ctd03

How Exactly Does Ram Air Work And At What Speed?

Angus

iTrader: (2)

From everything that I have heard is that it starts to work around 30 mph. It basically is a opening for cooler air to be pushed though to your airbox. I have never seen someone do an actual test on a car scientifically(sp) on how much it helps or flows.

99-LS1-SS

Supposedly they don't work as well as people think. My opinion is that it can't hurt.

redramair00

I've heard it really doesn't have any affect until around 80 mph. Then the affect isn't that much anyway.

99-LS1-SS

Looks cool though.

ND4SPD

Ram Air typically refers to isolated combustion air for the engine that is force-fed from vehicle velocity (speed). If taken from a high pressure area, any forward facing air intake should be capable of increasing the force in the inlet system relative to the vehicle speed. These ram-air inlet systems only work if the air is fed into a sealed plenum volume that is attached to the device it is to serve such as carburetors or throttlebodies. Because the inlet is supplied at over ambient pressure, the manifold density is increased as a result.

One can calculate the additional force by applying the equation Pra = (mph)^2 x .0000176, where
Pra = Pressure in psi from ram air, mph = vehicle speed in miles per hour, .0000176 = a constant for this equation.

So you can see that if a forward facing air inlet was in clean air (undisturbed by body shape) at a vehicle speed of 100mph, the inlet pressure (Pra) would be .176psi, or about 4.87 inches of water.

Hope that helps,
Ken

*JC*

Amazing?

People will believe almost anything these days... No the Ram Air thing doesn't do a thing except sell cars and look good.

02WS6Bird

iTrader: (2)

i dont suppose you would think...that with the air having a more direct flow through the lid into the throttle body will affect it at all...think bout it....the air is going tright through the nostrils...through the lid and into the throttleboddy...the faster you go and the more the throttle the better it would work dont you think? more ramming affect....now the stock systems...dont have the dirvect flow so its less intake air dcoming in correct? just my .02

demonspeed

iTrader: (7)

My 03 Grand Am GT has ram air... I could care less

RedWS6 00

I have been looking at a Vortech supercharger, they quote that if you have ram air you can get 20hp more than the non ram-air model. What has got me that the supercharger dosn't use the existing ait box or anything, it just has a pipe in the air at the front of the engine. Therefore any rammed air isn't going anywhere near the supercharger inlet, not presurised anyway. So I'm led to beleive that the engine is slightly different to a non ram air engine. Its hard to believe I thought they were all the same, but if Vortech quote different BHP gains for ram-air and non-ram-air models and its not using the airbox then something else must vary on these cars apart from apearances

Hope somone can shed some light on this.

Firehawk0220

Colder air is more dense than warmer air. So ram air isn't as hot as the air in the engine bay would be. Air does go directly into the throttle body as a result.

The gains are there, albiet probably minimal at best.

WS6 #3392

The set up on factory WS6 isn't a true Ram Air. That is why I got and installed a BGRA. I know that it gave me more power by my et's and increased mph in the 1/4.
If I was getting another WS6 the first thing that I would do is get the BGRA. It is awesome and looks like it came from the factory.

demonspeed

iTrader: (7)

I think it's from where the intercooler sits. It's right in the path of where the nostrils are.

ram-it

How can you state that the WS6 is not a true ram air but add the BG kit will make it so? The BG kit just makes it a sealed to the air box which is good and the way the factory SHOULD have done it.

As for the Vortech it does use the factory airbox be it the standard or raised one. The HP difference is in keeping with GM's spirit of rating the RA higher than the stock which test have proven to be less than the advertised difference.

WS6 #3392

That is what a true Ram Air is. It is sealed. Also when you install the BGRA you take the baffles out and the nose is totally opened up. There is nothing in the way. Take a lookat the older Ram Air set up's from the factory. They had foam to help seal the air box.

y2k_ta

iTrader: (80)

I like the look of no ram air myself.....

ICEBOX

LOL! Don't forget to put the cool nostril hood on your Grand Am too! LMAO!

demonspeed

iTrader: (7)

You mean the one everyone thinks is a "ram air" hood, but really the ram is in the front bumper...

Midnight

iTrader: (19)

Where i live there is flip kid running around with a '93 GA SE, hes got the T/A ram air hood on it, looks like he just went and hacksawed the T/A hood and then superglued the scoop to his car.

Ackattack1

iTrader: (7)

the gain from the WS6 package over stock is from the exhaust, not the hood. I sometimes wonder if the poorer aerodynamics of the ram air hood out weigh its "benifit" at high speeds?