Inconclusive threads abound in cyberspace about ram air intakes being beneficial or not, producing boost or reducing intake vacuum or simply being a waste of hype on NA engines. What is the real truth about ram air intakes? Is free boost really that easy to harness, using only the air resistance which holds our cars back to increase power?

I'm an old fashioned engineer; I'm not satisfied with the information I have seen on this subject. Instead of giving heavy consideration to what others think, their educational backrounds or lack thereof, trying to make sense of tests and simulations performed on nonapplicable systems, and wandering in vain hoping to learn something absolute, I'm going to gather data!

Armed with a bumper inlet in the only significant high-pressure area of the car, a vacuum gauge, and soon to be sealed intake tract, I will observe the difference in intake vacuum at wide open throttle at a standstill vs. various airspeeds. The difference in vacuum, if any, will correspond to an change in the engine's volumetric efficiency (ability to take in air and fuel to produce power).

Tonight, the pressure box linking the air inlet duct to the air flow meter leaps from my imagination into physical existence . .






It might not look like much now, but neither did this . . .

 

You are absolutely amazing with what you can do with cardboard, glass, and shitloads of time, hard work, and determination. I applaud your efforts. Your bumper looks sick as hell and I'm sure this will turn out just as good.

 

yeah, this is getting interesting... can't wait to see what happens.

 

Thanks!

Maybe I will get paid to make stuff like this some day.

 

Everyone has a purpose in life, this may be yours...

 

A two piece box will allow access to the air filter for replacement, so I set out to form the lower section with cardboard.





Then I test-fit the air flow meter and filter in the section:



This section will be a one piece fiberglass lay-up over the cardboard, floor, and around the opening of the bumper duct. It will be permanently attached with a few bolts around the duct opening.

 

Then I cut the first form back, to form the lid of the box.

 

Nice, what a good project to take on. Good Luck!

I cannot wait to hear what the results of this test will be. Conclusive results should put this argument to an end.

 

The box seems very small considering you're making this from scratch and have all that room to work with. A little more volume around the filter may reduce turbulence inside the box and improve flow. Just a thought.

 

wow. Please keep us posted, i am very interested as to see how this is going to turn out.

-Markus

"This guy is good"

 

As you have your own speculation on intake fluid dynamics, so do I. I am building my own system to prove or disprove my own ideas and I invite you do do the same.

 

He got it right the first time. Its going to come out awesome, why?

The old saying is true, they don't build them like they used too. But if they did, it would look this good.

 

I've thought of doing the same, with intake tubes running from the FTPs or either cutting a small part of the hood out right where the stock airbox "extra intake" tubing is coming from.

I have too much work for not enough pay, that is my limitation. It's good to see someone who knows what they are doing share thier genius. thanks for a good post, and I look forward to the results.

 

I've been running without an ftp for awhile because i was going to do the same... seemed like alot of work though...

 

Did I say something to upset you? It was just a suggestion. I think your intake is an excellent idea but I think a bigger box would work better.

Out of curiosity, why do you think I'm wrong?

 

Just a few thoughts that I decided tp throw in... Ram air can/is a very effective way to increase HP and somewhat boost manifold pressure at higher speeds. The 70s Ram air T/As, etc, as well as the new WS-6 T/As, and many other cars have been using this for a long time, and it is proven to increase power (Although some cars have used the ram air hood purely for asthetics also..) However, on an FC I really doubt that there will be any effect, because of the way the intake pipe and AFM is created. It would be almost impossibe to route high pressure air into that AFM. You would need to concentrate almost all of the frontal area of the car to that one direct spot, while minimizing the turbulance, and keeping up a high velocity. Now Im not trying to deter you at all, as I have looking into it extensively as well.. Just thought Id throw my $.02 in here..

 

Will you be sealing the box off completely 88ILS? Pressure doesn't stick around for long with huge holes hehe

Good idea, and good design! can't wait for the results!

 

I question the engineer part when I see a AFM held in place with a string and rag.:


But good luck. Feel free to publish the results in this thread. I (much like several others) am pretty sure what you will find. Ramair (to work at all) needs a huge frontal area, something that the aerodynamics of the FC does not have.

But feel free to prove it to yourself and publish the results here in this thread.

 

88IntegraLS, you gotta accept the critisisim that follows...you nontheless display that you are competant In your projects and Indicate that you know what you are doing.

I especially applaud you that you are building a kit to prove/disprove It's functions. Rather than, for example, build a Ram Air Kit and market It to a group buy with no conclusive hard data, that Is If you were to follow that route anyway.

I'm fortunate to have an upcoming Ram Air Intake that will have my Filter ending at the Brake Duct! This attributed to my East Bear Headlight Kit. Tons of space there. But anyways...

 

The air path will be completly sealed from the bumper inlet onward.

 

This coming from someone who claims to be a writer by trade, yet chronically misspells some of the simplest words in existence. Do you actually think I put more than two seconds of thought into that string and rag? If you think I engineered that, it would be the same as me thinking that you should run a spellcheck on all your posts because you are a "writer".

Point being, some things do not need expertise to be done, such as posting here or temporarily attaching a device inside an engine bay.

I am getting seriously sick of the attitude in this section. The know-it-alls in this section are starting to outnumber the explorers of new knowlege. If you have a problem with a specific member making claims that do not hold up or simply giving out bad information, that is not my business. Where have I made any claim or given out incorrect information?

This board is getting too frustrating. I post my threads because people enjoy seeing the building process. People like to see what can be done with perseverence and creativity. I don't need to be judged by self appointed experts every time I start a thread. If there is data to be published, let it be published, but cynical claims by anyone are just as baseless as outlandish claims by a newbie who put three throttle bodies on his manifold to "increase power".

 

Why do you got to be like that man? Since when do you know Icemark to take pokes at fellow members? I still stand by your project buy you gotta take It easy.

 

Jeff,

Dont let them get you down, remember the Wright brothers were told a plane cannot fly.

 

Yo 88IntegraLS... I'm pretty interested in your fabrication process. I got a question... do you just lay-up the fibreglass OVER the cardboard? Or do you lay-up around the cardboard and remove it later?

 

I love u man. I track all your projects consistently. Good luck.

About the critisizm....I dont think anyone is insulting you or questioning your credibilty (you have proven that many times already). It is only to make a suggestion, in the possiblity that you may have overlooked a theory or idea. Its always better to ask/suggest, than just assume that you already know.