Here in the shop we have all types of things show up, and get worked on. New parts are nothing out of sort here, and recently was no exception.

We had a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 4WD pickup in the shop getting a brand new K&N intake (PN 63-3088) installed. One of the first Colorado’s we have seen in the shop, so we looked in and out of it.

Chevy did a really good job recreating the brand from the first generation Colorado truck. The truck rolled into the shop and it was time to get to work.

The truck was positioned on the dyno and a baseline run was completed. With the baseline test we were able to get the starting numbers before the intake was added.

Chevy’s funky engine cover design, everyone in the shop was dumbfounded by the design.

Once the install started we found one of Chevrolet’s funky design flaws. When removing the engine cover it was apparent that we were not going to be able to reuse the cover with the intake. The design of the engine cover uses the factory intake tube and resonator as part of the cover.

This is the first time we have seen anything like this. With the stock intake tube in the way there was no way to cover up the motor. Modification to the cover could possibly be done, but was not listed in the instructions.

The Colorado engine bay is wide open. With the cover off  you can see how much room you have for that future motor swap. Even with the engine cover off and the intake installed, the appearance of the engine is cleaned up dramatically.

Installing the K&N intake went fairly easy, nothing major popped up and no red flags, once past the engine cover. Install of the intake only took a couple hours, pausing for pictures and a video being shot.

The factory mass air flow sensor fits in nice to its new home on the K&N intake.

Like all of K&N’s intakes the included parts mount right up to the truck, making install a breeze. This Colorado had the 3.6 liter V6, and with the intake installed it was begging to be put back on the dyno.

With the second run on the dyno complete, we were able to see the true numbers after installing the intake. The dyno only showed a gain of 3.5 horsepower and 4.5 lb-ft of torque, not bad for a couple hours and a bolt on addition.

The Chevy Colorado’s owner, Wyatt Jones, said “I was pleasantly surprised by the growl the intake provides along with the mid range power it provided,” upon driving it for the first time after the install.

We will have to stay in contact with the owner and get an update down the road on how the intake is performing. With plenty of off-road modifications planned for the truck, we at least know it will be getting the air it needs with the K&N intake.