true Cowl Induction (fabrication) question

[RAM MAN]

Got this posted in the RAM chat room as well, but thought I would ask here for another slant.

Here is my project:



Its a 98 RAM with a Race Truck Trends front bumper and a cowl induction hood .(this is the mock up picture...but the parts are in the mail !) . . what I'm hoping to do is make the cowl induction actually functional !


If I can borrow a picture . . .



Seems it's a real problem hooking up a functional cowl induction air intake to a cowl induction hood.

Yeah, I know I could just put the Xtreme air cleaner on it . .



but I was going for the hole nine yards . . .

as you can see in the pic, there is just not much room . . .

our Throttle bodies are so far back underneath the windshield - cowl / firewall kinda area, that not much sticks out . . .

guess thats why nobody makes one . . .



I talked for a while with the guy that runs www.ramairbox.com and here is his thoughts on true cowl induction:

Cowl induction is practically impossible on the Dodge Ram Truck because of the location of the TBI in relations to the cowl, besides Cowl induction is more a myth than reality, in most cases it is ineffective. RAM AIR is 5 to 7 times better.

while I realize the guy is in business to sell RAM AIR boxes, I think he may have a point.

I see why.

For me to try and run a traditional ram air box would not be practical, because (IMO) by the time you run the hoses up and around and back to the top of the cowl induction, you would loose the ram air effect somewhat, because of all the curves the air would have to travel.

the old racers trick with carbs and adding a sub stack kinda thing seems also to be out of the question. Again because of the placement of the TB.



The next thing to do (I guess) is to try and weld on a piece that came off the front of the pie pan



that actually would have to come up then go back at an angle, then surround it with some kind of thick foam tape so it would seal (somewhat.)

The idea is that the cowl induction would remain attached to the air cleaner lid, so when you opened the hood, - well, you get the picture.

Then I toyed with the idea of either keeping the K&N drop in the stock box kinda filter and having the home made air induction flow right in to that - OR

Going hog wild and make the same kinda plastic bowl looking attachment that comes on a K&N Gen II and bending a pipe with the GEN II air filter on the end that would end up pointing right at the cowl induction opening.

I'm open to suggestions here - we got a smart group of guys and I'm willing to be the guinea pig.

Have I missed something ? Anyone have a cowl induction hood on another vehicle that could offer some suggestions ???

by the way, is the does the RAM AIR box use a 14" top pie pan ?

[road chicken]

Hey RAM MAN,

as you know I picked up the ramair hood from Harwood, and have been struggling with that same ?. True the TB is set back, but impossible. No, were just gonna have to get crafty. I know I'm gonna burn some cardboard mocking up the airbox and tubing. But here's where i'm going with it so far.
I was going to get another air cleaner box. Cut the tube off to the TB right where it come out of the air filter box. Turn it upside down, and attach it to the tube going to the tb,( cut off at the same point) It will look like a very slight "S". That should give me a Flat point to mount an air cleaner/pan,( like on the 71 air grabber) too. Now the trick is going to be the height of this thing. But it should be able to seal to the air box,( which will be attached to the hood), with foam. The only thing I haven't worked out yet,( you should have to worry about it with your hood), is draining the water away from the air cleaner.
Now I haven't figure out lengths and height yet. I'm sure there will be a few snafu's along the way. But it is doable. It's just nobody's done it yet. I'm not sure which air filter I'm going to use yet either. If I can use the cone style I may just do that.But for the traditional style your looking at, this is what I was thinking.

[Mach Manny]

crowl induction is effective mainly in 2 ways. it creates a vacuum effect that sucks hot air out of the engine compartment which will help cool like the intake manifold, heads, exhuast, ... so the air flowing into the motor will be a little cooler. also, the vacuum sucks cooler air into the engine compartment to replace the hot air, which is where the induction in crowl comes in.

i think in your case, you should run some type of 'ram' air with those tubes for the cool air effect, and then use the crowl for venting and looks. it'll be a lot easier to run tubes and such to your grille, instead of messing under the crowl. also, you have a fuel injected motor, which runs better on cool air, which means denser oxygen and better fuel atomization, and a more efficient combustion in the chambers.