ram air hood

[american_muscle]

How exactly does ram air work? I'm planning on buying a 200-2002 trans am within the year and i would like to get a raim air hood. How exactly does it work, how much more power does it give me? Is it worth it? and can i still instal a supercharger if i have one? Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

[Darrensls1]

Originally Posted by american_muscle

How exactly does ram air work?

The LS1 motor has the airbox located in the front of the engine. Non-ram air cars have about a 1-1.5" gap where engine bay air flows into the box, through the filter and into the throttlebody. Now the "ram air" WS6 model is similair but with a few differences.

The airbox sits a little higher and the gap for air to enter the airbix is larger then the regular models. This is so that air from outside of the car can come in through the hood nostrils and enter the airbox. The advantage to this is that outside air is cooler then engine bay air. The colder the air, the more power the motor makes. This is why you will be noticeably faster on 50 degree days as opposed to 90 degrees and humid. But is it really "ram air"?

The idea is that at low speeds it's a CAI (cold air intake) but at highway speeds it rams the air in with enough force to create even more power. The problem is that there is a gap between the end of the hood nostrils and the beginning of the airbox. So the air actually has a means of escape or losing preasure. It's like trying to drink from a straw after you poked a few holes in it.

Originally Posted by american_muscle

I'm planning on buying a 200-2002 trans am within the year and i would like to get a raim air hood. How exactly does it work, how much more power does it give me?

Not much. They used to advertise 25 HP on the GM stickers when the cars were new but that's a bunch of marketing BS. You won't see any gains on a dyno but figure it's good for maybe an extra tenth in the 1/4 mile. They say 10 HP = 1 tenth faster.

Originally Posted by american_muscle

Is it worth it? and can i still instal a supercharger if i have one? Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

If you're asking if it's worth buying a WS6 hood (and airbox assy) for an otherwiswe non-ram air car then the answer is yes and no. Yes if you love the looks and want it for that purpose. No if you only want the gains. You can buy SSRA (super sucker ran air) kit for a lot less then a hood + airbox + painting.

Yes you can still have a supercharger if you have a ram air hood. The difference is that a supercharger will give you the real deal and the ram air hood is mostly for show.

Good luck

[G-man422]

Well, thats pretty much it,.....

[american_muscle]

thanks alot....i actually found a few ta's on cars.com that already have ram-air installed....i might just try to pick up one of those if there are any availiable when i make my purchase.

[1FASTws6]

my friend has one on his 99 trans am. It looks so mean from the front. Is it worth is... sure if u got $800 + $100 extra if u want functional. Performance wise he didnt see much of a differance just more heads turn.

[poormillionaire2]

The Ram Air definately looks awesome, but if you are looking to do the full conversion (not just a new hood), performance wise, you could just do a CAI instead of ram air. You'll get about the same gains. But WS6's are SWEET!

[Rmbodie]

On my 2K T/A the air intake is drawing air from the front of the radiator , not from the hot engine compartment . I cut holes in the hood where the latch is and I can see straight into the the filter box . Homemade Ram-Air. I bought some Lund hood scoops to put on the hood to give mine a tougher front stance . Not as bold as the full hood but a lot less expensive . I cant tell any difference in performance though but you can hear the sucking sound more . Rob

[1FASTws6]

Frankly if ur gonna pay $900 and want performance, i can give u an endless list of parts that will more than double the HP than that hood claims to give. If u already gotta catback get some nice lontube headers. From what i here Kooks, QTP, and SLP are the "cream of the crop" LT's on the market today. Guaranteed 34-40 extra ponies at the rear wheels. Iv satten in both cars 1 with and 1 w/o the ram air hood scoop and lemme tell ya there really was no differance. The WS6 package is more of an apperance package than performance. I MEAN HOW MUCH MORE HP CAN A $3,500 EXTRA PACKAGE GIVE YOU WHEN ITS THE EXACT SAME ENGINE??????