Product Review: AEM Brute Force Intake System for the S197 Ford Mustang GT
Posted 3.21.2008 in Product Reviews
Getting more power into your 4.6-liter is simple with a number of air intake systems that are available for the Mustang GT. Perhaps some of the most popular designs are
those with open element air filters that use an air dam to keep out engine heat. One such air intake system is the Brute Force from AEM. We have tested AEM systems in
the past and have found that they are reliable in providing anywhere from 8-25 horsepower, depending on the application.
Their newest Brute Force air intake system for the Mustang GT incorporates the same design features as their popular full-size truck systems. These include a highly
polished and clear coated, aluminum intake tube and the company’s newest DryFlow synthetic air filter that is more than 99-percent efficient at filtering out particles
as small as 1-micron, and requires no oiling. The new Mustang system is also designed to work with the factory MAF sensor so that no fear of a check engine light
appearing on the dash and the system is 50-state emissions legal.
AEM says that the Brute Force intake system for 2005-’08 Mustang GT can be installed in about 1.5 hours and retails for under $350. The company asked us to review
their intake on a 2008 model GT, to see if all of the components and mounting locations were the same as earlier model Mustangs.
One of the first things we noticed about the Brute Force kit is the highly polished finish of the intake tubes. AEM adds a clear coat on the finish so that it doesn’t
need constant polishing and remains looking bright all the time. On earlier Mustang models the factory includes a carbon trap in the factory intake tube. The AEM accommodates this if you Mustang is so equipped. Our ’08 didn’t require it and we went ahead with the installation following the instructions.
The AEM kit also uses a throttle body spacer that incorporates two O-rings. This requires removing the throttle body and positioning the plate behind it, ensuring that
the O-rings face the throttle body. It’s best to sandwich the throttle body and the spacer plate together and hold them in place as you install them back onto the intake
manifold.
Aside from installing the rubber couplers to the throttle body and intake tube, the installation is very easy. The most difficult part of the entire installation is
preparing the large air dam and installing it. The air dam requires adding rubber molding around it to protect the intake tube from rubbing against the metal. The dam
also uses the factory air box bolt that attaches it to the fender, as well as to two of the bolts holding the ABS system to the fender. The lower bolt requires
unplugging the ABS wiring harness to access the bolt.
As with all other intake systems, you have to swap out the factory MAF sensor from the OEM intake onto the Brute Force unit. AEM supplies you with a nice Torx hex wrench
and bolts to remove the factory bolts and allows you to mount the MAF onto the new intake tube with the same screws.
We had to plug all of the electronics back into place, including the throttle body, ABS and MAF harnesses, before we added the DryFlow air filter to the system and stood
back and admired our work. The engine fired up without any problems and you can definitely hear the throttle body with the open element filter. Although we were not able
to take the vehicle to the dyno, we did notice improved throttle response and slightly more horsepower between 2500 and 3500 rpms. This was most noticeable in overdrive
where the gearing doesn’t help acceleration.
We were very pleased with the AEM Brute Force system and aside from delivering an estimated 10-15 horsepower, it also looks great under the hood. AEM manufactures this
intake in both a polished and a silver powder coat finish. If you want more information on the Brute Force air intake kit for the S197 Mustang GT, you can log onto
www.AEMPower.com.
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