LID vs. Ram Air Box
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,368
Likes: 10
From: Oshawa, Ontario
LID vs. Ram Air Box Did a search not much turned up on the subject. Both are somewhat alike and i was just curious if anyone has done a comparison to see which performs better? Im currently running an aftermarket ram air box on my car and im going to be picking up a ram air hood for my dads car for christmas so im debating if i should keep my air box or give it to my dad. Anyone tried this out and see what the pro`s and con`s are?
Much appreciated!
Much appreciated!
Sealing the box to the hood is actually designed to keep the hot engine bay air out of the intake ducting, not to increase the "ramming effect" that many people so popularly believe. If the box remains unsealed you actually increase the potential volume of air available entering the plenum.
Case in point -
That's a 10HP/9TQ gain by opening the hood (effectively unsealing the hood).
Case in point -
That's a 10HP/9TQ gain by opening the hood (effectively unsealing the hood).
Launching!
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 273
Likes: 0
From: California
So much talk about this aspect of our engines.
You can mod your stock intake system to deliver all the air it would ever require for a NA engine on the street without spending much if anything at all.
The only time you would look seriously at this is with using forced air induction like a blower or turbo app.
I know their are products out there that claim increases but, they are only at the high end of engine usage and speed which no street car ever gets near.
You can mod your stock intake system to deliver all the air it would ever require for a NA engine on the street without spending much if anything at all.
The only time you would look seriously at this is with using forced air induction like a blower or turbo app.
I know their are products out there that claim increases but, they are only at the high end of engine usage and speed which no street car ever gets near.
Yeah I didn't read all of that...
Truthfully I've been in far too many "ram air" discussions over the past 12 years of ownership. Nothing is new to me anymore - there won't be any ground-breaking news or improvements or scientific evidence proving or disproving how effective/ineffective it is. It is what it is - a 15 year old design that everyone LOVES to castrate or praise.
/rant
Fact is my car runs ***** out with it and that's all I really care about.
Truthfully I've been in far too many "ram air" discussions over the past 12 years of ownership. Nothing is new to me anymore - there won't be any ground-breaking news or improvements or scientific evidence proving or disproving how effective/ineffective it is. It is what it is - a 15 year old design that everyone LOVES to castrate or praise.
/rant
Fact is my car runs ***** out with it and that's all I really care about.
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The hood scoops on the factory ram air cars are too far back and too low to be in the air stream to create any sort of ram air effect. A lid with a ram air setup will provide gains once the car is moving over the stock setup.
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I get the impression a lot of people on this board are letting go of their passion (and ownership) of the LT1. I wouldn't be surprised if this board dwindles to a fraction of activity in the next year or two. I guess its inevitable... people get older; sell or smash their cars, want to move into something new. You hear about manufacturers dropping LT1 designed parts. I mean heck, them Nissan 270Z's be mighty purdy lookin cars 
And to the OP, I dont think you will see a SOTP difference with a lid vs a ram air. Maybe the chris1313 would work better but I dont think there can be any dyno evidence showing its advantages with the car sitting still on a dyno. Im going to eventually buy a ram air hood for my car but Im probably going to go with a lid setup just because they are cheaper.
"I get the impression a lot of people on this board are letting go of their passion (and ownership) of the LT1. I wouldn't be surprised if this board dwindles to a fraction of activity in the next year or two. I guess its inevitable... people get older; sell or smash their cars, want to move into something new."
Personally i like the idea of the stock system ram air system better. I think the amount of air that goes into the nostrils is about equal to what the ram air kits would suck in from the bottom of the car. But it takes a very different path
Now going to your point about the car not moving to get ram air, well the SSRA kit is in the exact same boat. On a dyno its not getting any ram air effect either.
Ramair95 is correct, its a subject that gets beaten to death, and the results in either case would probably be so similar that its not worth testing. If you have one or the other then stick with it. If your going from a stock trans am thats non ram air, then basically whatever you can get for cheaper is probably the same either way.
The biggest issue i have with the SSRA/SLP ram air mouths is that they block a HUGE portion of the radiator.
The difference im sure isnt much, but i honestly think, givin how aerodynamics work, that the stock ram air system works better at speed. air going straight in the hood, making a small bend down, and then into the engine, seems alot more straight forward then air going under a car, into a mouth, then shoved straight up at almot 90º and then another 90º turn into the engine isnt as efficent.
There are still alot of 15 yr olds that will be 16-17yrs old in those 1-2 years that this site will dwindle in activity. Everyone loves a cheap performance car, and id rather see kids in a american v8 then some stupid ******* rediculous honda that my moms minivan could beat.
Personally i like the idea of the stock system ram air system better. I think the amount of air that goes into the nostrils is about equal to what the ram air kits would suck in from the bottom of the car. But it takes a very different path
Now going to your point about the car not moving to get ram air, well the SSRA kit is in the exact same boat. On a dyno its not getting any ram air effect either.
Ramair95 is correct, its a subject that gets beaten to death, and the results in either case would probably be so similar that its not worth testing. If you have one or the other then stick with it. If your going from a stock trans am thats non ram air, then basically whatever you can get for cheaper is probably the same either way.
The biggest issue i have with the SSRA/SLP ram air mouths is that they block a HUGE portion of the radiator.
The difference im sure isnt much, but i honestly think, givin how aerodynamics work, that the stock ram air system works better at speed. air going straight in the hood, making a small bend down, and then into the engine, seems alot more straight forward then air going under a car, into a mouth, then shoved straight up at almot 90º and then another 90º turn into the engine isnt as efficent.
Personally i like the idea of the stock system ram air system better. I think the amount of air that goes into the nostrils is about equal to what the ram air kits would suck in from the bottom of the car. But it takes a very different path
Now going to your point about the car not moving to get ram air, well the SSRA kit is in the exact same boat. On a dyno its not getting any ram air effect either.
Ramair95 is correct, its a subject that gets beaten to death, and the results in either case would probably be so similar that its not worth testing. If you have one or the other then stick with it. If your going from a stock trans am thats non ram air, then basically whatever you can get for cheaper is probably the same either way.
The biggest issue i have with the SSRA/SLP ram air mouths is that they block a HUGE portion of the radiator.
The difference im sure isnt much, but i honestly think, givin how aerodynamics work, that the stock ram air system works better at speed. air going straight in the hood, making a small bend down, and then into the engine, seems alot more straight forward then air going under a car, into a mouth, then shoved straight up at almot 90º and then another 90º turn into the engine isnt as efficent.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,106
Likes: 0
From: POULSBO WA.
I run the ram air hood, i like the styling of it on my car. Sometimes i get bored with it and i switch it back and forth with the stock T/A hood. I have not run it at the track yet but next year i am going to have to unhook my FIPK (which gave me .17 or 17 horse at the track) and since i dont have a ram air filter yet i will test the ram air through the nose directly and see if there is any improvement. I bet there is!
