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Joined: 8/7/2003 From: United States Status: offline
cold air or ram air? I've heard cold air was better. Can someone explain to me how cold air works, cause I have been looking at some and they all seem to say 7-10 more horse power. I currently have ram air. . .and how does cold air install?
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Joined: 3/31/2003 From: United States Status: offline
Cold air is like a ram air but it sucks air from outside the engine bay. More oxygen per cubic inch the colder it gets, which requires more fuel to keep from going lean which means more power (and more economy holding all other things equal).
its pretty much black and white, find a K&N cone filter that will fit on the inside of 3 inch piping, i have one if you want it but its in really bad shape and it could use a cleaning but it still filters and works fine and everything, that one would work if you want it. but other than that just route the PVC (i suggest 3 inch cellular core PVC, its 3 inches around and its about 1/4 inch thick, works pretty good and doesnt cost that much) and just go to the hardware store and find joins and bends and stuff that will fit on the 3 inch piping and route it down near the bottom of the engine bay as far as you can to get air from outside. anyone else want to add anything?
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Joined: 9/2/2003 From: United States Status: offline
cold air = ram air pretty much as far as performance, ram air is a good idea but is pretty ineffective. For cost reasons go with cold air. If you wanna make it yourself here is just one of many guides to do so:
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Joined: 10/9/2003 From: United States Status: offline
Ram air to my knowledge unless its changed in the last 10 yrs comes from under the front air dam...this would seem like more of a hp gain as your drawing air in as the car is moving, as Cold air is taking air from the fenderwall which has less air moving per sq inch. The one draw back to Ram air is if you live in a climate where it's wet alot, you could get water up in the tubing which would be sucked into your intake....Performance is Ram air, more security would be with the CAI.
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Joined: 9/23/2003 From: United States Status: offline
i went to the track on sunday and alot of people had there passenger side side marker lights out on there foxbodys with an intake there thats pretty cool...
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Joined: 9/24/2003 From: United States Status: offline
Well they both have their advantages and disadvantages, it depends when and what you are gonn use it for. Like he said Ram Air is better for performance because you "pack" in a whole bunch of cool air molecules into one cubic inch because it is pushed or forced in to the induction more tha CAI. The only drawback for Ram is that if not well filtered you can get water in there like he said, so you just dont drive it in the rain. I suggest ram air if your not going to drive in "wet climate" but go with CAI if you are, but this is not as effective cuz it just scavanges cooler air instead of it actually getting forced in.
Ram air seems to be mostly popular on the trans ams because of the WS6 version but i think it's cool to see Ram air on the mustangs. I know ram air is effective because my friend bought a 98 trans am with ram air and it gives between 10-15hp more than without.
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Joined: 11/24/2003 From: United States Status: offline
Definately go with ram air. If you think about it, cold air only takes air from your engine bay and makes a less restrictive and more direct flow. Ram air gives it even more direct flow, and restrics it even less. You are taking cold air from the surface of your hood (or wherever you mount it) and that air is pretty cold. Just like sticking your hand out the window, it gets cold. Ram air maybe more work, but you are getting more performance and bad ass styling
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Joined: 1/24/2004 From: United States Status: offline
if u buy some ducting you can make ram cold air ur self. get some air vent ducting and just run it from the inside of ur engine attached to ur existing filter make sure the pipe goes over it then just run the ducting down to the front air damn and there u go ram cold air!!
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Joined: 9/16/2003 From: United States Status: offline
Anyone have problems with throttle response after putting in a CAI? Like lagging throttle and engine revs when you press the gas? What's the deal. I'm switching from my enging bay cone to Cold air this spring and don't want to incur any problems, I'm also going to 75mm MAF and 65mm TB.
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Joined: 11/17/2003 From: Chad Status: offline
The only time ram air is effective is if you are doin 80+ miles per hr....The first half of the race and your cold air does just as much.....ram air is over rated.....the amount of air the engine consumes you have to be goin damn fast before you actually start to build pressure.,.
Team MF Member #420 Posts: 14536
Joined: 7/24/2003 Status: offline
[QUOTE=gorbs88]The only time ram air is effective is if you are doin 80+ miles per hr....The first half of the race and your cold air does just as much.....ram air is over rated.....the amount of air the engine consumes you have to be goin damn fast before you actually start to build pressure.,.[/QUOTE]
60MPH+, extremely effective if you are looking for that extra tenth or two.
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whats better? cold vs. ram - 
