After purchasing this ’02 Silverado, the owner was looking to gain some additional horsepower and torque through a few small bolt-on performance parts. While the truck is still under warranty, there is a large variety of performance parts that not only meet certain warranty requirements, but also do not cause any problems at the dealership. 

After looking at all the available options for this Silverado, it was decided that the first modification to the engine was going to be the addition of a new AEM Brute Force air intake. AEM offers a vast array of dyno-proven intakes for specific applications, including trucks such as this Silverado.   

The truck is equipped with a 4.8-liter 294ci Vortec and 4L60E trans, which is rated at 295 hp and 305 lb-ft of torque. Since the truck is going to be used to haul parts to and from shops as well as pulling the occasional trailer, gaining any additional horsepower and torque is most welcome. The usual power loss through the drivetrain is around 15 percent. It was thought that such an intake would help make up some of this loss. 

The AEM Brute Force intake is designed to improve airflow to the engine while keeping the incoming air cooler, thanks to the custom air box and filter design. AEM also claims fuel mileage gains, which will have to be proven through actual use.

The installation was a true bolt-on, just as AEM claimed, and the install required just a few hours. Removal and installation of the kit required only a simple set of hand tools. The AEM Brute Force kit included detailed instructions and hardware, including a 90-degree elbow for the throttle body, adapters, intake tubing, air box and new Dryflow filter. Everything was included in the kit and fit to the truck without any modifications. Going in, AEM delivered with its easy installation, and now that the installation is complete we set out to put the new air intake to the test. 

Fuel Mileage Test Results
Factory GM Air Intake
Test 1: Factory GM air intake and box 89 octane          435 miles/26 gallons 16.7 mpg
Test 2: Factory GM air intake and box 91 octane          438 miles/26 gallons 16.8 mpg

AEM Brute Force Intake            
Test 1: AEM Brute Force Intake and box 89 octane         460 miles/26 gallons 17.69 mpg
Test 2: AEM Brute Force Intake and box 91 octane         465 miles/26 gallons 17.88 mpg

These tests reflect normal driving conditions, and may vary slightly depending on temperature, acceleration and ratio of city/highway driving. The fuel test yielded a 25 miles per tank increase over the factory air intake, which translates to a 5-6 percent gain. We do admit to hitting the gas a few times, and when it came time to check the horsepower numbers to see how well the AEM Brute Force intake actually performed, the system shined. Below is the dyno sheet from the intake test. 

The Brute Force intake made great power and proved to be well worth the $325 retail price tag. Power gains grew into the higher rpm range rather than falling off as we have seen in many other kits proving this is a great intake for those who spend more time on the highway where it counts, pulling a trailer or boat. Torque was also directly affected as a gain of    lb-ft were recorded. The greatest horsepower and torque numbers came at around 5,200 rpm with gains of    hp and   lb-ft of torque. The installation and test was a huge success in our minds, considering that this cost can be recaptured in fuel costs alone. 

The Verdict

Once the AEM Brute Force intake is installed, the directions say to start the engine and allow the truck to idle for a few minutes. This allows the engine to calibrate and learn the new airflow cfm entering the engine. After the engine ran awhile, we took a test run around the block. We immediately noticed the additional roar coming from beneath the hood. The air box is considerably louder on hard acceleration, but to us it sounds great!

After a few test runs, the truck seemed to have better highway acceleration during regular driving conditions. The horsepower and torque gains seem to be most noticeable at higher rpm levels. AEM claims that a fuel mileage increase up to 10 percent can be seen with this intake, so we decided to put it to the test. If you have a heavy foot and love hearing the grunt from beneath the hood, then this does not apply to you, as your driving habits will not be conducive to increased fuel mileage, but we tested fuel mileage three times, and these were the results. 

These tests reflect normal driving conditions and may vary slightly depending on temperature, acceleration and ratio of city/highway driving. The fuel test yielded a 25 miles per tank increase over the factory air intake, which translates to a 5-6-percent gain. We do admit to hitting the gas a few times, and when it came time to check the hp numbers to see how well the AEM Brute Force intake actually performed, the system shined. After three dyno runs, the intake proved to be worth an additional 8 hp and 7 lb-ft of torque on average. This boosted horsepower from 226 to 234 and torque from 231.3 to 236 lb-ft at the wheels. The install was a huge success!