler. 2nd is that it does have some aerodynamic features to help the air flow in a way where it is evenly distributed over the face of the compressor helping increase the efficiency of the blades as mentioned earlier. Some feel that it impedes flow. Some want more noise. Some feel that the foam will disintegrate and cause damage to the turbine. Those are a few reasons for removal. I'm leaving mine there. I did pull mine out and had a few loose pieces of foam I picked off, but I re-installed it after the fact since I think it helps shape the air that flows into the compressor. It's basically the same reason why many cars have some sort of baffle before the MAF's to even out air flow over the sensor.

 

[Gonzo 1066]

I would have to guess that the Cummins engineers have no idea how to make a good air intake. We should all ask Herb in Kentucky how to modify our stock truck to make it better. Sorry for being sarcastic, I think that if you want the sound and performance of the old 5.9, then that is what you should own.

 

[Newbern930]

I'll be honest.... I took mine out simply for sound. I love the sound of a turbo. * I don't think it made much dif from the outside of the truck but it sounds good from the cab. **

 

[slingshot383]

From the factory, the truck has to meet certain noise standards, once in private hands, that is no longer the case, hence the removal of the baffle, and the aftermarket air intakes.

 

[12RingKing]

From my research, it’s a flow straightener as posted above. The foam isn’t designed to be a baffle, that’s a biproduct of its installation.

It’s main purpose is to wick any possible moisture accumulated in the intake.

I’d rather not have moisture in my turbo if I can help it.

I’ll keep mine in and inspect the foam periodically and replace if necessary.

My .02

 

[SnoKing]

I'll be honest.... I took mine out simply for sound. I love the sound of a turbo. * I don't think it made much dif from the outside of the truck but it sounds good from the cab. **

You Herb Newbern from Kentucky?

 

[moparnut72]

Diesel Power Magazine did some flow tests a couple of years ago. They found that the stock intake flowed just about as well as the best aftermarket intake and better than most. Chrysler engineers know what they are doing and have the best equipment to work with.
kk