"cold air" intake... What type of IAT Temps are you seeing?

[chevy72blu]

My truck has a '98 F Body LS1 (stock) and a short ram style intake with a conical filter. The intake is just about the upper radiator hose, behind the radiator. Certainly not the best location, but I figured it was no big deal.

Playing with my Torque Pro app (OBD2 bluetooth reader) I routinely see IAT at around 125* (about 50 degrees over ambient) while cruising and higher temps in stop and go. In the summer its well over 100* here, which will push the IAT to 150+. How much power am I really losing here? A "cold air intake" always struck me as a feel good modification (especially when replacing an engineered OEM air box on newer vehicles), but the high temps give me pause.

It would be pretty easy to use a flex coupler - extend the ram and drop the intake nearer to the driver side head light, but something tells me it wont make any noticable difference.

What types of setups are you running and what temps are you seeing? Any dyno or objective numbers?

[racecougar]

50 degrees-F above ambient on a stock LS1 is worth ~15 bhp. Ditch the hot-air intake.

[68c10airstream]

Along the lines of your so-called cold air intake a friend installed a so-called cold air intake on his duramax diesel and he said it was noticeably slower under load in hot summer temps. I found a stock layout duramax and found that they pull air from the inner fender for cool air but more importantly it being shielded from water intrusion (would destroy a diesel engine from hydraulic lock). His so-called cold air intake pulled under hood hot air into one of those crappy open element window screen oiled air filter. I bet the small debris his duramax engine is chewing on doesn't help longevity much!!

I have since looked at many aftermarket so-called cold air intake systems and hence my ls 68c10 doesn't breath through one of them.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by 68c10airstream

Along the lines of your so-called cold air intake a friend installed a so-called cold air intake on his duramax diesel and he said it was noticeably slower under load in hot summer temps. I found a stock layout duramax and found that they pull air from the inner fender for cool air but more importantly it being shielded from water intrusion (would destroy a diesel engine from hydraulic lock). His so-called cold air intake pulled under hood hot air into one of those crappy open element window screen oiled air filter. I bet the small debris his duramax engine is chewing on doesn't help longevity much!!

I have since looked at many aftermarket so-called cold air intake systems and hence my ls 68c10 doesn't breath through one of them.

I came back from the GM Desert Proving Ground to design that air induction system for the GMT800 models. It is still in use.

I'm not a fan of the aftermarket systems.


K

[chevy72blu]

Here a picture of the current set up

[BR3W CITY]

Short rams aren't "cold air" intakes at all, but its become a catchall term for any aftermarket tube intake.

An actual cold air intake (which is a coined term) is run away from all sources of heat and places the intake filter in a sealed off area, usually outside of the engine bay, to intake cold/fresh air. These are usually in wheel wells, tucked behind valances or aero, or even on the outside of the vehicle itself (ie. a Jeep snorkel).

for a short ram or any intake within the engine bay, its best to at least segregate the filter from the engine bay, and have a source of outside air. Luckily, I can use this time to shamelessly post a video of myself considering this same problem.

You Tube

[aruss99]

Granted I live in oregon, but my IAT temps are around 15 degrees above ambient temperature and then rise to around 25 degrees above ambient temperature in traffic. My intake runs to the passenger side headlight area.

[Liltroy]

my intake temps were getting high as well so I built a cold air box and made this video series on it.enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...9NBCu4KtYSxYKR

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I came back from the GM Desert Proving Ground to design that air induction system for the GMT800 models. It is still in use.

I'm not a fan of the aftermarket systems.


K

So what do we do to adapt these old trucks to the LS intake and not have the hot engine air temps for intake air?

[68c10airstream]

I switched the battery to the other side, k+n intake (tube only) and the stock 2001 silverado air box with a dry AEM air filter. When i get a break from my house from hell i will put a hole through the radiator core support and make a air intake tube to go out to the grill opening and seal off the stock air box opening that went to the passenger side inner fender.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

So what do we do to adapt these old trucks to the LS intake and not have the hot engine air temps for intake air?

You've got to get to where the cool air is: either building a dam as was suggested here or getting out in front of the radiator support.

The good news is the benefits of the cooler air offset the increase in flow restriction for any ducting that you have to add.

K