cold air or Ram air??

[mikeb89GT]

Im trying to decide on the 2. What are your preferences and what are the best manufacturers to use?Also what is the cost difference. Thanks

Mike

[7000rpmisheaven]

A cold air kit might be mounted to take the air in a place where it is not affected by the heat of the motor. Ram air uses the force of the air moving outside of the car. The idea is that if you are cruising down the road at 70 mph, you would want to direct that 70 mph movement of air directly into your intake. The pressure it causes would cause a very slight supercharger type effect. This is obviously a cold air induction also. If you have mass air rather than speed density your motor should take well to the increased airflow.

[PKRWUD]

Actually, the term "Ram Air" is grossly inaccurate. The engine rpm at any given speed creates more vacuum than the force of the incoming air. In otherwords, the air is always sucked in, not forced in. That being said, the source of the air is very important. You want air from outside of the engine compartment, as mentioned above. the real difference between most cold air kits and "ram air" kits is the path which the air follows. The straighter the path, the smoother the flow.

Take care,
-Chris

[mikeb89GT]

Ok now that I know how they work, which one is better? Ive heard some people say that ram air is only got over a certain mph and you always have the worries of debris and rain. From some of the other boards that I read alot of people prefer cold air kits over ram air.



Mike

[fiveohpatrol]

well as Chris said, the straighter the path the better. And because the Ram air kits for mustangs have a decent amount of tubing to go through, it seems that a cold air kit would be a better choice.
I have the march ram air kit (it was a gift, thats why) and its more hassel than its worth. I always scrape the scoop on steep sudden inclines and speed bumps, almost ripping it off. Also, the air box is freakin huge!.

I will be getting a anderson N/A powerpipe soon and won't be able to use the ram air anymore. I have it in the classifieds for $85 + shipping, (its $150 or more, new). shoot me an email if you're interested
my email

[joe4speed]

I have the Cervini Stormin Normin hood with the ram air attached, and though I haven't really noticed any real performance gains, I love it. I always worried about the cold-air ones because I live in Florida where it rains alot in the summer, and I'd be afraid to suck up alot of water if I ran through a deep puddle. Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

[5.0PiMpin]

i know this isnt exactly wat you guys are talkin about but i just made a fake kind of ram air for my 89 mustang and i like it. i went to home depot and spent about $35 on some 4 inch tubing and fittings and i used some screen for windows for a filter like affect. i also removed my fog light and mounted the intake in the hole. ne wayz, wat im gettin at is cant you use ram air with a cold air kit? or do you have to remove the silencer to get a cold air kit in there? also now that i have the fake ram air hooked up can i benifit more from having a larger throttle body and larger mass air or does it not make a difference with or with out the fake ram air? ne replies would be greatly appreciated. thanks

[Mr 5 0]

5.0PiMpin:

In my opinion (and based on my experience) all of the above observations are basically correct and a cold-air kit is the preferred modification to increase airflow and lower the air temp. I have one and I like it.

The sound of the air being sucked in through the low restriction filter when you floor the gas pedal is very rewarding (like an 850 cfm carb) and you pick up a few HP too. I'll take it.

I have a Moroso 'High-Flow air induction kit' designed specifically for the 5.0 engine. Easy installation and perfect fit. I've had it on my LX for two years without a problem. About $90.

Here's a link to the Moroso website with a description and photo of the kit.

http://www.moroso.com/catalog/catego...?CatCode=34002


I also have a 'power pipe' that runs from the Mass Air sensor to the TB. It's painted (black) metal that is a lot smoother than the stock rubber inlet . It's from 'Tiny Avenger Motorsports' (turbo products) in CA. $90. (I paid $70. two years ago).

Here's a link with a description and a photo:

http://www.tinyavenger.com/

I like both products and I'm satisified with the performance they offer, especially on a near-stock 5.0. The Moroso kit allows air to be brought in through a low-restriction K&N filter from the fenderwell - outside of the hot engine compartment but high up and away from water and road junk. It works. The inlet pipe smooths out the airflow to increase the cool-air effect. Probably worth 5 -8 HP, total.

Your results may vary.

[srv1]

do they actually make a difference on my stock motor? is it worth spending any money on it? i mean if i am going to get a couple of horses for a $150 or so, should i? i should put my money somewhere else, right? if they dont do much on a stocker then i am going to use it for something else.

[Dark_5.0]

I would put the money somewhere else I have the MAC cold air fender kit and I really didnt notice a change.

[Mr 5 0]

Like 'racing' plug wires, 'hot' coils, aluminum driveshafts and electric fans; cold-air ikits have some value for better performance of your engine/car but they don't add a lot of HP or real noticable performance increases. However, it all adds up - especially if you stay with stock heads and intake.

A K&N filter in the stock airbox (silencer removed, of course) is a pretty good air grabber and works well for tens of thousands of Mustang owners. I used one for ten years but wanted a bit more and was willing to pay extra to get it.

Worth the money? It was worth my money but maybe cold-air induction isn't worth yours. That's your call.

[Unit 5302]

Originally posted by 7000rpmisheaven
...If you have mass air rather than speed density your motor should take well to the increased airflow.

Why would you make this statement? Speed Density owners have enough myths and bad information out there to dispel without now having to worry about being told their cars may not work with a high flowing induction.

To get back to this topic, most of the hp increase you'll see comes from removing the silencer and adding a high flowing air filter. Same case for the CAI (cold air induction) and Ram air. I wouldn't spend $150 on ram air and worry about trashing my air filter with rocks and pebbles, or scooping up water.

[PKRWUD]

FWIW, my F-150 (4.9L / 5spd / speed density) picked up an enormous amount of power, from off idle through the entire rpm band, with the addition of a K&N FIPK. The idea of better flow/cooler air mods not benefitting a speed density vehicle has no merit. The trick is to keep things equal. When I added a cat back system to the truck, I felt an even larger increase in power, but that was largely due to the fact that the free flowing exhaust complimented the free flowing air intake. Speed density is actually pretty killer, when you take the time to understand it.

Take care,
-Chris

[chatcher]

i have the polished bbk cold air intake and as far hp i couldnt tell a diff but it sure looks nice when you open up the hood

[fiveohpatrol]

yes they do look nice, but they also retain heat, so in a way they are a hot-air intake. They are alot smoother inside than the stock inlet tube though

[Chevyguy]

Hey Joe, I like the looks of the Cervani Stormin Norman hood. We are going to get one for my dads 98 GT Rag, his hood is cracked anyways, and he got a crappy repaint job.

I was seriously thinking of getting one for my car, maybe the shorter version. My hood is tweaked in the front anyways. So..

I probably have to agree that the "ram air" effect is probably mild. Cervani claims about 20 hp at speed, I have seen similar claims for the GM kits too. At least it probably works good as cold air intake. 70 MPH cold air is better than sucking from the fenderwell, and much better than inside the engine compartment.

Hadn't considered the heat retention issue with the smoothed metal intake pipes. Maybe the rubber is better?? Anyone make injection molded ones?? I know many Impala SS owners make a kit out of PVC pipes!

[whiterod]

i actually had a homemade ram air kit on my car and it was more trouble than it was worth. after driving you could actually pop the hood and feel the filter and notice the temp difference, but also when it rained the filter was wet. i then got the moroso cold air kit and i love it, no more real dirty and wet filters. the ram air probably performed better if i had to guess, but it was always something to worry about

[DRASTiK]

Well, I've currently got the Moroso CAI, but last Friday I ordered the Cervini's kit to go with my hood. It should arrive this week. I would post any difference that I notice, but I'll be adding heads, cam, intake, injectors, TB/EGR, and AFPR at the same time, so I doubt I'll be able to tell which one's better as far as air induction. Hopefully the "Ram Air" won't be a waste of money.
I think the main reason I ordered the ram air kit is because my car had this hood on it when I bought it, and I personally can't stand hood scoops on cars that don't function. I guess it just kinda seems "fake" to me to have the ram air hood without the ram air. One of my pet peeves I guess.
Dave

[Chevyguy]

Dave maybe you could run a with and without test on the track after all your mods. Assuming you could disconnect the Cervani Ram air kit for a pass or two, and run with a regular filter??

[DRASTiK]

I don't see why not. I will only be able to see the difference in the Moroso CAI and the Cervini kit. I won't be able to compare with a stock air intake setup because you have to modify the stock air box (which I don't have yet) for the Cervini Kit. By the way, if anybody has the factory airbox laying around, let me know, because I'm looking for one!!!! My car had the Moroso on it when I bought it.
Dave