HOMEMADE Cold Air Induction.. dimensions.... options..... how much??

[texasz]

Originally posted by sblake01

I think that's physics. I was trying to remember the third law of thermodynamics.

You're right sorry, you mentioned motion and I just keyed in on that. I don't know thermodynamics...so I can't help you there.

[panchovisa]

Zmefly,

The topic of cold air induction has been confused with FORCED/RAM air induction. In a tubo application the compressor supplies far more inlet pressure than can be achieved thru what is usually called RAM air induction in normally aspirated engines.

In NA applications RAM air induction is always cold air, BUT ---- Cold air induction is not ram air. Example: cold air from inside fender area is not ram air. Cold air from headlight IS ram air. Ram air from infront of car is colder than air around radiator/header

You have ducted your turbo inlet to a HIGHER pressure (5%?) area which supplies colder (40 deg?) air, but then the turbo increases the pressure 50%(?) over that and heats (100 deg?)the charge greatly. This is why I say cold air doesn't work on turbos (it "works", but then compressor un-does the benefit). The real benefit is to cool the peak temperature (after turbo and before combustion, not before the turbo)

Example: where is the ram air intake on turbocharged CART Indy cars???? Answer: they don't use one, and the turbo inlet doesn't even face the air stream. Where is the ram air intake on normaly aspirated IRL Indy cars cars? Answer: right on top of the fuel injection trumpets in a high pressure area.

[panchovisa]

Cont.

CAI by itself may only supply air that is 40/ 50/60 degrees cooler than engine compartment air. We know that cooler air is more dense (the number of available oxygen molecules takes up less space) which is good for us. But because oxygen doesn't even make up the majority of air, the benefit to our engines is not great (1 or 2% more oxygen?).

BUT, we haven't helped to get the more dense air into the engine! It is still trying to PULL the air/fuel into the cylinders. It is very difficult to create a vaccume, especially when it "leaks" so badly thru our carburetors! How much vaccume do you feel when you pull a vaccume line off the intake manifold??? Not much!

NOW, if we duct air from a high pressure area (RAM air) we get the benefit of denser air (more oxygen per cc) and we PUSH it into our "leaky" vaccume chamber (cylinder) at slightly greater than atmospheric pressure (which compresses the charge and allows even MORE of our dense cold oxygen into our cylinders) we can begin to see real performance gains!

Paul VanBlankenburg (sp?) wrote that GM found in the early Can-Am days that ram-air induction on full race big block Chevys added as much as 10% HP gain (depending on road speed and throttle position). That my friends is serious FREE HORSEPOWER!

[panchovisa]

cont.

Now I would like some diligent reader to think of why the intake valves are always larger than exhaust valves.

On the face of it, this doesn't make sense. How can we push more air into our engines if we don't empty out the cylinder first? How can we get hot/expanded combustion by-products out thru a smaller opening than we used to get colder/denser charge in????

While you work on that I'll work on another BIG/DENSE margarita.

[panchovisa]

OH! Zmefly,

Annecdottal (my spell gets worse as my ritas get better) evidense;

I saw PLN win his first Trans-Am in his turbo 280zx at Brainard (real horsepower track). He qualified 8th on a cool Saturday, but race day was super hot with Everglades humidity.

By the third turn he had a 20 car length lead and left all the Chevy and Ford guys for dead!

Why? Because the normaly aspirated cars were trying to build horsepower from expanded (HOT) wet ( more H2O than O2) air and the turbo didn't CARE what went INTO the turbo only that the intercooler cooled it to useable temperature before the cylinder.

[panchovisa]

Poormans supercharger,

Connect your A/C and blower to your air cleaner. GOD THIS IS A GOOD RITA!

[panchovisa]

Last Call for Alcohol!!

Bartender, I'll just have one more I promise. Hold my keys buddy.

[gema]

Wish I had some alcohol, but all I have is percoset and advil.

Freaking wisdom teeth. (Waves bye bye)

[PrOxLaMuS©]

...

so back to the original question...

Do I need a 3" pipe both ends right?

Should the filter be a bit in front of the radiator? Should I get a longer pipe and extent it to behind the headlights?

[ecp48]

PrOxLaMuS©

Yes, 3" 90 degree bend, tube. Should extend from the rubber seal at your AFM to a position in fron of radiator.

If you check on ebay, there is a guy who lists one with a K&N Filter. Look at it. The only thing to add is a couple of bolts to attach the tube to the plastic shoe, which attaches the tube to the car (slip fit in to bracket/channel on the car, presently mounting the original air filter.

The following link is for an ebay unit for 280ZX, no difference to speak of.

Just look at for the picture.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33659&item=2477076791&rd=1

Good Luck,

ecp48

[PrOxLaMuS©]

$125 ! and shipping!!

Whoo.. I can just one from MSA for that price...

[speedyblue]

In front of the radiator! Run a pipe through one of the holes next to the radiator into the afm and stick a pod out the front. Or if you want it better concealed, run a pipe out of the air box. Bit trickier, but might fool someone. The guy who owned mine just used PVC straight from the afm and stuck the pod out the front. You may hear the air sucking in more because the air box masks this sound better.