Welcome to the Corvette Forums at the Corvette Action Center!

could a ram air system help????

grumpyvette

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 17, 2001
Messages
841
Location
Loxahatchee, FL, Palm Beach co
lets look a a few things gentelmen

http://home.austin.rr.com/turbolexus/Misc/Forced_Induction_Dyno_Calc.htm

http://wahiduddin.net/calc/density_altitude.htm

http://www.wahiduddin.net/calc/calc_hp_dp.htm

heres a good source of some parts

http://www.ramairbox.com/product.html

an engine is basically an air pump, the denser the air (colder air is denser) the more oxygen the air contains and the more efficintly fuel can be burnt and the more fuel can be burnt, first thing you need to understand is its the differance in oxygen content of lower temp air (denser air) that the engine sees not the temp. itself that effects the differance in potential hp
any system that sucks hot air from the engine compartment is not going to be very effective! but a system that uses cool air routed from a high pressure area of the car at speed can significantly help engine power , while the differance may be only 2% , better power above 100mph, that could easily be 8-12 hp on a basically stock corvette, in your favor, more than enought to win, against a similar not so equiped of equal power.

a correctly designed hoodscoop or under the bumper cold air intake can effectively lower the temp of the air entering the cylinders by 60 degrees or more, if that intake design is placed in a high pressure area at the front of the car or base of the windshield you can potentially gain a small amount of additional air density at higher speeds, while your not gaining anything much at 30mph, once you pass about 80mph theres a measurable differance in potential power to be gained depending on the cool air intake design and placement

theres hundreds of designs some good, some useless but a car with a correctly designed ram air system can easily gain 2-3% in hp over a similar car not so equiped at speeds over 100mph

keep in mind that 2% might put your car only a few feet ahead in a race but it takes only inches to WIN

http://www.up22.com/scoopw2.htm#SC-150


stick your hand out the window next time your going 80mph, notice the air resistance?? well a correctly designed air intake can effectively boost intsake pressure by over 1psi at high speeds and lower intake air temp by 60 degrees compared to under hood temps, play with the calculators youll see that 2%-4% hp gains or greater results are remarkably easy to obtain AT HIGHER SPEEDS
 
I was always a fan of Ram Air induction. Had it on my 70 GTO, with a sealed air box.

Never would see any gain on the dyno with no air movement flowing over the hood, but on the open road at highway speeds it made a seat of the pants improvement. Throttle response and fuel cunsumption were improved.

Vettes I drove with the popular ram air system do "feel" better. Revs at the high end of the tach are smoother and stronger, seems like you need less throttle to go as fast over 50. Too bad that a bunch of plastic tubes and a box cost $400
 
I used to have a 99 trans am (not ws6) and my friend had a 99 camaro SS, with the fake ram air hood. Both had 3:23 gears and 4 speed autos, he had SLP exhaust, I had flowmaster. We both ran right at 13.80 in the quarter, until I did the free ram air mod to my air box. The next time we went to the track, mine ran mid 13.6's and his was still 13.80. That day he let me do the mod to his car and we took them out in the country and we were dead even again. The next time we were at the track, he was in the 13.6's too.

Based on that experience, I am all in favor of ram air. It seemed to open up about 15 hp in those LS1 engines. I'm still trying to find just the right system for my C4 though, surprisingly there's not much out there in the way of ram air for these cars.
 
There is no "ram air" effect with any semi-stock-type hood under 100mph, as all the usual scoops/inlets are in boundary layer air, well below the zone of laminar flow; that's why Pro Stock scoops are 18" above the hood surface. The benefit you're actually seeing is from cooler outside air vs. hot underhood air.

:beer
 
I was always a fan of Ram Air induction. Had it on my 70 GTO, with a sealed air box.

Never would see any gain on the dyno with no air movement flowing over the hood, but on the open road at highway speeds it made a seat of the pants improvement. Throttle response and fuel cunsumption were improved.

Vettes I drove with the popular ram air system do "feel" better. Revs at the high end of the tach are smoother and stronger, seems like you need less throttle to go as fast over 50. Too bad that a bunch of plastic tubes and a box cost $400
;LOL;LOL;LOL;LOL
I agree...$400.00 for puckin plastic tubes and a squared box. dont do Shet.
 

Corvette Forums

Not a member of the Corvette Action Center?  Join now!  It's free!

Help support the Corvette Action Center!

Supporting Vendors

Dealers:

MacMulkin Chevrolet - The Second Largest Corvette Dealer in the Country!

Advertise with the Corvette Action Center!

Double Your Chances!

Our Partners

Back
Top Bottom