El Guapo

I have a 2K GXE base model, which means no fog lights. I was curious about possibly using the two openings in the bumper as a Ram air/CAI type setup - that is, run ducting from both openings into a Y, then into the stock air intake (where these guys have been doing their own CAI's, replacing the stock resonator)

Sound plausable? Or am I just smoking crack?

punkdork

A lot of people have mentioned this as a possibility. I say go for it!

unrealii

iTrader: (8)

If I had a setup through the fog openings, I would wet my pants everytime I go through a puddle.

2000MaximaSE

ya i might trip while going thru a puddle too or when it rains but maybe you can set up something inside the y connection to prevent water being sucked in and if you keep the stock intake on you wont have enough suction to suck up water.

punkdork

AEM makes devices up to I believe a 3" diameter that will prevent water from being sucked up. If water is a concern, you could use one of them in your setup.

UMD_MaxSE

iTrader: (1)

It would take a lot to suck up water through the tubing that way. If the tube were say immersed in water, then it could be a problem, but the tubing is bent and any would water would have to travel all the way up the tube through the scoop, through the air box, and then reach the throttle body. But still, I would place the tubing such that it doesn not have the potential to suck up anything too bad.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

There are only two ways you could suck water up through the lower air inlet (OSCAI or OSCAI/ram air). The first would be if the upper air inlet was blocked. The second would be if both the lower air inlet AND the upper air inlet were submerged. In the former case, the location of the upper air inlet makes it next to impossible to block it off.
In the latter case, if the both air inlets are submerged, so are you.

Remember guys, <b>WATER IS HEAVIER THAN AIR</b>. So long as the upper air inlet is functioning properly, the engine will draw air from that inlet REGARDLESS of what's going on with the lower air inlet.

In operation, the upper air inlet acts the same as an AEM bypass valve EXCEPT that the upper air inlet is open all the time. As a result, putting an AEM bypass valve on the lower air inlet is unnecessary.

Having said that, is there an issue with the ram air conversion? I'd say the answer is yes. The concern is what would happen if sufficient foreign material entered the lower air inlet to block the air filter? The way to prevent that would be to put some kind of screen in front of the lower air inlet.

mdeal

iTrader: (2)

Cover the openings with chicken wire.

The racers on TV have the air inlet coming through the headlight. They must have figured out how to get around the water issue. Maybe they just figure they'l rebuild the engine soon anyway....

pinakbet

a 3' fan guard to prevent foreign material from entering...

You can find this on the back of your computers. Some of you have them, some not. If not, you might find them in an IC store. Radioshack perhaps?

dunno, maybe, maybe not...
bryan

mdeal

iTrader: (2)

I saw a website which advertised a gizmo which looked like one of those computer fans which was designed to force air into your engine. Somebody here originally posted it.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

Right, mdeal. I saw some independent tests and it turns out the thing is about as effective as the Tornado Air Management System.

More important is the fact that by installing the OSCAI conversion, you're essentially setting up a dual air inlet system. Air, of course, will follow the path of least resistance. If you stick a fan in the lower inlet that's strong enough to push a sufficient volume of air through it to make a difference, all you'll do is blow most of the air right out the upper air inlet. Why? Because there's less resistance to the air flow through the upper air inlet than there is through the air filter. That may be offset somewhat by the vacuum that's created behind the air filter when the engine is under load, but I think you get my point.

[Edited by y2kse on 02-24-2001 at 09:52 AM]

pinakbet

Just the fan guard Here's a pic.

http://www2.hawaii.edu/~bryanp/MVC-031F.JPG

Whadya guys think? Better than chicken wire I think...

dunno, I don't have chickens
bp

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

That's not bad. But I think if I was going to go with a ram air system, I'd want to use something a little less coarse than a fan guard . . . something along the line of the MAF screen for example. Again, it doesn't matter if the screen gets clogged because the upper air inlet functions regardless. And you can always take the screen out and clean it. But if the air filter gets clogged, you could end up having a bad hair day. So when it comes to the possibility of sucking foreign material into the ram air inlet, I'd rather be safe than sorry.