custom ram air

[volver]

I made a custom ram air intake.

It starts with a 5 inch cone behind the grill infront of the radiator above the oil cooler. Goes in to a 3 inch PVC 90 degree elbow towards the passenger side head light. Travels though a 3 inch rubber tube passes through the head light access hole in the radiator support. I cut the hole larger to fit the 3 inch tube with out crimping it. Goes into a 3 inch rubber 90 dergree then into the stock air box with a 3 inch hole cut into it. I sealed all the holes in the box with silicone and i have a K&N drop in filter.

The tube system is about 1.5 feet long with 2 90 degree elbows. Tested by blowing into it with my lungs the flow is grate. Then tested it with a leaf blower the flow is explosively awesome.

I was disappointed, when i was traveling at 110 mph down hill in overdrive, that there was no boost. I watched my vac/boost gauge and there seams to be no change in pressure. I figured that there would be at least 1/2 a psi at 60 miles an hour with the butter fly wide open.

I know that the air will make different pressure zones in front of the car. Exampel, near the top and bottom of the profile there will be lower pressure than in the aerodynamic center (were the air splits to go over the car, under the car, and around the car).

So, does any one know were the aerodynamic center of a 1998 explorer is at? I might have my cone in a low pressure area.

Does any one have a ram air system on any of there vehicles? and how much boost can you get out of it?

Is there any thing that i should know about?

 

[Millertime1987]

I know Ram air systems are generally setup with a Ram air hood that has an opening, next to the windshield. There is also a good spot under the vehicle from what I hear.

 

[Afboy143]

:ttiwwp:

 

[celly]

Boost?

You're not going to see much performance gain from your setup and any other aftermarket air intake (i.e. MAC). This debate has gone on for years and I have yet to see ANY definitive proof (i.e. dyno results) that has shown much of a gain by isolating your filter (or using a plastic intake tube vs a metal one). At driving speeds, the air temps are all pretty much the same under the hood. Some have taken temperature measurements to prove just that.

You want boost? You need turbo or supercharging. You want a real peformance gain on your 5.0 (without turbo or TC)? Get Torque Monster Headers (only 2+ weeks until mine get installed).

An air intake system does give some gains, but I've only noticed it when I pair it up with a free flowing exhaust. Custom tuning gives a bigger gain and works great with these other two mods (intake and exhaust). I find the stock programming on a 5.0 too "Soccer Momish". I found my old SOHC Sports to be much more responsive from the factory than my 5.0 Eddie Bauer.

I want to see pics of your setup as well.

 

[volver]

I will try and get some pics up later today.

yeah i dont expect to get massive gains. I was hopeing that i could get some boost once i was travaling 60.

 

[celly]

I will try and get some pics up later today.

yeah i dont expect to get massive gains. I was hopeing that i could get some boost once i was travaling 60.

The gains from an intake kit are very subtle. I've never felt anything I'd describe as "boost". I've used two different versions of commercial intakes (Volant and MAC) on two different engines (SOHC and 5.0). Be careful not to place your filter in a spot that gets too dirty or wet whatever you do!

 

[volver]

k/n drop in

stock air box holes sealed with silicone

90 degree rubber into rubber couple into 90 pvc elbow into ram cone

top view

ahhhh!!!!!! i am getting sucked in to the cone !!!!!! so much power. LOL

whole thing

 

[storlied]

He may not be getting boost or a big increase in power, but that doesn't seem like a bad setup at all. Only downside I see is when it's raining.

 

[celly]

Interesting setup. I like it. I'd be concerned with what storlied mentioned re: water. Have you had a chance to test it in wet conditions?

 

[volver]

nope, it might fill up with water. lol

 

[volver]

Rained this morning, it down poured for a minute while i was driving. Only a small amount of water got into the air box. I also had to drive though some tall grass. A hand full of seeds and bugs made it into the air box. i need to add a screen at the opening to the intake.

I think I feel some results. The truck climbs hills with out boging and the throttle response is quicker.

 

[volver]

Tested ram air monthes ago, against my sister's 5.0 explorer. As the engines heat up her explorer sucks hot air in from the engine bay. Causing her 0 to 60 to be 3 seconds longer than mine.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Nice installation!

You've done a very nice installation! If the intake tubing is angled downward from the hole in the lower part of your stock air filter enclosure then rain water sucked into the front inlet should drain back out. The stock inlet cone diameter was 1 3/4 inches. Increasing the opening to 3 inches should reduce the restriction resulting in more air flow. Your PCM should be able to accommodate the increased flow. If you get a lean fuel DTC just clear the Keep Alive Memory so the PCM will adjust to the increased airflow.

As I mentioned in another recent thread on a similar subject, when your engine is pulling its maximum airflow of 500 cfm the airspeed thru a 3 inch diameter tube is 115 mph. Unless you're driving faster than that you won't achieve any "ram" effect. However, you will make it easier for your engine to suck air.

As far as a cold air intake improving performance, I have used my scanner to monitor IAT from my cone filter pulling air from the engine compartment and compared that to ambient temperature. The IAT is signicantly hotter than ambient temperature on a cool day during stopped and very low speed driving. As the vehicle speed increases the temperature difference decreases.

If water in the filter box becomes a problem, just rotate the inlet right angle to point downward instead of forward.

I'm a little concerned about the silicone you used to seal the tubing. Silicone is extremely harmful to O2 sensors.

 

[volver]

Silicone is inert after it drys, isn't it?

Silicone is inert after it drys, isn't it?

You use silicone to seal cracks in your home and I use it on aquariums, the fish are not affected.
Its used in breast implants
Some cooking were is made out of silicone



I don't think it is giving off any harmful fumes once it is dry.

 

[coonerboy]

"Another source of sensor contamination can come from silicone poisoning. If somebody used the wrong kind of silicone sealer to seal up a leaky rocker box cover or manifold gasket, silicone can find its way into the engine and foul the sensor. Silicates, which are used as corrosion inhibitors in antifreeze, can also cause the same kind of poisoning. Sources here might include a leaky head gasket or cracks in the combustion chamber. Silicone deposits on the sensor tip will have a shiny white to grainy light gray appearance"

http://www.picoauto.com/applications/lambda-sensor.html

 

[Berserkers360]

I'm going that route as well as in adding a school but after carefully looking at the whole setup on a 03 Mercury mountaineer I noticed that there's two routes without having to cut any grill support first one I don't know if it's going to do anything is gathering a PVC pipe to route it going down the windshield liquid towards the tire and making a hole on the mud flaps that one I'm not really meaning towards but the other one is basically having a scoop underneath the passenger Firehawk light with enough diameter inclining so we could Rush air all the way up most likely on a 6-in diameter tubing that will eventually cut to a four inch and then finally a 3-in tube that will be connected on a custom-made air box followed by a cone air filter and looking into removing the stock air intake and making a PVC 4 to 6 in tubing connected to the throttle bottle that should have some air flow going through once I take care of the exhaust system as well I believe one of our fellow brother has said the same thing. You can't have one without the other I would eventually have to add a hi flow Catylac converter and a flowmaster with a nice split exhaust system. I'm looking into not making so much noise so it can be a sleeper. But so far money is a key factor which it's almost there. Next to that I want to take it to a Dyno so they can tune it up in front of me to gain every pound of torque and HP that it deserves. DM me or mail me for more inside info. I've been tweaking on the idea for as long as I can remember and now I will implement