Kenne-bell/ ATR Ram Air Limitations?

[1986 Buick GX1]

I was searching for 1/4 mi. time/ HP limits of the old popular Ram Air systems.
There was talk of of them being restrictive, but no mention at what point.

I like the looks of the enclosed air filter and bought the KB ram air kit and the one piece air dam w/ intercooler scoop in 1989.
It connected to the stock maf sensor and used a 9” long 3” I.d. filter.
While updating things I went with the 85mm Z06 maf sensor, 3.5” maf pipe and an AEM dryflow 9” long 4” I.d. filter.

I’m wondering at what point I will have to start worrying about restriction.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

I’m wondering at what point I will have to start worrying about restriction.

Time to whip out your friendly calculator app on your fone....

How to Match Air Filter Size to Your Engine

When it comes to sizing filter elements, bigger is always better. If you can squeeze a 14-inch diameter air cleaner base on your carbureted or throttle body EFI engine combination, …

www.onallcylinders.com

 

[WE2Regal]

I tried those kits "back in the day". The factory air filter canisters were very restrictive and those kits improved 1/4 mile times over the factory system. But then I tried just using a K&N cone filter alone on the MAF and that showed better times without all the other ram air pieces. I good friend of mine had the Kenne Bell system. He ended up making swiss cheese out of the canister with a hole saw and left the ram air hooked up and it ran faster that way.

 

[V6sleeper]

The shortest pipe and longest filter (9") is always best for spool up, even pulling engine bay heat, the air is being compressed/heated anyway from the turbo, back in the day we use to remove the one headlight so cold air would ram right on the filter but thats too crude looking nowadays lol

 

[Grumpy]

Yup... keep it simple !

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

Time to whip out your friendly calculator app on your fone....

How to Match Air Filter Size to Your Engine

When it comes to sizing filter elements, bigger is always better. If you can squeeze a 14-inch diameter air cleaner base on your carbureted or throttle body EFI engine combination, …

www.onallcylinders.com

Thank you.
It looks like the filter (900 cfm) will support enough air for 25 psi boost and to run 30 psi I would need a filter at least 1,020 cfm.

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

I tried those kits "back in the day". The factory air filter canisters were very restrictive and those kits improved 1/4 mile times over the factory system. But then I tried just using a K&N cone filter alone on the MAF and that showed better times without all the other ram air pieces. I good friend of mine had the Kenne Bell system. He ended up making swiss cheese out of the canister with a hole saw and left the ram air hooked up and it ran faster that way.

Good info.
Do you recall if this was at the 12.50, 12.0 or 11.50 range? My guess would be the 12.0- 11.50 range, but that’s just a guess based on the 900 cfm number.

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

The shortest pipe and longest filter (9") is always best for spool up, even pulling engine bay heat, the air is being compressed/heated anyway from the turbo, back in the day we use to remove the one headlight so cold air would ram right on the filter but thats too crude looking nowadays lol

Yeah, I will have to give up on it some day and go with a bigger filter.

 

[WE2Regal]

Good info.
Do you recall if this was at the 12.50, 12.0 or 11.50 range? My guess would be the 12.0- 11.50 range, but that’s just a guess based on the 900 cfm number.

That was a very long, long time ago. I'd say our cars were running mid to low 12's. My friend always refused to remove his modified Kenne Bell kit and eventually used it to run consistent mid 11's with a tiny TE34 turbo and blue top injectors.

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

That was a very long, long time ago. I'd say our cars were running mid to low 12's. My friend always refused to remove his modified Kenne Bell kit and eventually used it to run consistent mid 11's with a tiny TE34 turbo and blue top injectors.

lol, some of us are stubborn old buggers.

 

[Buckshot G/N]

lol, some of us are stubborn old buggers.

Nothing wrong with being an Old bugger, I've seen a lot in my seventy years. Keep your tentacles active and keep bugging. K/B was a blessing back in the day.

 

[TType85]

I know we picked up at least 2mph when we took the canister off the kenne bell setup we had when the car was running high 11's; we went from 117 to 119mph. We did have the hose still going from the air-dam to where the filter box was so we may have been getting some "cold air".

 

[Clark6]

back in the day we use to remove the one headlight so cold air would ram right on the filter but thats too crude looking nowadays lol

I Improvised but mine still looks like this lol..(never mind the dirt!)

 

[Chuck Leeper]

A couple of observations...
We did some chassis dyno testing on a cold air system with the convoluted piping.
Not on a TR, and with a s/d tune.
Results were 10 RWHP improvement with only a smooth pipe/no filter.
First the filter was removed. 4+ better.
Convoluted tube replaced w/ smooth alum tube. +6.
Laminar vs turbulent flow studies all over the web.
The KB tube deal: Look at the "dirty spot" on the filter element. That's where the most air is going in.
Other improvements, such as the fit at the tube and hose connections, etc.
It all adds up.

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

A couple of observations...
We did some chassis dyno testing on a cold air system with the convoluted piping.
Not on a TR, and with a s/d tune.
Results were 10 RWHP improvement with only a smooth pipe/no filter.
First the filter was removed. 4+ better.
Convoluted tube replaced w/ smooth alum tube. +6.
Laminar vs turbulent flow studies all over the web.
The KB tube deal: Look at the "dirty spot" on the filter element. That's where the most air is going in.
Other improvements, such as the fit at the tube and hose connections, etc.
It all adds up.

It makes sense that smooth tubing would be less turbulent and straighten out the air before going into the throttle body or the maf sensor.
I have a feeling I’ll be going with Marks original Big Mouth kit in the future.

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

I Improvised but mine still looks like this lol..(never mind the dirt!)View attachment 400354

Like Grumpy said, simple and effective.
Whose maf pipe is that? It looks like it fits very well.

 

[Clark6]

4" from Full Throttle Years ago with a LS1 sensor.

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

It looks like I quit searching too soon.
I found where Grumpy said 13 flat and the last post here says 11.40.
If Grumpy gained .2/ 2 mph by taking the canister off, I wonder what this guy would have gained?

Kenne Bell ram air

Anybody have pics or parts for sale for the kenne bell air dam ram air system? thanks

turbobuick.com

 

[Grumpy]

13 flat was in Englishtown in the 80's. Car was stuck there. Honest Fred Vetter said to just take off the cannister. Next run was a 12.7. Can't get any more back to back than that. So what works . The air cleaner in a hot engine compartment

 

[GNVenom]

What a minor bend in a pipe can cause: https://youtu.be/x-6JSvVn2ns