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General Forums => The Mess Hall => Topic started by: quicksand on July 21, 2011, 08:38:12 PM
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You know maybe just like you I am always trying new things as far as power on our trusty LiL 4 Bangers. Seeking better torque, power or mpg. I currently run homemade cold air with factory box and K&N, bigger insulated air tube, 4.0L TB with flat top, custom TBS, bored out intake manifold, accel 42,000 volt coil, accel 8mm wires, NGKs gapped at a mild .039, magnaflow catback. My little rig scoots pretty good on take off, plenty torque, holds highway speeds of 75mph. I recenty removed my factory air box and filter and installed a AEM cone filter. After some testing and driving around town found that off the line she was smooth and real quick but I noticed it had lost some torque. I found myself pushing the pedal further down in order to get up to higher speeds. While entering highway she would take off like a bat out of _ _ _ _ . But had to push pedal hard to hit 55 mph, and it would take forever to hit 70 mph. One of the worst things was if I hit a headwind or upgrade she would just slow way down as no pedal was left to push. No torque or umph at all. I was barely doing 55 mph and in the slow lane worried I would get run over. And let me tell you my gas gauge was going down fast. My gas tank was full when I started and when I looked it read 50 miles at half a tank. I only run 31s with a 2in BB. It felt as if all my mods under the hood did not exist. So end of the day I removed the AEM cold filter and reinstalled my factory air box with its flat panel K&N. All my mods came back alive, wow she felt good. Now remember my box is altered where the front face is cut out sucking in cold air from around removed headlight bezel, on bottom of air box the is a 1 1/2 hole cut, and cut metal fender just above upper shock mount sucking in air. Also on front right side of box has been cut in such a angle to create air presure. So its true all your mods add up. They all work together when all in tune to your specific mods. So does one cold air intake fit all? NO. In my experience thru testing it shows that yes you need more air for performance, but that air should stay under presure, even before intering the air filter. My conclusion is my factory air box is acting as some type of air ram/ wind tunnel. Along with our 2.5L air pump has limited suction power. So keep it under presure, thats my story and I am sticking to it. Happy Wheeling.
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O yeah forgot to mention I am back to getting about 180 to 190 miles to a tank full, with all the power I need.
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I run an AEM intake and i have to say that it actually helped a bit. I increased by 1.5-2mpg over what i had when i ran the stock box. My AEM ran even better when i installed the spacer over my 62mm tb. Guess it positioned it better to draw air. Im thinking of getting rid of it however and going to a snorkel system, figure that would be the most idea way to get the coolest air into the engine..and it wouldnt hurt to make water crossings safer.
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Yeah a snokel would be nice. As far as your AEM, again why is it some things work for some and not for others.
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As far as your AEM, again why is it some things work for some and not for others.
"Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them."
- David Hume's Essays, Moral and Political, 1742
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Well said. The way I figure its the way air enters into your engine whether its before and after the filter or TB for that matter. In my case I believe the air flow rate before filter along with cold ram presure added to it and the suction power of a 2.5L behind the filter affects the torque band, and we all know torque equals horse power. Ofcourse air tube size, bends, engine temps, Tb and so on, it all works together, especially if you find that sweet spot. Right where air/fuel ratios ignite right at that perfect moment according to your mods, gears wieght etc. I believe i found my spot. But then I want more, then go messing with somthing else like even a bigger bigger TB or something or trying bigger gaps in plugs, then just having to start all over again looking for the right balance. Man my 2.5L is sensitve to any and or small changes. I should just leave well enough alone.
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Keep in mind that while the snorkel will swallow the coldest air, it will also route it in the poorest way with 90* bends all over the place. I dont notice any increased performance with mine...
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Keep in mind that while the snorkel will swallow the coldest air, it will also route it in the poorest way with 90* bends all over the place. I dont notice any increased performance with mine...
I'm sure it runes much better without water in it :redx:
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Well there I go again, today I was making a tiny adjustment to my factory air box and trimmed a mere 1/8 inch off the side cutout, and there was a slight decrease in torque yet a small increase in off the line response and top end speed. Gas mileage has suffered a bit. Now I gotta make a new plastic panel for the right side of my air filter box to get it back where it was. I think I am gonna go back and make another sliding adjustible panel with a thumb screw for fine tunning air before it enters the filter box. That way I can adjust the air presure or the way it travels in there. I know sounds crazy but it works for me.
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pictures?
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pictures?
check his other thread named "ADJUSTABLE FACTORY AIRBOX" or something like that, plenty of pictures there
@quicksand: put a cable on it so you don't have to stop to make adjustments
and also: apply for a patent before someone else reads this thread and does it
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Thats funny I have actaully thought of a cable. I think once I find my sweet spot agian I will just stick to the thumb screw. This time I will use a flat piece of aluminum. My last plastic panel wore out from to many adjustments. As far as patent, Ahh Naa. Probably at aint worth it. To much money .
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with the cable you can change it on hwy for more power and in city or offroad for more torque, that way you don't have to keep lifting the hood to find the "sweet spot", plus you can adjust it for off the line and once you get to speed change it for power.
you can also floor it, get to top speed, move the cable until you get new top speed and then you know where your max gain is. Move it the other way for bottom top speed and you know where your min is - might be able to get some clarity on how it works and get you more insight on how to improve it.
hell, you can have a stepper motor there and have it controlled by a pic microcontroller based on vehicle speed and rpm (use the speed sensor to get the speed of course and the cam sensor to get the rpm) - then you can apply for a patent, is not expensive by the way.
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Man you do it, sounds complicated. But that would be cool. I will back you up on research and developement. Today I just finished making my aluminum plate with thumb screw and looking for that sweet spot again. Are you serious about all that stuff ? or are you just messing with me right?
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Man you do it, sounds complicated. But that would be cool. I will back you up on research and developement. Today I just finished making my aluminum plate with thumb screw and looking for that sweet spot again. Are you serious about all that stuff ? or are you just messing with me right?
it can be done i'm not joking.
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I am sure it can be done, the question would be how much of a demand would there be for it. By the way after installing my aluminum plate today I took it for the first run looking for that right spot. The first run had alot of torque and kinda hard to hit top end, while steping on the pedal all the way down. Second adjustment and run I hit it right on the sweet spot. I opened the plate about 3/16 and what a difference. I still had torque, smooth instant response and reached 75 mph with no problem. Held my speed at 65 with very little effort on the pedal. Cruising at 60mph I could step on it and you feel slight torque as she continued to climb to 75mph easy. I am amazed with such a small adjustment what a difference it made.
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I am sure it can be done, the question would be how much of a demand would there be for it.
if you do some dyno pulls and show the differences i'm sure there would be takers. Now, the big market would be an automobile manufacturer, so back to the patent, if you get it and figure out the theory behind it that could be the money maker - variable intake run length has been done before, i'm not aware of something similar to what you're doing so the market is possibly open for this one if indeed has the results you're seeing - you'd have to compare to stock and present/demonstrate the improvement.
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Yes I have my theory to how and why its working so well, there is several factors involved. There is about 7 functions in all that work together. If you are missing one it will not work up to its optimium levels. The problem here is funds for dynos and such. I am currently tied up in other projects that we are trying to complete/ close, or let me say knocking on new doors, for proper placement. Long story. I can draw out the aerodynamics of this whole thing, and explain why it works, in theory of course for now, and put it on black and white. I have been looking at used fog machines you know the kind clubs use on stage and stuff. Just to visually see the flow of air. I have lots to say but might not have enough room here