Fast Toys LS1 Ram Air System
Fast Toys is pleased to introduce our V6/LS1 Ram Air System for 1998 to 2002 Camaro's and Firebirds. Our exciting system
completely seals the factory air box and forces in cold, fresh air from underneath the vehicle. This cold air produces more horsepower
and can produce a mild supercharging effect at higher speeds. In addition, customers have been experiencing 5-10 % better fuel economy! This
savings alone could pay for the kit very quicky.
Updated for 2002!
New Improved Ram Air Plate!
- High average intake velocity
- More uniform air flow
- Retrofit kits for older versions available
GM designed the lower air deflector on these cars to channel air through the radiator. Our ram air system intercepts part of this air flow and
redirects into the sealed air box. The faster you go, the more power the system makes! You will also experience snappier throttle response and more power
on the roll.
How Does Ram Air Make HP?
This is a question we hear a lot. The answer is really quite simple and founded in science. A motor
is really an air pump. The idea is to get as much air in and out as quickly as possible. However, stock
motors actually do not take in as much air as their displacement indicates. This air comes into the motor
under vacuum and is assisted by the weight of the atmosphere pressing down (barometric pressure). This process is not very efficient.
This ratio of actual air entering the motor versus the actual displacment of the motor is called volumetric efficiency V.E.
A typical stock fuel injected motor is rated at about 85 % V.E. This means that out of the 346 cubic inches of air
your motor could theoretically take in, only 85 % of that volume enters the cylinders. This translates to about 294 cubic inches of air.
Some all out race motors can reach 100 % VE and supercharged or turbocharged motors actually exceed 100 % by forcing the air into the motor.
Not everyone can afford a supercharger but there is definately room for improvement for the stock motor if you make it easier for it to get air
into the motor for combustion. This is what ram air does.
As speed increases, the air entering through the sealed ram air kit actually becomes pressurized. This positive pressure
helps to fill the cylinders more efficiency and raises the VE of the motor. As the VE increases, the motor becomes
more efficient and produces more HP and also gives you better fuel economy. You will also find your throttle response dramatically improved. The motor
is working less hard to fill the cylinder and is greatly assisted by the high pressure air. The faster your go, the greater the pressurization effect. This
is similar to a mild supercharging effect.
The second benefit of a ram air system is that is supplies the engine with colder air than what it would normally breathe. Colder is more dense
and contains more oxygen for the combustion process. For every 10 degree drop in intake air temperature, you can expect 1 % more HP. The ram air kit supplies
cold air from the bottom of the car which is forced into the sealed air box. Unlike the stock system, the ram air kit does not let the motor breathe superheated air from
the engine bay. Additionally, the computer detects this colder air and adds additional ignition timing. This makes more HP!
To maximize the efficiency of the ram air system, it is highly recommended that you install a high flowing aftermarket induction lid in conjuction with the kit. The factory induction lid
is restrictive and will cut down on air flow. We recommend the Direct Flow induction lid which is available in a package or seperately.
Will My Car Run Hotter?
Because the lower ram air plate does block a portion of airflow going to the radiator, your car will run a little
hotter in stock and go traffic (10-15 F). However, we have done extensive testing on the kit and have not experienced any overheating
problems even in warm climates like Hawaii, Florida and California. Highway driving is not affected. In the rare event that outside temperature gets so
hot that cooling performance is drastically impacted, the lower portion of the kit can be easily removed in less
than 5 minutes, leaving the kit installed and functioning as a cold air intake system. Once the temperatures come back to normal, you can
just re-install the ram air plate.
You can improve cooling with the installation of an aftermarket fan switch or with aftermarket computer programming which will turn
the factory fans on sooner. A 160 thermostat is also beneficial.
Can I Install The FTRA On My Ram Factory Ram Air Equipped Car?
YES!! The factory ram air systems are very inefficient and in no way sealed to the intake box. The system also contains numerous baffles and water drain holes.
This means that there is no way that the factory system can ever achieve a ram air effect. At best, the hood may provide some cooler air to the motor. When installing the FTRA,
the front seal we provide with the kit will seal up your factory lower airbox so that the only air entering the motor is through
the ram air kit. The factory hood scoop will not be plugged up in any way and will still provide cool air into the engine bay. Please note that
WS6 cars have a slightly taller lower air box. You will have to supplement the front seal we provide in the kit with some tape or foam weather
stripping (not included). SS and Firehawk models use the same lower air box assembly as the other V8 models.
Should I Be Worried About Driving In The Rain?
The Fast Toys ram air kit does draw air from under the vehicle. This does increase the chance that you could get water into your airbox. However, the opening of the lower duct sits halfway up
the a/c condenser and below that is completely open. The duct work itself also goes vertical for another foot allowing gravity
to do it's job and discard spashed water and debris. As such, most customers generally choose to drive with the ram air kit functioning in the rain, snow etc. The biggest concern
would be if you were to hit a very deep puddle at very high speed. This could force a sufficient quantity of water into the airbox which may enter the motor. To alleviate
this concern, we do include a block off plate with the kit to disable the ram air kit. We recommend you use this block off plate
when necessary to prevent possible damage to your motor. The block off plate can be installed in a few minutes and prevents
water from coming up through the duct work.
$ 169.99
Installation Instructions
Click here for customer evaluations of the ram air kit
sales@fasttoys.net
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