I just got a ram air hood for my 95 t/a, but it does not have the
inserts in it. Will it hurt the optispark or anything if I would be driving
in the rain and water was going in through the openings? What about
washing the car and having all the water go in the openings in the hood?

 

Do you mean it doesn't have the little mesh grilles that push into the openings in the hood? If so, it shouldn't hurt anything, although you might find things like leaves on top of the filter.

Or do you mean someone cut the baffles out of the hood itself? Is it a GM hood, or an aftermarket hood? On the GM hood, there should be solid baffles built into the hood to prevent water from entering with the air. The first is an inch or so behind the openings, hanging down from the top of the hood, and another baffle about an inch behind that facing upwards. The two baffles force the air down, make a 180-degree bend where the water drops out and drains out holes in the inner liner, leaving drier air to enter the filter. If those have been totally removed, you will have water hitting the filter.

Some of the aftermarket hood do not have the baffles, and if you leave them open, you will have water everywhere.

Are you running just the hood, or the complete ram air setup with the airbox sealed tight to the hood?

 

I don't think that it has the baffles on it, it is "suppose" to be an actual GM WS6 hood. I am just running the hood, I have a CAI on it right now.

 

I looked at the hood again, and it does have the channel's for the water on the sides and on the bottom, so I guess that it is just missing the mesh insert, or are there more parts for the hood that it would be missing?

 

Any negatives to running no baffles, and straight shot into the filter in a nice weather-only car?

 

just FYI if your running a cai it shouldnt matter, because obviously your cai filter is nowhere near where the openings are and therefore where the water woould be entering (as little as it may be hopefully) other then once in a while opening your hood and wiping her down (IMO anyway)

 

I have the baffles completely removed, since its really a "track only" car. When it rains, it will drop water right on the filter in the stock airbox (you can see the airbox if you look through the openings). When I trailer the car, when I wash it, or when I have to drive it on a rainy day, I put a foam plug into the scoop from behind. Without the plug, trailering it in the rain, there will be water on the filter.

Originally, I just cut about 1/2" off the front baffle, and 1" off the back baffle, and that did not produce any problems with water, even driving in heavy rain. But with the baffles completely out, water did enter.

Without the airbox, its likely the water would just hit the top cover on the radiator... but why take a chance that it could drip down on the Opti?

 

thats what I was thinking. I am looking for a set of the baffles if someone has them for sale, or knows a place that i could buy them? I traded my stock T/A hood and some cash for the WS6 hood, so that is the only one I have for my car right now.

 

Where do you live? I have a stock Firebird "flat" hood that I'll give you if you can pick it up.

 

I live in West Virginia. That would be a long drive to Southern California...haha

 

Travis,

I agree, it's probably not worth it. I've been tripping over the damned thing for eight years and I don't think it will be worth anything until the day after I dispose of it.

c

 

I guess for now, since I don't have the Ram Air intake, I could make something to put into the openings to keep water out, until I can find somewhere, or someone selling the inserts.

 

I have completely removed the baffles in my hood. Just a straight shot into the airbox and no grilles either. Its been this way for a year now with some nice monsoon storms in the summer and not a single problem. The amount of water that might make it passed the heat of the motor and into the cylinders is going to be so minute.

I like the way it looks and it works pretty nice.