Free ram-air mod question on SS
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 135
Likes: 2
From: Austin, Texas
Free ram-air mod question on SS Just got an 02 SS. Wanting to do the basic free mods. Question is does cutting out the airbox material and rad cover still make a big difference on an SS w the ram air? Arent u then just breathing in hot radiator air? Still worth it? Thanks.
Yeah it is still worth it, since the ss ram air isn't very good. It has to travel all the way around the turns in the hood to get to the air box. Btw I have a 99 ss and I cut the bottom to get better airflow to the filter. Soon I am going to buy the SSRA mega mouth ram air kit and then seal off the hood from functioning.
10 Second Club
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,317
Likes: 20
From: Hurley, VA
Pop your hood and look at the bottom of it. Look at how the air actually has to travel. It can't do much. The air box isn't even sealed to the hood. I would cut the bottom out and seal the front of the air box so the only air its getting is from the bottom. And the fans or movement of the car is going towards the engine so no heat would be around the intake unless your sitting still.
I would not do a free ram air mod (cutting the lower airbox) I wouldnt want my intake sucking up the hot air off the radiator/condensor.
Get a ssra or the CAI kit of choice.
Also, the ss hood is worthless at getting cool air to the airbox anyway FYI.
Get a ssra or the CAI kit of choice.
Also, the ss hood is worthless at getting cool air to the airbox anyway FYI.
i dont believe in any ram air kit to be honest...the car will suck what it needs and it wont be alot cooler and you wont feel any difference. i cut mine anyway just so i wont think that am missing out something...looking at the air filter when i clean it YES there are more dirts on the part where the ram air is made but that doesnt mean am making more power or car is sucking more air in. ill say do it just because its free.
i dont believe in any ram air kit to be honest...the car will suck what it needs and it wont be alot cooler and you wont feel any difference. i cut mine anyway just so i wont think that am missing out something...looking at the air filter when i clean it YES there are more dirts on the part where the ram air is made but that doesnt mean am making more power or car is sucking more air in. ill say do it just because its free.
I have the slpRA combined with whisper style lid and totally sealed lid on my v6. Ill bet you my lunch money for a week you see an instant SOTP difference from before and after on my v6...the v8 should show better gains.
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Teching In
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Great Bend, KS
I pound hell out of my '00 TA at dragstrip and this mod was good for .1-.15 and 1-1.25 mph in my car. I had a lot of weather logs in my weather station for previous runs so I know what it should hve ran and what actually did after mod. I also had scangauge hooked up watching iat's and radiator heat wasnt problem. Temps drop quicker once start moving with the mod.
Here's my story.
Started with the stock SS hood. Life is good. Maybe 5
degrees above outside ambient (once IAT heat soak
has been brought down).
Added SLP CAI, which involves the FRA cut. IAT temps
went way up due to heat pickup from the radiator.
Hacked off all but a stub of the CAI, re-ducted it to
above the divider panel and relieved the "nostril" holes
in the bumper styrofoam core, and got back to 5 deg
rise-from-ambient.
The gain is just one of the many restriction-points,
doubling in area. Now if you look at the cross sectional
areas of the various inlet tract elements, the airbox air
slot is not the smallest to begin with, so you're not
making a big difference in pressure drop at the air
filter. You will bypass a long duct run in the hood. That
probably improves raw air flow, some.
"They" claim that FRA is going to make use of the air
pressure forward of the radiator. But this is trivial (or
you'd have unacceptable vehicle drag - think you have
even 1PSI, producing 300+ pounds of face force on the
radiator? You don't.
But the air you do get, is hot (esp. at idle and low cruise)
and filthy. So you've got that to look forward to.
Started with the stock SS hood. Life is good. Maybe 5
degrees above outside ambient (once IAT heat soak
has been brought down).
Added SLP CAI, which involves the FRA cut. IAT temps
went way up due to heat pickup from the radiator.
Hacked off all but a stub of the CAI, re-ducted it to
above the divider panel and relieved the "nostril" holes
in the bumper styrofoam core, and got back to 5 deg
rise-from-ambient.
The gain is just one of the many restriction-points,
doubling in area. Now if you look at the cross sectional
areas of the various inlet tract elements, the airbox air
slot is not the smallest to begin with, so you're not
making a big difference in pressure drop at the air
filter. You will bypass a long duct run in the hood. That
probably improves raw air flow, some.
"They" claim that FRA is going to make use of the air
pressure forward of the radiator. But this is trivial (or
you'd have unacceptable vehicle drag - think you have
even 1PSI, producing 300+ pounds of face force on the
radiator? You don't.
But the air you do get, is hot (esp. at idle and low cruise)
and filthy. So you've got that to look forward to.
Ive read it gives 1.5-2 mph at the track and 0.1-0.2 but you do realize that is close to 25-30 rwhp right? it could be true but thats about all you gain from a full exhaust not to mention that it will not work below 80 or even 100 mph...I dont know but am sticking with the free one.
not to mention that it will not work below 80 or even 100 mph...I dont know but am sticking with the free one.Ive read it gives 1.5-2 mph at the track and 0.1-0.2 but you do realize that is close to 25-30 rwhp right? it could be true but thats about all you gain from a full exhaust not to mention that it will not work below 80 or even 100 mph...I dont know but am sticking with the free one.
not to mention that it will not work below 80 or even 100 mph...I dont know but am sticking with the free one.Also, it works at most mph where you would be going wot, unless you think you need the ram air effect pulling into Walmart.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
From: Tampa FL
HotRod Magazine did a test on the 4th Gen Fbody when it came out. Back to back, stock then free ram air at the drag strip and gained over a tenth. I did the same with my 98 and picked up the same tenth. It works. Especially with a direct flow lid.
Got it done on my 99Z and yeah it's worth it. The great thing is that it's free and it works. Using a slp lid, ported airbox to match ss hood, tb coolant bypass, pacesetter lt's, Flowmaster catback and 100 dry shot of giggle juice and I can tell the difference just in the way it drives. Haven't gotten any base #'s before everything on a dyno. Will be taking it to Dyno day @ Slowhawk's Performance this year to get some numbers on it.
If you even get 5 horses out of it, go for it. Nickel and dimes here and there add up, and it's FREE WOOOOHOOOO!
If you even get 5 horses out of it, go for it. Nickel and dimes here and there add up, and it's FREE WOOOOHOOOO!
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: BAY AREA
Heavy rain is on the radar for the bay area is it safe to drive my Camaro with the FRAM?
I remember reading a post thread here a few members were debating whether about it, What do you guys think is it safe to drive in the rain or not?
I remember reading a post thread here a few members were debating whether about it, What do you guys think is it safe to drive in the rain or not?
I had a Chrs1313 non AC ram air, WITH the lower scoop, and drove it in said downpours and never had a problem. Even on the interstate for over 2 hours at a time.
Unless you somehow manage to completely submerge the scoop, and give it WOT while doing so, it's NOT going to be an issue.
Thank-you. He's not gonna STFU. So, the rest of us will keep it our little secret.
ad53030,
I have measured the benefits of RAM air when we were EFI. MAP was routinely more stable @ WOT w/ RAM air. Further, the Chris1313 RAM air design has resulted in dozens of happy drivers w/ improved track times.
11 Second Club
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 322
Likes: 1
"They" claim that FRA is going to make use of the air
pressure forward of the radiator. But this is trivial (or
you'd have unacceptable vehicle drag - think you have
even 1PSI, producing 300+ pounds of face force on the
radiator? You don't.
But the air you do get, is hot (esp. at idle and low cruise)
and filthy. So you've got that to look forward to.
pressure forward of the radiator. But this is trivial (or
you'd have unacceptable vehicle drag - think you have
even 1PSI, producing 300+ pounds of face force on the
radiator? You don't.
But the air you do get, is hot (esp. at idle and low cruise)
and filthy. So you've got that to look forward to.
IATs should be one of ones biggest concerns on a street car. The engine is an air pump, it will pull in what it needs out of those ram horns in the hood. True ram air is for jet engines, otherwise it is a marketing term from the 60s as far as cars go.
Remember that on a stock tune the ECM starts pulling timing at a mere 86°F and above. That timing loss is worth an est 3-5whp per degree depending on combo and will destroy any perceived gain you think you got by exposing an air filter to heated air. "C"AI is one of the travesty terms of our hobby. HAI is more appropriate. Unless you are converting an under hood air grab system to an outside source, like say a Varraram on a GTO, exposing a filter is an HAI.
Take advantage of your stellar IATs from those beautiful SS and WS6 hoods. Don't F it all up with cheap *** wanna be shade tree crap or next time you get a race out of a stoplight, you could be kicking your own ***.
This.
IATs should be one of ones biggest concerns on a street car. The engine is an air pump, it will pull in what it needs out of those ram horns in the hood. True ram air is for jet engines, otherwise it is a marketing term from the 60s as far as cars go.
Remember that on a stock tune the ECM starts pulling timing at a mere 86°F and above. That timing loss is worth an est 3-5whp per degree depending on combo and will destroy any perceived gain you think you got by exposing an air filter to heated air. "C"AI is one of the travesty terms of our hobby. HAI is more appropriate. Unless you are converting an under hood air grab system to an outside source, like say a Varraram on a GTO, exposing a filter is an HAI.
Take advantage of your stellar IATs from those beautiful SS and WS6 hoods. Don't F it all up with cheap *** wanna be shade tree crap or next time you get a race out of a stoplight, you could be kicking your own ***.
IATs should be one of ones biggest concerns on a street car. The engine is an air pump, it will pull in what it needs out of those ram horns in the hood. True ram air is for jet engines, otherwise it is a marketing term from the 60s as far as cars go.
Remember that on a stock tune the ECM starts pulling timing at a mere 86°F and above. That timing loss is worth an est 3-5whp per degree depending on combo and will destroy any perceived gain you think you got by exposing an air filter to heated air. "C"AI is one of the travesty terms of our hobby. HAI is more appropriate. Unless you are converting an under hood air grab system to an outside source, like say a Varraram on a GTO, exposing a filter is an HAI.
Take advantage of your stellar IATs from those beautiful SS and WS6 hoods. Don't F it all up with cheap *** wanna be shade tree crap or next time you get a race out of a stoplight, you could be kicking your own ***.
So you're saying none on the raim airs work? (SSRA CHRS1313)I have to disagree!
11 Second Club
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 322
Likes: 1
Well, I guess there is something to all this one whole tenth talk...... I mean there is no way density altitude, launch/shift RPM, air/fluid temps or traction variances could change your ET on a track after you've cooled THAT MUCH.
Maybe I should get my Sawzall and start hacking........
Or maybe I'll just continue to wonder why kids on the Net don't research what true "ram air" actually is and realize a street car typically can't produce the velocity to achieve it....
Maybe I should get my Sawzall and start hacking........
Or maybe I'll just continue to wonder why kids on the Net don't research what true "ram air" actually is and realize a street car typically can't produce the velocity to achieve it....