custom ram air
 

when i can get the $ im going to build a custom ram air setup with 2 K&N filters. im going to mount them one on each side of the air opening on my front bumper and then run the air hoses up to the carb and wrap some thin insulation around the hoses to keep out heat. i was just wondering what you thought about it, has anyone tried it, and if you did what kind of power gains did you get?

If the air inlet has bends in it, i.e. coming from nehind the bumper and winding its way into the engine bay, it isn't 'ram air'. Ram air is straight into an intake manifold through an inline filter via a hood-mounted, forward facing air inlet that, in theory, rams air into the intake as you drive down the road at high speed - sort of a dreamer's ramjet.

Once the air must travel through substantial bends it loses any velocity imparted to it by the ram effect and instead just becomes normal, boring air drawn into the engine by pressure difference.

You may also want ot rethink mounting the filters down low inside the front valence. One good puddle will wash most of the oil off your filters, making them useless and putting your engine at risk from FOAD, a potentially expensive fix. For this reason virtually every manufaturer in the world mounts filters up high and protected from water, snow blockage, or other hinderance.

If, however, you're talking about a cold air intake it's been done for both carb'd and EGI rotaries by several members of this forum who might be willing to show you their systems. There is a definite benefit to taking in cold, clean air as opposed to hot, dirty engine bay air.

wouldnt after you started going fast the pressure would build up after a little bit and then you would have the ram air effect. kinda like how a turbo takes a little while to build pressure and spool up? maybe ill put a sensitive boost gauge when i do it to see if i get any pressure at all. also i could put a cone type thing around the filter to direct more air in and protect from dirt, water, etc. however since the front is open it would still be prone to all that stuff so maybe could rig a bypass filter that takes air from inside the engine compartment when the weather is bad. once i get another car for my daily driver i wont be driving the 7 in bad weather anyway.

Mine is a straight shot. from the front bulkhead (right behind the head lights)straight to the air canister, via
a headlight vent. no gains .. power,or anything else.
it's just 'fresh' air , thats all you get.no more, no less.

pic

can you get a closeup pic of the filter location?

the paper element is in the canister(stock) all i did was
add a piece of inner cooler piping on to the snorkel and fab.ed out of aluminum a inlet that is attached to the front bulkhead and the inner cooler piping. I also cut and vented my head light lid. there is a 'flapper' in the snorkel, it's closed when chocked, and open when the engine is at operating temp. it's just 'fresh' air. i think it turned out good myself. IMO.

heres a pic of my cold air intke set up
http://www.jasrx.net/13b_intake.JPG

Take a compressed air hose and blow 100 psi. pressure through your air filter at it from about 6 in. away and that will give some idea of the weak air flow you will achive. All you will get is cool clean air with your set up, which is a good thing but you will still be normaly asperated not ram air Good Luck

this is a nice looking one
http://pittdp.homestead.com/underhood.html