SLP Cold Air or SS Hood

I just got my SS hood and its on my car. It is fully functional (its off a real SS). I have my Whisper Lid and SLP Cold Air. For the CAI they sent a strip of rubber to put in the front of the lid to seal that opening off...im assuming to creat the pressure for the air coming in through the CAI. Anyways, should I just leave the CAI alone or should I take off that rubber strip so I can get air in through the CAI and the SS Hood? Will I get any performance gains from that over just having the CAI? Thanks

Seal off the SS hood. Those ram air systems are designed to use airpressure to force the air into the intake. The pressure can not be created if the hood is not sealed. These CAI's make more power than stock SS's do anyways. Just use the hood as a cosmetic mod.

Wouldn't the air pressure from the SS hood coming in do about the same thing or perform better than sealing off the airbox completely? I would think that both the SS hood and a cold air kit working in conjunction with each other would actually be of more benefit than just one or the other. I haven't tried it out yet...so I may be talking out of my @$$. ;)

You're not going to notice much of a gain from the ram air unless you're doing 80-100 down the road. Ram air isn't that much of a benefit over CAI. I've heard many stories about people with CAI and ram air, and most say that after installing both there aren't any noticable gains. CAI will give you a very noticable throttle response on the highway at all speeds, but ram air......you better break the sound barrier to notice anything. Not really, it's just a metaphor. Personally, I'm not a fan of ram air. Like bigsteve said, just seal off the inlet on the hood and use it for cosmetic purposes.

ok i have a question for all you guys slaming ram air because CAI is "better." if a CAI unit brings cool air into the engine with little or no ram effect then how is it better than a ram air/SS hood which also brings in COOL air but with the added effect of the pressure pushing the air into the intake? from the position of the CAI unit, there couldnt possibly be more pressure pushing the cool air into the intake. and even though this gain is only at high speed, its still a gain. do you go over 60 mph in the 1/4 mile? there is pressure there pushing air through the hood, which is on top of the car, not obstructed by anything. but the cai unit is under the car in a mess of radiator mounts and other things. just wondering not trying to be a smart a$$.

Originally posted by cabell84
ok i have a question for all you guys slaming ram air because CAI is "better." if a CAI unit brings cool air into the engine with little or no ram effect then how is it better than a ram air/SS hood which also brings in COOL air but with the added effect of the pressure pushing the air into the intake? from the position of the CAI unit, there couldnt possibly be more pressure pushing the cool air into the intake. and even though this gain is only at high speed, its still a gain. do you go over 60 mph in the 1/4 mile? there is pressure there pushing air through the hood, which is on top of the car, not obstructed by anything. but the cai unit is under the car in a mess of radiator mounts and other things. just wondering not trying to be a smart a$$.

http://www.fasttoys.net/ramairsystem.html

Read that.

Also, realize that air is a fluid, and will flow in the path of least restricition. For air going over the hood of your car, the easiest path is actually over the hoodscoop on Camaros. I'm not saying that air doesnt go through it, some does, but its just not an efficient system. Then for the hood to not even be sealed to the box makes it even worse. The little bit of air that goes into the hood is just basically "blown" at the lid.

Even doing 100 mph isn't going to "ram" a lot of air in...with either the ram air or CAI.

100 mph = 1 psi

I forget where I read that...

As for the position of the CAI, it is (at least on 93-97) somewhat behind & below the driver's side headlights. If you look at the design of the CAI compared to the stock intake system, you'll see it is much less restrictive and the position where the air is being drawn in is further away from the engine. Less heat, cooler air.

I'm not saying one is particularly better than the other nor would I say one is better than the other. They both work in doing the job they were meant to do which is make it easier for the engine to draw in air.

Let's not get into a ____ is better than _____ here. Show me two 1/4s, one with the ram air and one with the CAI...both on the same day, same driver, same car...that will finally put this to rest.

once again not trying to be a smart ass but air is a gas if air were a fluid there would be no point of a super charger or ram air/ cai becuase fluids have little to no compressability, thats how hydraulic equipment works. anyway, youre right, the factory air box isnt really sealed off at all and there are alot of drain holes etc. in the air path. but i was talking about an after market ram air system such as the sun coast creations raptor or ws6 hood. i think that there is a different setup there, with a sealed airbox/hood junction and an upright k&n filter. this is a better than stock setup IMO but i was just curious of your thoughts on that compared to the CAI. im not pushing one or the other but i was just wondering why gm made such a push with ram air instead of the FTRA style system. i was considering getting the CAI myself but i just wanted to know all of the pros and cons of both systems...the SCC hood/sir box kit or the FTRA system. i read the link that is posted above and i now see how the CAI kit works better than i once thought. but i am still undecided on which to purchase.

Originally posted by cabell84
once again not trying to be a smart ass but air is a gas if air were a fluid there would be no point of a super charger or ram air/ cai becuase fluids have little to no compressability, thats how hydraulic equipment works. anyway, youre right, the factory air box isnt really sealed off at all and there are alot of drain holes etc. in the air path. but i was talking about an after market ram air system such as the sun coast creations raptor or ws6 hood. i think that there is a different setup there, with a sealed airbox/hood junction and an upright k&n filter. this is a better than stock setup IMO but i was just curious of your thoughts on that compared to the CAI. im not pushing one or the other but i was just wondering why gm made such a push with ram air instead of the FTRA style system. i was considering getting the CAI myself but i just wanted to know all of the pros and cons of both systems...the SCC hood/sir box kit or the FTRA system. i read the link that is posted above and i now see how the CAI kit works better than i once thought. but i am still undecided on which to purchase.

Not trying to be a smartass either but from dictionary.com:


flu·id n.
A continuous, amorphous substance whose molecules move freely past one another and that has the tendency to assume the shape of its container; a liquid or gas.



Liquids cant be compressed very much, gases can. They are both fluids.

The Ws6's use a raised Airbox and have a little bit better of a setup, but I doubt its anything drastic over the stock system. Just remember this, ram air isnt everthing. Remember the Cowl induction hoods on the old Chevelles? Cowl induction worked pretty well and it primarily worked off of pressure.

I think GM pushed the ramair thing a lot due to heritiage and image. Both systems will probably offer similar gains. I bet there wont be much a hp difference between them. If I were you I would just get the one I could afford.

Ram Air is the GM fancy name for a Cold Air Induction - they are synonamous not different.

Even at 100 MPH+ I would be suprised if you gained any more than 1 hp (at the engine) because of the incoming air charge. It does not produce a slight supercharging effect.
-10deg. = +1 HP

No, where you get your power is in the engine taking in ambient air temperature. For every 10 degrees drop in air temperature you induct into the engine you will gain 1 hp.

If you're normal air intake is heated to the temperature of the engine (all under-hood systems are) you are looking at about 180+ degrees air intake temperature. By sealing off the hood so that the engine only gets ambient air temperature - ab out 70 degrees on a normal day. Then you have just dropped 110 degrees, and added about 11 horsepower.

The "Ram-Air" notion doesn't work, really, at any speed. Because the throttle body will only take in so much air, and then that's it. Without a compressor that is sealed to the throttle body you can't force air down it (that's what supercharging is)

Even with an aftermarket throttle body, say 800 CFM flow rate. Whether you are at 1 MPH or 100 MPH, it is still only going to take in 800 CFM max at WOT. However, with sealing the air intake from engine bays' heat. You will gain 11 horsepower at idle, and true the faster you go the cooler the air will be, but that will not change much to give you a real benefit.
For example, 70 degrees at idle, may be as low as 67-68 degrees at 100 MPH. About 3/10ths of 1 horsepower gained.

"Ram Air" as stated is what GM calls Cold Air Induction. Much like the differance between Posi-Grip, Posi-Traction, Trac-Loc. They are all GM, Ford, Mopar names for the same thing - a Limited Slip Differential.

Where the benefit is gained over stock is simply that the factory Ram-Air isn't as effective as the Fast Toys Ram Air set up. But hey what's new??? Factory makes a good platform but not the best, and we buy aftermarket products to make it the best.

Another example would be the LS1 intake. If it was so good, why do F-body owners swap to the LS6 intake? Or anything better than stock - its just more effective, but that doesn't mean they are not the same thing. They are both still intakes - just like FTRA and stock GM units are still both "Ram Air" systems that in technicality are terms to describe Cold Air Induction into the engine.

98+ Ram Air is only Air induction anyway they aren't sealed and have no direct air flow.

96-97 Raim Air is a different story it is a direct flow sealed system they work.

Bliggida, very well said!

Bliggida, nice post but it fails to explain the way volumetric efficency is increased with the ram air system. Its claimed by the advertisere and I've seen it proved on LS1info.com. The only explanation I can think of is that the ram air system, being sealed to the airbox creates a slight vacuum and hence a slight "supercharging" effect

I am about to buy the Fast Toys Ram Air Setup and Add the Whisper Lid w/ K&N Filter. IS it worth it? From what I am reading, I can't determine whether or not this Fast Toys Setup is worth my $100 or not. I will also be adding a SS hood on my car as well, but SS hoods are not functional, unless you buy them that way from Suncoast. Last time I checked the sticker on a SS, the HP difference comes from under the hood and exhaust, not because of the HOOD. Im just adding it for looks anyways. Should I buy the Fast Toys Ram Air? Or just stick with the Whisper Lid or both?

if you would read the posts i was talking about a sun coast ram air system not factory. so its sealed. and i agree both systems are cold air. and you cant force more air into the intake than it can handle or hooking up a super powerful electirc fan would supercharge your engine, but that doesnt work because a supercharger works by compressing the air, not just forcing it into the motor. and i agree that the pressure caused by the ram effect is very minimal, but i just wanted to know why a SEALED ram air system wont perform any better than the FTRA system, because they are both the same thing, except one is on top of the hood and one is under the hood. its the same thing. both bring cool air into the airbox. and i NEVER said that factory ram air was better. i said the SCC hood/air box was as good as the FTRA because they are the same thing, but in different places.

As far as the differences that I can see...some people will say that a Ram air hood will get hot at idle being on top of the hood and will heat soak the air in it, thus being warm air @ takeoff until about a half a mile later when the hood has cooled down. (I am not saying this...I'm just saying SOME people say this...If I haven't seen actual results with my own eyes...it's just smoke up me arse)
Those same people will say that since the FTRA pulls in air from underneath, it will not heat soak thuse giving cool air from the very beginning.

As far as I'm concerned...it's a trade-off. On top of the hood, it's possible that at take-off, the air wouldn't be AS COLD as the FTRA system would allow, but....with the FTRA, it is close to the ground and there is an issue of water being pulled up into the airbox. To be honest...I'm not sure which one is better...at least here is a little bit to think about. Pro's and Con's of both.

-Mike

Originally posted by cabell84
a supercharger works by compressing the air, not just forcing it into the motor. .......a little off topic, but HUH????!!!!:confused: :confused: might want to read up on that a little more......

You guys are getting waaaaay crazy with this one. Let's get back to the origional question at hand here. Should this guy: Joshs99BlackBeauty....seal off his SS hood or leave it be expecting gains from "ram air" and CAI? Seems to me there's a lot of misunderstanding about how the CAI kits are designed. First of all, the question of directing cold or hot air into the intake is an easy one. The air is directed from in front of the radiator, forward of the heat of the engine AND radiator. Hense, cooler air than the engine bay or on top of the hood. I'm speaking for the 98-02 installs. The question of water; the measurement of the CAI plenum is 2'. Chances of water being sucked up the plenum and into the intake is very slim unless you drive through a 4" puddle at 60mph. That's why they include a block-off plate.
Now for ram air. If you've ever noticed the design of SS hoods underneath, it's not really "ram air". The air is forced almost in a W shape before it even reaches the filter. Not really "ram air" if you ask me. When I think of ram air, I think of a straight shot directly into the intake. Granted the SS hood isn't a bad design, otherwise they wouldn't have produced it, BUT.....that's why there are "aftermarket" improvements. Everything can be made more effecient in the long run. Now what was said about the hot or cold air being "sucked" into the ram air is debatable. The air forced into the opening in the hood is going to be just about the same as that in the CAI no matter what the temperature is outside. Both from a stop and at freeway speeds. The fact that the hood isn't entirely sealed does have a slight affect on how effecient this system is though. As well as the routing of the air channels. I'm far from a total expert on this whole subject, but I just don't understand why everyone is throwing this one around so much. The point is, you're not going to get gains from both ram air and CAI. One or the other will give you noticable gains, but CAI would give you just a tad more. Having both installed isn't going to hurt, and I don't believe the one would cancel out the benefits of the other, but that's probably another thread question. :think:

the bottom line is....ss ram air blows big fat balls....get whisper or fast toys ram air.....or now i hear the super sucker is da bomb.....

ss ram air:rolleyes:

whisper ram air:D