Ram Air versus CAI
04-06-2010, 09:48 AM
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Ram Air versus CAI
Which would prove to give better results...a ram air set up or a CAI?
Lets say I have a ram air hood on my car where cooler outside air gets sucked into the engine bay and hits a short ram intake with the air filter directly in the path of where the air enters through the hood ducts.
How would that perform versus your regular run of the mill AEM or Injen CAI where the filter just sits down in the fender well?
Lets say I have a ram air hood on my car where cooler outside air gets sucked into the engine bay and hits a short ram intake with the air filter directly in the path of where the air enters through the hood ducts.
How would that perform versus your regular run of the mill AEM or Injen CAI where the filter just sits down in the fender well?
04-06-2010, 01:57 PM
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Well, it comes down to two things:
Restriction
Temperature of the air
A ram air setup will generally make slightly more power because the air is of a similar temperature to the air drawn in by a CAI, but the restriction is generally less because of the shorter piping and the slight amount of air pressure generated while driving. Note that it is a VERY slight amount of additional pressure on a typical car, just enough to help negate the restrictive nature of your filter.
If the system isn't somewhat sealed then the only ram air benefit you'll get is lower temperatures than a short ram intake under the hood.
Restriction
Temperature of the air
A ram air setup will generally make slightly more power because the air is of a similar temperature to the air drawn in by a CAI, but the restriction is generally less because of the shorter piping and the slight amount of air pressure generated while driving. Note that it is a VERY slight amount of additional pressure on a typical car, just enough to help negate the restrictive nature of your filter.
If the system isn't somewhat sealed then the only ram air benefit you'll get is lower temperatures than a short ram intake under the hood.