GettReal

I have been running with the Breathless Vortex for years and always thought it was a good product for my needs. But lately I have found myself in situations where I'm driving in rain, sometimes on the road and sometimes on the track. Sometimes the rain gets so heavy I get nervous, so i'll pull over or stop. When I pop the hood, I do see drops around the air filter and it makes me nervous.

My race shop and I have been looking for a replacement and are considering custom fabrication.

I dont want this to be a vortex/vararam/honker etc. showdown... this isnt about HP, I have enough. Just want to know what the guys in THIS section are using. Thanks

Steve

City Goat

Stock box here with a K&N drop in.

I really wasn't happy with what I heard about Vararam fitment(C5Z issue)/potentially blocking the radiator as well(C6 issue only?).

I know they make filter "socks" for the guys who run STS turbos...which are awfully close to the elements on some cars. Maybe you could consider something like that over your setup now? Though I dunno how much it would help.

RC45

I am really really sure you need to submerge the nose with the Breathless Vortex to ingest water.

I used my buddies for 4 years after he hydrolocked his motor when he was caught on a flooded feeder road.

I drove my car in torrential rains for years and never an issue.

0Randy@DRM

The Blackwing does a good job with the water. Plus there is no stealing the air for the radiator.

Randy

GettReal

Right now I have the hole cut out of the shroud because of the vortex. I am thinking about taking off the box (leaving the hole there) and putting on a big open filter like the blackwing that way I can take advantage of some bottom fed air.. and if it rains I will have an aluminum plate that will slide under the filter and attach to the shroud with slide in pins to block the hole.

What are the pros / cons of this method.. thought?

Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com

had one for 6 years on my c5 rain no problrm.

Spinner_89

If you have an "Oiled Filter" (K&N or the like) you shouldn't have to worry about a little water. After a heavy wattering - just check & re-oil the filter.

FredSM

Vararam, but water is hardly an issue in CA (other than not having any!). Although I'd hate to get caught in some of the "gully washers" I've seen in the eastern and southern states, still hard to believe any significant H2O could get past a well-seated filter unless you're in water up to the door sills and the intake is literally gulping.

FM

ltborg

I wanted to know how bad the Vararam would let water in so one weekend (with an extra dry filter in hand) I ran the car through one of those touchless car washers. I pulled the filter out once it finished before starting the car back up and it was completely dry. This makes me think you actually need to dip the nose of the car into standing water like several have mentioned above.

0Randy@DRM

Sounds like a good plan to me. The best of both worlds. Well not exactly, when you have the block off plate open the air cleaner will not be sealed. Then you are packing more air into the under the hood area. Which causes lift, maybe you can't feel it. But in theory it will be happening. What are you going to gain anyways, 5 horsepower???

Randy

Gordy M

From a conversation several years ago I remember a P&M person saying GM did a ton of testing for the C5R on Cold Air Intakes, hydro lock, etc. With a single MAF they used the bottom feeder and found the optimum was about 2 " slit and about 18" wide, then COMPLETELY sealed the intake and filter around the shroud. (The Calloway and Ice Box both follow that setup.) Ultimately they went to the twin MAF set up but still used the bottom feeder/sealed shroud. The C5R/C6R have raced in some heavy downpours and have not had a hydrolock problem... It seams you have to get into standing water to do that.

Originally Posted by GettReal
Right now I have the hole cut out of the shroud because of the vortex. I am thinking about taking off the box (leaving the hole there) and putting on a big open filter like the blackwing that way I can take advantage of some bottom fed air.. and if it rains I will have an aluminum plate that will slide under the filter and attach to the shroud with slide in pins to block the hole.

What are the pros / cons of this method.. thought?


Without a sealed intake (vortex, calloway, ice box, etc) you will have hot/cold surging problems and a difficult tuning for accel/decel/idle.

Hardcorvette

Callaway Honker here for the past year, zero problems thus far.

UstaB-GS549

I put a new Delco paper filter in my stock intake 3 years ago. This year I opened it up and beat the filter on the driveway to knock the bug wings out. I only put 5,000 miles or less a year on the car. If you look thru it on a sunny day it still looks pretty clean.

DALE C

It takes a lot of water to cause a problem. We use Honkers in the shop. I was watching an Autox with several of our customers cars running with the Hoonker intakes there was standing water in one of the corners at least 6 inches deep. I told the guys they were nuts for running the event in the first place and I would not be running with a bottom feed intake. All but one continued to run and no one had any problems.
I would not push it like they did but I also would not drive any Vette in 6 inches of standing water.