I'm far from being knowledgable about the newer cars w/all the computerized controls they have today. The CAI systems are simple and straight forward in theory, just find the simplest method to find cooler air and a filter that allows car to breath more air. If you develop/build a system that would funnel cooler air at a higher velocity with an air filter at some point in between would more H.P. be created than a CAI system will? Would this higher velocity air cause the engine/computer any problems w/o some adjustments having to being made?
An example is what Miata owners have done, cut a hole in the fire wall that would catch the air coming down the windshield and routing it to engine with tubing that can handle the heat of engine comaprtment. Of course there is an air filter between. I kind of think my poor explanation, gets the general idea of what I'm trying to explain and ask. Any thought on this? Thanks!
Yes that is the best way to get cooler air into the car and make extra H.P.
The problem lies within keeping the rain water out! If you had a setup that could be switched from ram air to "normal" intake for when it rained out then you would be all set..
Very good point. I imagine the people that have made those mods to there Miatas, race them and they are not their daily drivers. I wonder what happened with the muscle cars of the late 60's, early 70's that had ram air (hood scoops when it rained)? Just brain storming. Thanks!
THere actually is a system out there. The Volant intake alreeady seals off to the hood and there is another companie that maked a fiberglass hood that mates up to the volant. Don't know if it was made for that perpouse of its a coinsidence. You would still have the rain issue tho.
And as for the Miata it sounds like they made a Cowl Induction. I would like a Cowl induction setup but no one has done it for the Focus as far as I know. Besides figuring out the piping all they would have to do is reverse the lines and indent on the stock hood. As you know a cowl induction hood sits a bit higher so part of the hood can overlap the cowl, and of course still open.
Also the Pipercross Viper..they make a Venom and several others through McNews....Pricey but nice. I just purchased one for my SVTF...it is carbon fiber...I'm currently running the hose to the front top portion of the hood...planning on moving it down low to suck in the cold air...this unit also retains the breather hose...the nice thing is the hose is flexible and so it can be moved from summer to winter if your worried about getting water in it...I'll post some pics of how it is installed in my car later.
Last edited on Wed May 11th, 2005 02:31 pm by Blurry
____________________ 02 SVT Focus, CD Silver, No. 2032.
Cool looking unit, this is more like what I was asking about. I wonder if a larger air catching unit could be adapted for air to be funneled into system(may not need it though). What did the price break down into dollars. I'll check it out with a currency converter. Thanks for the input.
Here is what the Pipercross looks like installed....As I mentioned, I like it because in winter, you can install it up high so no snow or water gets sucked up (like in the photo) and then in summer, you can attach it to the radiator bracket down low to suck in cold air....
I repositioned it today so it sucks in cold air...it now is located behind the bumper mesh...
Last edited on Sat May 14th, 2005 11:00 pm by Blurry
____________________ 02 SVT Focus, CD Silver, No. 2032.
There's far too many bends, plus it's ribbed inside. You lose so much air velocity in ribbed sections (like the one in the stock intake tube). You lose even more in tight bends.
The ultimate Ram Air inake would be a small scoop on the front of the fender, feeding a short, slightly curved tube through the fender, behind the battery directly to the MAF. You'd need the stock flex tube (or break something) but it'd ram sweet cold air right through into the engine (at speeds above 65MPH the effect might be noticable).
For filtration I'd reccomend a cone filter inside the scoop, connected to the tube. Small holes drilled in the bottom of the scoop would keep water out.
____________________ Project FocusFast
'06 ZX3- Intake, exhaust, mount
'01 ZX3- Salvaged, SOLD
'01 ZX3- Repo'd several years ago
'80 RX7 SA- Where the f*** did THAT come from?
been there and done that. you use the charge tube from an escort RS or festiva RS. its flatened so it fits between the engine and hood. then I fabbed up a fiberglass box with a cylander filter and ran it to a hood scoop just over the header. wrapped the header in heat wrap and put more insulation into the box. results were pretty weak. pulls good cold air, air velocity suffers like a short ram because of the tube length, and because of the aerodynamics of the car, you never see any ram air effect.
I was able to get the same effect from using a short intake and leaving the hood scoop open to vent heat out of the bay.
I don't know...I know other then that one real bend which looks worse then it is, it seems to work pretty well...I like it a lot more then the FS CoolFlo.
____________________ 02 SVT Focus, CD Silver, No. 2032.
The way I was talking about would have a similar effect I think. Mine just required a hole in the DS fender with a scoop on it and a filter in it. Similar but not the same. More airflow because of aerodynamics.
When I do my intake on this one, I plan on just having a small scoop on my hood above the filter (I was thinking the "Mini Cobra-Jet style"- avail from JC whitney) and having the cold air from outside the engine bay being shoved down onto my cone filter from the scoop.
Simple, effective. Not Ram air, but essentially a cold-air short-ram.
____________________ Project FocusFast
'06 ZX3- Intake, exhaust, mount
'01 ZX3- Salvaged, SOLD
'01 ZX3- Repo'd several years ago
'80 RX7 SA- Where the f*** did THAT come from?
So here's my idea. I'm a bit of a do it yourselfer and see no harm in fabbing my own parts out of sayyyy, black pvc piping. So some of you might think i'm nuts. My plan is to make my short ram out of black pvc, and use rubber connector hoses between the parts. it's amooth pipe and makes smooth connections and smooth transitions in the curves. Right now i just slapped the cone filter on the end of my air intake and removed the old airbox. Seems to work well so far. Aaaaanyway i was toying with the idea of turning my cone filter into an inline filter of sorts by attaching another peice of pvc and running that straight UP through the hood. attaching a hood scoop, i'll probably just fab one out of an old door skin i have lying around. and have myself a good ol genuine ram air! Anyone following me? Maybe i've got a screw loose but the guys at the shop all think it seems to make sense. My only problem is that I live in Canada, I have tons of inclimate weather here. not like Cali or texas where you rarely see rain Let alone snow. Does anyone have any good design ideas for a baffle inside the hood scoop or elsewhere that i can avoid getting any water in my intake system? Any ideas or suggestions would be grrrrreat! p.s. anyone needs any help with removing body panels i have access to ford focus tech workbooks and teardown sheets.
