Hello all,

I just picked up a 2002 camaro SS and have been reading all over the place about some of the free mods. I'm not interested in any of the free mods except the free ram air mod. Now, I've also been eyeing the SSRA scoop, which as I understand it, requires the FRA mod to be performed before installation.

So I'm wondering.. Do all the cold air scoops require FRA to be performed? (I'm looking at SSRA, FTRA, and SLP's FlowPac).. If so, can peforming something like FRA void a factory and/or extended warranty? I'm concerned about voiding my warranty for another 8-10hp.

If it turns out to be a problem, I'd prefer to just buy a lid and leave the rest be.

Thanks for any input you might have.

 

Most people here will recommend it and credit it to better track times. I don't recommend it though. Ram air myth.

IMO the TB bypass is the best free mod because it does no harm to the car if your in an area that doesn't get below freezing and has dyno proven gains.

 

the myth about the myth-
There can be, the pressure isn't great but after all, its enough to drive the air through the radiator and ventilation system...the rider is that the scoop needs to be a lot bigger than the throttle body area so that the flow rate is low enough. Whether the extra drag is more than the HP gained is the issue, but the cooling penalty is a necessary evil - take the airdam off for less drag and see how much cooling you get. Because of the airdam under the radiator, the 'scoop' for the radiator is effectively quite large, and some of that flow can be stolen for the intake, but in the end it'll only be worth a few HP, and the FRA mod will leave you drawing warmer air at very low speeds. Most of the free modes are worth just about what they cost...after all if you could get an extra 20HP by sticking in a $2 'tornado' in the intake, wouldn't the manufacturer have already done it? Noise, emissions and durability requirements limit what they can do, but most of the other mods have drawbacke that beat the gains. Just get a lid.

 

even though i don't think the ram air does much on the SS anyways, i think that guy is stretching science a bit...

he's got some good points but i'm not sure if his fluid mechanics are straight from a textbook

 

Okay, just getting a lid then. Without performing FRA, are any of the scoops (ie: SLP's flowpac looks interesting enough) still worth time at the track? I've heard some people say yes, and some people say no. While I don't necessarily believe it will give me a "ram air effect", I do believe it might help draw in cooler air. But, only getting a lid and filter will save me quite a bit of money, and I'd rather not spend extra on a scoop if the gains are that negligible.

Thanks as always

 

Regardless of whether or not there is actually a ram air effect, it does deliver cold air right in front of the filter.

Jester, if you do decide to do the FRA mod and get a CAI/Ram Air setup, SSRA (aka Austin Ram Air) is definitely the way to go.

 

I own a 2002 and havent done ANY mods..

318rwhp
13.1@108

 

Bryan, I did the FRA on my TA thinking it was going to do a lot, and it might have helped. But since I cut the baffles out of my hood, I don't see any gain from it, so I build a block-off plate. I don't see how it could do any harm for you though, since you won't ever have to worry about A LOT of air coming in through the front to disturb the flow from underneath.

Just go for the SSRA

 

Hmm... Thanks Nate - I'll take a look at a texas lid, holley filter kit, and an SSRA scoop. Do the three work somewhat well together?