Topic: Hammers Ram CAI with OEM air box

[HAMMER DOWN]

I was looking under the hood of the of GXP. I came up with this idea to ram air right in to the air box. 
Are lower air dam set very low & pushes the coolest air up into the radiator.


The OEM air box as 2 places at the bottom that matches up at the same angle as the upper air dam. I cut out those places.



Then cut out the opening between the small side of the silencer to the air box. So air can be rammed right into the air box.
 

I used foam strips to seal the air box to the upper air dam. And pop-rivet to attach the AL vent (used as scoops) to help force the air into the air box. Without the vents rushing air over the bear holes could create a low pressure in the air box.






The finish pics.





Mike

[HAMMER DOWN]

Want out for drive. This works great, with the addition of the vents, use as scoops. I was able to maintain 22psi. It peaked at 22psi & drop to 20psi, then went  back-up to 22psi & stayed their. Without the scoops, it peaked at 20psi & drop to 17psi, then went  back-up to 20psi. Stock air box, it peaked at 21psi & drop to 18psi, then went  back-up to 20psi.

This shows me that without the scoops. Rushing air over the flat bear holes created a low pressure in the air box, robbing performance.

Now since my OEM ram air box works. I'm thinking, will I get any more performance gains with taller scoops. There not much room there with the power steering oil cooler there. Maybe another inch, & I don't want to run to lean. Look like a HPTuner is in my future for some data logging. 

The performance mods on my GXP are Hahn iC, BOV & IC hoses. GMPP "turbo kit" & K&N air filter & now Hammers Ram CAI with OEM air box. other mods are splash guards, WR wind screen & power antenna.

Mike

[HAMMER DOWN]

It was 77deg. out and starting to sprinkling out. I was able to hold 23pis. I'm on my 3 tank of fuel after my OEM CAI mod. Just wondering is it the ECU learning or because of the moist, dense air.  but holding 23pis now, look like it time to find some t-clamps. Hope to make taller scoops by the end of the mo.

[HAMMER DOWN]

Update with new hand made scoops. Still holding 23psi. It might work to good. Last week I was running in heavy rain. Must been some standing water at the base of the hill. Because I sucked up some water in the intake. Enough to cause misfire codes. Not the 1st. time running in the rain, but was the heaviest & the 1st. time I every got a code with my CAI mod. I have no problems ever sense in rain & shine.

[kennysabarese]

Wow. I'd have never expected that to happen...

[HAMMER DOWN]

That's makes two of us. 

[scanner]

Hammer Down,

How far south is Southern Tier, NY? I just returned from Honeoye Falls, NY. It was very nice there with some good roads for touring. Even a roundabout on 65 South just outside of town. 

Good caution is needed with water injestion in the air intake, too much and that means bent connecting rod.

[shabby]

Want out for drive. This works great, with the addition of the vents, use as scoops. I was able to maintain 22psi. It peaked at 22psi & drop to 20psi, then went  back-up to 22psi & stayed their. Without the scoops, it peaked at 20psi & drop to 17psi, then went  back-up to 20psi. Stock air box, it peaked at 21psi & drop to 18psi, then went  back-up to 20psi.

I wouldn't rely on boost numbers alone to gauge hp increases, logging load/airflow will give you a better idea if got any actual gains. Maybe now the ecm is needing more boost to make the same power than it did before.
Plus those lower baffles on the airbox are right below the intercooler, you're probably picking up air that was heated up by the intercooler, again some kind of datalogger would show you if your intake temps went up or down.

[HAMMER DOWN]

Hammer Down,

How far south is Southern Tier, NY? I just returned from Honeoye Falls, NY. It was very nice there with some good roads for touring. Even a roundabout on 65 South just outside of town. 

Good caution is needed with water injestion in the air intake, too much and that means bent connecting rod.

Tioga County, Spencer, NY.

The water problem happen only once with a code. I just have to take it easy going threw standing water.

[HAMMER DOWN]

I wouldn't rely on boost numbers alone to gauge hp increases, logging load/airflow will give you a better idea if got any actual gains. Maybe now the ecm is needing more boost to make the same power than it did before.
Plus those lower baffles on the airbox are right below the intercooler, you're probably picking up air that was heated up by the intercooler, again some kind of datalogger would show you if your intake temps went up or down.

I wasn't stating nothing about HP just air flow. The boost #'s let me know that I didn't hurt the air flow over stock, but improved it. Are lower air dam set very low & pushes the coolest air up into the radiator. So yes some warm air is mixed in from going threw the IC. IMO it's the coolest air without put a hole somewhere else for custom CAI.

Mike 

[Gentleman Jack]

Hammer,

What Shabby is saying is that the ECM will actually increase boost numbers if it senses it needs to to make the required power.  I think you have the GMPP tune, so that number would be 290 HP.  What Shabby is saying is it's possible (possible, not definate) that you have actually hurt performance, and as a response, the ECM is cranking up the boost pressure to achieve the 290 HP.  Thats why the suggestion (as you stated yourself) to check the actuall IAT as compared with stock (tape over the holes to test) and see if the mod has truly made a difference.

If it does, I might follow your direction and try that myself!  Seems simple enough to do and not very $$$.  Great expiriment.  Can't wait to see the results!

GJ

[kennysabarese]

Yes, you need to read the MAF sensor output in order to get a good gauge of power. I didn't get a change in PSI when I got off the resonators of the stock airbox, but I didn't have HPT at the time.

Basically it's 9.5-10.5 HP per lbs/min of MAF   my Wester's gives me about 35lbs/min  shabby has been up to 40lbs/min but he had to turn it down to protect the engine.

[HAMMER DOWN]

I log it with my scan tool (Actron CP9180), at 100% load, my MAP air flow GR/SE reads 212.08, Fuel psi was over 10,000 KPA OAT was 60F, my IAT was +/- 1F (59F to 61F) during logging.  

[HAMMER DOWN]

Hammer,

What Shabby is saying is that the ECM will actually increase boost numbers if it senses it needs to to make the required power.  I think you have the GMPP tune, so that number would be 290 HP.  What Shabby is saying is it's possible (possible, not definate) that you have actually hurt performance, and as a response, the ECM is cranking up the boost pressure to achieve the 290 HP.  Thats why the suggestion (as you stated yourself) to check the actuall IAT as compared with stock (tape over the holes to test) and see if the mod has truly made a difference.

If it does, I might follow your direction and try that myself!  Seems simple enough to do and not very $$$.  Great expiriment.  Can't wait to see the results!

The ram air inlets don't add up to the same size O.E.M. air box opening. So I didn't plug it off. So I can't see me hurt my performance. If anything the air ramming in should produce a low pressure in front of the O.E.M. air box opening & suck in max. air for the size of it's opening.

Mike

[HAMMER DOWN]

Another log with my scan tool (Actron CP9180), at 100% load, my MAP air flow GR/SE reads 224.63, Fuel psi was 14740 KPA. OAT was 91F, my IAT was 91F.

[shabby]

air flow GR/SE reads 224.63

My peak airflow with a stock gmpp tune was 240-246 grams/sec past 6000rpm in 3rd gear, while with a completely stock car was 210 grams/sec. Seems like you gained a couple degrees cooler air, a stock airbox normally sees around 5 degrees hotter air than ambient.
Not sure at what rpm you saw that airflow reading but it still seems a stock'ish reading, meaning no hp increase, you need to modify the ecm to get any gains out of this car.

[HAMMER DOWN]

That log was in 4th gear @ 4573 RPM & 23psi of boost. Maybe I need to hold 4th to red line to see if I get a higher airflow reading. Or try 3rd gear, only hit 21 psi in 3rd.   if that would make a difference. I picked 4th because it's 1:1. Like you would use in a dyno run.

Thanks for the stock #'s

Mike

[shabby]

Psi doesn't tell the whole story, with my modified gmpp tune i saw a peak of 300 grams/sec at only 20psi @ 6600 rpm. Focus more on airflow numbers rather than pressure, if you would get an exhaust/cat and an intake your psi would drop but your airflow would stay the same.

[Kelu]

HAMMER DOWN: I don't see a point to log in 4th, like on the dyno because you are not interested what happens after engine (tranny, diff, wheels) as dyno case, you check what happens on the engine I would vote to log on 3rd, from down low up to readline on WOT. I agree with shabby, I have hard time to be able to contradict him

Shabby: what is your opinion about intake with stock turbo (airbox mods or CAIs)? Because seems what HD and I did to stock airbox have no influence.

[shabby]

If you're pushing the the turbo to almost 40lbs/min anything with less restriction will help, i don't think i'd be getting the airflow numbers that im currently getting if i had some part of the exhaust or intake stock. You're trying to get the engine as efficient as it can be by removing any restriction before and after it.

[Kelu]

How many cases did you saw with LNF pushing stock turbo to 38-40lbs airflow?

[shabby]

Other than me? Probably only a handful of people running between 35-40lbs/min.
There really isn't a lot of people experimenting with the 3bar sensors, gmpp tune and hptuners.

[Gentleman Jack]

do the sensors hold back the airflow? or just make it possible to read higher numbers?  I would think the tune and the plumbing would control the airflow, the sensors are passive.  More people may be pushing that kind of air, just not able to read it due to the sensors?  Am I way off?

GJ

[2.0 tspeed]

How many cases did you saw with LNF pushing stock turbo to 38-40lbs airflow?

the cobalts

[shabby]

do the sensors hold back the airflow? or just make it possible to read higher numbers?  I would think the tune and the plumbing would control the airflow, the sensors are passive.  More people may be pushing that kind of air, just not able to read it due to the sensors?  Am I way off?

GJ

The sensors simply read pressure, its the gmpp tune that allows this increased airflow and aggressive boost control, the sensors are just needed to make the gmpp tune work correctly.

the cobalts

Definitely, there's more of them playing and experimenting than the kappa guys.