yea i got that k&n cold air intake 57-2544 installed on my 96 grand
marquis. i got it at an authorized k&n dealer and installer. only thing is that
the power steering box had to be move just a bit so that the heat shield
could be bolted on the points where the factory airbox was. been running
with it for 4 days and i have seen improvments. more push when stepping
on the gas, louder engine and better mpg. at least by 2 miles.

 

how much was it for the whole kit and installation?

 

Lots of talk about "Cold Air" Intakes on the Grand Marquis forums, with all sorts of claims by manufacturers and even more by owners/installers/users, most
of which are based on pure, unadulterated, fact-free imagination.
Here, I will attempt to shed some light on the subject, using info from the industry leader (K & N) as well as personal experience with the K&N filter used on my '95 Mercury, in both stock (Motorcraft), and modified form.
First, a few words from K&N:
---------
There are several factors that can affect the SAE corrected horsepower values as measured by K&N or at any other dyno facility. Some of these factors are:
Consistency of test parameters
Tire pressure
Fuel octane rating
Vehicle condition
The atmospheric conditions (dyno correction factors can vary from engine electronic correction factors)
K&N has noticed that SAE corrected horsepower values will vary from day-to-day, while testing the same vehicle, due to the manner in which the vehicle's on-board computer adjusts for varying climate conditions. In other words, if a vehicle is tested at sea level on a sunny and warm day, the dyno will apply a SAE correction factor to adjust the conditions to a standard temperature and pressure (STP) and the vehicle's on-board computer will also apply certain set of operating parameters. If that same vehicle is tested at a high altitude, on a rainy and cold day, the dyno will again adjust to STP while the vehicle may adjust to a different correction factor than it did on the sea level test. Furthermore, some vehicles have required almost a 100 miles be logged on the vehicle in order to allow the on-board computer to reset itself to obtain accurate power readings.

While K&N pays close attention to these many factors, and is patient while performing dyno tests, we are not in the position to scrutinize the many facilities that perform dynamometer testing for the general public.

NOTICE THIS DISCLAIMER FROM K&N:
Furthermore, we certainly do not have enough information to make a judgment on the validity of these tests.
----------
With that said, I will move on to practical application of the K&N CAI and filters.
Firstly, K&N shows no listing for a CAI system for the 92-2000 Grand Marquis.
Secondly, the first year testing was available for the K&N CAI, the ESTIMATED horsepower gain is 11.5 hp @ over 4,400 rpms -- which is an engine speed that your Grand Marquis is probably NEVER going to achieve.
With the stock 2.73:1 rear-end gear and stock-size tires, 2000 rpm in 4th (overdrive) = 80 mph. (Observed on I-10, with Actron 9145 OBDII Scanner )
The electronically-controlled transmission shift points are WELL below 4,000 rpms, so the engine doesn't get near the speed necessary to realize the claimed horsepower gain.
Let's get to the "cold air" part --
The stock air intake system consists of a factory air box, Motorcraft filter, MAF sensor, flexible rubber tubes, plenum chamber, and the throttle body.
The smallest diameter in the entire system is the 65 mm (2.55 in.) throttle body, with everything else at 3 inches or more in diameter.
EXCEPT for the "snorkel" (silencer) that's on the inlet side of the factory air box, which measures a tiny 1.75 inches in diameter. That means that the snorkel is about 35% SMALLER than the throttle body !! Hold that thought !!
The K&N CAI consists of a K&N oiled-gauze, conical filter, air "housing", and a plastic tube. The "housing" consists of a plastic or metal plate that bolts in to where the original air box was, with a rubber "gasket" that seals against the underside of the hood ("bonnet", for you U.K. folks) -- which has caused fit problems for many installers.
There is room around the filter-MAF tube for hot under-hood air to be drawn into the "housing", which partially defeats the "cold air" part of the system.
Despite the larger-diameter tube of the CAI, the inner diameter of the MAF sensor remains the same, so NO increase in air flow can be realized either fore or aft of the MAF.
OK, then, WHERE do we get that "11 hp increase" over the stock system !??
The answer is found in that 1.75-inch diameter "snorkel" (silencer) that makes your stocker sound so nice and quiet!
Remembering that the K&N costs $250-$350, I concluded that there MUST be a less-expensive way to open up the engine's breathing capability without all the noise or hissing from the expensive CAI.
Here is what I did:
1.- Remove the Motorcraft air filter.
2.- Remove the stock air box.
3.- Remove the snorkel from the air box.
4.- Install a piece of 3" inside diameter flexible aluminum clothes-dryer hose (Home Depot) in place of the snorkel, feeding the flex-hose through the radiator support, and forward to the hole behind the headlight , which is in a high-pressure area at highway speeds. The COLDEST air comes from FORWARD of the hot engine compartment !!
5.- Re-install the stock air box.
6.-Install a K&N (K&N 33-2272) air filter in the stock air box.
7.- Put it all back together. The engine compartment looks like stock and the modifications will not decrease the value of your car in any way.
8.- Grab a beer, you've saved 200-300 dollars !!

This modification works on 1992-2011 Crown Vics, Grand Marquis, Lincoln Town Cars, and the '03 -'04 Marauder, all of which use the K&N 33-2272 air filter.
Here is what it looks like when complete:

'95 MERC Grand Marquis
87 Octane Chevron Fuel, NO additives !!
Mallory Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator - 35 psi @ 800 rpm, all hoses connected and all accessories OFF.
Duals = Walker H-Pipe, 2" MagnaFlow glasspacks (#18134), Walker tailpipes.
Quarter-mile @ 16.2 = 88 mph.
City mpgs = 16+
Hi-way mpgs = 25+

95 MERC Engine Bay

95 MERC at Flaming Gorge, Utah. US 191 at South end of the Gorge.

 

Can cold air intake cause problems?

 

Several years of questions and answers about Cold Air Intakes, both AfterMarket and Home-Made, have lead me to this conclusion:
A total waste of time and money on ANY Mercury Grand Marquis OR Maurader.
Does NOT improve 1/4th-mile strip times, 60- foot times, or provide ANY improvement in fuel mileage.
Although they are VERY popular among the novices and the unknowing.

Snorkel Removed -- Cold Air Ducted From Forward of Engine Bay. Cheapest C.A.I. Available, and it WORKS !