Well the question is Does ram air really work? I remember reading someone stating that ram air didn't and some company went to pontiac and asked them if the ram air for the for the Ram air hoods really worked and they said it was mainly for just looks and really didn't do anything.

Now does anyone have PROOF that it does or doesn't??

Also what about the SS ram air.

 

Well, GM rated the ra air cars at 320 hp. That was the only dffrence between them and the 305/310 cars.

 

"Ram Air" is not an accurate discription of the intake system. Air is NOT rammmed. Only tubos and super chargers "ram" the air.

The so-called Ram Air systems for the Camaros and Poncos are merely "induction systems" i.e., the air is pulled in by the engine.

The so-called "cold-air" inductions is also not really an accurate discription, since the air is not any colder than the ambient temp plus the heat picked up on the way through the system.

Some "ram air" systems may allow a bit fresher air in depending on the particular routing. The cold air and ram air systems are just air filters that are exposed rather than encased.

Theoretically, if you had a scoop that led directly through a filter and into the tb and you were going really really fast you might get a bit more fresh air packing, but nothing to shout about.

Cold-air/ram-air should be superiour to the factory intakes since the filters are open and situated so that the engine has "access" to fresher and perhaps cooler air (which has more O2 and provides a better combustion)=power.JMHO

 

I know there was a big difference going from a stock TA hood to the SLP Ram Air H.O. hood. I had another gain when I cut out the baffles, so now it's actually a straight shot. Granted, the added effect doesn't really hit until 70mph or so, but I can definately tell a difference up top.

 

Wrong. WS6 and SS have a different catback too.

 

As well as exhaust manifolds.

Ram-Air could work if you could get your car up near supersonic speeds.
I personally have been unable to acheive this.

If you have got the same results - then all you have is a more free flowing intake system.

 

article on cold air induction

article on FTRA effectiveness]

 

Here's my thoughts on the "free ram air" mod.

Free Ram Air is a useless mod, and if you want proof I'll give it to you.

I was bored one day, figured what the hell, spent the 5 bucks on the little gay scoop. Put it on all nice and neat, that day I went to the track and couldn't trap above 102.5.
Most of you are probably thinking oh, there are so many variables.
After about 4 passes of running 13.2 @ 102 or 13.3 @ 102 even a 13.6 @ 102(got beat by a srt-4 that ran a 13.5 that run). After that, I was pissed that I just lost to a neon and ripped the ****ing scoop off...

For the rest of the night, I was trapping 105 and running 13.2 @ 105 and 13.3 @ 105

DO NOT do the free ram air mod. There's proof that it does nothing but slow you down. I still have the hole in the underbody though, I don't see a harm in that. :-P

 

Exhaust manifolds were the same.

On a stock car, the Ram Air WILL provide more hp than the stock induction car. It's simply a different cold air.

Now on a modified car, I'd take the Pontiac style ram air above all others. The Pontiac style is a straight shot through into the throttlebody. You can cue the baffles out of the hood, and if you pulled the filter you could look straight through to the TB.

Straight through will flow better than a CAI with the bends. BUT, on a hot day the CAI will get cooler air than the ram air. They're about the same in the end.

 

"For the rest of the night, I was trapping 105 and running 13.2 @ 105 and 13.3 @ 105

DO NOT do the free ram air mod. There's proof that it does nothing but slow you down. I still have the hole in the underbody though, I don't see a harm in that. "

dude....what are you on crack?

how on earth can it slow you down....sure as hell isn't more resistence!!

i realize you quoted times....but still...

i can see it not making a difference....but slowing you down
sounds like something else was different....track prep, air temp, humidity, tailwind/headwind

 

it will NOT PROVIDE ANY MORE POWER THEN THE STOCK AIRBOX.

three z28 dynoed, and my ss.
they were all stock, all put down the same numbers +/- 3hp
the CAI's provided a whooping ZERO hp difference over a paper filter stock airbox on the same car.....
going to a z28 airbox over my ss one resulted in a 1 hp loss.... but there was that much difference from one run tothe other anyways....

there are a few good write up on "ram air" and htey all say that its not good for any real power, but will will show higher MAF readings at speed.



and a cat back is good for about 7hp and 12 tq

 

Guess I should have been more specific. It's crap on a SS. On a WS6 there's going to be a difference.

 

proove it please

 

WS6 is straight through the hood to the Throttlebody. SS, due to the location of the opening in the hood, won't get the effect as well because of the wrap around the air must go through to get to the throttlebody. In addition, look at the size of the air passage on the underside of an SS hood. Granted the WS6 hoods come with 1 or 2 baffles depending on year, but those are easily removed. There's not a way to really open up an SS hood.

I guess "it's crap on an SS" was a bit of a harsh statement. It's better than stock, but not as good as a WS6 setup.

One thing I would like to know is those CAI tests you mentioned, where there was NO difference in power in the pre vs. post CAI dyno testing. Were those pulls made on the same day, and if so with how much cool down time?? What were the water temps on each run?? I find it VERY hard to believe that a CAI gained no HP difference.

 

same day, didnt een unstrap from teh dyno, all number SAE corrected so the day wouldnt have matter anyways, cool down is about 15 minutes after 2 runs. water temp would never get past the first dash.
2 runs with the cai would be about 2 hp less or more then stock.

I dont care if its straight there still isnt enough to cause boost of any sort, and the engine still sucks it faster then its coming in.

"ram air" might be measureable on the highway, but its hard to get a dyno to move down the road with you.
I'll give ram air throtle responce, but no power, same goes with a cai.