cold air intake vs ram air?

[jewbacca02]

I was wondering what the difference is between cold air intake and ram air, and can you have both? What gets the bigger hp gain?

[Black_97'Z]

Both have thier pors and cons. on a dyno the ram air and cold air will add about the same HP. Since you dyno with the hood up on the car, the cold air intake has more available air the suck in, and so would a ram air setup. On the street a ram air setup will give more HP, because the faster you go the more air is "ramed" into the air intake, unlike a cold air setup. But all of this depends on the way the ram air is setup. on the LT1 and LS1 Camaro SS the ram air is not very efficent. The LT1 SS air intake tubes sit right on top of the engine causing heat soak, and the air tubes have to wrap around to the front of the engine to enter. those twists in the intake tube slow the air down, so below about 70mph it's more of a cold air intake. But then again being right on top of the engine you get heat soak so it is very inefficent. the LS1 SS ram air setup is almost as bad. With the incoming air having to inter the scoop do a 180 degree turn through passages in the hood to the front of the hood, and then another 180 degree turn line up with the "lid" The WS6's (LT1 and LS1) have the best ram air setup, with the incoming air having to make minimal turns form the nostrials on the front of hood, to the throttle body.

Cold air intake does not mean you are getting colder air, just more air. Cold air for an LT1 fits in the same place under the hood as the stock air tubes, but has better flowing air tubes, with a larger filter. More air, more power.

For an LS1 it is not really cold air either. The lid that is on top of the air filter is replaced with a better flowing lid design. Allowing more air to pass through it.

Getting a ram air intake setup is also much more expensive. You have to buy a ram air hood, and air box to make it work correctly. over $1,000 for a Suncoast Creations hood and air box. Cold air is much cheeper, around $200 for a K&N FIPK for an LT1 car. And about the same for a lid and K&N filter for an LS1 car.

So a good ram air setup like the WS6 is a true cold air/ram air. For the SS it's more of a cold air setup.

Check out www.suncoastcreations.com they have pics of the setup they use for LS1 and LT1 cars.

www.ls1.com click LS1 mods, then cold air, or ram air mod. Pics on how to make a home made cold air/slightly ram air setup for the LS1.

Or if you check out my pictures I have some pics of my ram air hood open and closed, so you get the idea.

Yea I know it's long but you asked.

[jewbacca02]

Thanks - can it be done to the v6?

[Black_97'Z]

I know cold air kits are available for V6 f-bodys, but I'm not sure about ram air intakes. check out:

http://www.camarov6.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php

It's a message board for V6 F-body owners. The people there should be able to help you out more than I could

[Raceghost]

Yes it is possible to put an SS style ram air induction on your V-6, but, it will only come in to play when your traveling over 100 mph. Yes under 100 miles per hour you will have more air, more power, but the "Ram effect of the intake does not take place until you are over 100 miles per hour. I did some research on this, because I thought that it would take affect the minute you move...Wrong. Physics and the way the airflow and velocity is, to get a PSI boost from Ram Air you have to be traveling in Excess of 100mph.

[BlkCamaroSS]

guess I'll have to travel above 100 mph more often now that I know that :smoker2:

[-Josh-]

Get a cold air intake.. A good one.. Whats the difference between a WS6 Trans Am and a regular trans am-- RAM AIR-- But it really doesn't do much for performance(as much as it should). Better off getting a cold air intake in my opinion

[Raceghost]

Thats the General senses, or you could get one of these...
http://www.electricsupercharger.com/.../Autoframe.htm

[Raceghost]

Im not to sure about these Electric superchargers, just put the link in there because for a v-6 to gain the 15 HP at a cost of $299.99, thats a cost of $20 a HP, to get a Supercharger kit, its like $3600.00 and you get about 150 HP, so thats like $21.00 HP, so if it actually works, then for thos who want just a moderate gain in HP then this could work. Also, the Cold air intakes give you about 10 HP at max, and ar $200-$250.00. So if you get an expensive one, its not as cost effective as getting the inline electric blower for 1 or 2 lbs of pressure. Everyone who checks this out, give some feedback on your theories, after looking at the website link.

[-Josh-]

I know of some cold air systems that can add at least 24-26 HP.

[Raceghost]

An intake that can add 24-26 HP...

Hmmm, I'd like to see where, all the research of done has shown that intakes on an average are anywhere between 5-10 Hp actuall. They say more, but when you put them on there really not that much. Could be though and I just havn't seen one of these. If you have a 300HP car and you ad an intake that give's you 10%, then yah, thats 30 HP. So its possible ona V-8 to get that much HP out of an intake, the ones for the V-6, are not even close to that amount.

[SmokinJoe280]

Question for anyone who knows. I just bought a '97 Z28 convertable. I want to put a K&N FIPK in it but I don't know if it will fit and knfilters.com won't answer their email. The kit I need says no ramair/no traction control. I don't have ram air but I do have the asr button which the traction control they are talking about...I think. So the question I'm asking is does anyone know if the K&N FIPK fit on a '97 Z28 that has this ASR button?

[Raceghost]

The switch for the traction control is located down by the cigerette lighter, under the stereo/cd player, on the left of the huge pocket, it shuts out 1st gear for the starts in the winter.

As for if the kit will fit under the engine bay, Im not sure...

I cant think why not though, except, just a theory, if the traction controll is computer controlled, then the extra HP and torque in the winter might through the computer off, and render the traction control useless.
Just a thoery now.

[SmokinJoe280]

I know where the button is. I'm just wondering if ASR is the traction control that makes this kit unavailable to me. As far as why the traction control would keep this kit from working is probably more along the lines of a traction control component being in the way of the cold air induction unit.

[SmokinJoe280]

Anyone out there installed a K&N FIPK on a 95-97 Camaro Z28 that has the ASR button on the console? If you have please let me know.