Thread: Air flow
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Old 01-14-2021, 11:07 AM
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Formulajones Formulajones is offline
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Originally Posted by prostreet64 View Post
We are currently using the ram air box on both cars. The Bird has the 14x4 box and my T/A has the 14x3 box. I don't have enough clearance for the 4" with the RPM intake. And we have to use a drop base also. But the real advantage, I think, to using the ram air box is it allows us to run the 4" duct into an area of cooler air. On the Bird we actually were able to cut two 4" holes in the core support and attach the duct right to the grill inserts. Some have said that there is a slight 'ram air' effect when speeds reach 100 mph or so.
Yes that works exceptionally well. My Formula with it's factory ram air ranks up there as one of the better working factory cold air packages, and your theory of ramming air in does happen with a good intake system that is front and center. Those aftermarket ram air boxes work fantastic.

I had problems with mine, at any speeds above about 80 mph, blowing out the little filter element for the crank case that sits in it's plastic housing. Every pass at the track I'd pull the air cleaner lid and it would be sitting at the very back of the air cleaner housing. It would stay all day under normal driving conditions but as soon as I hit higher speeds, either on the highway or the track that thing would be at the back of the air cleaner every time. I ended up wrapping a little chicken wire around it to keep it in place. The air coming in that fresh air setup apparently is pretty strong at higher speeds. I don't have that issue with the other cold air packages on the 2 cars that use the cowl plenum area.

I've tried all kinds of different open element setups on my Formula, with the scoops open (just dumping in the engine compartment) and the scoops blocked. It's never been able to duplicate it's best times with any configuration other than having that factory ram air setup in place, it just flat works!! What I thought was odd, and why I tried other open elements on it, is that the factory fresh air base and lid is so shallow, it only takes a very short 1 3/4" or 2" filter, and the lid is literally right on top of the carb just 1/4" away from the choke horn. I thought for sure that shallow base with it's short filter would choke it, but larger drop base open elements proved to be worse. Just shows how getting fresh outside air to the engine can be worth while I guess.

It's why I suggested early on that Mchell may find even better results if he bought the factory air cleaner setup and made his hood functional, it's basically the same setup my Formula uses, and his scoops are front and center like my Formula, which is said to be one of the most effective hoods for grabbing outside air.
If it were mine, I'd even go as far as porting the stock iron intake and performing the mods that has been done for decades by many, so that I could fit the factory ram air setup on the car. I'd like to see that comparison. My money says that there would be some gains there.

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Last edited by Formulajones; 01-14-2021 at 11:30 AM.